My First, My Last, My Everything

Chapter 24

Gabriella

Anthony withdrew from the girl, though his hand lingered on her waist. Noah and Marco entered the living room, eyeing the scene with confusion. She gave a quick glance at the twins before turning her attention to me.

"Um, who are they?" she inquired, also looking back at Anthony, who glanced at us too.

Before he could respond, I interjected swiftly, stealing his chancd.

"I could ask you the same thing." All eyes shifted to me as I strolled down the stairs, casting her a questioning gaze.

A chuckle escaped her lips, and she folded her arms across her chest.

"Cleo. Anthony and I are close friends. And you are?" She smirked, awaiting my reply.

"Gabriella Antonio. Leader of the Royal Mafia. These two are my brothers, Noah and Marco. We weren't informed that you'd be coming by today."

Anthony shot me a glance before redirecting his gaze to Cleo, his smile faint.

"I already explained over the phone why they're staying here with us. It'll help us find their friend Liana and find Tyson too," he clarified to her.

She nodded quickly, her face suddenly lighting up.

"Well, that's fine. Any friend of Anthony's is a friend of mine." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"We're not friends. Let's clear that up before you start making friendship bracelets." Her glare shot my way.

"I'm not interested in those childish things. You barely know." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes again.

"You're right, we don't. So I hope you'd be as useful as he claims you to be and help us find our friends without any issues. For now, let's just stay out of each other's way, hmm?" I exited the room, heading down the hallway leading to the kitchen.

I wasn't about to endure another minute of whatever might come out of that girl's mouth. Her way of speaking and behaving grated on my nerves for some reason.

Maybe it's jealousy or whatever, but it feels like more than that. There's an unsettling vibe about her that I can't quite put my finger on, yet.

******

"Here's the plan. You take the guys and encircle the back, while I lead the others to cover the front entrance. Marco and Noah, you're on sniper duty from this angle, keeping an eye on this spot. Some might try to escape that way."

Anthony's voice held authority as he marked spots on the map. The twins, Jeremy, Cleo, and I stood around him, listening intently while he circled areas with a red marker, explaining as he went.

We were about to check out a warehouse, where a small-scale drug operation was underway. Our target was to dismantle it, as my sources indicated a connection to the gang holding Liana and Tyson hostage.

If we're lucky, we might get these guys to tell us about their real hideout.

"Alright, let's move." He announced, prompting me to move away from the group.

Already in the armory room, I grabbed a gun, loaded it, and concealed it behind me. I shrugged off my light shirt, leaving only my black bra, and donned a bulletproof vest. My shirt went back on, and when I turned, I realized everyone had paused, staring at me.

"What? Y'all never seen a girl undress before?" I asked, confused. They averted their eyes, resuming their tasks.

Bunch of weirdos

"Is it always that necessary for you to strip down in a room full of people?" Anthony's voice reached me from the other side. I sighed, facing him.

"Geez, where are your manners? Do you always have to look when a girl starts undressing in front of you? That's a bit disrespectful, not to me, but to her—considering she's a close friend of yours that you often lock lips with, so you shouldn't be checking out other girls Anthony," I retorted, gesturing towards Cleo, who was helping Anthony with his vest.

She glanced at me, before frowning at Anthony. His smile dissolved her displeasure, as if he held some magical sway over her.

Seriously? Does he really have that much effect on her?

Rolling my eyes, I handed Noah a sniper rifle, noting his alternating glances between Anthony and me.

After getting ready, we hopped into the parked SUVs outside the mansion. The drivers started the engines, and we set off. After 30 minutes, we halted on a quiet road.

Exiting the vehicles, guns at the ready, I led three of Anthony's men to the warehouse's rear, signaling them to spread out. Two guards outside were armed. Swiftly taking them out, they fell lifeless to the ground.

I tip-toed to a small window, peeking inside. A dozen or so people bustled around tables covered with white powder, unmistakably cocaine.

Amid them, a guy in a black suit paced between the aisles, talking on the phone. My eyes narrowed as he headed toward the back door, completely unaware of our presence.

I struck the gun's butt on his back, causing him to cry out in pain. He fell to his knees, his phone tumbling away with a cracked screen.

The signal to the team was given, and they stormed in. Behind the suited guy, I placed my pocket knife against his neck.

"Wait! Stop! I'll give you anything you want! Please, I'm begging you." He pleaded, his hands raised.

"Tell me the name of the gang you're working for and where they at!" I asked while pressing the blade deeper into his skin.

"And don't even think about lying through your teeth. Your answer with decide whether I should kill you or not. So, what's the name of the people you work with?" Silence hung in the air, so I traced the blade along his skin, drawing blood.

"Talk!" I shouted.

"The... the Phoenix gang!" he yelled, between screams. I halted my torture.

"Good. Second question: who's their leader?" He panted.

"I don't know. I swear. He keeps his real name a secret. We just call him Boss." I frowned.

"You sure about that?" He nodded.

"Tino. His inner circle calls him Tino. That's it." I tightened my grip on his collar.

"Last question." His eyes closed, breaths labored.

"Two friends of mine were taken by this Phoenix Gang—where are they? Where do you think he's keeping them?" He shook his head.

"I don't know. I just arrived days ago, and was assigned here. I have no clue where they are."

His voice wavered, I immediately picked up on the lie. But it will take more than just a knife to the throat to make him budge and I don't have the time for that

Oh well.

"Thanks for the help." I sliced his neck with my knife, kicking him forward as he collapsed, staining the grass with the blood that spilled from his skin.

Slipping the knife in my pocket, I turned to leave, and suddenly caught Anthony watching me quietly in the back.

He saw everything.

"Got anything?" he inquired, eyes still on the lifeless body.

"Phoenix gang. Leader that goes by the name Tino. He said he doesn't know where they're at. But he did lie about one thing so I figured he'll be no use to us," I said, briefly glancing at the corpse.

Anthony observed me, then cleared his throat, gesturing to the side.

"Okay. Let's head back. We've got what we need, hopefully it'll help us get the answers we want."

I hope so too.