Saskia puts on an Oscar-worthy performance at the graveside, sobbing and crying as she clings to Thomas Barretta. From the carefully controlled expression on his face, I’m guessing he’s buying it about as much as we are.
“She makes me sick,” Sierra whispers. “She didn’t stop looking at you throughout the entire ceremony, and now she expects us to believe this farce? She never seemed to care much about Felix.” She snuggles in closer to me as the priest brings things to a close. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she hired a hitman to get rid of him so she could make a play for you.”
“Saskia is a lot of things, but even I don’t think she would take it that far.” I hold Sierra’s hand out, running my thumb over the ring I put on her finger. “This speaks volumes.”
“To most people, yes. But Saskia is not most people.”
“She’s coming over here,” I murmur.
“Grant me patience.” Sierra sighs, turning to face Saskia and Thomas.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I tell Barretta, shaking his hand. Up close, I can see the man is severely grieving.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Yes, thank you for coming,” Saskia says, ignoring the fact Sierra is nestled into my left side as she pushes herself up against me, sobbing into my neck.
Thomas pulls her back. “Get a hold of yourself,” he hisses.
Saskia shucks out of his arm. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
She preens in my direction, and I wonder if she has finally snapped because this is erratic, even for her. Appearances always mattered to Saskia, and she’s drawing attention to herself in a way that isn’t favorable. You can’t go around disrespecting the fiancée of a don or potentially causing any ill will between two mafia families. Thomas understands that, yet Saskia fails to understand she no longer serves a purpose. She never gave Felix a child, so any protection she enjoyed as his wife is erased with his death.
“Hey.” Pen and Esme appear at the perfect time. Sierra is close to lunging at her sister, and I really wouldn’t blame her. Saskia is way out of line. “Are you okay?” Pen asks, giving Sierra a quick hug.
“Yes,” Sierra says through gritted teeth.
“We have missed you.” Esme hugs Sierra next. “Let me see the ring,” she adds, almost wrenching Sierra’s arm from its socket as she tugs on her hand. “Oh my God,” she shrieks. “It’s gorgeous and it’s so you!” She thumps my forearm, and I bite back my irritation. “Way to go, Ben.”
This is only my second time meeting both women, but I can already tell I won’t be a big fan of Esme. Penelope is a sweetheart, but I’m still trying to work out what Sierra and Esme have in common.
“Hmph,” Saskia scoffs, glancing briefly at the ring. “I didn’t take you for a cheapskate, Ben.”
Sierra’s hands ball into fists at her side. “Ben knows I’m not some self-obsessed drama queen who needs a big flashy diamond to impress society bitches. He designed something he knew I would love, and that is worth far more than that gaudy rock on your finger.”
“Jealousy is very unbecoming on you,” Saskia retorts, folding her arms in such a way that the rings on her finger are front and center.
Sierra’s laugh is mocking. “Do you even hear yourself? You have the nerve to accuse me of jealousy when you are throwing yourself at my fiancé at your husband’s funeral. You can’t even respect Felix in death.”
I pull Sierra back as Saskia lunges at her. Thank fuck most of the mourners have already left, and it’s mostly family and close friends left.
“That’s enough, Saskia,” I snap, keeping Sierra shielded with my body as Thomas drags Saskia back. “I don’t know what delusions you’re suffering from, but they are delusions. I love Sierra, and I am marrying her in two weeks. Get that through your thick skull or you can forget about attending.”
“You think I want to come to your pathetic excuse of a wedding?” she says, her voice laced with scorn.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Joseph Lawson approaching with a thunderous face.
“Well, that solves a dilemma,” Sierra hisses. “Consider yourself uninvited.”
“He won’t marry you,” she says. “He—”
Lawson clamps his hand over her mouth, glaring at her as he passes her off to her mother. “Take Saskia back to the house, and call Dr. Fleming. The stress of the past few days has obviously taken its toll.” He turns to Barretta. “Please accept my apologies for my daughters’ behavior.” Lawson glowers at Sierra, as if this is all her fault, and my blood boils as my fists beg to connect with his face.
Barretta’s face is cold as he snaps a terse nod before walking away. I can tell he wants to say more, but this isn’t the time or the place.
“Mr. Barretta,” Sierra calls out after him. He stops and turns around. “I’m so very sorry for your loss, and I apologize if my behavior upset you. I didn’t mean any disrespect. Felix was always courteous to me and Rowan.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” he says, driving his point home. “You were just defending yourself.” He walks off, without saying another word, leaving tense silence behind him.
Lawson looks fit to kill someone, but I can’t work out if it’s Saskia, Sierra, or Barretta.
“Control that woman!” he snaps at me, and I level him with a dark look.
“Say that again and we have a problem.” My voice is calm though I am far from calm on the inside. It appears Lawson needs reminding of his place. I turn to Alessandro. “Take two of the men and return to the car with Sierra. We’re leaving.” There is no way I’m going back to the Lawson house now, and I already know Sierra is happy with this plan.
Esme and Pen loop their arms through Sierra’s as they walk off, followed by my men.
Leo steps up beside me while Ciro and the other soldier hang back. Lawson returns my glare with one of his own, and his lack of respect grates on my nerves. I don’t care if this imbecile is going to be my father-in-law; he doesn’t get to disrespect me like this. I glance around, ensuring there is no one else at the graveyard, before I grab him by the throat and shove him up against a tree. “You need to remember who you’re speaking to, Joseph.”
He barely breaks a sweat as I squeeze his throat, and I’m wondering how many times this has happened to him. I let him go, shoving his shoulders. “We are going to be family, but that doesn’t mean I will tolerate you disrespecting me. The same goes for Sierra and Rowan.”
“I have respect for you. A lot of it, actually,” he says, smoothing down the front of his jacket and pushing me out of his way. “You have impressed me with how far you have come, Ben, and how much you have achieved since you dated Saskia, but I won’t be pushed around by you or anyone else.”
At least now I know where Saskia gets her delusional side from.
“Why doesn’t Sierra know you wash cash for The Outfit? That her sisters are married to made men?”
“That is none of your business.”
I put myself up in his face, enjoying the fact I tower over him by at least four inches. “Sierra is my business, and she has a right to know.”
“So tell her.” He shrugs. “I’m not stopping you.”
“If you’re hiding something, I will find it. You can count on that.”
His amused grin rubs me the wrong way. If he wasn’t Sierra’s father and Rowan’s grandfather, I’d throw him in the empty grave beside Felix Barretta and bury him alive.
“You think you’re so clever, Bennett, but you’re not. With the right mentorship, you could be. Your arrogance will either be the making of you or your downfall.”
I’ve had enough of this condescending prick. If I stay here much longer, nothing will save him, so I turn around and walk away before I say, or do, something I’ll regret.
“I’d take the back roads, if I were you,” he calls out after us. “I’ve heard there are Russians rampaging through town.” His callous laughter follows me all the way from the graveyard, out past the church, sending pangs of uneas
e slithering up my spine.
45
BEN
“How the hell did you grow up in that house and not want to murder your father in cold blood every day?” I ask, as I slide in the back seat beside Sierra.
“Who says I didn’t?” She rubs circles on the back of my hand, and it’s unbelievably soothing. “Most days it was a toss-up between who I hated more. My father or Saskia. You didn’t honestly think she plucked her attitude from thin air?”
Leo glides the car out onto the road, and the second SUV trails close behind. “Should I take the back roads?” he asks, glancing at me through the mirror.
I shake my head. “Stick to the main roads. If anyone targets us, they will be more reluctant to attack with civilians nearby.” I drill him with a look, and he understands I’m saying this purely for Sierra’s benefit. If the Russians want to attack us, they won’t give a flying fuck which road we are on or how many civilians are nearby. Unlike us, they don’t care about innocent bystanders and they must think they are above RICO laws.
“We shouldn’t have come,” Sierra says, rubbing her temples. “I hate I let her get to me.”
“Your sister has serious mental issues,” Leo says, and he’s not joking.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Sierra replies, as we round the bend.
“I don’t understand how your father favors her so much. She’s the most troublesome in the family,” I say.
“He doesn’t see it like that. He can’t see any fault in her. He loves that she works for the family business, and she sucks up to him any chance she gets.”
“Yet she embarrasses him in public,” Alessandro says, glancing over his shoulder from the passenger seat.
“That’s a recent development,” Sierra says, looking thoughtful. “She never used to be like that.”
“Who’d have daughters?” Leo quips. “They are nothing but trouble. You’re lucky you have a son.” He waggles his brows at me through the mirror.
A smirk tilts my lips as I sit back and let Sierra handle it.
“I think there must be something wrong with my hearing,” she says, sitting up straighter. “Because I could not have heard that misogynistic comment coming from Leo, of all people. Shocker right there.”
Leo grins, and I know he said that on purpose to get a rise out of her. It’s his way of trying to distract her and lighten the mood.
“Well, I—”
A loud bang cuts him off mid-sentence, and I turn around in time to see the vehicle behind us careen off the road before rolling over a few times. Smoke billows from the SUV as it screeches to a halt, upside down.
Fuck.
Leo puts the pedal to the metal as Alessandro pulls a gun out from under the passenger seat.
“Baby, get down.” I shove Sierra to the floor, lifting the seat to get at our supplies. We didn’t come unprepared. We knew there was a possibility the Russians would come after us today.
“Is it the Russians?” she asks.
“I assume so,” I say in a calm voice as I distribute Kevlar vests. “Put that on, and then cover yourself with this blanket, and stay down until I tell you it’s safe to get up.” I hand the red-and-blue-plaid blanket to Sierra.
“Take the next left,” I instruct Leo. The only advantage we have is my knowledge of the area. We are very close to where I grew up, and if we can’t shake them off, I know a few places we can hide.
I help Sierra put her vest on as Leo takes the next left, heading away from the busy main road up ahead. Sierra screams as a succession of loud thumps hits the rear window. “It’s okay,” I assure her. “It’s bulletproof glass.” Leo and I exchange wary expressions through the mirror as Alessandro leans out the side window, firing back.
Yes, this is an armored car, but it’s not my usual car, which has the thickest bulletproof glass that was built specifically to stop all bullets. Most non-custom armored vehicles are less secure, so I cannot say with absolute certainty that they can’t breach the glass. However, panicking my fiancée at a time when I need her to maintain a cool head won’t help. I press a hard kiss to her lips, clutching the back of Alessandro’s seat to steady myself as Leo zigzags across the road. “Trust me. We will keep you safe.”
She nods, working hard to keep her terror at bay.
“No matter what you hear, just stay under the blanket until one of us gives you the all-clear,” I tell her.
“I will.” She reaches out, taking my wrist. “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry about us. We know how to handle ourselves.” It’s a false assurance because she’s just witnessed my four soldiers getting tossed around in their car back there. I don’t know if any of them survived, but I can’t worry about my men now. Protecting Sierra and getting us the fuck out of Chicago is my sole priority.
She covers her body and her head with the blanket, and I strap my vest on and remove the rifles from the secret stowage compartment under the back seat. I hand a rifle to Alessandro as Leo races up back streets, weaving around parked cars and the odd civilian we meet. Flattening my back against the back of Leo’s chair, I press the button to lower the window and lean out, indiscriminately firing my weapon. Alessandro and I continue shooting at the SUV chasing us, ducking and diving as they retaliate. Bullets bounce off the rear window, some embedding in the metallic panels of the car.
“Aim for the tires,” I say to Alessandro. “On my count.”
He nods, and I count down from three. “One!” I shout, and we both lean out our windows at the same time aiming for the front two tires. Alessandro’s shot goes wide when the vehicle swerves to avoid it, narrowly missing hitting the car parked at the curb, but my shot meets its target, and the front left wheel explodes, sending the car spinning out of control. Alessandro and I plow bullets into their SUV in a relentless stream of firepower. A massive explosion evokes a whimper from Sierra, from under the blanket, and I watch with grim satisfaction as the Russians’ car bursts into flames.
Kneeling on the floor, I slowly retract the blanket. “It’s okay, baby. They’re gone. You’re—”
“Stay down!” Leo roars, and I throw myself over Sierra as the right-hand side back window shatters, raining glass on top of us. I curl around Sierra as bits of glass embed in the back of my head and my neck while Leo accelerates ahead.
“Shit,” Alessandro shouts. “Another SUV has just appeared from a side street.” If I hadn’t bent down to attend to Sierra, I’d be dead, but there is no time to dwell on what-ifs. We need to get off the fucking road before they force us off it.
“Get us out of here, Leo,” I bellow, lifting my head and taking a quick peek to gauge my surroundings.
Alessandro fires at the new SUV, now chasing us from behind, while I form a plan. We’re exposed with the open window, and I don’t like our odds. We need an alternate option, and I think I have one. “Take the next left. Then a sharp right,” I instruct Leo. “At the T-junction, take the right, and it brings you straight into a wooded area. Park and we’ll take it on foot from there.”
Leo follows my instructions as I resume shooting at the SUV. “We need to create a distraction so we can get away,” I shout at Alessandro. “Aim for the gas tank on that red Chevy.” I jerk my head at the vehicle haphazardly parked at the curb. The back end is jutting out, too far onto the road, and it will suit as a temporary obstacle.
“Got it, boss,” he says as I continue trading gunfire with the Russians.
He fires at the Chevy, pumping bullets into the gas tank until it detonates, shooting flames and debris in all directions. The brakes on the Russians’ SUV screeches as they battle to stop before barreling into the flames.
It won’t hold them for long, but it’ll be long enough for us to get to the warehouse.
We ditch our SUV at the corner of the woods, fleeing on foot around the perimeter of the forest. Sierra races beside me, with determination on her face, while Leo and Alessandro protect us from behind. Thank fuck, she had ballet flats in her bag because runnin
g in her heels or her bare feet would have held us up.
I breathe a sigh of relief when the old warehouse comes into view, around the bend. I haven’t been back here in years, and I couldn’t be sure it was still standing.
“In here,” I shout, racing for the side door. The warehouse is freshly painted, and the roof looks new, so it appears it is still serving the same purpose. Reaching up, I run my hand along the corrugated ledge, silently rejoicing when my fingers curl around the key.
“What is this place?” Sierra asks while Leo and Alessandro keep watch for any sign of people following us.
“You remember I told you about Terry?”
“The guy who was like a father figure to you?”
The door opens, and I bundle her inside, closing it firmly as soon as Leo and Alessandro are inside. “Yeah, Terry was a member of a local MC. This is their safe house. When I was a kid, he showed me this place. Told me if I was ever in trouble to come here and hide. It’s wired with triggers, so someone already knows we are here. We just need to wait it out until someone shows up.”
“What if the Russians show up?” Sierra says, looking around the large space with trepidation. Apart from a few tables and chairs, and a heap of boxes and crates stacked along various parts of the wall, the place is empty, and I can see how it looks like we will be sitting ducks.
“They won’t find us.” I grin, striding toward the middle of the space, tugging her along with me. “Stay here.” Dropping to my knees, I push a chair aside and crawl under the long table. I spread my fingers along the floor, feeling for the latch. They all watch me like I’m crazy, but they’re not doubting me when I push down on the floor in the right spot and a door pops up. “Come on.”
“What the hell is this place?” Sierra whispers, crawling toward me.
“It’s a secret room in the floor. No one will find us here unless they know to look for it. Alessandro, pull that chair back into place after you, and pull this door shut firmly, making sure the edges are seamless,” I instruct, extracting my cell and switching the flashlight on.
Condemned to Love:  Page 35