23. West
Chapter 23
West
I pace my office, my mind racing with the implications of what happened downstairs.
“I’m checking the footage now,” Jackson says.
My phone buzzes and I snatch it up, seeing Amelia’s name flash on the screen.
“Amelia? Are you okay?” My heart pounds as I turn and stare out of my office window at the New York skyline. “Where are you?”
“West!” Her voice is shrill, panicked. “Giovanni Vincenzo is here in New York! He knows where I am!”
I freeze; my blood runs cold. “What? How?”
“It could only be your father!” she shrieks. “He had people digging up information about me in Italy. Giovanni’s already threatened Felix. He’s so scared he’s hiding somewhere!”
My jaw clenches. Of course, my father would be behind this. I should have known better than to trust him.
“Amelia, slow down. Where are you now?”
“In the car with Callum. We’re near to home. West, you don’t understand. You’re in danger too!” Her voice breaks. “He’ll come after you next. I never should have agreed to this relationship. I’ve put you all at risk!”
I try to interject, to calm her down, but she’s too far gone.
“Amelia, breathe. I need you to breathe,” I urge, trying to calm her panic.
“Breathe? How can I breathe? Giovanni is ruthless! He’s not going to stop until he finds me. He’ll hurt you too! He might kill you.”
I grip the desk, my knuckles turning white. “Listen to me. We’ll figure this out together. Where are you now?”
“One block away from home,” she whispers, the crack in her voice twisting my gut. “I’m putting everyone at risk.”
“You’re not.”
“What if he comes for you? What if—” Her breath stutters before she gives a big sigh. “I’m putting too many people in danger.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“But it’s true. I’m a burden to everyone.”
Frustration builds inside me, but I push it down. “You’re not a burden. We made a deal, remember? We protect each other.”
“But what if—”
“Stop. You’re panicking.” I cut her off sharply. “Focus on what we can control right now.”
“Oh God,” she gasps. “Carly! I have to call her!” Her breaths quicken again, turning erratically as if she might choke on her fear.
“Amelia, wait—”
But the line goes dead. I stare at my phone, unable to decipher if it’s anger or fear coursing through me. How could this have spiraled so quickly out of control?
“My fucking father.” I slam my fist on the desk, startling Jackson.
“Call Lewis and find out where Giovanni Vincenzo is,” I bark. “While I find out where the hell my father is…and…call Callum, tell him to call the moment he knows Amelia is safe.”
“Giovanni Vincenzo,” Jackson says. “I don’t think that name will be that unusual in Italy,”
I give him a look that tells him I don’t give a fucking damn and to get on with it. He’s not the private investigator, Lewis is.
My phone buzzes again. This time it’s a call from my father. I swipe to answer, my blood boiling.
“Westley,” he starts, but I cut him off.
“Shut the hell up. You’ve already done enough damage.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Amelia! Do you even know who you’re messing with? Giovanni Vincenzo is not just some name on a list; he’s a fucking don! And thanks to your meddling, she’s in danger!”
Silence hangs heavily on the line. I can almost picture him recoiling, shocked by my outburst.
“A don…” His voice whispers. “Who the fuck is she?”
“Someone hiding from danger. Why else do you think she told you she had no family?”
His deep swallow is audible in my earpiece.
“I’m sorry. I wanted her to have her family at the engagement party,” he replies, sounding genuinely bewildered. “She told you she didn’t have any family for a reason—”
“Exactly!” I shout, cutting him off again. “She doesn’t want anyone to know who she is! She ran from that life! And now you’re bringing it right back to her doorstep.”
“Sorry, I never believed her, West,” he insists, sounding genuine. “I truly am sorry. I wanted to surprise her. I never thought of that being the reason. I promise you.”
“That’s your trouble. You never listen,” I say firmly. “He’s already threatened Felix Featherstone. Why did you mention Felix? What did you say?”
“I just thought someone would’ve known she was the girl who was in a relationship with Felix before you and—"
“Because you thought she was lying.”
“She’s going to be part of this family, West. I wanted to help her.”
“No. She’s part of my life, and you better understand that if anything happens to her, you’ll regret it.”
“Regret? What do you mean by that?”
My pulse quickens. “You keep poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and I’ll make sure you see just how deep this goes.”
Before he can respond, my mother picks up the call.
“Westley!” Her voice cuts through the tension like a knife. “What’s happening?”
“Your husband has put Amelia in danger,” I snap.
“He likes the girl,” she says softly, trying to calm me down. “He’s happy for you.”
But it’s too late; the anger surges back up.
“She deserves better than this family! She deserves better than what we’ve given her!” My words hang heavy between us.
“We wanted what was best for everyone involved,” she says gently. “Please…just take a moment and think about what you’re saying.”
I breathe heavily into the phone as an unsettling realization sinks in. I’m in so deep with Amelia that losing her isn’t an option, despite what that may mean.
After speaking to my father for the second time, I’m in a battle against time.
Give him his due. He acted quickly. He called me back with information less than an hour after his first call. And that makes me wonder how much he really knows about Amelia. But I’ll think about that another time because I have to process the information that he gave me.
Giovanni Vincenzo, the Italian don, landed at JFK this morning with five of his men. Which means they are here, in my city, and ready to take what is mine.
“You must know someone!” I ask Dante again. He’s not only my best friend Dom’s brother, but he is also Italian, though his family left that life behind. Still, I’m convinced he has contacts,
“It’s not your world, West. Keep away,” Dante warns me.
I disconnect. My knuckles are still white from gripping it so tightly.
My voice has grown hoarse from making call after call, pulling in every favor I can think of.
I need to find someone to take out Vincenzo and his men, but each time, I’m met with the same response: fear. No one wants to touch the don’s people, too scared of the consequences.
“Fuck!” I roar, flinging the handset of my desk phone across the room. It shatters against the wall, pieces scatter across the polished floor of my office.
Jackson stands silently by the door, his face impassive. But there is some tension in his shoulders. And the way his hand hovers near his holster, I know he is nervous.
“Sir,” he says quietly. “Perhaps we should return to the penthouse. Miss Amelia—”
“You’re right,” I cut him off, running a hand through my hair. “Let’s go.”
“The car is waiting in the private parking garage.” He swallows as he stares at me. “I had it scanned for devices.” Then adds after a moment of hesitation, “just in case.”
And I realize how deep I’m in.