by K. L. Myers
“I don’t get it,” Victoria questioned.
“Whoever it is will hurt you. You are not safe, but if you come with me, I promise my family, the Eastwick family, can keep you safe.”
Victoria shook her head back and forth, proclaiming that there was no way she could take time away from her job. She wouldn’t even consider the possibility that I was right. I knew, if I were to protect her and my family, desperate measures would be necessary. Grabbing my glass of tea, I consumed what remained.
“May I have a refill, please?” I asked as I formulated the next steps in my plan. Victoria stood and walked to the kitchen. Without hesitation, I reached into my purse. I grabbed the four mashed-up tablets of diphenhydramine just as Lillian had instructed and poured them into the remaining glass sitting on the table. Only use this if you absolutely cannot convince her to come with you willingly, Lillian had told me.
“Thank you,” I replied as she placed my fresh glass of tea down. “You know, Gabriel saved mine and my son’s life quite some time back.” I saw the curiosity in her eyes, but when she didn’t ask, I elaborated further. “Angelo took a bullet while trying to protect Jefferson and me.” I clutched my chest at the memory of how my heart broke that evening. “Gabriel came to the rescue and killed the man who had held my son and me captive. The same man who also shot Angelo. He saved the three of us, and for that, I’ll always be indebted to him.”
Victoria reached for her glass and took a large gulp before she spoke. “I wish I could say I knew that side of Gabriel, the one that would kill to protect someone, but I do not. I know he was protective when we were kids, but I never saw a boy who would grow to be a man that would kill someone.”
“That’s because you don’t understand the family dynamics that raised him.” I continued to plead my case once more, for her to come with me, and with every passing minute, her eyes grew heavier and heavier. The effects of what I’d done were evident. She had no idea how ruthless my husband’s world could be. I only hoped that when this was over, she’d thank me instead of pressing charges.
Victoria’s body slightly wobbled as she rose to her feet. “I do thank you for coming and sharing this information with me. But I’m going to have to ask you to leave now.”
Peter stood beside the car with the door open as I climbed inside. I instructed him to drive around the block a few times, knowing that it probably wouldn’t be long before Victoria would pass out. Fifteen minutes later, I returned and slowly turned the knob, hoping she hadn’t locked the door. To my amazement, it opened, so I snuck in, tiptoeing around until I found Victoria passed out on her bed.
Reaching inside my purse, I dialed my phone. “Peter, I need your help, please. Come quickly.” Hastily, Peter put Victoria in the car before any neighbors saw us. She remained unconscious as we made our way to Lincoln’s jet. It wasn’t until we were thirty minutes away from touching down in Norfolk that the ramifications of what I’d done hit me.
“Merde, what have I done?”
12
Lincoln
Lillian and I were on our way home after leaving Bethany’s house. We’d gone there to make sure Jefferson, Nicco, and Giovanna settled in and didn’t need anything additional when my phone rang. I always knew being married to Angelo Rizzuto would change my sister, but I never knew just how much until I answered my phone.
“Love, I just kidnapped a woman.”
Those six words caused multiple emotions within me. Fear for what my sister may have gotten herself involved in. Anger that she’d even think, let alone go through with abducting someone, but in the end, the big brother in me knew I’d always protect her even if that meant getting my hands dirty as well.
“You did what? Explain yourself, Bethany, so I can figure out the best way to keep you out of jail.”
I sat quietly, listening to my sibling explain the events that lead to her abducting another human. At one point in her story, she said that Lillian had sent a driver and my plane to assist. I glanced over to my wife with narrowed eyes, mouthing the words, You’re in trouble, and was less than pleased when all she did was shrug her shoulders and grin like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland.
“How long before you land?”
“I’d say about thirty minutes or so. What do I do, Love? She hasn’t stirred at all.”
“Did you kill her?”
“For God’s sake, no! I may have acted recklessly, but I’m not stupid enough to give her so much that it would kill her.”
“I’ll be there when you land, and Bethany, we’re going to have a discussion about this when you get here. You were born an Eastwick; we do not do things like this.”
Lillian and I sat on the tarmac, waiting for my jet to land, when her phone rang with an incoming call from Angelo.
“Don’t answer it. Until we know what is going on.”
“We don’t even know what he’s calling about,” my wife said frustratedly.
I looked at her and pursed my lips. I knew perfectly well that she wasn’t that dense not to understand why Angelo was calling. By now, Bethany would be on his radar as missing. He’d probably tried to call his beloved, and her phone had gone to voicemail. As I anticipated, a call to my phone was next.
“Angelo.”
Lillian glared at me and whispered, “Oh, but you can take his call.” I knew I’d be in the dog house for weeks for this.
“Bethany is missing. Have you heard from her?” Angelo asked in a frantic voice. The only time the man was panicked was when it came to my sister. “I’ve been trying to call her for over an hour, and her phone goes to voicemail. No one has seen her. Please tell me you know where she is.”
I hesitated to answer, and seconds later, Lillian’s hand collided with my shoulder. When I turned to look at her, she mouthed Tell him. “I know where she is, Angelo. You don’t need to worry.”
“Che cosa vuoi dire con questo?”
“You are lucky I understand Italian, or I would never be able to respond to your question.”
“Then tell me what you meant when you said I don’t need to worry because right now, I’m more than upset at the position I find myself in.”
“She’s on my jet and will be here at any moment.”
“Your jet. Dannazione, Lincoln. Why is she on your jet? Better yet, why is she on her way to you?”
I wasn’t sure how much I should go into over the phone. So when I saw my plane taxiing towards me, I knew I had to cut this short. “Look, this isn’t something to discuss over the phone. Bethany is safe, but you and I need to speak in person. I advise you bring Gabriel with you as I’m sure my sister’s guest will be of concern to him. I’ve got to go. She just landed.”
“Figlio di puttana. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Do not let her out of your sight.”
13
Angelo
“Remi, call the pilot and get my plane ready for another trip to Virginia.” I barked out the order as soon as I hung up my call with Lincoln.
“Virginia?” Gabriel asked. “Why are we going to Virginia?”
“Because Bethany just landed there. Lincoln’s comments were very cryptic, and based on your assessment of Victoria’s home’s current state, I believe she is with my wife.”
“What the fuck!”
“Exactly, my friend. Exactly.”
I was about to crawl out of my skin by the time Remi returned to let me know my plane would be ready in several hours. That was going to be one hundred and seventy-five minutes too long for me. It would be hours before I got to her, between waiting and flight time, and that was just too long.
I spent the next two hours pacing back and forth, racking my brain to figure out how Bethany could be involved with Victoria. When Gabriel asked if Bethany might have overheard more of our conversation than we had thought this morning, it hit me. Gabriel sprinted after me as I raced to my office to retrieve Victoria’s folder. When I couldn’t find it with the others, I knew right then and there that my wife had taken it.
“Took what?” Gabriel asked.
“Bethany took Victoria’s folder and must have gone to see her.”
“Let me get this straight,” my best friend questioned. “Your wife took the folder on my childhood love and just marched on over to her home to have a chat?”
I sat down in my chair and slightly reclined. “It would appear that way.” I chuckled, but Gabriel didn’t see the humor in my comment. “My little Tesoro is more resourceful than I ever anticipated.”
Gabriel pulled out the chair in front of my desk and took a seat. “I don’t see the humor in this. I told you I found a tipped-over chair in her kitchen, two glasses of tea on her living room table, and a broken vase on the floor in front of the buffet by the door.”
I couldn’t explain why the home was in such disarray, and if I hadn’t known that Bethany was with her brother, I probably would have assumed the worst. But Lincoln did say my wife brought a friend, so that told me more than likely it was Victoria.
“Lincoln said my Tesoro had a friend with her. Let’s assume it is your girl. We’ll get all the answers we need when we get there. Find Remi, and let’s head to the airport.”
As soon as the door to the plane opened, Remi, Gabriel, and I sprinted to the town car. Just as Lincoln had promised, he’d sent his car, and David stood with the door open.
“Mr. Eastwick is awaiting you at your wife’s home.”
“Thank you, David, it’s good to see you again. How have you been?”
As anxious as I was to get to Bethany, it didn’t mean I had to be rude by sitting in silence. He’d been Lincoln’s assistant and driver for as long as I can remember and had become a good friend to me over the years.
“Good, Mr. Rizzuto. It’s been very quiet around here with you and Ms. Bethany away. Glad to see you’re back in town.”
“Good to be back, my friend. Though I’ll only be here for a short time. My wife will be staying for a bit, though, I fear.”
“Your son has become quite the family protector and almost as controlling as you are.” David chuckled.
I laughed at the comment. Maybe it was taking a life or all the incidents up to that night that he couldn’t control that finally showed him the importance of being in charge. The necessity that he be one step ahead of everyone had him realizing authority was the only way to manage that.
As if second nature, Jefferson became obsessed with making sure Giovanna was safe. He never let her out of his sight for more than a minute or three. My son had everyone in the house jumping to his orders, so he’d never have to be away from her. I snickered, remembering the morning after the incident when he attempted to give me a command. Oh, how it warmed my heart that he thought I’d bow to his instructions. It also made me realize that as hard as I’d tried to keep him out of the family business, he’d gained my traits over the years, making him a natural leader when the time came.
David pulled the car into the circle drive, stopping in front of the main entrance. Gabriel, Remi, and I had barely gotten out of the vehicle when the front door opened, and Jefferson stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for us to join him. I’d barely graced the top step before his tantrum flew from his mouth.
“Can you believe how reckless Mom is? What was she thinking? She could have gotten herself hurt and, better yet, where were you when all this was going on?”
“Good to see you too, son,” I said as I pushed past him and into the home. Why he thought I’d stop to answer his questions was beyond me. Gabriel and Remi followed behind as I made my way to the family room. There I found Bethany and Giovanna sitting with Lillian. Nicco and Lincoln stood by, watching over the women. However, upon noticing our arrival, they excused themselves.
“What do we know?” I asked once we were behind closed doors.
Lincoln was the first to speak. “Bethany reached out to Lillian with her cockamamie idea, and my wife was more than happy to help facilitate by offering up my plane and her mother's driver as assistance.”
“Damn it, Lincoln, you need to control your wife,” Gabriel proclaimed.
Both Lincoln and I glanced at each other before we started laughing. “You do understand that we are talking about Lillian Vicci here, correct?” Lincoln spoke. “No one, not even I, can change her mind once she has set it. Had I known, I would have attempted to reason with her as to why it was not a good idea. However, I anticipate she knew that and therefore decided to handle it herself.”
Gabriel began to argue with Lincoln, but there wasn’t time for petty bickering when precious moments were wasting away, and I needed answers. “Where is the guest Lillian brought with her?” I knew the answer had to come from one of the three men who had been here the longest.
Nicco was the first to speak. “She’s upstairs, still passed out.”
“What the fuck!” Gabriel exclaimed. “Why is she passed out? How long has she been asleep?”
This time, it was Lincoln who filled us in. “Well, my sister, at the direction of my wife, decided to roofie the woman when she wouldn't agree to come willingly. Oh, the woman’s name is Victoria.”
“Son of a bitch. How long has she been asleep?” Gabriel asked once again.
“My best guess,”—Lincoln counted on his fingers— “about eight hours now, give or take an hour.”
“Where is she?” Gabriel demanded to know.
“Spare room at the end of the hall,” Nicco answered.
Gabriel wasted no time. Upon hearing of her location, he excused himself. I knew he needed to see that she was doing alright. I didn’t need him here for the rest of the conversation. Hell, I’d have done the same if the shoe were on the other foot.
“Lincoln, I need the help of your team and any private investigators you’ve used. It’s not that I don’t believe my men can’t find the answers, but time is of the essence, and having your guys on board will be helpful.”
I proceeded to fill Lincoln in on my theory. That someone who had been close to Francis or even someone still loyal to him was a traitor. We needed to find out who and why to protect our women and children. Whoever it was had it out for Gabriel and possibly me, and they’d stop at nothing to hurt us.
“With Gabriel and me here, there is no one to oversee what is going on in New York. So, the faster I can get you a list of all the Capos and Soldier’s back home, the sooner we can all go back to normal. I can leave Nicco here, but the three of us need to get home quickly.”
“Of course. Get me a list of names, and I’ll have my team start working on it immediately.”
Back in the living room, I took a seat next to my wife. Taking her hands in mine, I looked into her eyes. “What were you thinking, Tesoro?”
“Mom thought because she lived with a Boss, she was one of his gangsters and took matters into her own hands.” Jefferson laughed.
The smile on his face irritated me. Even though I knew it was his attempt at lightening the tension in the room, it wasn’t the time or place. “Enough, boy, this is not a laughing matter.” Turning back to my wife, I demanded an answer.
14
Victoria
I was disoriented as I woke up. Nothing in the room was familiar to me. The room's only light came from the ensuite, which gave the room a soft glow. My head pounded with pain, and my stomach contracted as nausea consumed me. Raising my hand to my mouth, I jetted towards the bathroom with the need to hurl. I retched twice and then vomited into the toilet uncontrollably. When a hand grabbed the back of my hair, pulling it away from my face, I screamed. When I turned to confront the person behind me, I hadn’t expected to see Gabriel.
“Where am I, and what are you doing here?” I couldn’t remember anything from the time I closed the door on the Rizzuto woman until now. Everything was blank. Gabriel squatted and attempted to lift me from the floor, but I pushed his hands away. “Don’t. I don’t think it's over.” As if on cue, once again, I emptied t
he contents of my stomach into the commode.
I heard the water running in the sink, and then Gabriel placed a cool washcloth against my forehead. “Where am I?”
His voice was more profound than it was when we were teenagers. Yet, even though there was a gruffness to it, I also heard the underlying compassion.
“You are at Bethany Eastwick’s home.”
Gabriel spoke the words as if Bethany and I were best buds. “You mean Rizzuto,” I touted back. When I saw the blank look on his face, I elaborated further. “Yes, I know that Bethany is a Rizzuto. She explained everything to me when she tried to convince me I was in danger.”
“Yet you chose to ignore her, which is why she drugged you and brought you here herself,” he contended, as if it was justification for her actions.
“She drugged me, took me against my will, and for some reason, you don’t seem to care,” I questioned with narrow eyes.
Gabriel reached out and assisted with getting me to my feet. Once I was upright and stable, he led me back to the bed, where we both took a seat. I then noticed a chaise lounge on the opposite side of the room—a blanket amiss amongst it. I stared up at him, his face so much more handsome than when we were kids. His steel-blue eyes glanced back at mine, a fire burning deep within them. It was the same look he gave me all those years ago when we looked at each other. As if nothing had changed. Like he hadn’t ripped my beating heart from my chest and stomped on it as he walked away.
“She did what she thought was right to protect you. For that, I’ll be eternally grateful.” Gabriel stood and dropped to the floor in front of me as if he was begging me to forgive everyone’s actions. “I would have done the same had I been in her place. You don’t understand the danger you are in.”