Surrender (Surrender #1)

by J. G. Sumner

  “Show some respect, young lady. Things can get a whole lot worse unless you cooperate.” It was a new voice; a voice of someone in charge.

  She bit her lip in an attempt to hold back tears. Anger took over and the pain was no longer evident. “Show some respect? You’ve got me bound and blindfolded. How about you show some respect?” She sucked in a deep breath, stunned by her own words. It was so uncharacteristic for her. She should be shaking in her boots, crying and pleading for release. Instead, she was mad. She was mad she let this happen, mad at Mike, mad at the world, and mad at how her stupid decisions put her in this situation. She was tired of being the victim and wanted to take control. I choose this moment to take control—the moment I physically have the least amount. How ironic. She laughed at herself.

  Another slap. This time, her head flew to the left. She tried to reach up and rub away the stinging pain, but the ropes prevented any movement.

  “Let’s try again. You answer my questions in a respectful manner, and if you’re good, you won’t have to worry about any more bruises appearing on that pretty, fair skin of yours.”

  She fought the tears welling up like tiny little pools in her eyes.

  “How do you know Massimo Bertalucci?”

  “I…I just met him on a train.”

  “Do you really expect me to believe that? What kind of woman travels around a foreign country with a man she’s never met?”

  She had been asking the same thing over and over. Why didn’t she just go to the embassy? Why did she insist on accompanying Tony to Geneva? What was wrong with her? Tony warned her there was danger lurking. Why didn’t she listen? Hadn’t her parents taught her anything?

  “It’s true. I just met him.”

  “Fine. I’ll take your word for now. Let’s continue; what do you know about his family?”

  She paused before answering, “He has none. They were killed.”

  “Has he told you how or why they were murdered?”

  “Only that there was some sort of black market thing.”

  “Interesting. Tell me more.”

  Something brushed up against her face. She quickly pulled away from it. It could’ve been the back of a hand, but Katherine was unsure.

  “He told me something about olive oil and the cartel. He didn’t tell me anything else.” Silence filled the air for what seemed like an eternity before the man spoke again. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  Her voice squeaked. “I don’t know what to tell you. It’s the truth.”

  “Hmm. Let’s see what else you can tell me.”

  Hot breath wisped against her ear as the man whispered, “Where were you headed to?”

  “Milan.” She lied, but these people didn’t want her. They wanted Tony. If she could help give him a little time to retrieve the items from Geneva, she was going to do it.

  “What’s in Milan?”

  “Fashion, of course.” She cocked her head to the side like she was a dumb blonde who only thought about clothes, money, and boys.

  A fist hit her right cheek, knocking her over. The cool floor relieved the white-hot pain embedding itself in her cheek.

  “What happened to the respect? You were doing so well.”

  This man was a complete stranger, but the contempt she felt for him was growing by the second. “What kind of man hits a woman?”

  Katherine gasped for air as the force of a foot to her stomach knocked the wind out of her. Her world started to go dark as she struggled to maintain consciousness.

  “I don’t know what goes on in your sheltered world, but in mine, if a woman is disrespectful to a man, she’s punished. Play by the rules, and you may make it out of here alive. Do you understand?”

  Was this some kind of bad movie? In what world did this stuff actually happen? She slowly nodded against the cement in agreement. She struggled to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged, but every blow she took made it more difficult.

  “I’ll ask you again. What’s in Milan?”

  “J—just fashion. I’ve been dying to see Milan. Every woman knows that’s where the best clothes come from.” She was sticking to her story. This wasn’t about Tony anymore. There was no way she was going to let this bastard get what he wanted.

  “If that’s true, why have you gone from Florence to Rome, and now back up to Milan? Why not see it while you were in Florence? Why are you traveling by car instead of train?”

  “Tony saw his picture in the newspaper. He thought they were taken at the train station and he didn’t want anyone to find him. So, we rented a car. As for our different travels, Tony was trying to get me to back home. Unfortunately for me, I refused.”

  “Hmmm. You call him Tony.”

  A lump formed in her throat. Had her eyes not already been closed, she would’ve closed them in that instant. What have I done?

  She swallowed hard. “Yes.”

  “Why do you call him Tony?”

  She paused while she thought of how to answer the question. “That’s how he introduced himself to me. He didn’t tell me until later his name was Massimo.”

  “What last name is he going by?”

  She paused while she thought about it. She had heard three different last names, but she wasn’t about to give the current one he was using. “I believe he said Lupito.”

  “You’re not just making that up, are you? Because if you are, we’re going to have some more problems.”

  “As far as I know, that’s the name he’s using. I haven’t looked at any of his documents, so I can’t be sure.” The man questioning her seemed to be satisfied with the answer for now.

  “Again, why Milan now?”

  Katherine paused before she spoke. “Because my original trip didn’t include going to Milan. I was supposed to be here with someone else. Tony and I were talking and he encouraged me to go. He reminded me I probably wouldn’t be coming back to Italy anytime soon, and I should see as many things as I could. I agreed. Now look where I am; I’m tied up, and I don’t even know why.” She pulled on the ropes binding her wrists a little more in hopes they would loosen. No luck.

  “Tell me what you know about Massi—I mean Tony’s travels.”

  “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “Surely you know Tony has traveled to several cities in just a few days. Why do you think that is?”

  “He’s a businessman. That’s what he does—he travels.” She closed her eyes to try and stop the pounding in her head.

  “What kind of business does he do?”

  “From what I understand, he makes olive oil. I’m not sure though.” Hopefully, that was a benign enough answer.

  “Hmmm. Tell me what you were doing at the jewelry store today.”

  Her eyes flashed open. How does he know that? Has he followed us everywhere? Frozen and unable to move, the confidence she had garnered with each lie she told, had just developed a big crack in its foundation.

  “H—how do you know about that?”

  “Just answer the question.”

  “He bought me this ring.” She attempted to hold up her hand, but again she was met with the resistance of the ropes. “Sorry, I can’t show it to you. It would appear I’m tied up.”

  “Watch your mouth!” The man pulled her hand up causing a sharp pain in her shoulder. The man straightened her ring finger, rotating the ring and pulling it off.

  “Why would Tony give this to you?”

  “It’s a promise ring.”

  The man laughed. “Yeah? What’s he promising you?”

  “He promised he’d come visit me someday in the States.”

  The man laughed again, only a little harder this time. “You’ve got to be kidding. Why would a man you just met promise to come visit you let alone give you a ring?”

  The man was right; it did seem odd. They were moving way too fast. “We’ve become friends and I enjoy his company. He’s been showing me around Italy, and I promised to show him New York.”

  “Ah yes, Ne
w York…You’re Katherine Anderson; heiress of the Anderson restaurant chain. I bet Daddy would pay a pretty penny to ensure his daughter is returned safely back to the United States.”

  She froze but her heart pounded. They knew about her and her family. What had she done? Was her family in jeopardy?

  “Cat got your tongue all of a sudden? Listen, bitch. I know you’re lying. I know that Massimo has been searching for things his father left for him. I want to know what those things are and where he’s going next. Or else your daddy will soon find himself sitting in this chair next to his precious daughter.”

  The darkness was getting to her and anger surged its way through her veins. How did this jerk find out who I am? Daddy. If Daddy found out, he’d have a heart attack. I should’ve listened to him. He told me not to go. Now, he’s involved. She swallowed, trying to think of her next move. The safety of her family had to come before a man who was virtually a stranger. “He doesn’t know what he’s looking for. His father leaves him a cryptic message at each place he goes. It seems he gathers a little more documentation about his family business at each stop. Beyond that, I don’t know what it is. He’s never shared the documents with me.”

  “Where’s he going now? Don’t say Milan because I know he’s not headed there.”

  “He’s going to Geneva.”

  “Ah, finally. The truth. What’s he doing there?”

  “His dad left him something in a safety deposit box.”

  “What did he leave?”

  “I don’t know. As I said, his messages are cryptic. Tony doesn’t have a clue either.” Clearly, the man knew way more than he was letting on.

  “Why were you going with him?”

  “Because I’m a fool; I was enjoying my time with him, and I wasn’t ready to leave Italy. I told him I would check in with the embassy in Geneva and leave the country.”

  “The embassy, huh? You knew you were in some sort of trouble, and you didn’t take the opportunity to leave when you had a chance in Rome?” The man tsked. “Stupid girl.”

  The man jammed the ring back on her finger. “You should’ve taken the out while you had the chance. Now look at you; your pretty little face has already turned into a swollen mess. By the way, no man wants to be friends with a woman and tour a city, especially Massimo. The only thing he wants is that tight little pussy of yours.”

  She gasped; she wasn’t used to be talked to this way. Where she came from, she was respected, and men treated her like a princess. The footsteps went from loud to soft and the room was quiet except for the sound of her breathing. “What’s going to happen? What are you going to do to me?” she yelled at the top of her lungs. There was no response. Her legs and wrists were sore from pulling on the ropes. Tears trickled down her face as she faced the reality of her predicament. If I just stayed away from him. If I would’ve just said no that first night.

  Chapter Twenty

  When he arrived in Geneva, the bank was closed; there was no way to access the safety deposit box until the morning. As a result, Tony was forced to sleep in the car. He thought about getting a hotel, but didn’t want to take the chance of anyone tracing his name. Whoever had Kate probably knew what name he was traveling under.

  He got very little sleep; he tried to park on an empty street, but was woken up by an officer stating he had to leave. Tony ended up moving the car twice more throughout the night. By the time the sun came up, he was a haphazard mess.

  He pulled up to the bank shortly after eight. The architecture was slightly different in Switzerland. Instead of warm terra-cotta colors, this building was gray and stone cold. There were statues of two lions on each side of the door representing strength and security. Once inside, he was immediately greeted by a security guard. This bank was well-known, and billions of dollars were processed through on a daily basis.

  The security guard directed him to a sign that read: ‘Safety Deposit Boxes.’ There was no line and he walked right up to the young blonde lady behind the counter. She wore a tight black jacket and matching skirt with a light pink blouse underneath. A gold and diamond pendant hung from her neck. The woman greeted him with a smile.

  “Good day, sir. How may I help you?”

  Saturated with worry and fatigue, he was unable to return the smile. “I need to access my safety deposit box.”

  “Absolutely, I’m just going to need to see photo identification.”

  He removed the passport his father provided from his back pocket and presented it to the woman. She typed feverishly on the keyboard in front of her.

  “If you’ll excuse me for one moment, please.” The woman smiled and started to walk away.

  Crap. What was happening now? “I’m sorry, is there some sort of problem?”

  “Oh no, sir. The box you own can only be accessed by our manager. I was going to get him so he could escort you to the box.” Again, the woman smiled and swiftly walked to the back of the bank.

  Tony sighed in relief, Thank God. He rested his elbows on the counter and used his face to cover his hands. Please let this have some clue as to what’s going on and who has Kate. Please, God, help me get the information I need for this nightmare to be over. I just want my life back.

  “Excuse me, sir?”

  Tony lifted his head to find a man, approximately in his early thirties. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing a black pinstriped suit with a white button-down shirt. His dress shoes were recently polished, reflecting the lights from the ceiling.

  “I’m the bank manager, Alexander Berggren. If you would please follow me, I can assist you to a private room in which you can view the contents of your box.”

  Tony nodded and followed the man across the lobby, down a hallway to an unmarked locked door. Berggren took out his keys and opened the door.

  “Right this way.”

  As Tony walked into the small room, he noted the fluorescent lights and the oak table lined with leather chairs. There was a coffee machine in the corner with all the condiments one could need to dress their coffee, and a potted plant in another corner, as well as a small plant in the center of the table.

  Berggren placed a small bowl in front of Tony.

  “We’re going into a very secure area of the back. I’ll need you to empty your pockets, except for the key, into the box. We’ll be going through a metal detector, so make sure you have any metal items, such as belts or watches, removed.”

  Tony emptied his pockets. He wasn’t wearing a belt and his shoes didn’t have any metal on them.

  “Follow me.”

  Berggren directed him back down the hallway. They turned right down another hallway until they came to a metal detector that looked very much like the ones found in airports.

  “If you would hand me your key, sir.”

  He reached into his pocket and surrendered the key before walking through the detector. No alarms sounded, and Berggren handed the key back to Tony. He proceeded to walk through the metal detector.

  They approached a large metal door. Berggren placed his index finger on a sensor and punched a code into the keypad. The doors opened immediately, leading to another set of doors. Berggren repeated the process opening the final set of doors leading into a room full of various sized boxes.

  “Do all of your safety deposit boxes have this much security?”

  Berggren smiled. “No. Only these owners want the additional safety and protection. Your father was very concerned about the contents of the box. He prepaid for fifty years.”

  “How much does something like that cost?”

  Berggren cleared his throat. “Five million euro.”

  Tony pursed his lips. Holy crap! Where did he get that kind of money? What the fuck is going on?

  “Your box is right over here. You’re going to have to insert the key and enter the passcode into the keypad. For security reasons, you only have three chances to get it right.”

  Tony stared at the keypad; he had no idea what the code was.

  “You
do know the code, don’t you?” Berggren’s eyes grew wide.

  “I’m not sure. Let me give it a shot.” Tony’s mind raced to the last papers he received. He tried to mentally scan through them searching his memory for any mention of a code. At the jewelry store, the address was 416, and the numbers on the inside of the ring were 0416. He walked up to the box, inserted the key, and pressed the digits. He sighed in relief when a green light flashed and the box popped out enough for him to grab hold and pull it the rest of the way out.

  “You are welcome to peruse the contents here, but I suggest going back to the room we started in. You’ll be more comfortable and it will be private.”

  Tony looked around; there were no chairs, no table, just row after row of boxes. “Let’s go back to the room.”

  “Very well. Please follow me.”

  When they reached the room with the table, Tony sat down in one of the leather chairs and placed the box in front of him.

  “I will leave you alone. If you need any assistance, please pick up the phone. It will dial directly to my cell phone.”

  Tony nodded as he eyed the black phone on the table. How he missed it earlier, he was unsure. Berggren closed the door and left him alone to stare at the mysterious box before him.

  He took a deep breath and opened the box and began sorting through the contents. The first thing he noticed was a DVD. On it was inscribed: In case of emergency. Beneath was another disc labeled: Give to authorities.

  As he continued to look through the items, he came across a medium-sized manila envelope. He ripped it open and studied the contents. Inside, there were keys and a deed to an apartment in London. The flat was owned by all the fake identities he retrieved earlier; his new name was among them.

  He put aside the keys and deed and moved onto a bank statement. Tony read through the detailed document and placed a hand over his mouth as he realized there were five million euros sitting in the account. He slammed his fist down on the table as the gravity of what his father did set in. For the first time since his family perished, Tony sobbed. His gut wrenched and his heart ached—he didn’t hold anything back. His father set him up with a new life. Tomas knew he wasn’t going to live, and he worked tirelessly to ensure his family could. Tomas was a selfless hero.