Chapter 19
Brielle
“Oh my God. This feels so good.”
I glance at my pregnant sister-in-law, whose eyes are rolling up to the gods, and laugh. I might not have wanted to do anything that involved celebrating my upcoming marriage, but spending the day at the spa with Nicole, Dani, Peyton, and my mom has been nice.
When I first moved back, I tried to keep in touch with some old friends, but I quickly learned how fake they were, trying to use me to get to my brothers, and once they were both off the market, I barely heard from them.
So, when Nicole asked me who I wanted to join us, my family and Nicole were the only people that popped into my head.
“Be careful,” I say to Dani. “It might get back to Matteo that someone else is getting you off, and he’ll kill ’em.”
Dani snorts out a laugh, but then quickly sobers. “You’re right. He probably would. Although, the closer I get to popping this little one out, the more he gives in to my every whim. I could bat my lashes and ask him not to kill anyone, and he’d listen.”
Everyone laughs, and I join in, but my focus is on her belly, wishing I could push my envy away but wanting so badly what she has.
“So, when does the studio officially become yours?” Nicole asks, shaking me from my thoughts.
“Wait, what studio?” Peyton asks.
“North Harbor Point Pilates,” I say with a grin. “I didn’t want to jinx it until it went through … but the contract has been signed, and once the funds have cleared, the studio is all mine.”
“Oh, Bri!” Dani exclaims. “That’s so awesome.”
“It all happened so quickly,” I admit.
One minute, I was googling purchasing the studio, and the next, the contract was signed.
“Congratulations, honey,” my mom says with a sniffle.
“Mom, why are you crying?” I laugh. “It’s a good thing.”
“These aren’t tears of sadness,” Mom clarifies. “They’re from joy.” She smiles warmly at me and then glances at Peyton and Dani. “All I wanted was for my kids to find love and happiness, and I’m so glad they have.”
Dani glances at me with a soft, sympathetic smile, knowing what my mom doesn’t know—that I haven’t found love. But I shake my head, silently telling her to let it go.
“Kane’s actually the one who got it for me,” I admit, unsure why I feel the need to say that. “Apparently, Theo was butthurt that I’d broken things off with him, and he tried to ruin the deal I was working on with the investment company. But Kane found out and handled it.”
Nicole smirks. “Look at him go. Not even married yet, and he’s husband goals.”
I roll my eyes and lean my head back, ignoring her remark.
Every day this week, Kane has joined me for breakfast at Nicole’s coffee shop before we part ways—me to the Pilates studio and him to work.
And every day, once he’s gone, Nicole tells me that my husband is in love with me.
And it didn’t help that, one morning, when I was running late, he got in line for me, and when the person in front of him bought the last strawberry muffin—after I told him I was dying for one—he gave them a hundred dollars to order a different muffin.
Apparently, that was enough to have her crossing over to Team Kane.
Once our pedicures are done, we follow Leslie, the spa owner, back to the luncheon room, where we’re having afternoon tea. The room is decorated in different shades of pink with a banner across the top that reads Bridal Shower.
There are adorable four-tier stands that hold layers of sandwiches and snacks and so many sweets. Nicole once told me her favorite place to travel as a teenager was to the UK, and I now understand why.
“This is so cute!” Dani gushes. “I need to take a picture.” She pulls out her phone, but then drops it, clutching her belly.
“Are you okay?” I ask just as a loud scream pierces the air from somewhere outside of the room we’re in.
Immediately on alert, I run toward the door and slam it closed, locking it behind me. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m not going to make it easy for whoever it is on the other side.
“We need to hide,” I tell everyone as I glance around the room, confirming there are no other doors.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” Leslie cries in panic as the screams continue.
“You guys,” Dani whispers, “I think my water broke.”
I look down, and sure enough, there’s water dripping down the insides of her legs.
“Okay, we have to—” I begin, but my words are cut off when the doorknob jiggles, giving me flashbacks to when my nephew was taken by Anthony and Peyton and I had to chase him down.
“Peyton, Dani, text my brothers. There should’ve been guards out there, which means they either came in without them knowing or they took them out.”
A loud bang makes everyone shriek, and I know we only have a few moments until the door is either broken down or they lose their patience and shoot their way in.
“Everyone, in,” I say, opening the closet door.
It’s a tight fit, especially with Dani heavily pregnant, but they’re all in.
“Wait, Bri, what are you doing?” Mom asks when she realizes I’m not joining them.
“If they get to the closet, they’ll take us all out,” I rush out. “Hopefully, before that happens, Dominick or Matteo will get here.”
I slam the door before anyone can argue and then run over to the other door, situating myself so I’m behind it.
A second later, the door swings open, and a man with a black ski mask stalks into the room.
“It’s empty,” he barks.
“Check the other door,” another guy demands. “We need to find the girl.”
“Looking for me?” I shout, needing to get his attention.
He turns around, and before he can focus, I slam my foot into his crotch, hopefully pushing his dick into his stomach.
He groans and, shocked by my move, drops his gun.
I snatch it up, and without thinking, I shoot him in the chest.
“Put the gun down!” the other man barks just as I turn around and shoot him as well.
It hits his shoulder, sending him stumbling back a few steps. He raises his gun, determined to get a shot in, but I pull the trigger, hitting him in the neck. Blood spurts out everywhere, and he drops to the floor.
“What the hell is—”
Before I can shoot the third man, he points and shoots at me. I drop to the ground, trying to get a shot in, but when he aims his gun at me, I know it’s over. He has the perfect shot, and if he knows what he’s doing, it will end my life.
As I look into his cold, lifeless eyes, all I can think about is how little I’ve lived, and now, I’ll never get the chance to, thanks to being forced to marry a man who doesn’t love me.
I close my eyes, praying that someone arrives before he gets to the closet, and then the gun goes off. Only a few seconds later, the pain I should’ve felt doesn’t come.
“Fuck, Princess, come here.”
My eyes fling open, and Kane lifts me into his arms.
“Was I shot?” I ask, wondering if maybe I’m in shock.
“No, I was a few doors down at a business lunch when Dominick texted an alert that you guys were being attacked. Thankfully, I had been added to the group chat, and I ran over.”
He tightens his hold on me. “Fuck, I could’ve lost you.”
He carries me over to the table and gently places me on it.
“You saved my life,” I whisper.
“I’m just glad I got here in time.”
“Where is she?” Matteo yells, storming inside. “Where’s Dani?”
“In the closet,” I tell him. “And she’s in labor.”
Matteo runs over to the closet, yanking it open, and the women file out. My mom and Nicole rush over to me, and Peyton stays with Dani, who is groaning in pain.
“We need to get her to the hospital soon,” Peyton says. “Her contractions are appearing closer together.”
“Boss,” Kaleb, one of Matteo’s men, calls out, “this one’s not dead yet.”
Matteo stalks over to the guy and lifts him by the collar of his shirt. “Who sent you?” he barks. “And before you think about lying or telling me you aren’t saying, I’ll bring a doctor in and keep you alive so I can torture it out of you until you wish you were dead.”
“Carlos Santiago,” the guy breathes out, having trouble catching his breath.
“Who’s that?” I rasp. “Who the hell is Carlos Santiago?”
Matteo glances at me, looking like he’s seen a ghost, but it isn’t him who answers—it’s our mom.
“Carlos Santiago was a business associate of your father’s. He trafficked women into the port. But he died years ago, shortly after your father.”
“Who killed him?” I ask.
“I did,” Dominick says, standing in the doorway. “And unless dead men can make orders, there’s no way he’s the one doing all this.”
Doing all this …
What he’s referring to is whoever has been tormenting our family for the last year and a half.
We thought it was Anthony, but after I killed him, it continued with shipments being stolen and my brothers’ men getting arrested for distribution.
Then Dani was taken the night The Underground was ambushed during my brother Matteo’s fight.
We thought it was Enrique, until Matteo took him out, and the bullshit continued with them leaving Matteo a note on his wedding day, implying that he wouldn’t live long enough to be a husband and a dad because they wanted Harbor Point and they wouldn’t walk away from it.
“Oh my God!” I hiss, hopping off the table and walking over to the guy Matteo is standing over. “Who were you coming after?” I ask. “You said, ‘We need to find the girl.’ Who is the girl?”
“Nicole,” he chokes out. “Nicole Vanderbilt.”
Before I can ask him why, he starts coughing, and then blood dribbles out of his mouth. Within seconds, his eyes, which are still open, are lifeless while we all glance at my best friend, wondering why the hell they were coming for her. Until it hits me.
“The mayor,” I whisper. “He’s connected to all this.”
“You’re shaking.”
“I’m okay,” I insist as I run around the room, grabbing a change of clothes.
“No, you’re not,” Kane argues. “Come here.”
I ignore him, but when he pulls me into his arms, I go willingly.