“The case against Angelo Carmine Deluca is hereby dismissed with prejudice. Mr. Deluca you are free to go.” He raises his gavel and brings it down with a loud satisfying bang before standing and quickly exiting the door to his chambers. No doubt pacing nervously waiting for the release of his family.
I turn towards the back of the courtroom where my crew and other members of the family are rejoicing in the verdict. As I make my way out the doors I partake in the customary ritual of pats on the back and kisses to the cheeks and let the smile break free. My men gather around me as we dodge the crowd and exit the courthouse. The press gathers on the front steps shoving microphones towards me and snapping pictures. Normally I would eat up the attention but now’s not the time to bring more of my business into the limelight. I need to keep a low profile until I’m sure the Judge’s family keeps their mouths shut and I can get my businesses running again. My time inside has put a strain on my finances and I have more than one problem on the outside to handle. Starting with Brie and Cal.
As I near the black town car idling on the street in front of the courthouse my eyes latch onto Ava’s standing on the other side of the street with something in her arms. I signal to Xander to bring her to me as I slide into the backseat hidden from the cameras by dark tinted windows. The opposite door opens and Ava slides in next to me.
“Welcome back Mr. Deluca. I’ll have you home in no time,” Freddy says from his position behind the wheel.
Freddy has been my driver for years. I probably should thank him or some other equally validating expression but I’ve always been a bit of an asshole and there’s no reason to change that now. Besides, the baby swaddled in a green and yellow blanket in Ava’s arms captures my attention.
My eyes narrow and I cock my head in a questioning glance. “Ava, explain.”
“After our stunt in the meeting room they banned me from contacting you. I tried so many times to get word to you but Carmine wouldn’t allow it.” She folds back the corner of the blanket exposing the baby’s face and her lips curve into a deep smile. “She’s yours Angelo. Yours and mine.”
I can’t believe my ears. All this time I was busy plotting and scheming to get my child away from the Carracci’s, I hardly gave Ava a second thought. And now I have two heirs. And two mothers to deal with. I’m either a lucky son of a bitch or a masochist. There’s only two reasons my grandfather would keep this from me, either he didn’t want me to take my eyes off the prize or he thought the baby wasn’t mine.
My eyes must show my confusion because Ava’s smile drops and her voice grows angry. “Your such an asshole Angelo. Here I have proof.”
She digs through the bag draped around her shoulder and tosses a paper at me. I pick it up and scan the document. It’s a paternity test with a series of abbreviations and numbers that make no sense to me but the final line reads.
Potential father: Angelo Deluca- Match.
She leans back on the seat with a pout spread across her face. “Were you just feeding me a line of bullshit when you said together we were perfection? Because not only do we work well together, have amazing chemistry in bed, we have something pretty damn perfect. She’s perfect Angelo, and she’s ours but we’re a package deal so don’t even think of pushing me out of the picture or I’ll walk. And I’ll take my baby and your dirty secrets with me.”
Who the fuck does she think she is? I drop the paper and inch closer to her, twisting my hand in her hair at the base of her neck and pull until a quiver falls from her fucking smart mouth. “Let’s get one thing straight darling. Don’t ever fucking threaten me again. You knew exactly what you were getting into when you dropped this on me. If you think you could ever walk away from me with my child, then you don’t know me at all.” I untangle my fingers from her hair and settle back into my own space. “If you want to stay, stay.”
That settles it, I’m a fucking masochist. How the hell am I going to secure my fate with Brie and keep Ava from spilling all my secrets? Killing a fine piece of ass like her, isn’t much of an option. Which leaves only one choice. I have to put Ava up and make her comfortable so I have time to work on Brie.
“Freddy, change of plans take us to the Summer house. Ava, darling how do you feel about the beach?”
Chapter 19- Brie
My heart sinks in my chest when the phone line goes silent on the other end. My entire world comes crashing in around me. Again. I can shrivel up in a heap of hopelessness and despair, which my broken heart wants to do or I can stand and fight. Take back what is mine. Only I have the power. The robotic voice used to disguise the caller on the other end of the call said as much.
Despite my trembling hands I pick up my cell phone from the bed where I threw it and call Dante. I never call him directly so I’m expecting an attitude when he answers. “Brie? Why are you calling? Is something wrong?” he rattles off questions I’m not prepared to answer, but he’s more confused than angry.
My voice falters when I try to speak, “Help.” I swallow down the lump forming in the back of my throat and try to form a more coherent sentence, “I’m at the apartment but Cal and Abigail are gone. Someone has them.”
“What do you mean someone has Cal and Abigail?” I can hear muffled voices beside him growing louder as he continues to speak, “Stay there. The guys and I are on the way.”
“All right.”
I’m a mess from the tears streaming down my face and still in my sleeping shorts and a tank top. I can’t do what I need to like this, so I quickly jump in the shower and clean myself up. Trying my best to pull myself together, I change into a cropped pair of jeans, a black longline cami, and a semi-sheer black button down with a pair of velvety ankle boots. I have an image to uphold even if I’m not feeling sophisticated at the moment. I run a brush through my wet hair and twist it up into a messy bun. I look like someone ready to handle business, even though on the inside I feel like someone has ripped my still beating heart from my chest.
By the time the guys come charging into the apartment, I’m as ready as I can be. I meet them at the elevator and toss around orders like I’ve been in charge my whole life. “There’s no time for a million questions. Cal’s note said he was going to the cemetery to pay his respects to Vinny. Start there, see what evidence you can find. Someone call Nash, have him meet us at the bar and have him put a trace on Cal’s phone, just in case he still has it. I need to find one hundred thousand dollars.”
“That’s a lot of cash. Was that the ransom?”
“No, I’m going fucking shopping.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes, for the ransom. They’re texting me a location.”
I stalk back to the bedroom where I left my phone and return after checking my messages. “They sent an address.”
Dario takes the phone from my hand and reads the message. His voice is sharp and impatient, “This is just around the corner from the stash house. It’s got to be that low life drug dealer or someone who knows we’re behind the hits.”
“I doubt it. This has Angelo written all over it. What better way to punish me then to take away the two people I love most in this world.” A heaviness falls over me and the hole inside me grows bigger. What if he succeeds this time? I don’t think I could live with that. I will my knees not to buckle and the tears not to fall. “Why is everyone still here? Get moving,” I yell.
Nash and Carra are already at the bar when Dante and I arrive. Carra stops ringing her hands and pacing back and forth when I enter through the back door. She runs to me and throws her arms around my shoulder. She might be the only other one, who understands what I’m going through. As Cal’s twin sister, she’s as deeply connected to him as I am but she can’t possibly understand the oddly detached feeling that comes along with not knowing where your child is. I can’t allow myself to think about whether she’s hurt, or hungry, or alone. If I let myself go down that road I won’t have the strength to fight.
Nash is busy typing away at the keyboard of his laptop open on the
bar counter. His loyalty to Cal goes beyond friendship. Even if he didn’t marry Carra, he’d still be his family. He doesn’t look up at me or stop what he’s doing for several minutes, while I stand there behind him and wait. My nerves weakening by the minute.
“I have a trace on his phone. If they turn it back on, it will ping his location to my computer.” He pushes the wave of dark black hair out of his face and turns to face me. “Dario told me about the ransom. I have an idea. I doubt Cal will like it though. It’s risky but if Angelo is behind this, then it's pretty fucking brilliant, if I say so myself.”
“Tell me.” I round the bar and pour myself a stiff drink and hand Nash and Carra a cold beer. Drinking can’t hinder my focus, at this point. It might just be the only thing strong enough to numb the pain.
“Cal had me looking into Ms. Calhan and the anonymous investor who wants to give him the exact amount we need to cover the ransom. I had to dig deep, but I found it. It’s Matteo Deluca.”
I almost drop the glass in my hand. “Why would Angelo’s father want to invest in Cal? And what makes you think he’d help us?”
“He’s never been that close to Angelo and my sources tell me his loyalty to the Bianchi family doesn’t run deep. Before you object, I’ve looked into the financials and we’d have to liquidate all the company's legal holdings to get enough. It would put the Carracci’s out of business and since Carra’s name isn’t on anything. We can’t do it without Cal.”
I take another swallow of bourbon in my glass. Liquid courage burns my throat, strengthening my resolve. “Make the call.”
In less than an hour, the blonde with tits and ass that put my body to shame walks through the door. She motions for the man with her to wait by the door and joins us by the bar. Her voice is low so that only we can hear, “You have any resources you need without question. However, no one can know where the money came from. This is non-negotiable.”
“Understood.” I accept the briefcase and place it at my feet under the bar. “But I would like to know why your boss is so eager to help us.”
“I can’t answer that, but as I said before, he’s a powerful ally and on your side. You know how to reach me, if there’s anything else.” She stands to leave when the chimes on the front door causes everyone to freeze. The man at the door growls and blocks Agent Kent from entering.
“Mind calling off the guard dog? I just need a word with Brie.”
I really need to lock that fucking door. I nod my head towards the man hovering at the door and he steps aside to allow her to enter and follows Ms. Callahan out. I don’t have the time to deal with Agent Kent so I meet her halfway. “Make it quick, please. We’re closed today, and I was just on my way out.”
Her eyes are glossy and the bags under her eyes are even darker than the last time I saw her. The mint in her mouth is doing nothing to cover the whiskey on her breath. “I thought you should hear it from me, before the evening news airs. They acquitted Angelo today. That son of a bitch will not pay for a damn thing. Not for murdering Emilio, not for what he did to you or any of his many crimes. I had that son of a bitch dead to rights and the judge just let him walk free.”
As if today couldn’t get any worse. The news only adds fuel to the fire coursing through my body and confirms my suspicion that Angelo is behind this. Her shifty eyes bounce around the room and narrow as the men enter through the back door. Every one of them with grave expressions on their faces that makes my heart stop. I have to get rid of Agent Kent so I can find out what they found and make the drop for the ransom.
“Brie, is there something you need to tell me?”
A part of me wants to tell her, wants to let her and the entire FBI help get them back but my daughter's life is on the line and I can’t involve the police. The kidnapper said as much. It’s not worth the risk, besides we can’t risk being on her radar any more than we already are. No matter what. No, I have to step up and handle this. I will get Cal and my daughter back if it's the last thing I do. “No. So if there’s nothing else I have to ask you to leave. I’m a little busy today.”
Agent Kent hesitates for a few minutes. “You know how to reach me if there is.”
God, I thought she’d never leave. I lock the front door and make my way back to where the men have gathered. “Tell me.”
Dario is the only one to speak up. “There are definite signs of foul play. We found his car at the cemetery and the stroller but no sign of Cal or the baby.”
“There’s something you're not telling me?” His eyes betray him.
“There were signs of a struggle. We found blood.” Lu slaps his hand on the back side of Dario’s head.
My knees weaken underneath me but I fight to hold myself upright. Nash packs up his laptop and checks a new text on his phone. “I have a few leads I need to check out before you make the ransom drop. Stay here until I get back.”
Wait. Why does everyone keep insisting on keeping me in the dark and making me wait? My impatience is wearing thin. I am not a fragile doll. I am a future mafia wife and capable of handling my own. “Go do what you need to do. We can handle this.”
“Carra can get the surveillance in the area set up but I don’t want you going at this alone. Please wait for me.” Nash kisses Carra goodbye and takes off through the back door with several of the men following him. Hopefully, this lead pays off. The ones who didn’t follow leave with Carra, leaving Dante and I alone to wait out the clock.
♥♥♥
Nash has yet to come back and I’m running out of time. I need to leave the drop by the deadline. Pulling up the outside security feed on the laptop, I spot an unmarked car parked along the curb across the street. Agent Kent and her partner are inside it, staking out the entrance. I can’t help but wonder if she’s watching me because she knows something is wrong or because she’s waiting for Angelo to come for me. Picking up the brown bag stuffed with cash, I exit through the back door, out of Agent Kent’s line of sight. I rush through the streets to the location I’m supposed to drop the ransom.
“You’ve got eyes on you. I don’t think you should make the drop,” the voice in my earpiece says.
Dammit. I scan my surroundings and notice the same unmarked car somehow following me. I don’t know what’s worse not making the ransom drop or leading the FBI to whoever picks it up, putting my family in further danger. Either way, this plan is screwed. Keeping my eyes forward and my head held high I stroll through the middle of the couple heading toward me. I shift the bag higher under my arm and keep walking past the drop location, hoping if the kidnapper is watching they realize I only missed the drop because something is wrong. Once around the corner, I cross the street and enter a pizza shop. I keep walking out the back door. A half a block down I turn another corner. When I’m confident, I’ve lost the tail, I turn into an alleyway and slip through the rusted metal door blocked by the dumpster that smells of rotting garbage. The long narrow stairwell leads up three flights of stairs, emerging me into a hallway of the rundown apartment complex. Little kids run up and down the hall and rap music pounds from behind a door. At the end of the hallway I spot Riccardo. He opens an apartment door for me to enter and closes it behind me, maintaining his position guarding the hallway.
Inside the apartment, Chainz, President of the Krymson Destroyers and Cal’s friend sits behind a long rickety table counting hundred-dollar bills. On the other side of the room, his Vice President, Tank sits on the edge of a worn sofa. Beer bottles and pizza boxes litter the floor, like they have been held up there for days. I sit across from Chainz and set the bag on the table, ripping the earpiece out and slamming it on the table when Carra enters the room from a bedroom near the back.
“You're a natural,” she says crossing the room to where I sit.
“I don’t know about that. I was so scared I could barely hear your instructions over the sound of my heartbeat. What do we do now?” I ask.
“We wait. They made contact once. They’ll do it again, I’m sure. They want the
money.”
I wish I could believe her but the knots in my stomach tighten. What if I made the wrong decision?
“I’m sick of waiting. Fuck them and their ransom. I know Angelo’s behind this. Who else would be stupid enough to kidnap a Mafia boss and his kid? I’ll handle it myself.” I stand so fast the folding chair falls backwards.
I snatch the brown bag off the table and storm towards the door. Tank leaps from the couch and blocks my exit.
“Brie, we can’t let you do that,” Carra says from behind me, “Cal would not want you to go in there alone.”
“Well, Cal’s not here is he? Which makes me the one in charge and I’m not sitting around any longer when that bastard has my baby. Tank get the hell out of my way.”
Chainz nods and he steps aside. “Tank, give her your gun. Brie, I hope for all of our sakes you know what you're doing.”
Taking the gun from him, I stick it in my purse along with the bag of cash. “I will do whatever I have to.” I say and yank the door open.
I walk down the front stairwell at the other end of the hall and out of the building, past the homeless man sleeping against the building and the thugs gathering at the corner. They turn toward me when I get close, whistling and making obscene comments and hand gestures. The look on my face must say it all because their mouths stop running and they quickly turn away allowing me to pass by uninterrupted. At the end of the block I hail a cab and climb inside.
Chapter 20- Cal
My eyes open into a dark room and I force down the bile threatening to crawl its way up my throat. The room is spinning and I can’t tell what’s throbbing harder, my head or my heart in my chest when I realize there is no sign of Abigail. I try to raise my hands to steady my head but I can’t, my legs and arms are tied to a chair. My limbs are numb and unable to move. I inhale a deep breath which only increases the spinning and burns my chest. It's all I can do to make myself focus and fight through the haze. The only light in the room is from the sun shining down through the small window above me. Its narrow beam breaks up the darkness in front of me with a gray haze mixed with dust particles. Heavy footsteps fall above my head and with each step more dust scatters through the field of light. I scan the room for any sign of where I am and listen, praying for a small sign that Abigail is close by but there’s too much noise coming from upstairs. Suddenly a door opens and floods the room with light. I can see everything now and I let my eyes take in as much as they can before the men walking down the rickety wooden steps get close. There are pipes above my head and concrete flooring under my feet. I am definitely in a basement and see no signs of Abigail. How could I be so stupid? I was so caught up in my own emotions I let my guard down and these assholes got the best of me. My heart sinks in my chest and anger rises through my body when I think about what harm could come to my child. I pull up and push down; I spread my legs and twist my wrists trying to loosen the rope binding them. I force a slight give in the binds when three men appear in my line of sight.
Reign (The Vendetta Series Book 2) Page 11