“I’m here, too many people. Are you out now?” I question as my gaze catches Caleb who looks like a suicide attempt about to happen.
Caleb who was standing there takes out his gun, pulling the trigger and shooting six guards in one go and I know just exactly who he is after, as I watch the determined look on his face but his father must have the same thought as he takes a gun from one of the guards that has just been shot down and aims the gun at his son, but his aim is poor.
“I’ve got them and we are at the doors. Where are you? We need to go!” His voice is urgent and insistent in my ear but I’m not paying attention to him.
I have other issues to deal with first before I can go. I need to make sure that this never happens again. I can’t have this damn syndicate coming back and as long as both the Lorenzo’s are still alive and breathing, they will find a way to get to me and my family but most importantly, to Chloe and I just can’t have that. Not this time.
“Listen, get them to the damn plane and get the hell out of here. Get Chloe out of here right now!” I say as I feel for the concealed gun that I hid at my waistband, covered by the suit jacket.
“No what? What about you? What are you doing?” Max questions hurriedly, his voice now coming in broken pauses but I’m able to make out his words.
I watch as Caleb runs towards his father, shooting the Chief of Police for NYPD through the eyes as he goes. His only aim and focus is his father who is now trying to open a concealed door in the wall but it’s not opening as fast as he wants it to.
“Gideon. . .” Max’s voice comes through but I’m no longer listening.
I need to follow Giovanni and Caleb now and finish this damn circus.
“Take care of her. I need to do this.” I shout. I don’t know if he heard me but I don’t care. He knows that Chloe is the center of my life and I will do anything to ensure her safety from now on. I won’t leave this place with the uncertainty and possibility of Giovanni being at large and still very much alive. That’s not going to happen. Not when I have the opportunity to do something about it.
“Dude, don’t do this. . . “
I cut Max off as I rip the earpiece out of my ear and turn to follow Caleb and Giovanni that have since gone through the concealed doorway that just so happens to stand open.
Running through the room I’m unaware of the activity that follows me, my only focus on the task at hand. The passage way is darkly lit but I can see somewhat but I’m mostly guided through by the raised voices I can hear from up ahead.
“Fuck you! What did you do to my mother!” I can now make out the voices and can hear Caleb screaming.
A loud gunshot sounds and I know someone has been shot. But as pain shoots throughout my body I realize I’m the one who just got shot.
Chapter 28
Chloe
Sam’s tight grip is the only force actually propelling me forward as we try to navigate our way out of this huge mansion. We are practically running as we follow Max who suddenly stops and begins speaking. I realize that he is speaking into an earpiece and I instinctively step forward.
I glance behind me, once again looking for Gideon but he isn’t there. He isn’t following us. Anxiety starts eating at my stomach and I feel like vomiting. Where is he? I step closer to Max and catch the tail end of his conversation with someone on the other end of the line.
“Gideon!” He shouts into the earpiece as people around us push, shove and scream. The sound of gunshots can be heard ringing from somewhere, causing the women in here to start screaming and panicking. The guards are trying to control the crowd but the party goers from earlier cannot be controlled. But that’s not where my focus is.
“Max!” I shout up at him and that’s when he looks down at me. Something about the look in his eyes makes a shiver go down my spine and I suddenly feel weak. A sheen of sweat dots my forehead and I feel clammy.
“Where is he?” I demand, looking up at him. Fear gripping me by the throat and refuses to let go.
“Come on Chloe, we need to go!” Max says as he attempts to grab my hand with his uninjured hand but I can see that the movement causes him some pain. “The authorities are on their way—I give them two minutes until they close around this place—and we need to be far away from here when that happens!” Max informs but I don’t care.
“Max, where is Gideon?” I question again, evading his touch, as a sense of panic starts rocking my body and I begin to shift from one foot to another, restless energy now taking hold over my body. I can’t move and I sure as hell will not go anywhere. Not without Gideon.
“He has something to take care of. He is right behind us.” Max tries to pacify but even I can see that he doesn’t believe his own words. I begin inching backward. I need to get back. I need to be with him right now.
“Chloe come on, He specifically told me that you need to be far away from this place.” Max says as he takes a step towards me, pleading with his eyes that I go with him.
“Chloe please, let’s go with Max.” Sam says pleadingly as she softly takes my hand. I watch as Max looks around but I can’t shake that worried look in his eyes. It means everything wrong and every nightmare that I feared is coming because a man like Max never—and I mean never—gets worried. But right now, as he glances hurriedly around the room, I know he is thinking what I’m thinking. Gideon is in trouble.
“Sammy, I can’t. I love you and you are the sister I never had okay.” I quickly say as I watch tears start streaming down her cheeks quietly. She knows I have made up my mind and with my eyes, I plead for her to let me go. She enfolds me in her arms and crushes me into a bear hug, but I refuse to cry. I won’t cry.
We release each other and a sense of calm and relief washes over me as I watch Sam instinctively seek out Max’s large hand, which encloses her smaller hand in his. I know—just by looking at their joined hands—that they are it for life. Sam is always going to be safe. She is always going to be alright with Max right by her side.
“You are going to need this.” Max says calmly as he extends a firearm to me. I have never held or used a firearm before and quite frankly, I have never had the need to do so but this time, I accept it graciously. I have no idea what I’m going to walk into but all I know is that time is of the essence and I need to get to Gideon.
“He’s going to fucking kill me when he finds out I’m letting you do this. Never mind that I gave you a gun. I’m as good as dead.” Max grumbles but as he looks down at Sam and I know he wants to be the one that goes back for his best friend but Sam is shaken, her dress splattered with blood. Tabitha’s mixed with Max’s blood. And Max is hurt and but I don’t think that would stop him from inflicting pain on his enemies.
Even when shot, Max is still lethal and scary looking. Must be a natural gift then.
“Here, take this phone. Dial one and Tom will answer. I’ll have him come in and get both you and Gideon. I just need to get Sam safe.” Max says, hurriedly but my mind is no longer there so I just nod my head and then with one last look at both of them, I turn and disappear into the crowd.
Running back into the large room, it’s all chaos as blood coats some of the walls and pools of it are on the floor from Demetri and Tabitha’s bodies that have been left there but I don’t keep my focus on them and I know this particular image is going to be burned behind my eyelids. I don’t dwell on that though because I have to find Gideon.
I quickly scan the room because I know Gideon never left this very room, seeing as there is only one entrance in and out this large courtyard doors but Gideon never left. Which means he has to still be in here or there is another door somewhere in here.
With that thought in mind, I scan the walls and right there, further ahead is a slightly ajar concealed secret doorway. Bingo. If Giovanni went through that door then Gideon is definitely there as well.
I start running towards the door and once I get there, I notice that the lighting is really dim but I walk through the threshold anyway. A chill goes do
wn my spine as I grip the gun Max gave me tightly and the suddenly, the wailing of police sirens can be heard from a distance. I don’t have much time.
As I begin silently walking through the arrow passage, I can hear voices from up ahead and then the next thing, I hear the unmistakable voice of Caleb shouting.
“Let’s just kill him now! We have one of the Blacks here.” He shouts.
Oh my God! They have Gideon and they mean to kill him now. Fuck, what do I do? I need a plan and I need it fast. Taking out the phone that Max gave me, I long press one and stuff the phone into my bra. Hoping that Tom has picked up and is listening, I take in a deep breath and continue walking slowly and quietly. I don’t know what to do with the gun so I try to stuff it in my panty line at my back and hope that they don’t see the damn thing.
“We need to get the girl, too.” Giovanni asserts. “You won’t ever get power with her still alive!” Giovanni says with a sadistic laugh.
“Shut up!” Caleb shouts. And then another voice speaks.
“I will make sure she doesn’t live to speak another day.” Alexander Hamilton vows, his voice filled with anger and malice.
I know they are talking about me, and they want to kill me. Well then. There is my opportunity.
“Looking for me, gentleman?” I question as I walk into the room.
I come to a stop in the middle of some sort of library and suddenly all eyes focus on me. I see Giovanni, who has been tied down to a chair, Caleb and Alexander are standing over him and Gideon. . .
He is passed out in another chair, tied down and his shirt. . .oh my goodness. He is bleeding from his side, his shirt is practically soaked and I know he has been shot. I quickly school my features, refusing to think about Gideon being shot. He is alive for now and that’s all that matters.
“Ahh, how lovely. I knew she was a trouble magnet. Just like her grandmother!” Giovanni exclaims. I think the guy is sick in the head. Like father like son definitely.
“You bitch!” Alexander says as he walks over to me and slaps me hard across the face and I whimper. It fucking hurts and Gideon gasps, his eyes now open as he takes me in and Alexander’s intimidating pose in front of me.
“Well good. Everyone is here, let’s settle this now, shall we?” Caleb announces as he claps his hands and Alexander grabs a hold of my arm roughly and places me into a chair facing Gideon who has a murderous look in his eyes as he tracks every movement that Alexander makes.
“Now, first order of business, some secrets need to be unveiled.” Giovanni says.
There is more? The hell?
Chapter 29
Chloe
I’m deeply terrified, scared and worried as my gaze connects with Gideon’s. I don’t know who shot him or when he was shot but as the seconds tick by, he is losing a lot of blood and I know for sure that he is in pain, but he will be damned if these terrorist pigs knew that.
“And what do you plan to reveal? Wasn’t your grand show—all for Hamilton—not good enough?” I speak up, looking directly at Giovanni who looks pissed off now and not at all happy about the situation at hand.
“I knew you fucking asshole would fucking try and set me up!” Alexander exclaims as he starts walking towards Giovanni and then proceeds to punch him, but Giovanni doesn’t care. He actually starts laughing again, spitting blood as he does.
“What? You think she won’t know?” Giovanni taunts.
“Know what?” Caleb interjects as he looks between his father and Alexander who he is clearly working with.
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Whether she knows or not, she won’t live to re-tell the story or actually reap the harvest of my hard work.” Alexander says with a smile as he turns to look at me, a smile playing on his ugly face. He looks demented, all of them look that way.
“Tell me dear, did that bastard James tell you anything before I had them killed? Did he reveal anything to you?” Alexander questions, making his voice drop into a whisper. I think he is attempting to be a smooth talker—much like Giovanni was earlier—but his efforts fall short. Instead, his voice comes out like a broken record.
I remain mute, making sure that he sees the hate in my eyes as he looks down at me.
“No matter. I will tell you what James overheard. The stupid asshole was there the night Giovanni thought he could destroy me. Me! He thought he could just come into my house and tell me my wife was a hoe and that the child I had raised was not mine to begin with.” He says as then fishes around the library desk for something. I think Alexander is well acquainted with this place because soon, he brings out a cigar, trims it and then lights the thing, getting comfortable.
“These are great by the way. 76’ vintage, Mexican cigars.” He says with a chuckle looking at Giovanni.
“Fuck you!” Giovanni spits back but Alexander is not bothered as he clearly gets his bearings together. No longer is he a ticking time bomb, but now he is effectively calculating and looks like he has conquered the world. Completely disregarding the cynical look Caleb is giving him.
“Where was I? Oh, yes. You see, the reason Giovanni knew to come and tell me in my face because the properties, the wealth and everything part of the Hamilton name is not actually mine. All of it was in Cleopatra’s name and it was to be passed down to Sandra—her bastard child—and imagine what that would mean to me?!”
“It would mean I would lose everything! Imagine that! I—after all my hard work to get us where we were—I would be nothing! My wife cheated on me with someone who was supposed to be a fucking ‘Brother’!” Alexander turns and shoots Giovanni a death glare.
“And then my daughter—who turned out not to be my daughter after all—was the one with the power to get rid of me. So, you can clearly see the clusterfuck I was in. So, I had to make a few moves.” He explains with a sinister smile on his face.
“Of course, when I found out that you were alive, I had someone else come back and finish the job. They told me that after they used you for a while, you were going to die but yet, here you are!” Alexander is now in my face, blowing his cigar smoke directly in my eyes.
What does he mean by that? He knew I was alive all those years ago and sent someone to kill me? But then, I never had any near-death experience apart from the time I was in that orphanage home where the father of the house was about to . . .
I gasp.
“Ah, you remember now don’t you! It’s a shame how this country’s system handles the unfortunate kids, but it worked for me—or so I thought.”
“You hired that man to molest and abuse me?” I question, proud of the way my voice comes out strong and unwavering.
“Well, I just wanted him to kill you. Kids in the system die all the time.” Alexander waves his hand in the air as if the issue isn’t big. As if it doesn’t matter at all.
“Why?” Giovanni speaks up now.
“Oh, the answer is obvious! Gideon, before you die of course—why don’t you tell your slut why I want her dead?” Alexander taunts as he looks down at a bleeding Gideon who is now wheezing but he hides his discomfort, his gaze connecting with mine.
In his eyes I can see an impassive mask, using that to hide his pain and anguish.
“Fuck off.” Gideon mutters at Alexander when he breaks gaze with me. Shit, I need to get us out of here. Now!
“Come on, tell her!” Alexander’s giddy self begins clapping his hands as he watches Gideon shift in the chair in obvious pain.
“Sandra had a daughter and she is alive. It means all of the shit you think you own, actually belongs to her.” Giovanni says as he looks at Alexander then turns to look at me. “Every single thing belongs to you, my granddaughter.” Giovanni speaks out, now looking directly at me with an evil smirk on his face that makes Alexander angry. Clearly, he wanted to be the one to give me the news but honestly, I had pieced all of this together.
“You see now why I can’t have you be alive? And isn’t it tragic how you were with Gideon all this time and he knew about all of this.
It’s such a shame, he was using you.” Alexander explains as he moves his gaze from me to Gideon and back. “He knew that you are the key to even more power and isn’t that the Blacks all want?” He questions me. “Samuel is a high-handed asshole. I’m going to kill him next when I’m done here.”
“I mean, Black House Inc is huge and after tonight I’m going to get it for myself. I’m going to be the lord of this world!” Alexander says as he spreads his hands out wide.
“Wait a fucking moment!” Caleb interjects, stepping closer to Alexander. “The deal was we kill my father, the girl and Black—after he signs of the company to me of course—we kill them and I become head of the syndicate!”
“Yes, that was the deal.” Alexander says and then suddenly, he takes out a gun from somewhere and shoots Caleb straight into the chest, three times and I gasp, watching Caleb’s shocked expression as he looks down at his chest and then at Alexander. “But the thing is—you see—is that you are a twisted, power hungry asshat who has major Daddy issues.” Alexander taunts Caleb who is now slowly sinking to the carpeted floor.
“How. . . You. . .” Caleb tries to speak but I can see it in his eyes, he is dying. He starts coughing blood, sinking to the carpeted floor, eyes still locked on Alexander who steps closer to Caleb’s crumbling body.
“You should thank me, really. I’m taking you out of the misery of your life.” Alexander says and with that, aims the gun at Caleb once more and pulls the trigger.
I jump, scrambling to get away from them. That’s when I spot a pocket knife laying useless on the floor. Giovanni and Alexander are engaged in a heated verbal fight now and I used that opportunity to inch myself closer to the small knife without making any sudden movements.
I finally get to it as Alexander starts threatening Giovanni to sign something but Giovanni refuses. I grab the knife and then I get on my hands and knees and crawl as fast as I can to Gideon. When I get to him, I can see that he is about to pass out but I can’t speak or make any sounds.
Billion Dollar Hearts (Inconguity Series Book 3) Page 18