Regardless of her reasons, he had to find her before Gino did. She didn’t understand what danger she was in and that he was never going to stop until he killed both of them. Giovanni was torn between going after Gino first to stop the threat, and going after her before Gino got to her first.
One of the possibilities would be to follow Gino. He knew that if he followed Gino, he would find Cierra. Gino had unlimited resources. He could spend as much money as he wanted hiring trackers and bribing police officers to use their resources to find her. It was terrifying to think about losing her forever.
At this point, Carson was the only person he could trust. He was staying with him until he could come up with a plan to get her back. Carson had been a huge help to him trying to locate her as well. He was fortunate to have a computer hacker as a friend.
There was only one problem. Cierra learned from him how to stay off the grid, so she would know not to make digital traces wherever she went. He was proud of her for being that smart, because as far as he could tell there were no signs or traces of anything as far as they could tell. He and Carson had found nothing so far. The only thing he could ask his friend to do was to continue to look for her.
As far as he knew Cierra had no family to go to. She told him that her parents had died back in Miami, so there was no family in North Carolina that she could stay with. That was bad because she was all alone trying to fend for herself. However, it was good because Gino wouldn’t be able to track down her down through relatives and thereby putting their lives in danger.
He could understand if she was getting away to save their baby and herself, but was she trying to escape him as well? Did she not love him anymore and no longer wanted to be with him? The thought curdled his stomach. He felt nauseated and didn’t want to think about that.
It raised another question. If she wanted to be alone, should he try to track her down? Maybe she didn’t want to be with him. He shook the thought out of his head. Until she told him otherwise he was going to assume that she was fleeing because of Gino and trying to protect the baby.
Giovanni suspected that she might have thought the best way to save him was to disappear. He only wished that she would have discussed this with him before just leaving without a word or a trace. Giovanni could only put himself in her position, and if he were her, then her line of thinking sounded about right. It did make sense. It wasn’t like they were tied together except for the baby.
“Bad news,” Carson said, his voice drew Giovanni out of his own thoughts.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“It looks like Gino’s put a contract out on your life. Both of you.”
He leaned over Carson’s shoulders to look at the computer screen and sure enough there was a non-encrypted file talking about a contract hit on both himself and Cierra. This was a new development. It was official. He needed to find her and he needed to stop Gino at the same time.
“I’m going out to clear my head.” Giovanni walked out of the door taking his jacket with him. He needed to think, and walking usually helped him get his thoughts together.
Chapter 16
The restaurant was busy tonight as Cierra navigated her way around the tables in the restaurant in order to deliver drinks to thirsty customers. There was a bar area near the back where sports fans would gather to watch TV. Sometimes it would get a little rowdy and loud when a team scored a point but it was usually nothing.
She sat the drinks down and collected her tip from the group. She was tired. It had been a long day. She brushed her hair out of her face, wiping her forearm across her forehead when she saw the beginnings of a skirmish take place near the back of place in the bar area. She went to investigate what was going on.
Apparently two men were arguing over their favorite sports teams and it accelerated into pushing. Their girlfriends got involved and when Cierra went to help break it up she was caught in the middle.
Police were called and when they showed up, they arrested Cierra along with the two men who started the fight and their girlfriends.
***
“Place your fingers here.” The female officer instructed her. Cierra held her left hand out and placed her fingers on the ink pad before moving them to the fingerprint card. The black ink settled into the ridges in her fingers. She was tired and distraught after having been caught up in this mess. She tried to tell them that she was not involved in the fight but when the cops got there, they saw one giant mob of people fighting. Cierra was trying to stop it. Why would they think a pregnant woman would voluntarily try to get into a fight? Idiots.
The booking officer gave her a Vaseline type substance to wipe her hands clean as another officer escorted her into a holding cell.
“How long will I be here?” she asked.
“Until you can post bail money to be released.”
That was impossible. Every cent was spent on groceries and rent. She started to lose heart. Just when everything was working out for her something like this happened. Was she doomed to be caught up in drama the rest of her life? Did it follow her wherever she went?
She sat there thinking about everything, tears welling up in her eyes at the injustice of it all, when a guard opened the cell door.
“Let’s go.”
“What’s going on?” Cierra asked.
“Somebody’s posted bail for you,” the officer said.
Curious, she stood up and followed the officer to the front of the police station where Debbie was waiting.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Debbie said.
“Just tired.”
“Let’s get you home.” Debbie gave the officer a dirty look as she led Cierra out of the building.
“Thank you for coming to get me,” Cierra began. “I had no one else to call.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing. I’m going to talk to Ed. That was ridiculous hauling a pregnant woman out of my restaurant for fighting. Couldn’t they see you were just trying to help break it up?”
Cierra was comforted that her boss believed her. All she wanted to do now was go home and take a hot bath. She stayed far longer than she would have liked to in that jail cell and the smell of it transferred onto her clothing. Mostly, she was emotionally exhausted. She missed Giovanni and she wanted to see him again.
Chapter 17
“I think I’ve got something,” Carson said as he steadily typed on his computer keyboard.
Giovanni rushed to his side, “What is it?”
“There’s a mugshot I pulled up under her name,” Carson said.
“Where is it from?” Giovanni could feel the excitement creep up in his body. He was concerned about the mugshot. Was she in some kind of trouble? What could have happened to land her in jail? Had Gino found her first?
Carson typed fast to pull up the information. He knew that Giovanni was getting impatient to get more information.
“She was arrested last week in a place called Sandersonville, right outside of Asheville.” Carson said.
“Stay here and keep looking for Gino,” Giovanni said.
“Wait, don’t you need my help?” Carson asked.
“Yes, I need you to stay here.”
Giovanni packed up his stuff and ran out the door. His was elated to finally find out where she was but that happiness soon faded to concern. If he could find her then so could Gino and maybe he already had.
That thought drove fear into his heart as he got in his car and sped out of the driveway. He had to find her before Gino did or they would both be dead.
Chapter 18
Giovanni pulled into town, driving down what appeared to be the main street in the tiny city. He looked out of his window at the people walking along the sidewalk and wondered if this place was frozen somewhere in time. Perhaps around the mid-1950s. Everything resembled a town that had let time pass it by.
He could see how she could hide here. It was very small and somewhat hidden from the rest of the state. He had to ask directions to get to it because even
his navigation system couldn’t locate it on the map.
He parked the car, got out and locked the door. He probably didn’t have to do that as nobody around here would likely steal it. He decided to walk around and see if anybody recognized her picture. When they were in Wilmington, there was a particular picture that he took of her next to the beach. She was so beautiful. He kept it with him at all times.
He passed families walking together as cars passed by driving the speed limit along the one road that went through the town. If he didn’t know any better, Giovanni could have sworn he had been thrust back in time.
Added to this strangeness was the fact that it was the July 4th weekend and many people were busy decorating the town with red, white and blue banners and flags. He saw it everywhere he went and thought to himself that it certainly was a patriotic little town.
Cierra loved towns like this. She had fallen in love with Wilmington as he had so it was no surprise that she would wind up here.
Giovanni noticed a small seafood restaurant on the other side of the street near the pier. He headed in that direction. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate something and seafood sounded great right about now. He walked up the wood steps and was about to walk inside when he noticed a girl serving a meal to customers on the deck outside. He stopped and moved to the side out of the way where he wouldn’t be seen and stared at her. The woman had a baby bump and her hair was shorter, but he knew it was Cierra.
His heart jumped as he was happy and relieved that she was unharmed. She looked so beautiful and he wanted nothing more than to walk up to her and hold her again. That wasn’t the best plan, however, and he soon realized that it was better that she didn’t know he was here. At least not yet. He didn’t know who else might be watching her at the moment and if they saw both of them together, it could mean trouble.
Instead, he walked back to where he parked his car, got in and started up the engine. He would drive closer to the restaurant but remain a safe distance so she couldn’t see him and wait. He would follow her home to see where she lived and when he was confident that no one else was following her, he would reveal himself.
Chapter 19
Cierra slipped into bed languishing in the comfort of the soft, linen sheets she purchased. They were heaven after a long day of being on her feet. Her toes were delightfully cold against the fabric and she stretched her body out to take in the relaxing bed she had made for herself.
She chose to turn the light out and get some sleep over reading her book. She massaged the pillow and buried her face deep in it. Her entire body relaxed and she was about to fade into a deep sleep when she heard a sound.
It wasn’t the normal creak she was used to hearing from this old house. It was a different sound. A manmade noise coming from the living room. Her heart stopped as she froze hoping it wasn’t Gino.
She sat up in bed and grabbed her robe, putting it on as she slipped on her slippers. She kept the light off. If there was an intruder, she didn’t want to let them know that she knew they were in the house. She leaned down and grabbed the butcher knife she kept in between her mattresses.
She opened her door slowly, careful not to make any noise, and stepped out into the living room. She couldn’t see anything but continued to move forward. Before she realized what was happening, someone grabbed the knife from her hand and covered her mouth from behind. She tried to scream but she couldn’t.
“Shhhh,” the voice behind her said.
She struggled until she heard the voice again, this time it was familiar.
“Cierra. It’s me, Giovanni.”
He let her go and she ran to turn the nearest light on. Then turned to look at her assailant. It was Giovanni. She rushed toward him and hugged him tight.
“Giovanni!” she said placing kisses on his cheeks and forehead.
“Relax, relax,” he said.
“What are you doing here? How did you find me?” Cierra threw a barrage of questions at him looking for him to answer them all at once.
“Your arrest record. Carson found it online. What happened?” he asked.
“It’s a long story,” she said. “What do you mean he found it online?”
“Your mugshot and details of your arrest were online, Cierra,” he said.
She thought for a moment. “That means if you can find me so can Gino.”
She was alarmed. This wasn’t good and it made her realize that she didn’t have much time left.
“How is the baby?” Giovanni asked. He rubbed her belly.
“Fine. We are both fine. We are thrilled that you are here. Thank you for finding me,” she said.
“You know I would never give up looking for you,” he said.
He placed a kiss on her lips as she fell into his heat.
Chapter 20
“She’s in a place called Sandersonville,” the tech guy said to Gino.
“How do you know?” he asked.
“Her arrest record came up in a search I did. She’s using her own name.”
“Stupid bitch,” Gino said.
“What would you like me to do with the information?” the man asked.
“Find out anything else you can. In the meantime, I’m headed to Sandersonville.”
Gino knew he would find her. It was just a matter of time. He had to give her credit, it took him longer than he thought it would. Giovanni might have taught her how to stay off the grid, but he didn’t teach her how not to use her own name. A fatal mistake for her.
He told one of his men to get his bags packed and ready to leave in an hour. Now that he knew where she was, he was going to move quickly to get her. He hoped that with enough violent persuasion, she would give up Giovanni’s whereabouts. With any luck, he would be with her.
It’s almost over, papa. He raised his eyes to the sky.
He promised himself and his dead father that he would not stop until he killed both Giovanni and Cierra. They were the bane of his existence and he could not wait to come through on that promise.
Chapter 21
Cierra woke Giovanni up early. She insisted that they go to the lake to enjoy the sun and watch the boats sail around. She made him breakfast and coffee. He came into the kitchen and sat down to eat while she got her bathing suit on.
“Come on, I want to get out there before the sun goes away. It’s supposed to rain later,” she said.
Giovanni, took one last bite of his pancakes, using the piece on his fork to soak up some of the remaining syrup on his plate before standing up and bringing his dishes to the kitchen sink.
Cierra opened the front door and stepped outside.
“Wow, it’s hot today,” she said.
“Not as hot as you are.” Giovanni walked over and kissed her, putting his arms around her waist and laying his hands on her growing belly.
***
The sun was so bright that she insisted he wear sunscreen. She lathered it on his back and then on her own body. The wind was blowing hard enough to cause small waves on the lake. The boats that were sailing were bouncing up and down on the water. Cierra brought her camera to take pictures, as she wanted to have memories of the two of them even though they were in the middle of a tumultuous situation.
Birds were flying in the sky and a hoard of them were trying to land on the pier to take a bite of fish that the fishermen were trying to protect. She made sure to pack a lunch before they left so that they had plenty to eat and could stay out there all day if they wanted to.
Giovanni dragged her in the water, careful for her pregnant belly. They laughed and splashed around against the tiny waves. They spent some time fishing and he put a worm on the end of a fishing hook, then threw the fishing line into the lake to fish while she watched him and smiled.
She tried to take a picture of him but battery died. She had to run back to her bag and get more batteries. She wanted to see a picture of the big fish that he caught but he threw it back in the water before she could get a shot of it. They sat there on the
bank, sitting and talking about what had happened since they had been separated from each other.
He warned her of the dangers that if he was able to find her, then Gino probably would too. And it wouldn’t be long before they had to leave again and find some other place. She didn’t want to leave. She had grown to love it here and was even becoming part of the locals. She had new friends here who cared about her. She didn’t want to leave all that.
“What is it going to take to get rid of Gino?” Cierra asked.
“It’s not that easy. He has connections and resources, two things that can find a man and get rid of him.”
“There has to be a way, Giovanni.”
“There is. I kill him. That’s my big plan,” he said.
“You were able to kill his father pretty easy, right? Why can’t Gino die the same way?” She knew she shouldn’t say such things about death.
“Gino’s father wasn’t expecting it. I had the element of surprise on my side. But Gino is expecting it. He knows I won’t go quietly, and I guarantee you he is preparing for it.”
Cierra nodded her head in understanding.
“Besides, Gino is fueled by revenge. Nothing can stop him. There is no reasoning with him or asking him politely not to kill us. The only way to stop him is to put him six feet under.”
It was going to be a lot harder this time around, but Giovanni vowed that he would take care of it.
“Are you still expecting to stay in this business after Gino is gone?” she asked.
“You know I won’t,” he said. “You and the baby are my family now and I won’t jeopardize that for anyone.”
“I hope not, Giovanni because I want a normal, boring life. I want to wake up each morning without worrying if this is the last day of my life, or if I have to move and never see my home again.”
“I understand and I promise you that you won’t have to worry about any of that anymore.”
She looked into his eyes wanting to believe in him. Wanting to believe that he meant what he said and that he could make all of the bad stuff go away.
Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance Page 102