Chapter Twenty-Seven
RELIEF, UNLIKE ANYTHING I’d ever known, shot through me as I locked eyes with Kaven. Moments ago, I was certain I’d die in this decrepit house, my existence erased without a trace. The woman, despite my desperate pleas, refused to listen to reason. Her cold response played in my mind: “You are an inconvenience.”
She had tied me up, stuffing me into a cramped hole beneath the bed, and was about to pull the trigger. I had decided then and there to do something, and my feet lifted, ready to knock her off balance, when her phone rang. An urgent conversation followed before she slammed the door shut on me, and I heard her footsteps retreating.
“Kaven,” I breathed, my voice trembling.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his hands frantically checking me over before pulling me close.
“Hope? Where is Hope?” Samuel demanded, his voice laced with panic as he leaned down, his eyes wild with fear.
“They moved her,” I said, clinging to Kaven as he helped me up, his arms never leaving me.
“Who are they? Tell me!” Samuel shouted at me, and at that moment, as I looked into his eyes, I realized why our world feared him.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, my apology clear in my eyes. “The woman mentioned a partner who wanted Hope. She said Hope was lucky because otherwise, she’d have killed her. She was so rough with her, so full of hate.”
“We found a woman hiding in the basement,” Player announced, entering the room. “We have her cornered.”
“That’s her,” I said, my voice shaky. “Someone tipped her off just before she was about to...” My words faltered as the reality of how close I came to death washed over me.
“Your grandfather is on his way. You don’t know who took you or why?” Samuel whispered before hurrying to the basement.
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Kaven asked, pulling me into a fierce embrace.
“Just bruises and a good scare, but I’ll be fine. I just want out of here,” I replied, holding onto him just as tightly.
“Come on,” he said, guiding me downstairs. As we stepped out the front door, several vehicles screeched to a halt in the driveway. I sighed, recognizing that the fight was far from over as my grandfather and his men jumped out, guns drawn.
“Hadleigh, honey, are you okay?” he asked, pulling me from Kaven, his eyes scanning me with worry that slowly turned to relief. “Who did this?”
“I don’t know,” I lied, shaking my head. “Masked men took me from the garden, then a woman kept moving me from place to place.” A gunshot rang out from inside the house, and I knew Samuel had pulled the trigger, silencing her forever.
Grandfather signaled his men to check inside and took my arm. “Let’s get you home.”
Kaven stepped forward, his grip firm on my arm. “Haddie is coming with me,” he said, his voice steely and eyes hard.
I placed a hand on Kaven’s chest and met my grandfather’s confused gaze. “I love and want to be with Kaven, and I won’t marry anyone but him.”
“HADDIE?” VITTORIO QUESTIONED, raising an eyebrow as his eyes scanned over me. Something flickered behind that hard gaze, a shadow of something—recognition? “Take him back to the house,” he ordered. Two men converged on me, gripping my arms with bruising force.
“No!” Haddie shouted at Vittorio, her voice breaking through the tense air as she jumped in front of me.
The sound of guns being cocked echoed around us, my club brothers making it clear they wouldn’t let this happen without a fight. Vittorio’s men countered, the standoff teetering on the edge of violence. I glanced at Patch, who was ready for battle, and said, “It’s okay. I want to go and settle everything. It’s the only way.”
The tension stretched for agonizing moments before Vittorio spoke. “Put your guns down. The boy won’t be killed, I promise you. I just have a few questions for him.”
Reluctantly, the guns were lowered, and I was led to one vehicle, not the same one as Haddie. Our eyes met, her gaze filled with a determination that mirrored my own before I was pushed inside.
Samuel and his men rushed out of the house in a blur of motion. Without a word, they jumped into their vehicles and peeled out of the driveway. He must have gotten the information he needed before dealing with the woman.
Two men flanked me as the cars sped back onto the interstate. As the city lights came into view, my determination solidified. Vittorio would have to accept this, or his only alternative would be to kill me. I tried not to dwell on that dark possibility because, despite his promise to Patch, it was a genuine worry.
The cars slowed at a massive set of gates that creaked open, revealing a long, winding driveway. We stopped in front of an enormous house—no, a mansion. I was led inside, and my eyes widened at the luxury. The place even smelled rich. For a moment, doubt flickered—could Haddie truly be happy with a man like me, without all this wealth? I shoved the thought aside. Haddie wasn’t superficial. We would be fine.
The men took me down a set of stairs and shoved me into a cold concrete room with drains on the floor. A wooden chair sat ominously in the center. “Mr. Amato will deal with you shortly,” one of them growled before slamming the door and locking it with a decisive click.
I looked around and laughed bitterly. Of course, a Mafia boss would have a torture cell in his house. The room felt like a tomb and I took a deep breath, pacing back and forth, waiting for Vittorio to arrive so I could have my say.