I nodded and continued down the docks, being sure to be light on my feet. When we walked close to the end, she spoke once more. “Turn to your right. It’s the yacht parked in the middle.”
I followed instructions and walked to the entrance only to be stopped by a key code. Luciana gently moved me aside to enter the code, I could hear the gears turning to unlock the door before the door slid open on its own.
Luci led us into the yacht, only this yacht appeared to be used for industrial reasons. The floor was concrete and filled with giant yellow and black canisters. There were boxes that could fit bodies into them and an 8 foot tall refrigerator and freezer doors on each side of the narrowed walk way. We came to another door, where Luci placed another code in; and this time, the wall slid open to reveal two stainless steel double doors.
Pressing my lips together, I nudged my head giving her the signal to lead the way; and I followed her across a bridge that overlooked a lower level lounge. This must be where our father goes whenever he disappears for work.
Just as I reached the other end of the tunnel, I peeked out and saw my father pacing with his cell phone to his ear. “Amelia, I’m sure whatever you decide to do for the funeral will be fine.” He paused. “I’m not being insensitive. Okay, okay. Look, I’ll finish up and be home just as soon as I can. Please stop crying, sweetheart.” He hung up promptly and started down to a door. I silently followed behind him staying out of his direct line of sight against a wall as he made his way into one of the interrogation rooms.
“Mr. Montgomery, we meet again,” my father spoke first.
I darted around the corner, waiting impatiently as Luci punched the code into the keypad and opened the door. Walking through, I spotted Santino on the floor passed out, and my father standing in front of Christopher. Blood streaking down his cheeks and on his neck.
I gasped out in a horrified sob. “You let him go this instant!”
“Lorelai, get out of here,” my father yelled.
I ignored his command, setting my eyes on the dried up blood, the swelling, and bruised eyes on my love’s face as I fell to my knees next to the chair he was tied to, looking to my father holding a hot clothing steamer in his hands.
I looked from Santino with a glare to my father, as anger hit a top tier. “You let him go this instant!”
My father sighed and shook his head. “You know you’re not supposed to be back here, Lorelai. What the hell were you thinking?”
“Let…him…go,” I yelled in a stern voice.
I looked up at Chris’s swollen face, refusing to move until my father untied him. Hearing the quiet footsteps, I watched as my father cut through the ropes restraining him. Looking up at him with furrowed eyebrows, my jaw and teeth clenched together.
“Get him the fuck out of here,” he growled.
I stood up and wrapped my arm around his back and helped him up. “Can you walk?” I whispered.
He nodded, and I eyed Luci as she stepped in to help me walk Chris out of the interrogation room, moving out on a journey to safety.
An Undeniable Truth
Christopher
I placed as much weight on myself as I could bare, relying on Lorelai and Luci as they led me off the yacht and under the Black Diamond Club arch. Stopping once we were out, Lorelai turned toward me as we reached the closest bench on the boardwalk.
“Oh my god, Christopher.” She pulled me down gently.
I shook my head and grabbed her wrists. “Let’s just get somewhere safe, okay?”
She trembled and shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. “Are you sure? We can sit, and you can rest if you need to.”
“It’s better that we don’t right now.” I swallowed hard.
She stared at me as she sucked in a breath and held it. Her face fell and she locked her concerned eyes on me, wrapping an arm around my lower back. I returned her embrace as she helped me stand before she led us back to safety. Luci stepped back in on the other side to help. I turned to look at her and the look she returned was one of reassurance. I couldn’t help but feel that she was only helping because of Lorelai.
Feeling concerned eyes locked from the other side, I turned to Lorelai as she stared at me breathless. All of her facial features fell into a frown.
Luci leaned forward to catch Lorelai’s attention. “He’s right. We should take him somewhere safe. He needs to be cleaned up, Lor.”
I returned the girls embrace as they helped me stand and led the way back.
Settling into the bathroom on Cakes and Pies, I watched as Lorelai turned toward Luci. “Thanks for helping. Are you staying?”
Luci shook her head. “I should probably go keep look out.”
Lorelai nodded slowly, pausing before she spoke. “Luci?”
“Yeah, Lor?”
“Thank you for helping me tonight.”
Luci flashed a small smile. “You’re welcome, little sister.”
Settling into the bathroom on Cakes and Pies, she sat me down on top of the toilet, kneeling on the floor next to me.
“Luci? Before you go, can you grab hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls?”
Luci disappeared; and when when she returned, I turned my focus on Lorelai in silence as she cleaned the cuts with hydrogen peroxide. She inhaled a deep breath once she finished and broke the emergency ice pack apart. “Here, put this over your eye. It’s swollen.” She paused for a long moment.
Luci cleared her throat loudly. “Lorelai. Can you step out now that we know he’s stable?”
She stood up and narrowed her eyes at her sister before she looked down at me. “I’ll be right back.” She kissed the top of my head and disappeared.
***
Lorelai
I followed Luci down the hall, and watched as she exited the cabin. I followed behind and shut the door.
She began to pace back and forth. “Do you realize how bad this is?”
I scoffed. “Yeah I do.”
“You violated the rules. Chris will now have a target on his back, Lorelai. You’re both in danger. I’m not sure you realize how much damage has been done here.”
“He had no right to do this to Christopher! None. I will stand by his side and defend him until I know he’s safe.”
She shook her head and crossed her arms, “And if he starts asking questions?”
My anger and panic rose. “I’ll tell him the truth!”
“That’s the last thing you should do!” Luci yelled. “He was exposed, Lor. He’s a target. Don’t you get that?”
“Our father will keep his grimy hands away, if he knows what’s good for him.”
Luci walked to the edge of the vessel and stepped off. “Good luck with all that, Lorelai. I hope everything works out the way you want it to.”
I glared at her. She looked back toward me and the daggers in her eyes were red with rage. She wasn’t being reasonable; how could I not tell Chris the truth? He lived through it! I didn’t have time to argue with her. I needed to get back to Christopher. I pushed back the thoughts and possibilities of what would happen in the aftermath of Christopher’s abduction by my family. His state of mind must’ve been going at a thousand miles a second, and I needed to reassure him that this mishap would never happen again.
When Luci was completely out of site, I walked back inside, locked the door and made my way back to him.
Protection Orders
Christopher
When she left, the cabin went radio silent. I stared off at the wall, replaying everything through my head, trying to figure out where I went wrong. I didn’t stay away, but I couldn’t. Now, her brother was dead and her father wanted to burn me alive in a chemical tank or murder me in the most torturous of ways. Maybe he’d make it quick and fast, as long as I was gone. Nothing else mattered.
I heard yelling, which interrupted my thoughts. I tried to comprehend what was being said, but they were too far away.
I sighed as I heard the door open then shut, and waited.
Sh
e appeared in the doorway and walked in, kneeling down in front of me. She looked at me with concerned eyes. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
I sighed. “I’d rather not.” She had enough to deal with. I couldn’t place my burdens on her.
“Christopher, don’t hold back on my account. I can handle it.” She spoke in a stern voice and I knew she meant business.
I hesitated for a moment. “Our parents have a lot in common, but your father is a lot more persistent to prove his point.” I paused and thought about telling her that her father tried to offer me a large sum of money to stay away from her; but she already had enough heartbreak caused by her own flesh and blood. I had to protect her, and not telling her was the only way I knew how.
She covered her mouth with her hand as tears welled in her eyes. “I’m so sorry that you were caught up in this.”
Setting the ice pack aside, I cupped her cheeks, gently wiping her tears away with the pad of my thumb. “Your tears aren’t worth his spiteful ways, Lor.”
She locked her eyes in on mine and I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead. Dainty fingers caressed the skin against my scruffy cheeks.
“I won’t let him come between us, Christopher.” She stood up from a kneeling position and gently sat in my lap, pushing her fingers up through my hair at the side of my head. I wrapped her in my arms and laid my head against hers. “I couldn’t stay at my house a moment longer. I had to find you. I came here first.”
“None of it matters now, okay? We’re here and together. That’s all that matters.” She spoke above a whisper against my ear.
“Actually, I have one question.”
She pulled away to look me in the eyes. “What is it?”
“Your tattoo, some of your family members have one in the same spot. I feel like it’s a significant symbol that means something.”
She sighed. “It is significant. Every Castillo family member has a choice to make. They either want in on the family business, or they want to go in a different direction,”
“You mean, the yachting business?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. My father is the leader of an Italian Syndicate.”
I furrowed my brows, it hadn’t made a lick of sense until now. The boating business, the rich family, the fancy black tie events that took place year round, the Black Diamond Club, the location of the club being on the water? I was dating the mob boss’s daughter. “Syndicate? Is that another word for mafia or mob?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah.” She spoke barely above a whisper. “If you feel the need to walk away, I would understand completely.”
I ignored her statement for the time being. “Can I see your arms?” I asked after a moment.
She inhaled a deep breath and showed me. “The tattoo was a symbol of me fleeing; but in order to complete the ritual to not join the family business, my father burnt the fleeing birds into my other arm with a black iron stencil. That’s how we’re identified.”
I wasn’t sure how to react. I was horrified for her. I couldn’t imagine agreeing to go through something like that; but I lived through the syndicate’s wrath, I could only imagine what else went on in the Black Diamond Club. One thing was for sure. I now understood Lorelai’s warning about staying away from that place.
“What are you thinking about, Chris?”
He shook his head. “I would never walk away from you, not in a million years.”
She laid her head against mine where it wouldn’t hurt too much. Her warm breath tickled the hairs inside of my ear. Silence filled the space between us as we allowed each other’s presence to sink in. I couldn’t have been more grateful to be back here with her. She didn’t have to speak words to let me know she felt the same way.
Pulling away, she stared into my eyes for another long pause. Perhaps she was trying to identify me through my cut up face. “Chris?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered.
My lips fell open as I turned to look up at her. “Y-you’re pregnant?”
She smiled. “Yeah. We weren’t all that careful.” Her tone was nonchalant which caused a smile to curve up on my lips.
She was right, we weren’t. “So, we’re going to be parents?”
“That is correct, Captain.”
I stayed silent for a moment before I did my best to look at her and flash my best smile at her. “We’re going to be parents?” I sounded spaced out, which made her giggle.
“Yes! Christopher, snap out of the fake stoner act and tell me how you feel.”
I chuckled softly. “A baby…a little human child? A little bit of you and a little bit of me? Hmm…” I waggled my eyebrows at her.
“Yes, stop goofing around and tell me how you feel!”
I chuckled and flashed her a smile. “Baby girl, I think it’s great. I love you and I know us. We will make it work no matter what.”
Her hand moved under my chin and rose my head, her lips pressing into mine. I returned the kiss and smiled after I broke it. “How are you feeling about it?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I’m afraid of what happens if or when my parents find out. Neither of my parents would approve, and my father acts out on zero remorse, Christopher.”
She was afraid for me, and showed it well. “Then we can’t let them know. We’ll live here on Cakes and Pies, use Planned Parenthood for all of its glory, and in the meantime, I’ll continue working with my dad. We’ll just have to keep our relationship and our little bean a secret until we turn eighteen. We can make it work.”
She looked at me with that same loving look, and smiled from ear to ear. “How are you staying so calm through all of this? You have every right to hate me and want nothing to do with me; and yet, you’re sitting here with an ice pack on your eye looking at me like Blackbeard the Pirate telling me everything is going to be okay.”
I laughed softly. “I love you, Lorelai. No one on this Earth could keep me away from you.”
Her soft hands cupped my cheeks where the cuts ended and her lips pressed against mine in a deep passionate kiss. I did not hesitate to return her kiss, regardless of the fact that we still hadn’t touched on one other important piece of information that probably had her heart shattered.
“I love you too, Christopher.” Her facial expressions softened as I placed both of my hands around her waist and brushed my thumbs against her stomach.
She smiled down at me and embraced my neck with gentle ease. Even under the circumstances of only having one good eye to look at her, I saw the loving expression; and in that moment, I realized I not only loved this young woman. I was head over heels in love with her. I could feel it in the silence, the depth and passion of our love was mutual.
Her words sunk in with our new reality at bay. She smiled down at me and embraced my neck with gentle ease. Inching in closer, I gently attacked her lips with my own in a wistful kiss. Lorelai Castillo placed me under her love spell and I had no qualms admitting it.
She returned the kiss, cupping my cheeks where it wouldn’t hurt. Heavy breaths surrounded us as the moment of passion drove us deep.
Breaking the breathy kiss, she whispered. “As much as I would love to stay in this cocoon with you. It’s not safe for us to stay docked here, Chris.” She spoke above a whisper.
I stayed silent taking in this realization.
“I have a safe spot where no one would find us.”
I leaned in and pecked her lips softly. “Then, we should go.”
***
Later that night, we docked at the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Lorelai turned on the generator to heat the cabin, and I watched as she crawled into bed before I laid behind her. We watched out the window, taking in the lights on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The night grew cold and I attempted to warm her up with my body heat and the thin quilt. “You should sleep.” I spoke above a whisper.
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” She turned to lay on her back and looked up at me
.
I propped myself up on an elbow and circled my hand over her hip and stomach.
“What about for our little bean?”
She smiled up at me. “There’s too much on my mind.”
I stayed silent for a moment. ”Well, I’m here.”
“It’s everything. My dad trying to make you a victim under his rule of thumb was unforgivable. I’ll always love my family, but I can’t stand back and watch them act selfishly on their pedestals anymore.” She paused. “That’s why Armani is dead, and why you were hurt. The Syndicate has hurt me for the last time, Chris.” She choked her words out in a soft sob. A sharp pain shot through my chest as my heart shattered for her.
We only had each other and I would be damned if I let her down. “Do you have a plan?”
She nodded. “I’ve filed for emancipation. My parents won’t dare to fight it. I know too much. There’s an account with my name on it at the bank. I’ll have access to it once I turn eighteen, hopefully sooner if I play my cards right.”
I pressed my lips to her forehead taking in her words. Lorelai Castillo was the strongest young woman I ever had the pleasure to meet. She was my partner in crime, my hero, the absolute love of my life. She was giving up her family so we could be together and, more importantly, so we could start our own family.
Pulling away, I laid my forehead against hers. “I’ll do my best to support you however you need me to.”
She looked me directly in the eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “I appreciate that, love.” She snuggled against my chest and I pulled her close as she entangled her legs between mine.
We were finally warm when a loud popping noise came from behind.
“What was that?” I asked.
“The heater kicked off, it’s an energy saver my father set up. It’s designed to rise up to a certain temperature. I think he did it on purpose, so I couldn’t run away and survive the cold nights.”
Except she did run away. We ran together. I would now be responsible for taking care of the essentials for her and our little one to be. Even though her father wanted to disintegrate me in the bay and fought with all of his might to push me away, he did not win. Lorelai saved me and we came out stronger on the other side with or without support.
Sausalito Nights (Montgomery Beauty Book 1) Page 14