No more texts. Kate’s heart slammed into her ribs and only short, quick breaths would come.
“Well what happened?” she murmured. She flipped over to voice messages. There were ten.
She clicked on the first one, putting it on speaker.
Sobs filled the air. Chills ran over Kate’s whole body. “Kate,” Ellie whimpered. “It’s bad. It’s really bad. The apartment is gone. Gone. I’m in an ambulance with Colby. They’re taking him to the hospital. I shouldn’t have let them go to the apartment. I should have made them listen.” Sobs and cries. “Call me.”
Kate rocked back and forth as she clicked on message after message. She felt dizzy, disoriented. Ellie’s voice was barely audible and Kate had to turn up the volume and start it again. “We’re at the hospital. My parents said to call your FBI guy, so I did. He’s going to take care of us. Kate, it’s been hours. Why haven’t you called me? I told Special Agent Johansen that you were missing. I hope it isn’t true and your phone just died or something. Call me, please.” She sniffled before hanging up.
A jolt of hope filled Kate. Special Agent Johansen would take care of them for sure. Still, her chest ached and her stomach roiled wondering what was up with Colby.
“We’re at the airport now. Please. Please be okay.” Ellie sounded rushed.
“We’re on the plane. Colby’s going to be okay. I’m okay. The other guys are in the hospital, but everyone is going to live. Special Agent Johansen wants you to call him. I want you to call me, but they are taking our phones and everything. Whatever you hear, know that we are safe. This is my last call. I love you, Kate. Bye.”
23
Kate looked at her phone and then shook it when there were no more messages. She listened for the timestamp. The message had been sent two hours ago. She’d barely missed them. And now it would be hours before she’d be able to talk to them. She stood and clicked on Johansen’s name.
“It’s Kate,” she said when he picked up. Her hands shook.
“Kate. Are you okay?” The connection sounded choppy.
Relief rushed over Kate just hearing his voice. “Yes. What about Ellie, Colby?”
“Are you still in Italy?”
“Yes. What’s going on?” She paced the room.
“We’ve got your family. And the Lamberts. Ellie and Colby are on their way. Now we only need you.”
“My family?” She stopped and looked blankly out a picture window.
“Well, we’ve got your dad and your brothers and sisters. Your mom is another story.”
Kate gasped. “Where is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. At least I hope she’s fine.”
“What?” Her stomach roiled.
“She hopped on a flight to Italy, to get you.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Kate grimaced. What airport was she flying into? Did the mafia know about her adoptive mom? Could they find her when she got here? Would they hurt her?
“No. I’m not kidding.” His voice was flat and anger boiled beneath his words.
“Why didn’t you force her to stay? It’s dangerous here.” She bit her lip and started pacing again.
“We can’t force her to stay here. When Ellie and Colby get here, the U.S. Marshals will protect them too.”
“Why though? Why are you protecting them?” A deep worry settled over Kate. What was going on?
“They are in danger because of their connection to you.”
Her mouth went dry, like the Sahara Desert dry. “Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” But Kate knew why.
“You know the answer to that.”
“The mafia found my family? The Lamberts?” She gasped. There was crackling on the line.
“Let’s back up. It wasn’t only the apartment in Italy that was bombed. Your home and the Lamberts’ went up only hours later.”
“No!” Kate sat down in a leather arm chair, her hand cradling her head.
“Yes. The bombers left a note taped to the mailbox in Italy. It was signed by someone named Veronica. I’m assuming that means something to you?” So, it was Veronica who’d figured it out after all. Veronica. Had that nice driver helped her find them? Then she remembered Martino. Had he played a part in the bombing too? Panic surged and a crystal clear focus hit into her.
“Yes, she’s a Marconi. She trained me in Jersey. She set up the bombing?”
“My intel on her says that’s unlikely. She was most likely leaving you a nice little message, but she probably wasn’t the person who set it up.”
Kate had so many questions, but one gnawed at her gut. “How is everyone? I still haven’t heard.”
“Colby was burned, but he will be okay. One police officer was killed—the first one to enter, and everyone else has varying degrees of injuries. Ellie had a pretty bad cut on her leg from flying debris, but it’s been stitched up and should heal nicely.” Static made her not hear his next few words. “…was remotely triggered. Looks like they waited for the light in Colby’s room to go on before they set it off. You and Ellie were staying in there?”
“Yes.”
“We’re guessing something in there had your information on it, or part of it, which led them to your house in the States.”
Kate let out a heavy breath.
“Our concern now is you. Specifically, how to get you back to the States safely so we can reunite you with your family.”
“This is crazy. I can’t. I mean…”
“You haven’t told me where you are. According to Ellie, you must have been kidnapped by the bad guys, but here you are talking to me. Are you safe?”
“Yes. I’m at my grandma’s.”
“I was unaware you had family in Italy. It can’t be Vinny’s dad. Did you find Carmela?”
A harsh prickling sensation rushed through her body. “She’s my mom’s mom.”
“Carmela’s?” Kate heard the tip-tapping of someone typing in the background as well as whispers.
“No. Abrie’s mom. If it’s any consolation, I didn’t know this grandma was still around either.”
“Well, I guess that explains why your mom was so determined to go to Italy. Perhaps your grandmother called her.”
“Maybe,” Kate said, not believing it.
“Once we get you back here, you’ll be put into protective custody and get a new life.”
It hit her what this all meant. She would never return to Texas. She and her family as well as the Lamberts would be on the run for the rest of their lives. Why? Because of the Marconis. Anger rose up inside her, trying to claim her. The Marconis were now playing with her future. She could hear Special Agent Johansen speaking, but she could no longer understand the words. Her anger was turning to rage. How dare they steal her life? She had to find a way to get revenge now. She wanted to blow up their homes. She wanted to destroy their lives.
She hung up without another word.
Kate pressed her back into the sofa and groaned. She needed to talk to Ellie and Colby. “What do I do?” she whispered. “How can I get revenge?”
She sat, staring at a point on the wall until she heard the cook call everyone to lunch and ignored the persistent calls of the agent trying to get her back onto the phone. Kate stood, like a robot, and went to the table where she sat with several large men. Two had close cropped beards and mustaches and the last was the one who had collected the horses earlier. The other two introduced themselves first. She heard them, but couldn’t remember any names. Her mind was elsewhere.
Kate was pulled out of her thoughts when her grandma entered the room. “Sorry I’m late, I just got some interesting news.”
Her grandma. Yes. She had a lot of experience with the mafia. Kate could talk to her about what was going on. She’d know what to do. Kate’s eyes flicked from ranch hand to ranch hand. Only then did she realize how huge they were. They were obviously more than they appeared. Maybe they could help her get revenge as well.
“Kate,” her grandma said as she t
ook a seat. “Are you okay?”
Kate shook her head. “No. No, I’m not. We need to talk.”
All the men stopped eating. “Alright. Let’s talk.”
Once again, Kate’s eyes fell on each of the men and she said, “Alone.”
“They know all my business. You can speak freely here.”
“Respectfully, they don’t know all mine.” Kate spoke in an even, low tone. Her grandma just confirmed these men were way more important than simple ranch hands.
Her grandmother nodded and the men cleared out without a word. Even the cook, who’d been cleaning up, exited the room.
“What is it?” She pushed her plate to the center of the table.
“Colby is hurt. The apartment, my house, Ellie’s house—they’re all gone.”
“Hold on. Start at the beginning.” Her grandmother put her elbows on the table and clasped her hands together.
“The Marconis blew up Colby’s place in Bologna. He barely got out alive. The blast killed a policeman and a whole bunch of other people are in the hospital.” Tears came unbidden to her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks.
“How do you know it was the Marconis?” Her grandma moved to the chair next to Kate and put her arm around her.
“One of them, Veronica, left a note.”
“I see.”
“She saw me at a party. I hoped she wouldn’t find out I wasn’t supposed to be there, but she must have and now my whole family is in danger.”
“I’ll send someone to protect them. We’ll get them out of there.”
“The FBI already has. They’re with the U.S. Marshals now.”
Her grandma nodded and bit on her cheek. “Good,” she said absently. “They destroyed your parents’ home too?”
“Yeah. And Ellie’s family lives only two houses away from ours. It wouldn’t have been hard for them to locate her family after finding mine.”
“What I need to know, Kate, is what happened between you and the Marconis to make you such a target.”
Kate relayed the whole story to her grandma, about finding Vinny and discovering he was a Bellini and in the mafia, and how she’d tried to save Duran, and how the Bellinis had planned to train her as an associate and groom her to be a defense attorney. And finally, how Duran brought the FBI in to save her, and the run-in at the airport, along with her escape.
While Kate spoke, her grandma nodded and said, uh-huh, hmm, and yes a lot, but nothing else. It almost felt like a test. As if her grandma was testing her to see if she’d tell her the whole truth and nothing but—or that Kate was confirming what her grandma had already been told. “It may be a surprise to you, but…”
Just then they heard someone scream from the other room. “I’m her daughter! Get your hands off me.” Her grandma stood.
Moments later, Kate’s mom was being dragged, kicking and screaming into the kitchen by two massive men.
“Mom!” Kate cried and moved toward her, but stopped when a guard came out of nowhere and held her back.
“We found her trying to hop the wall,” the smaller of the two men said.
Abrie scowled when her eyes lit on her mother. She appeared more than ready to pick a fight.
“Let go of me,” Kate said as she pulled and squirmed to get free. The man held her tight.
“It’s okay,” her grandma said. “Welcome home, Abrielle.”
The men let go of the two of them and Kate stared at her mom, who stared back. “Gather your things,” she said to Kate. “We need to go.”
24
Kate went to her mom. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, but we need to go.”
Her grandmother looked again at Kate. “I told you it would be ugly.”
“Is this the secret you’ve been keeping from me, Mom? Guess the cat’s out of the bag.”
Her mom sucked in a quick breath.
“Mom, please. It’s okay. You’re Italian and your parents are like mine. It’s okay.”
Her mom bristled. “I don’t have any parents. They are dead.” Her voice was deep, harsh.
“Come, Abrielle. Let’s move into the family room and take a seat. Unfortunately, I have not been able to join your father just yet.”
Abrie lifted her hand into the air and pointed a finger at her mom. “You had no right to take her. We are leaving.”
Kate sighed, moving quickly away from her mom and into the family room. They needed to hash everything out. She claimed a spot on the couch once again while her grandmother sat in a chair across from Kate. Her mom threw her hands into the air, huffed and sat down next to Kate, glaring at Alessa the whole time.
“I just filled Grandma in on what happened to Colby and Ellie and…” Kate swallowed hard and a hiccup followed.
“Oh, sweetie.” Kate’s mom pulled her into a hug, rocking her like she always did when she comforted Kate. “It’ll be okay. Everyone is okay. Everyone is safe. I’m so glad you are safe.” Kate could feel the anger pulsing off of her mom, which was something she’d never felt before.
“It’s awful, Mom. Awful.”
“I know.” She brushed Kate’s tears from her face and kissed her forehead. “I wish I could take the hurt away.”
“It’s all my fault.” She cried into her mom’s shoulder.
Kate’s grandma leaned forward at this. “No. It is not your fault. It is the Marconis who did this. They are the only ones at fault.”
Her mom put her hands to her temples and shook. “Stop. I won’t have you twist words to trick my daughter into doing as you please.”
“I want to offer both families safe harbor here.”
“I don’t think so,” Abrie spat. “We are going home and putting ourselves under the protection of the FBI and the U.S. Marshals. We do not need you.”
“On the contrary. You don’t think the mafia has people in the Witness Protection Program? You will be much safer here.”
“I was never safe with you,” Kate’s mom hissed.
“Mom, stop. She saved me.”
The admission did nothing to calm her mom’s apparent rage. “Kate, listen, it may look to you like she is a good person. She has beautiful things, looks familiar, but believe me, what she’s involved in you don’t want to be.”
“Mom, I’m already involved. I’m sorry. But that’s the cold, hard, truth. The mafia is after me. I think Grandma has a good point. I want you guys to come here and be safe.”
“We will not be safe here. They will kill you for sure, and then they will come for us and make no mistake about it, they will kill us. Period. I saw it. Over and over again as a child.” Kate’s mom shot daggers out of her eyes at her mom.
“Abrielle.”
“It’s Abrie.”
“Abrie. I’m here.”
Abrie’s eyes bulged. “But your son is there and you support him furthering my father’s terrible legacy.”
“No. He is there slowly changing things, furthering your father’s beautiful legacy.” Her grandma’s voice was deadly steady. “We never killed anyone.”
“No.” Her mom stood and screamed. “NO!”
Her grandmother stood too and scowled before shouting at her daughter. “We are doing good there, Abrie!”
Kate stood and put her arms out between the yelling women. “Stop it!”
She wondered, did being Italian mean you try to forgive, but find you never forget?
She really wished she could tell if her genes were about to affect the decision she was going to make and if there was truly a way to know if they were.
One of her grandmother’s men came rushing into the room. “Signora.” His voice was calm and sure, but insistent.
Her grandmother turned to the man and everyone fell silent.
“FBI Special Agent Johansen is asking for permission to enter the grounds.”
Her grandmother looked at Abrie, ice in her eyes.
“Don’t look at me. I had no idea he was coming.” She shrugged her shoulders.
Kate piped in. “Neit
her did I.”
“He must have followed you here then.”
“He’s the Special Agent that I’ve been working with. I was talking to him a little over an hour ago.”
“Ah. He could have traced your call then. It’s no problem,” she said to her guard. “Show him in.” Then she turned to face Kate and her mom. The ice was gone. It was like her grandmother had done a one-eighty. “Let’s go meet with him in the reception hall.” She led the way to the grand room right off the stairs and the front foyer.
Johansen entered, flanked by two large men Kate had not seen before. Behind them came another man in a suit sandwiched between two other massive men with short cropped hair, who looked like they’d just left a special ops assignment.
“I’m Alessa.” Kate’s grandma met him warmly.
“Special Agent Johansen,” Johansen said as he shook her hand. “This is Special Agent Murray, my partner.” She shook his hand too, smiling the whole time.
The procession moved to Kate’s mom, who said, “I’m surprised to see you here.”
“We thought it in everyone’s best interest that we come to assist you in bringing Kate back.”
The agents also shook Kate’s hand, firm and sharp.
“Take a seat,” her grandma offered, her hand indicating a white sofa with maroon flowers to their left. Everyone sat, her grandmother taking a finely made dark leather chair and Kate and her mom sitting on a striped settee.
“I’m sorry you came all this way for me,” Kate said, the sensation of doing a free-fall hitting her hard. “But, I’m not leaving. Not now anyway.” She saw a spark light in her grandma’s eyes. A sense of satisfaction swept over Kate. She felt strong. Important. Wise.
Her mom’s head whipped to face her. “Excuse me?”
“Mom, I’m staying here for a while. Grandma will keep me safe.”
“I’m your mother. You are a minor and you will do as I say. We are going with Special Agent Johansen who will turn us over to the U.S. Marshals, and they will keep us safe, together, as a family.”
“I’m seventeen, almost eighteen. I am old enough to make this decision. I refuse to put our family in any more danger and I feel safe here.” Kate’s eyes flitted over the eight massive bodyguards surrounding the room. She may not have known everything about her grandma, and she might be rough around the edges, but that’s exactly what she needed right then.
Kate Concealed Page 20