Damon

Finally I dragged her out of here. I cannot believe her audacity to come here, after I asked her not to. How can she risk her life like this? Don't she know what she means to me. Russo has hurt her once already, no way I am letting her get hurt again. I tied her up in my car and I am damn sure she won't be able to loosen the knots.

I know she will be angry and sad and anxious too, I know she is here because she is scared for me but she is my life and Russo knows the leverage he will had on me if he has her. I can't risk it.

Chuck being here has already caught me off guard, I don't want any more weaknesses. Still we do not have a number as how many men are with Russo. We here have around eighteen men including me and soon Ric will join us with his team. But I don't know who is Russo's informer and how much he is prepared against me.

"What now?" Asked Zack as I came back from my car tying her. There were no other vehicles in the perimeter except ours. The night is going darker with every step we take. Ric is taking too much time and now Sophia is here too. The person who is informing Russo about our whereabouts will know she is here. How will I keep an eye on her from here. Dammit "Enzo ask everyone to take their positions. No one will go from the front door except me. Our first priority is to get Charles out of there safely." I instructed Enzo, guess we have to go on with what we have.

I came to an edge for a moment to make a quick call "Ric, how far are you?" " Will be with you in five" he told and I took a breath of relief . "I need you and your men to stay out with Sophia." "So-Sophia, what the-" "Yeah, she came here, but I have right now restricted her to my car, but I don't want Russo to have any leverage. So hide yourself good. No one should know you are keeping an eye on her". I instructed him. "Also trust no one with her except Enzo and I" I added. "But brother what about you and-" "Nothing is more important than keeping her alive, Ric" I told him and disconnected because no one comes before her, not even me.

I opened the main door and stepped inside. There was no one just Charles tied to that same chair. Unconscious, what it looks like. "S-st-stop" I heard Charles mumble something. It wasn't clear and as I took another step and realized that I stepped on a push button from which Charles tried to warn me by asking me to stop.

A hissing sound came and room filled with smoke. It was too much for me too see anything, an irritation began in my eyes, and I was almost on the floor coughing and soon the smoke is gone. The room became clear. Everything was same except Chuck wasn't there. Fuck!!

"Russo??? It's between and you and I, fight me like a man. Stop hiding behind a seventeen year old boy." I bellowed. There was silence for a moment and then I heard the whistle. Fucker.

"I was waiting for you " I heard him from behind me and I turned but he wasn't there. My eyes went to the ceiling to the speaker from where the voice was coming. "Then stop hiding and come out" I replied. Within seconds I was surrounded by his gunmen. I counted them to be nine at the moment. "I must admit I was taken aback when I got to know that you are coming. I really thought I got your bitch but what can I say, I admire the way you trained her that she went to you even though the question was of her brother's life." I heard his degraded voice insulting my Sophia. Just come to me you fucker and I will reply to you. "Come out coward, how long will you hide, huh? Aren't you tired of this hide and seek, for once fight like a man. Grow a pair." I retorted. He laughed, "You are surrounded by my men and you are telling me to flight like a man. I am not a rogue street fighter, I am a businessman, I rule the riff-raffs like you. I make you fight." He countered. "Business, right. Then why indulge in small talk, huh come out. Enlighten me about your business" I said. "Who can say NO to Don now, right?" He said and I heard footsteps coming in.

"Hello Don" The man said and I turned.

A saw him standing in the middle of the circle his men created around me. I smirked and said "I would be lying if I say I am not shocked Zack" I said to the rat standing in front of me.

"Well I am intrigued, Why Zack? Why?" I asked because I was really astounded to see him here from his side. This not only will disrupt everything but also this means that Russo knows everything. In a millisecond the only fear I ever had was coming to surface, that's of loosing Sophia.

"You are asking me why Don, I gave everything to you, your cartel. I was with you since the beginning and what you did, you made Lorenzo your second in command, the one who will succeed you. Why? I did everything that he did for you. Yet somehow he was always better in your eyes than me. Why because you fucking know him since you were eight. Is it my fucking fault that you didn't meet me first?" He retorted in anger. "Seriously Zack, you are jealous of Enzo, so you betrayed me. Me, after everything I did for you, I saved your wife's life, I was the one who paid for your surgical degree, -" " and I repaid well enough, I saved Sophia's life too." He cut me off with his reply. "Yeah, you did. You did Zack, and today I will save yours, if you come back to your senses and stop fighting for the man who is hiding behind you. You think he will make you second in command, the one who will succeed him. Can you really trust someone who do not have the courage to face the cartel you were working for all this time." I spitted out. "You know I don't do forgiveness but I will forgive you Zack, if you will just come back. I am fond of you Zack, trust me it will hurt me if I had to kill you. And you know I will kill you." I said hoping he will come to his senses because it will. "Too soon Don, that's what you do, you always think, you will win. You are obnoxious, arrogant and filled with yourself. You never think there can be someone who can be better than you. You think you can never loose. But today you will loose Don, because today I have what you want." He said and nodded behind me. I turned and a screen came to life. I saw Charles in a vehicle, tied up at Julio's gunpoint. "Fuck! So I had to kill two of my best men because they can't stay fucking loyal." I spitted in anger. "Wow that's some overconfidence" said Zack.

"I must say I am shocked to see you here but I am not surprised that your coward friend is still hiding behind you back, seriously Russo. Why shed blood of so many people? Its between you and me, keep it between you and me."

I heard Russo's laughter "Well Caprio, I don't need to come myself, my representative will be enough for you" he said. "Now you and I go long way back so purely for old times sake, I want to give you an offer, a chance to save your loved ones." he sneered and this time I laughed, "Do tell" I said intrigued, I so want to listen what he has that made him think that even for a second he has a chance of negotiation. "Give me what you have taken from me. Give me back, what's mine and I will let your family live." He said "Really, and what is it that I have taken from you, last I checked you ran." I replied to him, because technically he ran vacating his throne. "Don, your reign is over, accept it and people will live. You were right when you said, why shed more blood" said Zack.

"Normally I won't waste so much time but since it's you, and I really liked you Zack, so I will indulge you, tell me what's your offer" I said gesturing him to continue because I really want to know what Russo is playing. "Kneel, before Russo, give him the throne back. Russo will become the Don, and we will let go of Charles." He said "You, however, I can't spare your life, I mean for obvious reasons" came Russo's voice with a light chuckle "But at least you can save your family, the lives you promised too protect. You can keep the promise you made to your precious Doll of saving her brother, you can save your brother, your friend Enzo that you love so dearly and I promise you Don I will myself look into the well being of Alysia and Caprice. I know you care about them, I won't let anything happen to them. Ricardo will be free from us" completed Zack. "And I will take care of your Doll, better than your sister, trust me" said Russo followed with his laughter. Keep talking motherfucker.

"What if I refuse?" I asked smiling. "Julio will kill Charles in a split of a second." He said. "Huh" I said "Yes, then how will you face your Doll, huh the one you promised to save her brother. you are going to die either ways Don, at least save the poor kid." "Hmmmm..." I said circling Zack. "And what's stopping me from killing you right now?" I asked him "You won't, anything happens to me and Julio will kill him, you don't want that" he said smirking. "Not bad, I mean seeing Charles here did catch me off guard, I will give you that." I said as I patted his back, appreciating his plan. "Yeah, that was close call. I mean you deduced right, we never thought that anyone could figure out that we hid him in his own apartment but you did. It was a lot of hassle to get Charles out before your brother reaches him. But thanks to your trust in me, I was able to pull it off just in time." He said, his voice lacing with smug. "I knew you will send your brother there, that means lesser strength with you. I was the one who planted the doubt that you have a rat, so that you are left with lesser and lesser men, because you wont risk when it comes to your Doll's happiness, isn't Don." Zack said all arrogant

"Right, you did check everything, huh....brought Charles here, kept my brother at the wrong location, you calculated all my steps, you just forgot one little thing." I said as I stopped circling him and stopped at his back. I leaned into him and said in his ears. "I don't give a fuck about Charles Richmond" I said slashing his throat. He fell and raining bullets came as Enzo entered with half our men and killed those nine fuckers.

"Saw that Russo, first part of your plan is ended and I didn't even shoot one bullet." I crouched down in front of Zack as he was bleeding out. "D-Don" he said as he stretched his hand and I held it. "I wish it hadn't been you, I am sorry Zack, for the first time I really am." I said as I stabbed him again to end his life. I never wanted to kill him and now Julio. Only thing I can see his Alysia's broken heart. But he has to die. Poor girl.

"Better come out sometime today, Russo. Its over for you" I bellowed "No you can't let him die, you love her way too much to let her brother die" said Russo all bewildered. I laughed "Oh, he won't die - look" I said and pointed towards his screen. One shot and Julio was dead. Russo couldn't even make out who shot him. Rafe took Charles out from there.

When I saw Julio with Chuck, I also saw that its a one way screen, we can see them but Julio can't see us. He won't get to know that I killed Zack right on time to kill Charles. I couldn't let him die, Russo is right I love her too much to let her brother be the collateral damage. He is my family too and no one fucks with my family. Zack do know everything and his plan was full-proof but what he doesn't know, what no one knows is that Enzo and I work hand in hand, no matter how far we are, we are always connected. There is a bluetooth device with both of us, that made every conversation I am having here audible to Enzo, he knows what to do and when to do. Speed and time were always our strength, it has to be at the exact moment. I would be dead if Enzo got a second late, and Charles would be dead if Rafe would have been a second late.

"You think you won, huh?" I turned on hearing Russo's voice and saw him behind me. He had somewhere around close to thirty men what it seems behind him.