Mafia Protection (Tomassi Series Book 1)

by AA Lee

  She finally saw Angelo. He was busy untying Brett, and Rafa was untying Jim. She had a better idea. She ran up the steps to the stage and threw the bag down. The zipper made a shrill-like noise as she opened the bag without bothering to unzip it properly. She remembered that Angelo had put a knife in this bag. She grabbed it. Then she ran to the last man on stage, Thomas, and fell down to her knees in front.

  “Give me your hands,” she ordered. The rope was tough, thick and double tied, but the knife was sharp. Two cuts set him free.

  “Thanks,” he said as she fell in front of Sammy and then Ray. Angelo was almost finished with Jim when she handed him the knife.

  “You were brilliant,” he said and took the blade from her hand. She nodded and tried to catch her breath as he finished cutting Jim free. “Grab a gun,” he ordered as more men flooded the room. “Ella,” he looked at her. “I want you to get behind that podium, okay? Remember what I said.” Again, she nodded and hid as he wished.

  Bullets started to fly as Angelo and the others jumped off the stage to push the men back. They used the seats as shields, raising their heads and shooting before ducking back down. They were about halfway to the back of the room when someone grasped her hair and pulled her to the middle of the stage.

  “Sullivan!” Bonadio said with a furious voice. “Take her guns!”

  CHAPTER 65

  Angelo looked at the stage. That bastard had her, and Sullivan was taking her weapons. She looked horrified at Sullivan, but he paid no attention to her confused and saddened expression. He ripped the gun from her hand and yanked the rifle from her head. Then Bonadio spun her around and slapped her across the face.

  “You killed my men,” he barked.

  “You threw one of your men in your place.” Ella glared back at him when he slapped her again.

  “Shut up,” he ordered, but Ella would not quit. She started to push him even though he still had a hold of her hair. He smiled but seemed outraged with the look in his eyes. His fingers squeezed around the throat. Ella could not speak now. “If you can’t listen, I’ll shut you up,” he said and looked across the room. “Tomassi, it’s you for her!”

  “Christ.” Angelo immediately started walking toward the stage again with Rafa beside him. The others were somewhere behind. How did Bonadio gain the upper hand after everything they did right tonight?

  “Let her go.” Angelo pointed at Bonadio. Seeing him hold onto Ella the way he did made the anger in his chest build. He tried to stay calm, though. He did not want to say anything that would get her hurt.

  “Don’t give in to him,” Ella blurted out when Bonadio pushed her to the stage.

  “Ella, shut up!” Angelo yelled. Did she not understand that this was not the time to talk back?

  “Are you stupid?” Bonadio ranted. “Did you really come in here and think you could take me on? Your father should have taught you your place.”

  “Your father should have taught you yours,” she snapped back from underneath the scattered hair in her face. Bonadio slapped her again, harder this time. She gagged. It looked like she was trying to hold back the contents in her stomach, but Ella just would not quit.

  “You are nothing but a coward. If I can see that, so should your men.” Ella glanced back at the door and stood. Angelo could hear them. More of Bonadio’s members were entering the room.

  “Don’t you ever fucking shut up?” Bonadio launched her to the floor again and placed his boot over the top of her ribs. Ella seemed to flinch as he pointed his gun down. “If you move or say another word, you will wish you were dead.”

  Ella’s face started to swell. Angelo could barely see the pupil on one of her eyes. She looked at him, apologetic about getting herself like this. She did not open her mouth or say another word. She looked more terrified right now than she normally did. Angelo wanted to rip off Bonadio’s head.

  “Angelo,” Rafa whispered in a panicked tone. “Ella’s pregnant.”

  “What?” he asked. What Rafa had said did not register right away.

  “She’s pregnant,” he whispered again.

  It took Angelo a second to comprehend. He looked at Rafa and then back at Ella. His body grew weak as he stared at her with panic. She was his life. She carried his child. That was all he ever really wanted in life, and now that was threatened by the rival. This was what he wanted to avoid. It was his worst nightmare come true. He did not have to think about his choice, but he hated to leave her alone.

  “Take care of her,” he whispered to Rafa and took a step forward. “Take me and let her go.”

  “Shoot him.” Bonadio pointed at Sullivan.

  Angelo watched him raise his gun. He knew it was all over when Sullivan aimed at his head instead of his protected chest. He did not know whose side Sullivan was on, but he was sure it was not his. He glanced back at Ella. She looked at him as a tear slid down the front of her face. It was hard for him to watch her. He had to look away.

  “No!” she screamed. “Mr. Sullivan, don’t!” she cried. It was the last words he heard her say.

  ***

  “Angelo.” Someone tapped on his cheek. “Angelo,” the voice said again. “Wake up,” he demanded.

  Angelo groaned. “What happened?” He opened his eyes and started to sit.

  “Stay down,” Rafa said.

  What, he thought. He felt his head. How was he alive? Sullivan had shot him in the head.

  “How could you, Mr. Sullivan?” he heard Ella sob.

  “Move out of my way, Ella.” Sullivan used a tone with her that made her cry more. Angelo peeked at the stage. Ella jumped at Sullivan and he blocked her, making her fall back to the floor. “I told you to stay. Haven’t you had enough fucking problems with not listening?” he asked.

  Bonadio grabbed her by the hair again and put away his gun. “I will handle her. When I’m done, she will never think about not listening again.”

  Sullivan looked at Ella and at Bonadio. Angelo knew that he cared about Ella. It seemed like he was listening to Bonadio, but he was not. He would have made one hell of an ally with the way he had fooled even Angelo.

  Sullivan crouched low. With one swift kick upwards, he knocked Bonadio straight in the throat. Bonadio stumbled and lost his balance. His body fell straight to the floor.

  “Did you seriously think that I would let you harm that woman and live to tell about it? You held a fucking gun to her chest. You are nothing but a worthless piece of shit.”

  Ella looked at Sullivan completely confused as Bonadio pointed at Sullivan. “You will regret talking to me that way.”

  “Like hell,” Sullivan scoffed. “I don’t work for you.”

  Bonadio laughed and snapped his finger in the air. Angelo looked the other way and saw more men enter the room. His chest felt better now. The impact of the bullet started to subside. “Ready?” he asked Rafa.

  Rafa’s jaw clenched together. “That fucker needs to die.”

  Both of them stood at the same time but Angelo flinched. His chest was not completely better. He made his arms work. The pain could not matter. Ella was still on that stage.

  “Shoot,” Angelo ordered. Bullets flew through the air. Bonadio’s men went down. He had no idea how many bullets he and his men shot in all, only that they quit shooting when no more men stood.

  Rafa kept aiming while Angelo turned around. Ella looked at him with utter disbelief, but he could not pay attention to her now. “You nearly ruined my life,” Angelo said to Bonadio. He wanted to make him suffer. He wanted to bash every bone in his body and make him weep in agony to the torture. He wanted to cut every limb from his flesh. More than anything else, he wanted him dead.

  “You are a greedy son of a bitch. You have warehouses full of guns and ammunition, multiple businesses, and men who were willing to die for you. You abused all of your power—put a hit on my life just so you could gain more. Then you assaulted my pregnant wife.”

  When Bonadio looked away at the accusations, Angelo shook his head wit
h disgust. “You are pathetic. You can’t even die strong. You are a coward.” Angelo stepped on the stage and bashed his temple with his gun. “Now we end this,” he said and took a step back. All of the trouble that Bonadio had put him through would be gone. He fired until he emptied out the rest of the clip in his gun. Bonadio would never bother Ella or his group again.

  “What?” Ella cried. “But you…” She whispered breathlessly.

  “Sullivan was on our side,” he said.

  Ella lifted up her face from the floor and weakly nodded at him. She looked in a daze. Her eyes blinked open and shut, and then she passed out.

  “Jim, Ray, can you handle this mess?” he asked when they both ran in the room. They nodded as Angelo turned to Sullivan. “Thank you,” he said.

  Sullivan smiled as Angelo scooped Ella off the floor. “I will be leaving now. Take care of her for me. She’s a special woman,” said Sullivan.

  “I know,” Angelo said. “I plan on doing just that.”

  CHAPTER 66

  Rafa had rushed them both to the hospital as fast as the Escalade would go. He waited outside as Angelo waited inside the room with Ella. Dr. Stefano would be in soon.

  “Ella,” he whispered and moved her hair out of her face. Ella began to moan as she gained consciousness in the bright room.

  “Mr. Sullivan…why?” she mumbled as Angelo hugged her to his chest.

  “Ella, it’s all right now.”

  She cried in his chest for several minutes before fully opening her eyes. “Angelo, but,” She seemed to remember what had happened and hugged her arms around him tightly. “Mr. Sullivan shot you. I didn’t know what to do after that. I thought you were dead, Angelo.”

  “It’s okay, Ella. I have you now. We are both all right. He can’t hurt us again.”

  “Oh.” She looked at the room and noticed the monitor. “You brought me to the doctor. What did they say? Did you have to tell them how I got hurt?”

  “No, I have a doctor that I use. You have met Stefano. Usually we go to the warehouse, but you needed a hospital this time. We have to make sure everything is all right with you and the baby.”

  “You know?” she said with surprise.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” he said. First, he wanted to make sure they were both all right. Then he would give her a lecture.

  “Angelo.” The doctor walked in the room.

  “Dr. Stefano,” he answered. As calm as he tried to seem to Ella, he was worried that she was hurt.

  Stefano did not talk. He immediately approached and reached for a small device attached to the ultrasound machine that the nurse had left in the room. “You did say that she was expecting, didn’t you?” he asked while lifting Ella’s blouse and gently feeling her abdomen.

  “Yes, that’s right,” Angelo replied. He watched the doctor squeeze gel over Ella’s belly and turn on the device in his hand. He slid and then stopped. He listened and looked at his watch. He did that several times and then looked at the machine with the image.

  “Listen.” He turned up the volume and looked at them both. “That would be the sound of a healthy heartbeat.” It was good news. Angelo closed his eyes and exhaled. He needed positive news right now. “Now look at the screen.” Stefano turned the monitor to them and smiled. “Your baby looks perfectly healthy and is moving how I would expect.”

  “How is Ella?” Angelo asked.

  “She’s tired, but she will be fine. I would suggest that you take her home and you both sleep in tomorrow.”

  “You have my word.” Angelo shook the doctor’s hand. “Can we go home?”

  “Give me ten minutes. I just need to file some information and then you are released.”

  “Thank you,” Angelo said.

  “Oh,” Stefano smiled. “I printed some photos for you.” He took out some glossy black and white sheets and handed them to Ella. “You are fifteen weeks, and I think I got a clear picture of the sex of the baby. Do you want to know?”

  “Do we?” she looked at Angelo.

  “Completely up to you,” he said. “I just wanted you and the baby to be okay.”

  ***

  Late the next morning, Angelo was glad to wake up in his room. He looked over at Ella as she walked back to the bed. Neither had bothered to shower the previous night. He barely was able to help her inside the house. Then they fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

  He got up and entered the restroom himself. After a few minutes, steam billowed out of the door as he led her back inside. “A warm shower will make you feel better,” he said. “I will help you wash those wounds.”

  She looked at him as he removed her clothes and his. She was just as beautiful as he always remembered. Now she carried his baby. The pride that he felt for them both was not like anything else he had ever had. After today, he wanted to protect her more. Ella would probably protest, but he thought she would understand. Keeping her safe was his job.

  He was right about the warm water. He watched her as she sat on the seat of the shower and began to nod off. “Hey,” he whispered and nudged her cheek. He slid his hands underneath her arms and lifted her to stand while he sat in the seat. “That’s what you were going to tell me last night, isn’t it?” he asked and stroked his fingers along her belly.

  She nodded. “Rafa told you, didn’t he?”

  “He had to, but you knew that I would have never taken you with me if I had known. You came close to losing our baby last night. That backtalk didn’t help you at all.”

  “I know. I was mad at Bonadio, and the words just came out. I shouldn’t have risked myself like that, but I was not going to lose my husband. I had to go.”

  “Ella,” he said frustrated. “I would never risk you or our baby.”

  “I know you wouldn’t, but you would risk yourself for me and the baby.”

  “Ella.” He shook his head. “You are an amazing shot, better than me maybe. Thank you, but your life will always be more important than mine will. You have our baby to think about now.”

  “I know.” She looked down and shivered even though the water was warm.

  Angelo stood up. “There’s nothing for you to be afraid of now, sweetheart.”

  “I know,” she said again and hugged him around the waist. “I know there’s not.”

  ***

  Ella was happy that Angelo did not go to work. He was watching some news channel and she had her head on his lap and looked up. She enjoyed the way his fingers brushed through her hair as she held the ultrasound pictures in front of her face. She kept flipping through them one after another, only to start from the beginning again.

  “So he thinks it will be a girl.” Angelo looked down at the pictures in her hand with a small grin on his face. “I can’t believe you are farther along than three months.”

  “I know. I was shocked too.” She showed him a picture. “She will be so perfect for us.”

  “Let’s hope she listens better than her mother.” Ella’s mouth opened wide as he chuckled to himself.

  “Let’s hope she’s not half as bossy as her father,” she quipped and lowered the pictures from in front of her face so she could see Angelo.

  “Bossy, huh? I wouldn’t have to order you around if you would quit putting yourself in danger.” Ella huffed and tried to look away when he grabbed her cheek and would not let her turn her head. “I promise that won’t be the case anymore, especially since you’re pregnant.”

  She knew what he meant. He had felt sheer terror when he found out she was expecting. She was likely to be under a surveillance camera for the duration of her life. “You worry too much,” she said.

  He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. “I told you before. I don’t want to lose you. There is no such thing as worrying too much in my line of work.”

  “Okay, Angelo.” She gave up the argument. She hoped there would not be another reason to worry about her now.

  “This channel,” he grumbled and reached over her head for the remote as
a knock came at the door.

  “Who’s that?” Ella asked and sat up.

  “My parents said they were going to stop by.”

  “Oh, why didn’t you tell me? I would have put on something decent and made us lunch.”

  “That’s why,” he said. “I wanted you to rest today.” Ella smiled as he stood to answer the door.

  “Ella.” Nina greeted. She walked over and immediately sat down next to her. She squeezed Ella tightly with a hug. “I am so happy that you are all right. My god, what were you thinking by going with Angelo?” Then she whispered in her ear. “I’m so glad that my son has found a woman that loves him so much, but, don’t ever risk your life like that again. That’s what he’s supposed to do.” Ella did not know how they knew. “Still,” Nina smiled. “You are perfect for my Angelo.”

  “Did he tell you?” Ella asked. She knew how to get Nina’s mind off her and onto something else.

  “Tell me what?” Nina looked confused as Ella handed her the black and white printouts of the baby.

  “What is this?” Nina carefully examined the first before a full realization came to her. “What?” she asked excitedly. “You are going to have a baby!” She wrapped her arms around Ella again, pulling away to feel Ella’s stomach. “Antonio!” she shrieked with the widest grin on her face. “Angelo’s going to have a baby!” She started to stand to get her husband but he already started to walk back to the living room, where the women sat. “We are going to become grandparents!” she exclaimed in a voice filled with excitement and continued through the photos. “We are going to have a granddaughter!” Nina held out the pictures for Antonio to see.

  Antonio looked through the small sheets, a proud gaze exuding from his eyes. “So, this is what my son has been hiding form us.” He flashed a censuring glance at Ella but refrained from scolding her for going to the warehouse. Excitement replaced his frown. Then he slapped Angelo on the back, followed by a hug. “Congratulations, Son. I couldn’t be any more proud,” he said and walked over to Ella, held out his hand, and pulled her straight up from her seat. “My beautiful daughter is going to give me a grandbaby. Ah, how far along are you?” He stepped back to hold her hands.