“Ugh. All right let’s get serious. Who has their watch on?” Stefan looked around; they all did.
“Okay, that’s good.” Jordan studied the walls. “They should be able to track us.”
“I told you they would come in handy, Stefano.” Damon smiled. “After Gino kidnapped me, what did I say?”
Stefan did his best impression of his father. “Stefano, we must get some kind of discreet tracking device in case this happens again.”
“Very funny; I’m so glad I can amuse you.” Damon drawled.
“I’m kidding, Dad. Thank God you thought of it. I don’t know if Antonio and Marco are safe, but the fact they’re not here gives me hope. I had sent Antonio to get Tyler. Shit, what day is it?”
Jordan pulled his hand up as far as it would go and looked down at his watch. “It’s Friday.”
“Three days. Okay. If we know our kids, which we do, they figured out what’s going on, and are figuring out where to strike first.”
Jordan smiled. “Yes, and hopefully they have Antonio and Marco as back up.”
“Knowing our kids, I hope Sophia has back up.”
They all began laughing again.
*~~~*
Three days earlier…
The kids arrived home in shifts. Heath and Damon, with Caleb and Tyler, got there first. They had arrived with Antonio and Marco. They waited anxiously until Charlie and Steve arrived from Boston, and Isabelle and Jacob from Missouri.
“Okay, we haven’t heard anything yet, but Antonio is working on the tracking transmitter. We should have a fix on their location soon.” Heath looked over his siblings. They all looked bruised, but no worse for wear.
“When she calls, we need to pretend that we’re trying to trace the call — which is what normal people would do — so she doesn’t get suspicious. That’s if she calls.” Damon turned his gaze to Marco and got a nod of agreement.
“We have to play the wait and see game.” Isabelle eyed her siblings. “If we get the transmitter up and working, the phone call really doesn’t mean shit. We’ll know where they are. But we will still have to play it like we have no idea. I’m sure this is about money.”
Charlie agreed. “I think so, too. She knew if she grabbed us, any of us, she’d be dead before she could even ask for a ransom. No offense Izzy.”
“None taken. Right now, all I want is that bitch’s head on a platter.”
“Izz, she’s your mother,” Heath pointed out quietly.
“No, Heath she’s not. I felt nothing when I met her. If it’s possible, I feel even less now. She kidnapped our family — and for what? Money? That’s not my blood. Everyone at this table is my blood, and right now I want hers.”
Jacob took her hand. “Izzy —”
“No. I want her to pay, slowly and painfully. Look what she took from us!” Isabelle broke down and ran outside.
Charlie stood up. “Stay. I’ll go.” She put her hand on Jacob’s shoulder.
Charlie found Isabelle by the pond crying. She sat beside her sister and put an arm around her.
“Don’t worry, Izz, we’ll get them back.”
“You don’t understand, Charlie. I was pregnant! I lost the baby after I fell down the steps.”
“Oh God, Izzy, I’m so sorry!” Charlie hugged her hard.
Isabelle cried harder and Charlie rocked her. She felt her anger boil and knew now what her father had felt in Italy — pure hatred.
After everyone had finished telling their story, they went to bed. They were tired and needed rest for what was to come. Heath took Caleb to his room and helped him into bed.
“You need your pain meds, babe?” Heath offered when Caleb winced getting into bed.
“Nope, have to stay alert. Come here next to me.”
Heath crawled in beside him. “I was scared shitless when you got hit. I thought I had lost you.”
“You’re never getting rid of me. I love you.” Caleb kissed his forehead.
“I love you, too. Let’s get some sleep. Something tells me we have some long days ahead.”
*~~~*
Damon and Tyler curled up together in Damon’s bed, with Tyler’s head resting on his chest.
“I’m still mad at you, ya know.” Tyler kissed him.
“Why?”
“You pushed me into the club. You scared the shit out of me. I could have helped.”
“I couldn’t let anything happen to you, Tyler. I love you.”
“You said it.”
“Of course I said it. I’ve said it before.”
“No — you said you were falling for me.” Tyler smiled.
“Are you sure?” Damon quietly laughed.
“You asshole!” Tyler smacked him.
“Ow, you’d hit an already hurt man?”
Tyler kissed him slowly. “I love you, too,” he whispered.
Damon hugged him and kissed the top of his head. “Then you understand why I did what I did — because you would do the same thing. But it’s nice to hear you say it.” He kissed him again. “Let’s get some sleep.”
*~~~*
Morning came and the kids assembled around the kitchen table. Coffee was brewing and Antonio was cooking. Marco was looking over the transmitter.
“Okay, so how does it work then?” The apparatus intrigued Heath.
“It will pick up the signal, but you have to be within five hundred miles.” Marco was looking over the device and playing with the wires.
“She’s in Malta. I can almost guarantee that’s where they are.” Isabelle looked at her siblings. “She would take them somewhere she’s comfortable and knows the area.”
Damon nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think so too.”
“Okay, so we start there. We need to have the jet fueled and ready,” Charlie piped up.
Antonio looked up. “I will take care of it.”
The phone rang and they all looked at each other, startled, even though it they expected it.
Isabelle answered.
“Good morning, Sophia.” Her voice was sarcastic and cold.
“Daughter, it’s so lovely to hear your voice.”
Isabelle ignored the attempt to bait her. “How are my fathers and grandfather?”
“Fine, of course. Why, I just gave them something to eat and let them clean up. You see, I’m not evil.”
Isabelle laughed. “I am. Now, what do you want?”
“What I have always wanted, darling — you. Well, you and a lot of money. Twenty million dollars to be exact.”
“I want to hear that they are okay.” Isabelle looked at her siblings.
“Maybe next time, sweetie. I have to hang up now. Wouldn’t want anyone to know where I am, but I will call again with instructions.”
“Wait!” Isabelle shouted into the phone, but Sophia had hung up.
Antonio smiled at her. “Nicely done, Isabelle.”
Isabelle sat back down. “Okay, she wants twenty million.”
“Pfft…that’s it?” Charlie looked disgusted.
“Well, we’re going to have to come up with it anyway,” Heath pointed out.
Isabelle smiled. “And I know just where to get it.”
*~~~*
Isabelle made her way past the front desk at Global. She passed the outer office and walked right past the receptionist’s desk.
“She’s in a meeting, ma’am.”
“Fuck off.” Isabelle walked right into the office and snarled at the men assembled.
“Get out!” she hissed.
“Isabelle, darling, what is it?” Angela stood up as the men scattered.
“Your nephew and his husband have been kidnapped, along with your brother.”
“What? When?” Angela almost shouted.
“Yesterday, so here’s how this is going to work. I need your jet and twenty million dollars. Don’t argue. You owe me.” Isabelle stared down her great aunt.
Angela sat down. “Done, but I am coming with you.”
“What?”
“I will not have any of my great-nieces or -nephews doing this alone. And don’t say you have Antonio and Marco. I’m going with you. Period.”
“Fine, but don’t think this lets you off the hook. It’s just a start.”
Angela smiled. “That’s all I ask for, a chance to make things right.”
“Well, hang on to something then. Here comes your chance.”
Chapter 16
The kids went over strategy back at the house. Jacob offered his services in case anything needed to be blown to smithereens, which amused everyone.
“Hey, you never know!” Jacob smiled.
Antonio had called the high school to let them know Damon would be out, and Heath arranged to miss his classes as well. By nightfall, everyone was tired. They knew they had a long day ahead of them and went to bed early.
Tyler was lying in Damon’s arms, caressing his chest. “I want to go with you, Damon.”
“I know, Tyler, but you can’t. I can’t be worried about what’s going on with you; I have to be able to focus. You have to stay here and go to school.”
“I could help, though.” He looked up at Damon.
“I know you could, but I can’t risk anything happening to you.” He leaned down and kissed Tyler softly.
“What if something happens to you? I couldn’t stand it, Damon.”
“Hey, I’ll be all right. They didn’t name me after my grandfather for nothing.” He winked at Tyler.
“This isn’t funny, Damon.”
Damon ran his hand up Tyler’s bare chest. “I know.” He trailed his fingers along his jawline and tugged his face up, kissing him slowly.
Tyler moaned and opened his mouth. Damon ran his tongue around Tyler’s as his hands made their way to his boxers. He slowly slid his hand up and down; when he felt Tyler get rock hard, he slid the boxers down. He ran his hand between his legs and palmed his balls, squeezing them slightly.
Damon rolled over on top of him. He spread his legs and positioned himself between them. He gazed into Tyler’s eyes as he put two fingers in his mouth. He stroked his cock slowly and slid the fingers into his ass. Tyler arched his back and put his hand over Damon’s. They stroked together as Damon moved his fingers inside Tyler’s passage.
Damon adjusted his position and took Tyler’s cock into his mouth. He ran his tongue around in circles and then sucked hard on the head. Tyler moaned and Damon quickened the movement of his fingers. Tyler watched Damon’s head bob up and down and ran his hands through his hair. He felt Damon’s fingers rub his prostate again and again and he came hard.
He pulled Damon up, wrapped his arms around his waist and gazed into his eyes.
“I love you so much.” He kissed Damon hard and grabbed his ass, pulling him into his hips.
Damon kissed him back. “I can’t wait to make love to you. I promise when this is all over, I will.”
“I know, but right now we need to get some sleep. You have a lot to do tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I do. I love you, Tyler.”
Tyler fell asleep with his head on Damon’s chest. Damon absent-mindedly threaded his fingers through Tyler’s hair. He knew he couldn’t take Tyler with him. It was a risk he just wasn’t willing to take. He and his siblings had been around his grandfather, Marco and Antonio their entire lives. Due to their family tree, they had learned the nuances of surveillance, observation, evasive maneuvers, leaving clues, as well as self-defense training, from an early age.
Normal families like Tyler’s just didn’t go over that kind of stuff.
He closed his eyes and thought about his family held captive by some crazy bitch. Poor Isabelle. She was going to have to go against her own mother. Damon finally drifted off.
*~~~*
Heath and Caleb had been kissing for a half an hour. Heath couldn’t stop. The thought of almost losing Caleb had nearly scared him to death. He wanted Caleb inside him; wanted to feel him close.
“I would love to make love to you, Heath, but unfortunately, I don’t have both arms.” Caleb smiled.
“I know.” He ran his tongue over Caleb’s lips. “I’ll settle for you holding me close.”
“I can do that.” Caleb pulled him in closer.
“I want you on the jet with me tomorrow. Marco is with us, as well as Damon. Isabelle, Charlie, Steve, Jacob and my great aunt will be on Global’s jet with Antonio.”
“I’m surprised you’re letting me go.” Caleb kissed his forehead.
“Could I stop you?”
“Nope,” Caleb laughed.
“Go to sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow. I love you, Caleb.”
“I love you, too.”
Heath finally dozed off in Caleb’s arms. Caleb stayed awake for a while, thinking about the next day. He was going to protect Heath, whether he liked it or not. He fell asleep with his face buried in Heath’s hair.
*~~~*
Morning dawned, and once again, the kids had assembled at the kitchen table. Isabelle spread out a map and they all hunched over it.
“Okay, we can’t be sure if she’s watching the airport, so we land here.” She tapped the map. “The Santorno jet will land here. The men have taken the yacht to this position.” She tapped another spot on the map. “We land, take a boat to the yacht and move closer to the shore as if we’re just tourists hanging out. Without city lights, it will be pitch black when we take a smaller boat to shore.”
“Okay — but in this case, we need half of us on this side of the island and half of us on the other. Then we meet in the middle. We can’t all be together in case we’re caught.” Heath was tracing specific areas on the map.
When Damon started laughing, it startled everyone.
“What’s so funny?” Charlie demanded.
“It’s like ‘Mission Impossible.’ The music is playing in my head. I can’t help it.”
They all laughed, and Heath smacked his brother in the back of the head. It was a welcome distraction after all the previous days’ stress.
The phone rang and Isabelle put her finger to her lips. Everyone clammed up.
“Hello?”
“Isabelle.”
“Daddy, are you okay?” She immediately put Stefan on speaker.
“We’re no worse for the wear. Are you kids all right?”
“We’re all okay. Is she treating you well?”
Isabelle heard Stefan swear and then Sophia was on the line.
“I have an account number for you to make a wire transfer. I expect it in my account in forty-eight hours. Then you can have your family back.” She rattled off a string of numbers.
The line went dead.
“She thinks we’re just going to hand her millions of dollars and sit back expecting her to deliver our parents and Grandpa?” Damon guffawed.
“In less than 48 hours, we’ll have our family back,” Isabelle smiled.
*~~*
They had settled into their respective rooms on the yacht, and Caleb was checking out the view.
“Wow, this is amazing,” he whistled.
“It was a wedding gift to my fathers from my grandfather.”
“Really? I wonder what we get when we get married?” Caleb mused.
Heath’s jaw dropped. “When we get married?”
“Relax! I didn’t say today. You’re still in school. I just meant someday. You know — future tense? Unless you don’t want to marry me.”
Heath rushed over and hugged him hard. “Of course I want to marry you! Oh my God, are you serious? I just didn’t think —Shit! I don’t know.”
“Oh, Heath, I love when you sweet-talk me,” Caleb laughed.
“Wait, was that a proposal?”
Caleb studied Heath carefully. There was no way he was going to live his life without the incredible man standing before him. “Yes, I guess it was.”
“It would have to be a long engagement.” Heath took Caleb’s hand.
“Yes, it would.” Caleb kissed him.
“I don’t know if I can accept
it, though. Wasn’t much of a proposal.” Heath tried to hide his smile.
“You want me down on one knee? With a ring and flowers?”
“Oh, I don’t know. This is all so sudden.” Heath fanned his face with his hand in his best Southern belle impression.
Caleb gently captured the fluttering hand and trapped it between his. “Marry me, Heath.”
Heath gazed into his lover’s eyes. He was so beautiful, inside and out. There had never been any doubt he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Caleb.
“Yes.”
“Yes? Really?”
“Of course, yes!” Heath kissed him. “Long engagement, though.”
“Yes. I want you to finish your education. By the way, I’m taking your last name.”
“Really?” Heath searched Caleb’s eyes. “Babe, are you sure?”
“Yes. You and your family have meant so much more to me than my own. You have all accepted me and treated me with unconditional love and respect.”
“Well, you’ll get no argument from me. We need to get ready, future Mr. Caleb Youngblood.”
“Yes we do. Come on, let’s go.”
*~~~*
Damon called Tyler. He wanted him to know how much he loved him before he left. Not that he was worried about dying, Hell, he was a Santorno after all.
“I have to get ready to go, Tyler. I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”
“Promise me, Damon — promise you’ll be careful. Please.”
Damon could hear it in Tyler’s voice: He was on the verge of tears. “Tyler, please don’t worry. I’ll be careful, I promise. I have you to come home to.”
“I love you, Damon.”
“I love you, too. I’ll be making love to you really soon. Bye, Tyler.”
*~~~*
They assembled in the yacht’s main living room. Antonio and Marco entered with cases, and Jacob was packing his bag.
“What is that, Jacob?” Damon looked at all the pieces of wiring.
“It’s a type of explosive, not as volatile as C4. It’s quieter, but it does the job.”
An Eye for an Eye (The Santorno Stories 2): The Santorno Stories Page 21