Ad Astra Per Aspera

Chapter 16

"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"

Enzo POV

"Enzo! We need to talk." Astra runs into the office interrupting the meeting. I have been trying for weeks to make this work, to get all these men together for them to listen to me.

I can see their facial expressions right now, they expect me to tell her to leave, to show authority.

That's not going to happen.

"All of you, get the fuck out."

Their eyes are wide, but what did they expect? I am tired of bending down for them, it is clear that they do not respect me. That's fine, I will change that.

"You can't tell us to leave just because some whore wants to talk to you." Shivani, one of my fathers men says.

I see fury in Astra's eyes, she is about to murder that man, but I don't give her a chance because I take out my gun and shoot him in the neck.

Blood starts gushing from his throat, he is trying to stop it, but is obviously failing.

I wanted him to suffer a little, he doesn't get to insult my woman.

"Anyone else wants to say anything?" I ask the men around me and then just shake their heads and get up to leave. "Take the deadweight with you. He is staining my carpet."

Even if he survives this, I'm confident that Astra will have the pleasure of killing him later.

When the door closes Astra just stares at me, and then shakes her head.

"That was hot, but we got a fucking problem."

"What is it?"

"Come with me and grab Rio, I have a feeling that if I tell you here you will murder everyone, and we have to play smart."

"What the fuck is going on?"

Astra doesn't answer, she just starts walking out and Rio meets us in the hall with a phone in his hands. Clearly as confused as I am.

We get in a car, which Rio wasn't very happy about being in the back seat, and she starts driving towards the airport.

"Cartel has your mother."

Rio's face pales, and I don't have to look in the mirror to know that so does mine.

If what she said is true, the thing they will do to her, death is mercy.

"And, you should also know that your father knows. I was monitoring him for the past few weeks, which is how I know that Cartel reached out to him with a video of your mother. Your father refused their demands and told them they could do anything they wanted to her."

"He fucking what?" Rio shouts. I'm just fucking silent, stunned, No fucking way.

"Enzo, there is a tablet in my purse, grab it, all the correspondence is in there. I managed to trace the signal, and we are going to get her out. I think the three of us are capable of doing that, and I have Allie help us. If we take more people, we will be spotted and they will kill her."

I look at the documents on the tablet, and she is fucking right, that is the correspondence, I recognize my father's tone anywhere. They demand what is owed to them?

"I don't understand, what do they mean by 'pay us what you owe us'?"

"Your father has been dealing with the cartel for the past few months. He kept it hidden because it violates the contract he made with my father. He wanted more territory and with Cartel's help he was going to get it, the whole bomb situation didn't change those plans. Well, the Cartel isn't happy with the latest turn of events and wants their share, that's why they took your mother, they want an exchange."