St. Helena Vineyard Series: Promise Me Forever (A St. Helena Thriller) (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Belmontes Book 1)

by Natalie Middleton

  Alex was grim. This was not good. “We need to crack Antonio.”

  “I agree. Let’s try again tomorrow. I’ll let you know if I have more information.” He hung up. Alex groaned. Why are you doing this, Brian? What is your connection to the Belmontes?

  Shaking his head, he walked towards Sophie’s room.

  Arianna sat beside Sophie, stroking her hand and watching her chest heave.

  “I miss you, Sophie. I miss you. If only you were not in hospital, we’d have gossiped about Alex. There’s so much I want to tell you about him. It’s crazy. My feelings for him are so strong. And I don’t have my sister for this.” She suddenly choked up.

  Sophie stirred and moved her hand. Arianna’s pulse quickened, but she had fallen asleep again. Rest, Sophie. You need the rest. But please be okay soon.

  The door opened and Alex walked in. Arianna quickly wiped her tears. But Alex noticed and he got worried.

  “Arianna, what happened?” He quickly reached her and looked into her eyes. “Is everything alright?” She nodded and just hugged him.

  “Make this better, please. Make her okay,” she sobbed. Alex sat on his knees and hugged her tight. He held her till she calmed down.

  “Sophie is going to be okay. She will be,” he whispered.

  “I believe you,” Arianna said. Please don’t let me go. I want to stay in your arms for a little while longer.

  I don’t feel like letting her go. But will she feel weird if I don’t? I love holding her in my arms. Alex smiled.

  A knock on the door broke their intimate moment. Arianna squeezed her eyes shut. Why does someone keep disturbing our time together? I wanted more.

  A nurse walked in with. “Visiting hours are over, but you can visit her in the evening at 5pm.” She smiled at Arianna and Alex.

  “Sure, thank you,” Arianna said, getting up. Alex followed her out of the room.

  “Any update from Buzz?” she said.

  “None. They’ve put out an alert for my colleague, Brian. The one we suspect is dirty. They found a lot of information on your family in his apartment. It seems like he’s been tracking you for a while.”

  “Us? Why would anyone track us?” Arianna was shocked. Why would some random person from Seattle be so interested in us? OMG. Is he the son Papa was talking about? That thought surprised her so much, she sat on one of the seats, completely dazed.

  “Alex, hear me out.” She pulled Alex by her side.

  “There’s no reason for a random person to be interested in us. Why would he? Unless he’s related to us. And the only person I’ve heard about in these past few days is Niccolo.”

  Alex was skeptical. “I don’t think that’s the reason. It could be that he’s holding out against Antonio for something Antonio did when he was young. Antonio isn’t going to divulge any details, and we can’t assume anything.”

  “I still think I’m right. Ask Buzz to check up on this angle. Ask him to shake Papa down. Is this something to do with our property?”

  “But, come on, what connection can Brian have with the payments your winery has been making? We’ve not been able to establish any connection to the Morettis, even though Brian is under a scanner.”

  Arianna bristled. Something told her she had hit the nail right on the head. Brian was Papa’s lost son. Brian had something to do with Sophie’s attack.

  “Just talk to Buzz once. Let him decide whether the lead is worth pursuing.” Arianna frowned. She crossed her arms while Alex dialed. She didn’t like disagreeing with Alex. This is the only option that makes sense. I need to go and talk to Papa. An idea formed in her mind. She would go talk to Papa alone, and once he confessed, they would be able to get Brian arrested. Her eyes gleamed.

  “Buzz said he’d look into it. He said it was a good lead. Good job, Arianna. You might have cracked the case.” Alex was surprised.

  “There’s no need to be so surprised about it. I am known to be smart.” She had a cocky smile on her face. She stood up, determined to finish off this whole conundrum once and for all.

  “Arianna, slow down. We’re not going to get all the answers today. And don’t you dare think of some stupid idea to do everything yourself. This is dangerous.”

  Arianna felt stuck. But I want to do this by myself. She knew Alex was right, and that took the fun out of everything. She pouted.

  “Look, I know you want to play detective, but this is messy business. Even though Franco and Marco may seem like they’re white collar criminals, they have a huge network of henchmen doing dirty work for them. You need to promise me you won’t do anything rash.” He held her hands in his and looked in her eyes.

  “Promise me.” He stared intently.

  Arianna gulped. Her resolve was slipping. “Okay, I promise I won’t do anything rash.”

  “Alright then.” Alex stood up and held out his hand for her. “Let’s go grab some lunch and then go meet Buzz.”

  “Okay, this time, you’re treating,” Arianna said, making a face at him.

  “Me? Why should I treat you?” Alex said in mock surprise.

  “Maybe because I’m awesome.” She giggled. Alex laughed and put his arm around her.

  “That you are. Lead the way. I’ll treat you to a burger.” There was a twinkle in Alex’s eye.

  After a delicious lunch at the Bistro, Arianna dragged Alex to an ice cream cart that was stationed nearby. He picked butter pecan and she picked hazelnut. They were walking towards the community park when Arianna looked around.

  “What happened?” Alex said, noting her distraction.

  “I don’t know. It felt like someone was watching me, or watching us, rather. It was a little creepy,” she said, craning her neck to look in a corner.

  A warning bell rang in Alex’s mind. Buzz had warned them about Brian coming for them, and with the Sheriff’s department investigating Brian’s connection to the Belmontes, he had no doubt Brian would do something rash. I hope we can catch him before he hurts anyone else.

  He didn’t need to voice his suspicions. Arianna felt it too. She turned to him. “Let’s go to the Sheriff’s office. I don’t feel safe out here for some reason.” Alex nodded.

  Buzz was busy on a call when Alex and Arianna walked in. He asked them to wait for him, so they moved to a bench nearby.

  “I wonder if Buzz has any updates for us. I hope they find out what connection Brian has to all of us and why he is doing this,” Arianna said. “I don’t like being in police stations; it makes me feel weird, like I’ve done something even though I haven’t.” She rubbed her arms, trying to warm them up.

  “It’s going to be over soon. They’re going to get to the bottom of this.” Alex put his arm around her.

  “Okay, so we’ve got some problems,” Buzz said, walking up to them.

  “What happened?” Alex frowned.

  “One of the traffic cops thought he spotted someone who looked like Brian heading into town. He may try to make contact with one of you. We’re going to equip you with a tracking device and a mic, just in case. We’re on high alert.” Arianna’s eyes widened. This was more serious than she thought. A deputy came and fixed a tracking device to Alex’s shirt. A female deputy helped Arianna fix hers. The deputies taught them how to operate their mic and start the tracking device.

  “You folks don’t worry. I’ve got my boys keeping an eye on your house, and once you leave, we’ll send a car behind you. Mr. Garner, I have sent someone over to your house as well. We’ll catch this son of a gun.” The sheriff walked up to them. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. It gave him comfort to know that Mama and Mark were protected too.

  “But what happened to that lead that Arianna gave? The one about Brian being Antonio’s son?” Alex addressed the question to Buzz, but it was the Sheriff who answered.

  “My boys found a birth certificate made out to Sophie and Niccolo Belmonte, but beyond that, I’ve not been able to dig anything up. There was no report filed when Niccolo went missing, so we have no documentati
on. Now, I’ve seen Antonio when he was young, but not many others. I’ve seen his photo, but I can’t be too certain he’s Antonio’s boy.”

  Arianna’s phone started ringing at that moment and she excused herself. It was an unknown number.

  “Hello? Hello?” Arianna called out, but she couldn’t hear anything. I think I need to go out so I can hear better.

  She walked out of the Sheriff’s office and tried her luck again.

  “Hello? Who’s this? Hello?” That’s odd, nobody’s saying anything.

  That’s when a hand covered her mouth and a voice whispered in her ear.

  “Walk away from here quietly, or else I’ll shoot you.” She felt something poke her in her back. Her eyes widened in shock. The mystery man pushed her in front and she felt a stab of pain where something was poking her. Is it a gun? Her breathing hiked and she tried to keep herself calm.

  She walked ahead on Adam Street to a small lane where there were no cars. She gulped. Why did I pick up the phone? I feel like killing myself.

  She saw a minivan a hundred meters ahead. Adrenaline rushed through her. Should I make a break for it? She turned and pushed the mystery man and ran for her life. She heard a roar behind her and a hand reached out and grabbed her tee shirt. The fabric tore, but she kept running. He caught up to her and held her in a vice like grip.

  “I feel like killing you right now, but I won’t. I’m going to take my time with you. I won’t be interrupted like last time. There’s no dog here.” He growled.

  Arianna tried to scream, but he shoved a cloth against her nose. What’s he doing? I can’t breathe. This smells funny. Before she could articulate further, blackness engulfed her.

  18

  “Where’s Arianna?” Antonio’s panicked voice surprised Alex. He stood up. Antonio looked distraught.

  “What do you mean, where’s Arianna? Didn’t you see her outside? She was talking to someone on the phone.” Alex was confused.

  “There was nobody outside. Where is my daughter?” Antonio demanded.

  “Antonio, why the commotion?” The Sheriff came over to see what was happening.

  “Sheriff, I came here to see my daughter, and she is missing. I demand you arrest this man right here.” He pointed to Alex.

  “Excuse me? First of all, how did you know where to find me? Arianna and I have roamed a lot today. We could have been anywhere, yet you come here, where we are. What does that say about you?” Alex questioned.

  “Boy’s right. Let’s go to my office.” The Sheriff led the way. Alex gestured to Buzz and he followed them inside.

  “Now tell me. What has got you so tied up, Antonio?” The Sheriff took a seat.

  “My daughter is missing. I demand you send your best personnel to find her.” Alex’s disbelief at his words turned to fear. Where is Arianna? She wouldn’t be talking to someone for so long. He dialed her number and got an automated message telling him the phone was switched off. Something is wrong.

  “Sheriff, I can’t reach Arianna on the phone. Has Brian got to her as well?” Alex said. The Sheriff got to his feet and rushed out to check the CCTV camera footage.

  “Smith, have you seen anything on the CCTV?” he barked. The police officer named Smith rewound the CCTV footage. Alex stared at the screen, willing Arianna to be safe. He saw her walk out to talk on the phone. A masked man came up to her and she began walking away from the camera. Smith pressed a few controls and they accessed the camera from the end of the street. Arianna looked scared as she walked. As they took a turn, the masked man took off the piece of cloth on his face and looked straight into the camera. It was Brian!

  “It’s Brian. He abducted her right in front of our noses.” The Sheriff banged the table in anger. “Find out what the guards outside were doing. How could he do this in front of a police station?” The Sheriff barked orders to get his team in action.

  Buzz glared at Antonio. He nudged Alex and Antonio to enter an interrogation room. The Sheriff followed.

  “Now that we’re comfortable, why don’t you start by telling me why you were searching for Arianna in the first place,” Buzz yelled at Antonio.

  “Is it not right for a father to want his daughter? You’re asking me why I want my daughter?” Antonio was not the one to back down.

  “You saw her walking away. You saw someone threaten her. Someone gagged her and forced her to walk away. Still think you can deflect the question?” Buzz banged the table. Antonio jumped.

  “Ever since Arianna came to me with this case, I haven’t understood why you were so intent on covering something up. Sophie got attacked, you didn’t give a hoot. Arianna is kidnapped by the man we think is your son, and you still protect him. What sort of a father are you?” Alex’s words were laced with venom. He bent down to look at Antonio, his face contorted with fury. I want to break your neck, Antonio.

  “Alex, you better sit this one out,” Sheriff said. “We’re going to interrogate him. You can watch from the observation room.” Alex looked at the Sheriff and then back at Buzz. When Buzz shook his head, he growled and walked out of the room.

  “Now, before Sheriff runs an arrest warrant for obstruction of justice, I want the story, Antonio. I want every single detail. I’m going to keep asking you till you spill your guts. And if you don’t, I’m prepared to use more than a little bit of force.” Buzz flexed his muscles.

  “I’ve known you a long time, Antonio. Can’t say I like you much, but I won’t sit still when someone hurts the residents of my town. What’s your connection to Brian Trellis?” Sheriff took a seat.

  Antonio wrung his hands and looked at both the police officers standing in front of him. Sensing no way out, he crumbled.

  “He’s not Brian. He’s Niccolo. The person who hurt Sophie and kidnapped Arianna is their brother.”

  Buzz and Sheriff were unmoved. They didn’t react to the news. Antonio stared at them in shock.

  “You’ve got to give us more than that. We already figured that one out,” Buzz spat out.

  “What is your connection to the Morettis?” Sheriff asked. “You better start talking, or else I’m throwing you in jail. Stop wasting our time. We have to find your daughter.” Sheriff looked intently at Antonio, who deflated.

  “Brian… Sorry, Niccolo came to me earlier in the day.” His voice was low.

  “What?” Buzz was surprised. He looked at the glass. Alex was fuming on the other side.

  “My son came to me earlier. He came to the estate. He was crazy. He kept talking about wanting to own the winery. He kept making threats against me and everyone else. He even knew about Tina and Vana and what they were doing. I just had to come and check on Arianna. Please. You have to believe me. He threatened to kill me if I didn’t hand over all the control to him,” Antonio said.

  Buzz narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you. I don’t think you came to the station worried about Arianna. I think you came because, this time, Brian got to you. He threatened you. And when the threat was to your life, you ran.”

  “No. No, it’s not like that. You have to believe me,” Antonio pleaded.

  “I don’t believe a word of what you say,” Buzz replied. “Not unless you tell me how you knew Brian was your son.”

  Antonio didn’t reply for a while. When he did, his voice was so soft, Buzz had to strain his ears to hear it.

  “Niccolo reached out to me five years ago. He wanted to be a part of the family, and he wanted to take his share in the estate. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t give him what he wanted.”

  There was a sound of knuckles banging against glass. Buzz looked at Alex and gestured, asking him to be patient.

  “Tell me why, Antonio. I saw a birth certificate made out to Niccolo. He’s your son.” Antonio shook his head.

  “He’s my son, but he’s not my wife’s son. He’s my son with Franco Moretti’s wife.”

  “What?” Buzz was shocked. This information had completely knocked him over. There was no way he anticipated that.

>   “Franco was into insider trading and money laundering. I wanted to make some extra cash on the side because I was newly married. And I got sucked into Franco’s network of transporting cash. I made it to the inside circle and that’s where I interacted with Lucia.” He looked tortured.

  It must hurt his smug face to confess about all of this, Alex thought from behind the glass. He was disgusted with Antonio, and his confession made Alex hate him.

  “Lucia and I were in love. But she couldn’t leave Franco. Not with his network so well established. We had our moments, until we got caught. Lucia was pregnant.”

  Buzz and Sheriff stared at Antonio without reacting.

  “My wife was already pregnant when Lucia conceived. I couldn’t choose. I didn’t want to choose. I loved my wife, but I wanted Lucia. I promised her I would get her out of this. She kept my baby. She kept my Niccolo.” The shame in his eyes was replaced with pride.

  “Niccolo was born a day after Sophie. I did what I could to be with Lucia when Niccolo was being born. Holding him in my arms was the most magical feeling.” A feeling of wonder came over Antonio’s face.

  “Franco knew something was wrong the moment Lucia conceived. The two had not been intimate for several months. But when he saw me with Lucia in the hospital, he knew. Since Lucia was his wife, he kept quiet, until one evening when I got a call from Lucia. She sounded scared and said someone wanted to take her life. I rushed to her only to find her dead. I took my Niccolo and ran.”

  Antonio completely broke down.

  “The love of my life lay in front of me, in a bloody heap, and I couldn’t even bury her. I had to run. I took my wife, Sophie, and Niccolo and came to my father’s estate in St. Helena. I thought he couldn’t find me here. But his network prevailed. They found me and they took Niccolo away. They took away my son.” Antonio sobbed.

  “All this is the past, but what happened five years ago?” Buzz was relentless in his questioning.