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(edited)

I sit quietly and just listen to the men in front of me on the table discuss and plan Jade's rescue.

At first, I was scared about them just busting her out of there illegally, but dad said they've basically held her without any clear substantiation, which is illegal by itself, too.

It's been three days since I left the hospital and dad, Gio, Vince and Lazz have been gathering more information on the outpost Jade's held. They finally worked out the strategy last night, but this morning one of Gio's men, who has been keeping watch there, called and said they've doubled the number of agents meaning their rescue strategy won't work if they don't get few more men to help them.

"If you don't bench me, we'll be a total of ten, then." Vince tells them with a slight annoyance in his voice.

Gio turns to look at him and raises his eyebrows. "No offense, but you don't even know how to shoot a gun."

"You say 'no offense' and then you offend me anyway. " Vince huffs and crosses his arms. "For your information, I do know how to shoot."

"Where did you learn, then? Call of Duty?" Gio asks him not really expecting Vince to say yes, but Vince's sudden silence confirms it. "Oh, come on. Seriously?" Gio groans in disbelief and Lazz and I find ourselves snickering from aside. Not even a glare from Vince shuts us up.

"Guys, concentrate," dad finally interjects. "Vince, you haven't shot a gun before and there will be trained agents who do that for a living against you. All of us here have some experience, including Lazzaro. It will be dangerous and I can't have your life on my hands if anything were to happen, kid." dad looks at Vince and Vince nods in agreement after a quick thought. Dad continues. "Now, Gio, how many more men can you spare?"

Gio sighs. "Only the six we have now. Even if there was time to fly in more from the States, my father won't let them. He doesn't understand the situation we're in and they respect him too much to go against his word."

I watch as dad rubs his face tiredly. "I couldn't convince anyone from the Bureau to join, too. They were too scared to do it since we don't have any hard evidence that suggests they hold her against the law."

Seeing them desperate like this makes me want to help them in any way I can, but nothing comes to mind. Even if I ask to go with them, they'd all disapprove because I'm not healed properly yet.

I tune their conversation out to focus on some solutions, and the worst possible idea pops in my head.

Silvio.

If I just call him or go to him and ask for his help I don't think he'd refuse. After all he wanted to redeem himself somehow and this is the somehow.

As the rest of them are throwing in ideas on how to get more men or change the strategy itself, I get Lazzaro's attention and motion for him to meet me outside. He raises an eyebrow in confusion at first, but complies once I go out.

"What's up?" he asks me once he closes the door behind him.

For the first few seconds I just stay quiet and stare at him. I don't know how to bring up Silvio to him now. I know he'll get angry and not listen to my idea.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Are we about to kiss right now? " he jokes, chuckling. My stare turns into a playful glare, but it was really just a façade to distract him from my blushing cheeks.

"Lazz, be serious." I clear my throat and tell him just as he takes a step closer, allowing me to take a whiff of the delicious cologne he's wearing.

"Fine," he says when he stops just few dangerous inches away from me, and smirks. "I'll be serious."

"You're short on help, yes?"

"You're not coming with us if that's what you're thinking." he says immediately and I shook my head.

"I know that, but I have another suggestion that's even...worse?" I end my sentence as a question when I try a careful approach. Lazz stares, trying to figure me out.

"What are you thinking?"

"First, promise me you won't get mad at me or yell,"

Lazz chuckles then steps closer and embraces me in a hug as he kisses the top of my head, "You know I can't get mad at you or yell."

I stay silent as he hugs me, but then put my hands on his chest and look up to make eye contact with him.

"Silvio ca-" as soon as I say his name, Lazz takes a step back and cuts me off.

"No." he laughs humorlessly.

"Just hear me out, please. We can use the chance I gave him to help us out, Lazz. We can ask him to give us few of his men."

"We're not asking for his help, Willa. Forget it." Lazz says.

A sigh leaves my lips. "It's for Jade, Lazz. I think we can put aside everything he's done if it means getting her here alive and well. I could care less what he's done to me if it means I get to hug my sister again." I tell him.

What if his help is the only way everyone gets to leave Fajardo alive?

Lazz thinks for a second, but decides on nodding at last. I can see he hates the idea, but he, too, knows what I'm saying makes sense.

My lips stretch into a smile after he agrees, and I hug him. He returns the hug carefully not to cause me any pain.

"He doesn't come with us, though." he says and I simply nod against his chest.

After Lazz and I hug it out, he goes to tell my dad our new plan instead of me. For some reason, my dad trusted Lazz more than me when it came to any topic related to the italian boss. He thought my opinions were biased because of Silvio.

After a long discussion and some yelling from my dad's side, Lazz walks out with an approval. That's all I need to pick up the phone and dial his number. No later than a few seconds the phone line on the other side opens up.

"Sì?" booms Silvio's voice through the speaker.

"It's me." I say.

There's a short pause before he speaks again. "Willa? Are you okay? Why are you calling, gattino?"

My heart skips a beat at his nickname for me, but I continue. "I'm okay, Silvio, but I need your help. "

"Of course, darling. Just tell me what."

"We'll need to borrow few of your men for a little."

"What for?"

"To save Jade."

There's another pause from his side. Just when I think he'll refuse he speaks up. "Okay. I'll be there with my men in twenty."

I exhale a breath I didn't know I have been holding and smile. "Great." I say,  but remember something else. "Silvio?

"Mhm?"

"Thank you."

"Anything for you,"

***

All that's been happening in the past ten minutes is glaring daggers and threatening.

Mum and I stand aside as all the men among us are ready to rip their heads off any moment now. Dad is dangerously circling around Silvio, and Silvio only provokes him with a smirk and a calm demeanor.

I take a quick look around us; the sun is setting down the horizon, leaving a red color on the water not far from us. It's getting late and they still haven't departed from the gather point.

"We must go. We have an hour driving to the outpost." Gio notices it and is the first that breaks the intimidating silence around us all. Dad knows he has a point so he slowly backs away from Silvio. Lazz, Vince and Gio's men fall back, too, after seeing dad's action. They all slowly start getting inside the cars.

"How many men?" Gio, then, asks Silvio as he steps closer to him.

"Eight." he answers simply and Gio nods before walking away. Silvio orders his men something in Italian and all eight of them load up in two separate cars. Silvio then approaches Lazzaro, who's counting bullets on the car on my right.

"Since I'm not coming Lorenzo will lead them, but if anything happens to Lorenzo or your plan changes they'll trust you to take place." Silvio says to him in serious tone. What I didn't expect is for Lazz to agree without a fight.

A couple minutes later, everyone is ready and waiting in the cars for dad and Lazz. Dad talks to mum and assures her everything will turn out okay and Jade will be with them shortly. They kiss and say their goodbyes. Dad hugs me, too, and gets in one of the cars. Lazz is the last one to go in. Before he follows them, he walks to me and hugs me gently.

"Please be careful." I tell him and inhale his cologne that I have found to be soothing. Lazz nods and steps back.

"Silvio will drive you back to the hotel and stay with you three until we return just in case something happens."

"And dad's okay with this?" I ask in confusion, but he surprisingly nods. He, then, says goodbye and to lighten up the situation winks at me playfully before closing the car door.

Mum, Vince, Silvio and a couple of his men who stayed behind watch as five of the cars move down the road.

I give mum a side hug, praying this plan will work and I'll be hugging Jade, too, just in a few hours.