Cat and Mouse (New York Mafia Syndicate #1)

Chapter 21 - Elizabeth

I wake up alone.

The first thing I notice is the empty space next to me where Leonardo should be. The sheets are cold, and a lazy smile tugs at my lips. No note, no text—typical. He leaves without a word, but that's not surprising.

I sit up, stretching, feeling the ache from last night. The man knows how to ruin a perfectly good night's sleep. I get up, heading to the shower. The water is hot, steam fogging up the glass, and my mind drifts back to his question last night. Marco's mole. I shut my eyes, trying to piece it together. During the attack at Jose Herrera's, it was just me, Matteo, and Mike Russo there. Mike. He's been as close to this investigation as I have. Maybe even closer. He's been in the thick of things with Marco, too. Could he be the mole?

I need to be sure.

After the shower, I dry off, throw on a simple black dress that Leo left for me, and head downstairs. Matteo's already at the table, drinking coffee and scrolling through his phone. He glances up when I walk in, lifting his brow in surprise.

"Where's Leo?" I ask, grabbing a cup of coffee for myself.

Matteo sips from his mug, leaning back in his chair. "Work. Where else?"

Of course. I sit across from him, eyeing the spread of food on the table. I don't trust Matteo. Not after the shit he pulled, lying to me like that. But right now, I need him.

"What about you? Why aren't you at work?" I ask, taking a bite of toast.

He shrugs. "Leo gave me a break after the attack. Figured I needed some time to heal."

I narrow my eyes. He's healed plenty, but whatever. "You seen my phone?"

Matteo squints at me. "Why? You gonna call someone?"

I give him a sharp look. "I need to check in with someone. You owe me, remember?"

He groans, running a hand through his hair. "Don't get me killed, okay?" He mutters something under his breath and disappears upstairs.

I wait, tapping my nails against the table. A few minutes later, Matteo comes back, my phone in hand. I snatch it from him, muttering my thanks before dialing Captain Harris.

He answers after the second ring. "Elizabeth? Didn't expect to hear from you. How's Cabo?"

I blink. Cabo? What the hell is he talking about? "Cabo?" I repeat.

He chuckles. "Yeah. PTO, right? You were taking some time off."

Right. That's the story. "Uh, yeah. Just taking care of myself."

"Good to hear." Harris sounds genuinely pleased, which makes me feel worse about lying.

I pause for a second, then dive in. "Listen, do you know who gave Whitmore the tip on Miguel?"

Harris pauses. "Whitmore? He used a CI… Hold on, yeah, a guy named Nathan Pierce. Why?"

A knot tightens in my stomach. Nathan Pierce. Mike's informant. "Can I talk to him?"

Harris clears his throat. "You'll have to go through Mike for that. He's the handler."

Figures. Everything points back to Mike. "Thanks, Cap. I'll take it from here."

I hang up and stare at the phone. Just as the pieces start to click, my phone rings. It's Mike.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing looking into my CI?" His voice is tight, panicked.

I grip the phone tighter. "I know the truth, Mike."

There's silence. Then, "Fuck. Look, it's not what you think. Marco's been blackmailing me, okay? Just like Leo's got you under his thumb."

My pulse spikes. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He lets out a dry laugh. "You're married to the Phantom, Elizabeth. I know everything. And you're pregnant, too."

I freeze. Shit. "What do you want?"

"Meet me. We'll talk. You help me with what Marco's holding over me, and I'll keep your secret. Victim to victim."

"Where?"

"The warehouse off Main. Turn left at the interstate, drive for 30 minutes. You'll find it. No tricks."

I swallow, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. "How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Because if you squeak, we both lose. Come alone."

I hang up and toss the phone onto the table. Matteo watches me, arms crossed.

"Everything okay?" he asks, voice too casual.

I stand, grabbing my coat. "I need a car."

Matteo shakes his head immediately. "Absolutely not. Leo will kill me if anything happens to you."

I roll my eyes. "Then come with me. Or don't. But I'm leaving, and you're not stopping me."

He curses under his breath, pushing off the table. "Fine. But if we die, it's on you."

We head outside, and he reluctantly opens the car door for me. Once we're settled in, Matteo starts the engine and glances at me. "Where are we going?"

I stay quiet, staring out the window.

Matteo sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know you don't trust me, but can we not get killed today?"

When I don't answer, he pops open the glove compartment and pulls out a gun. He hands it to me, glancing at me sideways. "It's one of Leo's. You'll need it for whatever suicide mission you're dragging me into."

I take it without a word, sliding it into my jacket. After I tell him where to go, we drive in silence for a while, tension thick in the air.

Matteo's foot hits the brakes, and the car jerks to a stop outside the warehouse. The place looks like it's been abandoned for years—rusted metal siding, boarded-up windows. It reeks of something wrong.

He turns to me, brow raised, like he's waiting for some explanation.

"Where the hell are we?" Matteo asks, suspicion clear in his voice.

Before I can answer, a truck barrels down the dirt road behind us, kicking up clouds of dust. The truck's brakes squeal as it stops, and out steps Mike. My chest tightens, but I play it cool, stepping out of the car, Matteo right behind me.

Mike walks toward us, eyeing Matteo like he's a stray mutt. "I told you to come alone, Elizabeth."

"Matteo's harmless," I say quickly, waving a hand like it's no big deal. But the second I say it, Mike pulls a gun. No hesitation, no warning. Bang.

Matteo drops to the ground, a grunt tearing from his throat as blood spreads over his chest. I scream his name, rushing to his side. My hands press down on the wound, but there's so much blood. Too much. He's breathing, but just barely.

"What the fuck did you do?!" My voice cracks as I glare up at Mike.

He shrugs, completely unfazed. "I needed to know if you were desperate enough to leave Leo's protection. Seems you are." He smiles like he's pleased with himself. Sick bastard.

I swallow the bile rising in my throat and force my words out. "What does Marco have on you, Mike?"

Mike's grin fades, replaced by something dark. "Marco? Nothing. I'm on his payroll, sweetheart." He gives me this cocky little smirk, like he's won some game I didn't know we were playing. "And people think you're a better detective than me."

My stomach churns. He was never being blackmailed. He was always in on it. How did I not see this?

A low rumble in the distance catches my attention. Another car pulls up, a sleek black sedan, the kind you'd see in some mobster movie. My heart sinks as four men step out, followed by the last person I want to see right now—Marco Rossiani himself.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he says smoothly, that shit-eating grin plastered on his face. It's like he's been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"Fuck you, Marco," I spit, trying to steady my voice. "You're a fool if you think I'm worth anything to Leo."

Marco laughs, slow and cruel. "Oh, you're his weakness, Elizabeth. The Phantom's Achilles' heel. I'm surprised you haven't figured that out by now."

I want to tell him he's wrong, that I mean nothing to Leo. But the truth tastes bitter in my mouth.

He steps closer, his dark eyes roaming over me like he's appraising property. "I liked you better as a blonde," he says, and before I can even process what he means, his hand flies out, smacking me hard across the face.

White-hot pain explodes in my skull, and my ears ring as I hit the ground. The world tilts, and I taste blood on my lips. For a second, everything goes blurry, but Marco's voice slices through the fog.

"Mike, grab her. We're taking her inside."

"No—please," I beg, my voice cracking. "Matteo... he's bleeding out, you don't have to do this!" My hands scramble to Matteo's side, but I can't stop the blood.

They don't listen. They don't care. Mike grabs me by the arm, yanking me to my feet. I struggle, kicking, screaming, but it's no use. Marco's men move toward Matteo, but they don't touch him. They just watch, like they're waiting for him to die.

"Don't do this!" I scream, my voice raw as Mike drags me toward the warehouse. "Marco, please—he'll die! You'll have blood on your hands!"

Marco doesn't even flinch. He lights a cigarette, watching me with cold detachment. "Leo's not here to save you this time, Elizabeth. You should've stayed under his wing. Now... well, now you're mine."

Inside the warehouse, it's even worse than I imagined—dark, damp, the air thick with the smell of mildew and old motor oil. Mike shoves me toward a metal chair in the middle of the room. My wrists are tied down with cold biting rope, and I can't help but feel the panic rise in my chest. I look at Mike, pleading, but all I get back is that same smug grin.

"Why are you doing this, Mike? You could've just walked away. We could've found a way out."

He snorts. "Walk away? There's no walking away from Marco, Elizabeth. Besides, he's paying me well. Real well. More than I'd ever get playing detective with you."

I shake my head. "You don't have to do this. You're better than this."

"I'm not," he says, flatly. "And neither are you."

Footsteps echo off the concrete as Marco and his men stroll in, cigarette smoke trailing behind him like some twisted halo. He watches me, taking his time, enjoying every second of this power trip.

"You know," Marco says, circling the chair, "I was going to kill you right off the bat. But Leo... he made things complicated. Got me curious. What's it about you that makes a man like him vulnerable?"

"There's nothing," I snap, hating the tremble in my voice. "Leo doesn't give a shit about me."

Marco chuckles, but it's humorless. "We'll see about that." He leans in close, his breath hot against my cheek. "You're gonna help me break him, Elizabeth. And when he's on his knees, begging for your life, I'll finish the job. But not before I've taken everything from him. Including you."

My blood runs cold. I can't let this happen. There's no way Leo's coming for me—not after everything. But if Marco believes he will, if he's counting on it... then maybe I can use that to my advantage.

"I'm nobody to Leo," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "You're wasting your time."

Marco raises an eyebrow, amused. "Is that so? Then why did you come running when Mike here told you he had leverage on you?" He flicks the cigarette butt to the ground, grinding it under his heel. "Leo might not care about much, but he cares about his empire. And you, Elizabeth... you're the key to taking it all away."

I grit my teeth, swallowing down the fear clawing at my throat. "You're wrong."

He stands up, looking down at me like I'm an insect. "We'll see."

Before I can respond, the warehouse door creaks open. Another one of Marco's goons steps in, nodding toward him. "Boss, someone's here."

My heart skips. Could it be Leo? No, it can't be. He wouldn't...

Marco looks at me, grinning. "Showtime." He turns and strides toward the door, leaving me tied to the chair, helpless. Mike stands by me, looking more nervous than I've ever seen him.

I strain against the ropes, but they're too tight. "Mike... please. You don't have to do this," I whisper.

He hesitates, just for a second, before his face hardens again. "It's too late for that."

I hear footsteps approaching before Marco can leave the warehouse—heavy, deliberate. The door creaks open, and for a split second, I think it's over, that Leo really isn't coming. But then, a familiar voice cuts through the tension.

"Well, this looks like a party."

It's Leo.

I jerk my head up, heart hammering, and there he is—Leo, standing in the doorway, flanked by two of his own men. His expression is dark, cold, but there's fire in his eyes.

Marco spreads his arms. "Leo. You're just in time."

Leo's eyes flick to me, then back to Marco. "Let her go."

Marco laughs, shaking his head. "No can do. She's part of the deal. You want her? You give me everything."

Leo's jaw tightens, but he doesn't flinch. "You've got a lot of nerve, Marco."

"I've got leverage," Marco corrects. "And you've got something to lose."

There's a tense silence, the air thick with anticipation. I can barely breathe, the ropes cutting into my wrists as I wait for Leo's next move.

Finally, Leo steps forward, his voice low and dangerous. "You've made a mistake, Marco."

"Oh yeah?" Marco tilts his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "And what's that?"

"You think you can use her against me." Leo's voice drops to a lethal whisper. "But you've just signed your own death warrant."

Before Marco can respond, Leo's men move, guns drawn, aimed at Marco and his men. The room erupts into chaos.