by Bianca Cole
I skid to a halt in the parking lot of the little private airport. The sound of engines firing up has me flinging open the door and sprinting in the runway’s direction. If he gets her back into Texas, I’ll never see her again. He will protect her far more carefully, and I’ll be damned if he’s taken the love of my life from me.
I’m thankful when I see a small light aircraft propelling into the air, and Nick Juliano’s jet still sitting on the runway with the door open. This will be dangerous, taking her from him in her state, but I’m not letting him take her.
There’s no sign of Juliano as he’s probably on the plane with her. I draw my gun from my belt and rush straight up the stairs into the aircraft.
Juliano looks straight at me, and his eyes go wide. “How the fuck did you get here so quick?”
Alicia’s face is stained with tears, as she glances back at me. “Rick.” She tries to get up, but her dad stops her.
Leo and Kane come rushing into the plane after me with their guns drawn.
“Nick, you may not like the fact that I’m in love with your daughter.”
His eyes narrow.
“But, I’m not letting Alicia go. No chance in hell.”
Alicia’s eyes well with more tears. “Rick.” She holds out a hand for me to take, and I step forward.
Nick cocks his gun and forces me to a stop. “Don’t take another step.”
“Dad, don’t be an idiot.”
“Alicia, stay out of this.”
I bring my gun up and point it at him “Don’t speak to her like that.”
Nick’s eyes narrow. “She’s my daughter. I’ll speak to her how I damn well like.”
Leo and Kane take a few steps closer, covering Nick’s guys.
“I’m not leaving without her.” I keep my gun trained at her dad. “You’ve got to accept that we will be together. Why would you want a start a war over this?”
Nick glances between Alicia, who is staring at me with tears in her eyes, and back at me. A tense silence plays out as all of us wait for his response. “Let me speak with my daughter alone for a moment.”
I shake my head. “You can speak with her alone, but not on this plane.”
Alicia moves to sit up, and I notice her wound has been professionally tended to. Her dad helps her to her feet, and she walks toward the exit. Before she walks passed me, her arms wrap around my neck, and she squeezes me close. “You came for me.”
I snake a hand carefully around her waist. “Always.”
Nick clears his throat. “Alicia.”
She unwillingly pulls away from me and follows her father out of the plane. Leo walks toward Nick’s men and grabs their guns. “Sit down,” he barks.
The men pale, doing as he says right away. No one is stupid enough to go against Leo Romano. The man is more insane than me. I worried that after Alicia witnessed what I did to Austin, she wouldn’t look at me the same. Obviously, my anxiety was unfounded. She looks at me with the same adoration as before, perhaps more.
I walk toward the exit of the plane and watch Alicia and her father talking. It looks heated, as he paces up and down the tarmac. I’m not expecting that he will back down and accept her leaving with me. The other alternative is one I don’t really wish to consider. A war over a woman.
It would bring too many questions to light and undermine my entire position. Another story would have to be fabricated about Nick. I know it would hurt Alicia in the process too. The two men in her life fighting each other over her isn’t ideal.
Her dad walks up to her and grabs her hand, bringing it to his lips. It’s endearing to see how much he loves her and makes me respect him more. A lot of mob bosses don’t let it be seen who they care for, because it’s a weakness that can be exploited.
Nick doesn’t worry about that, which means Alicia has grown up in a loving household. It’s more than can be said for me, Leo, and Kane. Our father was a heartless bastard until the very end.
He nods his head, and she flings her arms around his neck. Perhaps it’s going better than I expected.
Alicia turns to the plane and signals for me to join them. I step out and walk toward them. It’s impossible not to miss the way Nick glares at me as I approach. At least he has put his gun away, for now.
Alicia’s smile is infectious. She beams at me. “Dad has agreed to let me go back with you to Philly on one condition.”
I raise a brow. “What condition?”
“I’m coming with her,” Nick says.
I nod. “That is fair.” Our pilot, Harry, is already ready to take off for Philly. “We’ll take our jet, as we need to get John and Dan seen by our doctor too.”
Nick’s lips purse, but he nods in agreement. “I’ll get Alicia into your plane and send my men back on our jet.”
“I’ll escort Alicia, while you tell your men.”
He nods, reluctantly walking back toward his own jet.
Alicia smiles at me. “I think he will come around to us.”
“You’re very positive, considering he tried to shoot me only a moment ago.”
She takes my hand, leaning on me and wincing. “Emotions were running high.”
I snake a hand across her back and hook an arm under her knees, lifting her carefully. “Come on, let’s get you into the jet and comfortable.”
Her arms wrap around my neck as I carry her toward the plane. I no longer care who sees me doting on her. Our relationship will become common knowledge, and so be it. She will be my queen and the only woman in my life.
Hopefully, she will be the mother of my children. I want to give her everything and make her as happy as she makes me.
20
Alicia
My dad hasn’t left my side since he agreed to fly me back to Philadelphia. All I want right now is to be near Rick, but at least Dad didn’t succeed in tearing us apart. Rick has stayed away from me since we got on his plane, and I know my father is the reason.
The medic patched me up as best he could in the ambulance, and I feel better now I’m not slowly bleeding to death. Once we get to the Romano mansion, Rick has a hospital and on-site doctor who can tend to me.
“How are you feeling?” Dad asks.
I glare at him. “Fine.”
He shakes his head. “Alicia, you put me through hell while you were gone.” His voice breaks slightly, and it’s only at that moment, I notice the dark rings around his eyes. He hasn’t been sleeping. A heaviness falls on my chest.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice, and falling in love with Rick wasn’t something I foresaw.”
He runs his hand over the back of his neck at the mention of Rick. “I want the best for you, princess. The thought of you living so far away is horrible.”
I grab my dad’s hand. “Maybe you and Janice could move to Philly?”
His brow furrows. “We can’t move. What about my business?”
“If you combine forces with Rick, then you can run any business you want from there.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t trust him.” He seems to notice the hurt on my face. “Not yet, anyway. I don’t know him, other than his infamous reputation.”
I smile. “Once you get to know him, I’m sure you’ll both get on. He’s not as brutal as the rumors suggest.”
He gives me a disbelieving look. “That’s not how it looked when he beat the shit out of Austin.”
I sigh heavily. Dad is right. Rick is brutal, but then so is my father. “Don’t tell me you haven’t done things like that in your past. I know you have.”
“I have, but I never wanted you to find a man like me, sweetheart.” He squeezes my hand. “I wanted you to settle down with a nice boy, like your friend, Harry. A boy who has nothing to do with the mafia or crime.”
“I can’t help who I fell in love with.”
He brushes a single hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. “You remind me so much of your mother.”
The mention of my mom makes my chest ache and my heart pound
hard. My dad rarely talks about her. He still, to this day, blames himself for her death, which is ridiculous.
She died of cancer, but they caught it late. He insisted that if he had been more attentive to her, they would have found it before it was too late.
He loved her so much. I’m not sure why he married Janice two years ago. Perhaps it was loneliness, but I know he doesn’t love her like he loved my mom. She died when I was ten years old, and I still have so many memories of her. It hurts so much to think about her.
“She was as beautiful and strong as you.”
Tears prickle my eyes. “You will make me cry.”
The plane dips suddenly, and my heart leaps into my throat. “What the hell was that?”
My dad sighs. “Turbulence. You even inherited your mother’s dislike of flying.”
I clear my throat. “Why don’t you ever talk about Mom?”
His eyes are filled with pain as he looks at me. “It hurts too much, but when I see you with Rick, it reminds me of what true love is like.” He shakes his head. “I know what Janice and I have is not a patch on it.”
I feel such relief hearing him say that. The last thing I want is for him to hate Rick because of the odd way we got together. “You deserve to be happy again, Dad.”
He smiles sadly. “Don’t get me wrong, I care for Janice, but it’s not the love that you share with Rick or that I had with your mom.” He shakes his head. “That is a once in a lifetime love.”
Someone clears their throat in the doorway of the small bedroom cabin, and I glance up to see Rick standing there. “Can I have a word?”
Dad nods, before leaving us alone.
“How are you holding up?” He cocks his head to the side, remaining by the door.
“Holding up fine.” I hold out a hand for him to take, wanting him to be close.
He glances at my hand with a conflicted look. “You could have died because of me.” He walks toward me and our hands touch.
“Let’s not talk about that.” I pull him close. “Kiss me instead.”
He glances out of the bedroom door, which is still open, searching for any sign of my dad. When he looks back at me, his eyes are glimmering. He shifts toward me and cups my face in his hands, bringing his lips near. His breath teases against my lips as he waits a moment, teasing me.
I whimper in anticipation, waiting obediently for him to close the gap. Finally, he kisses me soft and tender. The pain of my wound easing slightly as I finally feel whole again.
Helen, the doctor, approaches us warily. My dad is standing on one side of my hospital bed and Rick on the other. The tension in the air is high, and the look on her face makes me anxious. Perhaps the bullet did more damage than we expected.
“I’ve got your results back,” she says.
I swallow hard. “Is there a problem?”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s a flesh wound, and the bullet didn’t hit any bone material.” Her brow furrows, and she walks forward. “I assume you already know that you are…” she trails off, searching my face for the answer.
“That I’m what?” I ask.
Her eyes narrow, and she glances down at her clipboard, tapping her pen against it. She looks between Rick and my father. “Perhaps you’d prefer it if I speak with you alone?”
I shake my head. “Anything you need to say can be said in front of Rick and my dad.”
She takes in a deep breath. “I assumed you already knew you were pregnant.” She glances between Rick and me.
It feels like my world falls out from beneath me, and I spiral downward.
Pregnant?
I knew there was a risk, obviously, as we didn’t take precautions. The thing is no one ever expects it to happen. We’d been making love every day since the first time. I can’t understand why the news shocks me far more than it should. “Is the baby okay?”
The doctor nods. “Yes, I believe so, but as you’re only a few weeks pregnant, I want to monitor your vitals for two days.
Rick squeezes my hand, making me glance at him. My heart aches to see tears gathering in his eyes. A man so powerful brought to tears by news of our baby. “Pregnant,” he breathes.
I laugh and squeeze his hand back. “It’s rather unexpected.”
He nods, cupping my chin in his hands. “Yes, but good news.”
I glance at my dad, who has gone a little pale. He isn’t smiling. In fact, he looks shell shocked. “Dad, are you okay?”
He shakes his head. “I’m going to be a grandfather.” Dad smiles, surprising me. “I can’t believe it.”
Rick looks as shocked as me as I glance back at him.
“I may not be happy yet with this arrangement, but I am happy that I will have a grandchild to spoil.” He gives me a tight hug.
The doctor clears her throat. “It’s still very early days.” She glances at her clipboard. “Your health is good, but I must have regular checkups after I’ve kept you in for monitoring.”
“Every week,” Rick says.
She nods her head. “Of course, sir.” I watch as she notes it down. “Perfect.” She clutches the clipboard to her chest. “Get some rest, and I’ll check in with you in a few hours.”
“Okay, thank you, Doctor.” I watch her as she turns to leave.
I glance at Rick once she is out of earshot. “Isn’t every week a bit extreme?”
Rick shakes his head. “Nope, we’ve got an on-site doctor. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a quick checkup every week to make sure everything is okay.”
“I agree,” Dad says.
I shrug. “Fair enough.” I glance at my dad. “Do you mind giving Rick and me some time alone?”
My dad glares at Rick for a moment before sighing. “Fine, get some rest, and I’ll be back to check on you later.” He kisses me on the cheek.
“Thanks.” I watch him as he walks stiffly out of the home hospital.
Rick kisses me the moment he’s gone. I finally feel right again the moment he touches me. “I won’t deny that whenever we had sex, I secretly hoped you’d get pregnant,” he says.
My eyes widen. “I never even thought about it until after the second time.” I shake my head. “Even then, I assumed it wasn’t too much of a risk since you had said nothing.”
He laughs. “You are so innocent. I’ve corrupted you, haven’t I?”
“I’m not innocent.” I pout at him.
He brushes his lips over mine gently. “You are, and I love it. I never thought about starting a family until I met you.” He moves back to stare into my eyes. “In fact, I never thought about getting emotionally involved with a woman at all.”
My stomach flutters. “I must be a lucky woman then.”
He grabs my hand and presses it to his lips. “I’m the lucky one, not you.” He shakes his head. “I still can’t believe you jumped in front of a bullet for me.”
“Thank God I did.”
He swallows hard, and his eyes move down to my belly. “If you had died or lost the baby…”
I grab his hand. “I didn’t, so don’t waste another thought on it.” It must be difficult for a man like him to accept that I took a bullet for him. He probably wishes it was the other way around.
He nods and straightens his back, eyes glazing over. “You’re right.” He sets his hand on my stomach. “From now on, I will protect you and our baby with all I’ve got. I promise.”
I can’t help but smile at the man who captured my heart. The meeting with my father didn’t go as smoothly as I hoped. Getting shot was never something I’d contemplated. It brings home how dangerous this life can be.
Bringing a baby into a world like ours is even more frightening. A child who we both will cherish, but have to protect from such a terrible aspect of our lives. All that matters is that we are together and alive. We will figure everything else out in time.
21
Rick
The piercing sound of tortured screams fills the air, as I descend into one of our basement
rooms. My brother is hell-bent on getting revenge on the man who abused his woman. He gave him a good kicking the first day we got him back but has been leaving him to stew for a few days.
Leo intends to end him today. I wanted to get some information from him first, but it seems he has started without me.
Leo can be the most brutal and vicious out of the three of us. He is more broken than Kane and me.
I watch as Leo circles Bruce, who is tied up to the rafters. He is like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey. He can be unbelievably savage. “You are a piece of shit for the way you treated my woman,” he spits, delivering a firm and hard punch to the gut.
The coward who put my brother through hell dares to plead. “Please, don’t do this.”
All he is doing is adding fuel to the fire. Leo lands a hard punch to his jaw, cracking it clean in two. Bruce’s mouth goes slack.
My heart fires as I notice Ellie standing in the corner, watching. This isn’t something I’d want Alicia to witness me doing.
Her eyes are full of as much hate and rage as Leo’s. They are a broken pair. Both of them have gone through their fair share of abuse and hell, and I hope they will heal each other. My youngest brother has been lost for years.
“Do you need a hand?” I ask.
Leo’s gaze shoots to me, and the look in his eyes is fire. He is rarely so focused, but he is right now. “No.” He clenches his fist and punches the guy in the stomach.
I clear my throat. “Are you forgetting the questions I need Bruce to answer?”
Leo’s jaw tightens, and he glares at me. “No.”
I walk toward him. “Then, step the fuck aside.”
There’s an air of danger clouding my little brother as he observes me. He wants to protest, but he knows the score. “You better not kill him. I get to end that asshole.”
I nod my head but don’t acknowledge the fact that this guy will die no matter what information he gives me. People like him are easiest to flip when they think they have a chance of surviving.