by Ella Jade
“You need our help?” My dad made eye contact with the woman. “It’s been a long time, Carlotta.”
“Dante,” she spoke softly. “I’m surprised you’re here at all.”
“I could say the same for you,” my dad responded. “Dominick, Vincenzo, this is Carlotta Rossi.”
“It’s Marrone now but it’s nice to meet you.” She smiled. “You both look so much like your father. Vincenzo, you remind me of your Uncle Santino.”
“You’re Nadia’s mother.” What was she doing here? “Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “She’s been sporadic this week. Not like her at all.”
“She was with me,” I offered. “We got caught up in some trouble.”
“Antonio filled me in but he said everything was resolved.”
“We thought it was.” Dominick moved away from the window and joined us in the center of the room. “Until Vincenzo was shot at last night.”
“In front of Nadia’s building.” She clutched the small crucifix that hung from her neck. “I have done everything in my power to keep her out of this lifestyle.” She pointed at Antonio. “You promised you would leave her alone. She would never be in any danger. That’s what you said.”
“I kept my promise.” Antonio took her hand. “I had no idea she was mixed up in any of this until Dante set up that meeting two days ago.”
“That’s why you negotiated so quickly,” my dad said. “You dropped the matter too fast even after what she had witnessed. You were protecting her.”
“I thought that negotiation went a little too easy.” Dominick nodded. “You were never going to hurt Nadia.”
“Wait.” Nadia was telling the truth and I didn’t trust her. “She didn’t know you were her father?”
“I’ve never met her,” Antonio admitted. “I’d seen pictures and kept in limited contact with Carlotta but Nadia was never supposed to know who I was. After Tino was...” He stopped his line of thought probably out of respect for my father. “Carlotta went away soon after.”
“Nadia figured out who you were.” I took my phone from my pocket. “I have to call her.”
“She’s not going to answer,” Antonio said. “That’s why I need your help.”
“What do you mean?” I noticed Carlotta’s eye filling with tears as Antonio helped her sit. “Where is Nadia?”
“We don’t know,” Carlotta sobbed. “I kept calling her last night and when she didn’t answer I went to her apartment this morning. She wasn’t there. Her assistant hasn’t heard from her either. Something isn’t right.”
“Maybe she’s at a hotel.” Dominick took out his cell. “I’ll get someone on it.”
“What about Christopher?” I asked. “Wasn’t he supposed to be with her?”
“He didn’t check in today.” Dominick dialed as he stepped into the hall. “I assumed everything was fine.”
“You have a bodyguard on her?” Carlotta seemed hopeful. “Maybe he took her someplace safe?”
“He wasn’t authorized to do that,” my dad said. “He was to watch her from a distance. She wasn’t supposed to know he was there.”
“The ambush.” I directed my words toward Antonio. “You didn’t order that? You would have had no reason to.”
“Of course not.” He shook his head. “Even if Nadia wasn’t my daughter, I wouldn’t harm one of Dante’s sons or an innocent woman.” He glanced at my dad. “You must know that. We have had our differences through the years. We’ve managed to keep peace for twenty-five of them. I have my own sons to consider. I don’t want a war.”
“None of us do,” my dad said. “But if you didn’t order that ambush, who did?”
“I have my men on it.” Antonio leaned against his desk. “When I left our meeting the other day, it was resolved. You have my word.”
“No one has heard from Christopher.” Dominick came back into the room. “Gianni is putting the word out on the street to find him.”
“Something happen to Nadia’s guard?” Carlotta spoke to Antonio. “What’s going on?”
“Dominick.” I raised my voice. “Where is she? You were going to keep her safe. I trusted you.”
“We’ll find her,” my brother said with certainty but I had a hard time believing him. “Where’s Franco?”
“He’s not here,” Antonio told us. “But he’s not involved in any of this. He wouldn’t go after her without consulting me. He would have no reason to take her.”
“She can ID him,” Dominick stated. “She’s a threat to him.”
“Does he know Nadia is his sister?” Antonio may have backed off when he learned the target was his long lost kid but Franco wouldn’t have done the same.
“No.” Antonio looked to Carlotta. “My children don’t know about Nadia.”
“It’s possible that Franco is taking matters into his own hands,” I suggested. “If that’s the case, you have to call him off.”
“Would Franco hurt her?” Carlotta asked. “Tell me he won’t hurt her.”
“I haven’t heard from him since yesterday afternoon,” Antonio admitted. “He told me he had some things to take care of.”
“Before the ambush?” My father paced the room. “With all due respect, your son has been out of control for years. I’ve watched him make more problems than any of the other families wanted to deal with. He gets away with it because he’s your son. I won’t be so amicable if he shot at my son.”
“Dad.” Dominick placed his hand on my dad’s shoulder. “We need to work together if we’re going to get Nadia back.”
“We’re going to get her back,” my dad spoke to me. “I vowed to protect her and I didn’t do a good job. I’m sorry.”
“This is my fault.” I was the one who threw her out last night. I should have believed her. “When we realized who she was, I should’ve given her the benefit of at least explaining. She should have stayed with me like we had planned.”
“You’re seeing my daughter?” Carlotta asked.
“We’re getting to know one another,” I answered.
“How did that happen? I kept her away from all of this for a reason.”
Sometimes fate intervenes.
NADIA
Dropping onto the mattress, Vincenzo covered me in his hard, hot, naked form. The warmth of his skin, set my own ablaze. He’d already taken me once outside on the patio. After we came upstairs, we striped our clothes, unable to keep our hands off one another.
As we kissed in a frantic manner, our limbs tangled together, keeping one another close. Rolling around the bed, Vincenzo held me still so he could enter me. He didn’t take his eyes away from mine as he slid inside me. The intensity in his gaze tore at my soul. I’d never been so drawn to another. It was if we were meant to be. I came from the same stock as him but neither of us wanted anything to do with it. I could have sought help from anyone else that night but something led me to him.
Gliding his hands underneath my shoulders, he lifted my upper body to meet him, holding me tight as he thrust into me. I wrapped my legs around his hips, bracing myself for each strong throttle, allowing him to go deeper. My stomach muscles coiled into a tight mass as I clenched around him.
“I’m so glad you ran into me that night,” he whispered against my lips almost as if he knew what I thought. “Il mio destino.”
“I don’t know what that means.” I traced his lips with my fingers as he stilled inside me. “It sounds really hot when you say it.”
“You’re my destiny.” He gently kissed my fingers as he resumed his rhythm. “You have to be.”
“Everything is happening so fast.” Could people really fall for one another in such a short time? Was there any truth to fate?
“When we’re back to reality we’ll explore it all.”
“Away from this craziness?”
“We’ll make our own craziness.”
Stay with me... I jolted awake, feeling the emptiness when I opened my eyes. Vincenzo had been with me. I
t was so real. That night occurred between us. That connection developed before he knew the truth. We were supposed to be creating a future, and now, I was stuck in a hot, dingy room. Thirsty, sweaty, and exhausted. I must have drifted off while I had been trying my hardest to get out of here. I’d given up screaming hours ago. All it did was make my throat raw. No one could hear me.
The room didn’t have any windows but it had to be morning by now. Would anyone look for me? Maybe Adele? Who would she tell? The police? Would she go to Vincenzo? My head pounded and my stomach growled. How much longer would he keep me here? Keep me alive?
I scrambled to the corner of the room when the doorknob jiggled. The creaky door flew open, revealing my captor in the entrance. Hadn’t all of my troubles begun the first time I laid eyes on my half-brother?
“You’re awake.” He tossed me a bottle of water. “You look like you could use this.”
I caught it, inspecting it to see if it had been opened. I was so dehydrated, I didn’t care.
“I didn’t tamper with it.” He sat on a stool across from me. “I’m not going to do anything to you,” he paused. “Yet.”
“Why not?” I screwed off the cap and gulped the water, wincing when it coated my throat.
“You got away from me last week. The Marchellis helped you. I’m not sure why but they negotiated hard for you and because my father has a weak spot for that family he allowed them to manipulate him.”
“I’m sure that isn’t what happened.” Antonio must have realized who I was and backed off.
“Were you there?” He stretched out his legs. “We come from a position of strength. My father is the head boss because Dante didn’t want to fight for it. Something about protecting Dominick and Gianni, but they’re so ensconced in this life, they’ll never get out.”
“What good is keeping me? I don’t have anything to do with them.”
“You’re leverage, sweetheart.”
I wanted to smack that smug smirk off his face but he looked like the type of guy who would hit back.
“My father is growing tired of this business but I need to show the other families we’re still in control. I will always come from a position of strength. I don’t have a soft spot. That could get you killed.”
“Your father doesn’t know you have me?”
“I don’t tell him everything. My job is to enforce and make sure no one is coming at us. He trusts my instincts.”
“I think you should tell him you have me.” That might be my only chance.
“Why?”
“I’m pretty sure he’ll be interested.” If that stupid report was right then Antonio knew exactly who I was. He’d supported me my entire life. He wouldn’t hurt me.
“And why the fuck would that be?”
“Because I’m his daughter.” You idiot!
Chapter Twenty
VINCENZO
Negotiating for Nadia
Two hours later, we were at my father’s house waiting on word from Antonio. He’d managed to persuade one of Franco’s closest men to reveal his son’s plan. Franco had Nadia. We were waiting on a location. I’d never been this anxious before. If he hurt her...
“Got it.” Dominick ended the call. “He has her at the warehouse on the docks.”
“Seriously?” Was Franco really that stupid? “That’s not very original.”
“Franco’s not that smart.” Gianni flipped through a magazine and I wondered how he could be so calm. “He never was.”
“What’s the plan?” I asked. “Do we just go in and get her? Is Antonio going to get him to back off?”
“Antonio wants to go and explain who Nadia is. Hopefully that will be enough to get him to let her go.” Dominick didn’t sound convincing. “Franco’s got a score to settle. Nadia humiliated him when she escaped him that night. Not only did she manage to get away from him but she got us to help her. To him it looks like an all-out war.”
“She shredded his ego.” Gianni laughed. “If he wasn’t so full of himself he wouldn't be in this situation.”
“Antonio believes once Franco knows her true identity, he’ll back of.”
“And if he doesn’t?” I asked.
My brothers glanced at one another but didn’t say anything. That was never a good sign.
“Let’s go get her.” Every second Franco had her, she was in more danger. “Why are we waiting?”
“No.” My father stood in the doorway of his study. “I’ve let you in on too much this week.”
“You didn’t have a choice,” I reminded him. “I was involved from the start.”
“I always have a choice, but now you have to let us do the rest.” There was no changing my dad’s mind but I had to try. “You’ll let your brothers handle this.”
“Dad, I can’t wait around.” Did he really think I could sit and wait?
“Antonio will get to Franco. Dominick, Gianni, and myself will be there to make sure they abide by the original agreement although I can’t imagine Antonio harming his daughter. I promised to protect her. Now that I know who she is, I know in my heart Tino would have wanted me to keep her safe.”
“Franco would harm her if he hasn’t already. He took her against his father’s wishes. We’re wasting time.” Why was I the only one in this room who recognized Nadia was in danger?
“Dad’s right,” Gianni said. “You need to stay out of this now.”
“Dominick,” I pleaded with my brother. “You know I have to be there.”
“It’s the old man’s decision but I agree with him. If things spiral out of control, we can’t worry about protecting you. We can do this faster and easier without you. I’m sorry but that’s the way it is.”
“Dom.”
“No.” He cut off any further protesting. “When we have her, I’ll bring her to you.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll even apologize to her for being such a jerk.”
“That’ll be a first.” Gianni sat on the edge of my dad’s desk. “He never admits when he’s wrong.”
“We’re not going to argue about this,” Dominick said, ignoring Gianni. “Go to your place and wait for us. I’m sure you have work to catch up on.”
“Like I’ll be able to concentrate on work?” My blood pressure was on the rise. With each minute that passed, my anxiety level increased. I had to do something. Anything to help her. “I’m going to get some air.”
“Vincenzo.” My father blocked the doorway. “You’re too smart to screw this up.”
“What do you mean?” My father knew I wouldn’t leave this alone. “I just want to get out of here.”
“I see the look of determination in your eyes. Let Dominick and Gianni do this.” He patted my back. “You’re a lawyer. Be a lawyer. Your mother will never forgive me if I put another one of her sons in danger.”
“Okay.” I never lied to my father but there was always an exception. “I’ll be outside.”
“Vince,” Dominick called after me. “We’ll get her back and I’ll make Franco pay.”
“Because that’s the solution,” I mumbled as I walked down the hall and to the foyer, wishing I had never been exposed to any of my family’s business. Why couldn’t they have walked away years ago?
“You okay?” Tommy asked.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go back to the city.” I learned early on not to lie to Tommy either, but I had to look him in the eyes when I did or he would never believe me. “My father wants to see you first.”
“Okay.” He seemed a bit confused but believed what I said.
“Can I have the keys to the car?” I held out my hand. “I’ll wait for you there. I have a few calls to make.”
“You’re the boss.” He tossed me the keys. “I’ll be out soon.”
“Take your time.” I walked out of the house, knowing what I was about to do wasn’t the best idea I’d ever had but it was the only idea that was going to get Nadia back safe. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I pressed the button on the dash and backed out of the driveway. I
didn’t like lying to any of them but they had left me no choice.
My father wanted me to be a lawyer. Today I’d be negotiating for Nadia. No guns, no violence, and no risks.
NADIA
Franco stared at me with a perplexed look on his face. He got up from the stool he’d been planted on for the last ten minutes and started laughing. What could he find so amusing?
“Did you hear me?” I demanded. “I said I’m your half-sister.”
“I’m going to give you an A for creativity.” He continued to laugh. “You know nothing about my father or else you would have come up with a better story.”
“You’re right. I wish I had a better story but he abandoned me before I was born.”
“He would never do that and for you to be his daughter, he would have had to cheat on my mother. He wouldn't do that either.”
“He did do that and when she was pregnant with you. He had two women pregnant at the same time. His wife and his mistress. He sounds like a keeper.”
He clenched his fists and tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck. “Shut up.”
“That’s why I was on the docks that night. I found out there was a possibility he could be my father. I thought I could find a piece of me that had been missing my whole life.” Now I wanted more than anything to undo what I’d set in motion. I would’ve set that piece of history on fire and never looked back.
“A possibility?”
“It’s since been confirmed.” If I was bargaining for my life, I might as well put it all on the line. “Dominick had me investigated. That’s why Vincenzo asked me to leave last night. They thought I was running a scam when they found out who I was.”
“You are running a scam.” When he came closer to me, I backed up against the wall. “On me but it won’t work.”
“I’m not playing anyone. I wish I’d never found out who I was. I was doing just fine not knowing you existed.”
“You want me to believe you stumbled on the docks just as I was in the middle of business because you were looking for your long-lost father? A very public figure? You had to know who he was before you came.”