Chapter 58 - "My Dear Enemies, Watch Your Back, Killian Palmero Is Coming For Your Heads."

"Shit! We really did easily cross the check posts?" First kidnapper excitedly said to his companion. When their boss said that police wouldn't be an issue that they couldn't handle, they literally thought that the other party was bluffing as this mission directly involved the most untouchable family in the country. 

But little did they know if the victim was somehow associated with the royal family, then, the mastermind behind them was the PM Joseph itself. 

"Yeah, since we have changed the car here, you need to handle this girl well, and please do something about this stench because, if you don't, I will die of lack of oxygen. I can't breathe in here," He said, his hand pinching his masked face. 

After losing Santiago and his men, they immediately changed their car. They were to change cars five more times before they reached their destination. To tell the truth, their plan was exceptionally good. 

"Well, we can't do anything about the smell," the second man said. "What do you think is so special about this girl that we were offered a huge amount?'

" What does it have to do with us?"The first one said, "She can die or live for all we care. As for who she is? I don't care at all about her identity as long as we get the money that we were promised." 

"Hmmm…. Did you send her picture to our boss?"

"Oh, I forgot. Why don't you send it?" 

The second man clicked a picture of Persephone's sleeping face and sent it to their boss. 

___ 

Meanwhile, on the other side, PM Joseph and his lackeys were waiting for updates on the woman from their men. From their spies in the palace, they had heard that Santiago Vitello was hunting their men like a dog sniffing the bone. 

He was waiting for Santiago to involve armed forces in his personal mission. His goal wasn't to just kidnap the woman for nothing, he aimed to see Vitello and his three men losing control over the woman, resulting in their negligence over His Majesty's security during the Moon festival which was going to take place a few days from now. 

With one shot he would win the upcoming election, and with another, he would convince people to throw Monarchy out of the country as the king is incompetent. 

"PM Joseph, have you ever thought why would Mr. Vitello tried to protect this woman?" His assistant had a thoughtful expression on his face. "If she was really his woman as Winnie is trying to say, why would she need to work in the Palace as a maid? Vitello had enough money to last his three generations without bothering to work. It doesn't fit well with. Moreover, there are other rumors too… For instance, she was on the run…Jeno's men found her in an oil barrel. Don't you think all of the incidents are way too suggestive?" 

"What do you mean by that, Brad?" PM Joseph asked him curiously. He knew that he couldn't ignore what his assistant just said. He was paying this man to think and see what was not naked to his eyes. 

"I mean nothing ambiguous, PM Joseph. I am just trying to ask you to let me investigate this woman first… Who knew that she was a criminal or something of great importance on the run?"

"You are trying to say that you want to look for her in the underworld?"PM Joseph managed to let out. 

Only the men sitting in this room knew how much the word 'underworld or mafia' was frowned upon in this country. Decades ago, Italian Mafia organizations had looted and plundered their rich country, caused a civil war, and killed almost every member of the royal family. It was only after the long member of the Maisean Royal family, King Leonardo emerged with four of his friends and changed the narrative of the country. 

As for Vitello's woman, PM Joseph contemplated for a moment as to what would happen if the woman was really of great importance? 

With a sigh, he said," You have time till this evening, find out anything you can with the help of her picture. And make sure the spies in the palace can send us every important or unimportant news. I will make this bloody royal family crumble. It's time we end it for once for all." 

_____

"Santiago, We have sent you Persephone's last location. We can't find out anything else, " Killian's rough voice rang in his ear. "This place is at least sixty kilometers away from the capital. If all the tracking signals are blocked by barriers, it means the kidnappers have reached their destination." 

"Alright, I get it." Santiago drove faster as soon as he received the location. "Killian, don't do something reckless believing my life is in danger. The enemy is looking for an opportunity to attack us as we lose our focus and control. You three pretend that nothing is wrong. Don't come out of the island. Control everything from there. Blend our men with His Majesty's and army. Most importantly, do not give Joseph an opportunity to strike. " 

"Santiago, if His Majesty's life is important, so is yours. The place you are going is a dead end. People don't return after entering that forest," Killian said in a hard and tired voice. Although he was trying to reason with Santiago, he knew deep inside in his heart that Santiago would never agree with him. "Let her die, she is of no importance to us if you die. 

"When we went on this mission, we knew that we could lose our lives. But we still went ahead with it, didn't we?" Santiago paused for a moment before saying, "Kill, if I don't manage to come back alive with Persephone, I want you to go ahead with the mission." 

"Damn you!!" He heard Killian banging the table in anger. 

"Kill…"

"Shut up, Santiago. I will do no such thing if you are dead. I will hunt your soul in hell and bring you back here to torture the hell out of you," Killian growled. Yes, there are moments when the calm and composed Killian would lose his control. But pray that you aren't the reason behind his loss of composure. 

Closing his eyes for a second, Santiago smiled and said, "If I don't come back, I want you to know that… I want you to know, Kill, that Lucien Marino had not killed her. She is still alive somewhere. He had hidden her from his father before he died. Don't you dare to follow me here to die… Complete the mission and look for her… she is waiting for her brother to come and rescue her." 

____

"Dammit it!" Killian threw any object that came into his view. He was going berserk. How could Santiago do this to him? They were brothers for God's sake. He knew that he wouldn't let him go to that death valley alone. He would insist on going with him. Wasn't it why he had an ace with him since the beginning? Dammit, he was called Villain for a reason. 

Killian had no idea when Santiago had received the latest update on his sister's case. But was it the right time to tell him? He had intentionally informed him now… 

"Since you really want me to not follow you. I will not come for you, Fucker. Even if you die there." 

But he knew that he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his life for him… 

"My dear enemies, watch your back, Killian Palmero is coming for your heads." 

_____

"Boooom!!!" 

Nash grinned as he watched Alessandro Marino's contraband worth millions turning into ashes in a few minutes. The burning smell of money…

Wow, this was his second favorite smell after blood. 

"We were told to incite a fight between the Mafia houses, not to attract attention," Callum said from behind. His body was unusually stiff and his face too tense. 

Nash shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him. He simply loves the sound and smell of destruction… People might call him a freak… but it was what it was… 

"Did our men manage to find that duchess?"Nash asked him. They had heard stories of the Duchess of Orin but no one knew what she looked like or who she was…. She was way too reclusive…. People call her cursed as her mother died when she was born, then her father and husband too, a little after her wedding. Some even said that she knew black magic and voodoo stuff… Some socialites that he had the opportunity of fucking informed him that Duchess of orin was an ugly, fat woman… and he totally believe it. Or why else would she disappear from public eyes? 

"No," Callum said, his face even more tense. "I need to go back to Maisea tonight. Killian had lost his sanity… he is screaming and breaking things… punishing our men… That's not the Killian we know.. Plus, I need to find that Duchess at any cost and keep her safe with the royal family."