56. Dimitri
56
DIMITRI
T he runway is nothing but an unassuming strip of land next to a private beach.
As we close in on it, I pray with every fiber of my being that we'll be able to get there on time. I don't even remember the last time I prayed for something. I just hope that someone up there hears it.
Max pulls up in his Lamborghini seconds after I arrive.
Our men have already reached the location. The ’ Ndrangheta might usually keep a low profile, but the size of their militia is no joke. They surround the private jet now, making sure it can’t take off.
Max and I get out of our cars at the same time. Our eyes meet across the concrete. A silent understanding passes between us.
We’re going to leave the past behind where it belongs.
Right now, we’re united by a common goal—get our women back to safety.
We reach for our weapons. I select an Uzi and rest it on my shoulder before walking toward him. He meets me halfway.
There’s a steely determination in his eyes, but I see the fear lurking underneath. Chloe’s life is still in danger.
“Do you have the antidote?” he asks.
“Inside my pocket,” I say. “Is the area secured?”
He nods. “Nobody will hear a word about what happens here.”
The auction is a high-profile event, so the security in Monaco is more amplified than ever. It’s better if we don’t have Jennifer’s upcoming death traced back to us.
I glance at the small army gathered around the aircraft. It’s comprised of both Max’s men and mine.
I nod at them.
They storm the aircraft.
It's like watching a highly trained army at work. They move in efficient, synchronized motions like they practice this every day.
We wait a few seconds. When the large cargo door at the back is opened, we head inside the aircraft.
We found the location of the private jet, but this fight is far from over.
My heart pounds inside my chest with every step I take. My thoughts are racing at a million miles a minute. My body feels like I’m dragging myself through quicksand.
We take the stairs toward the back door.
Every single thought in my head fades the second I see Briar there. All that exists is her.
She's crouched over her sister.
Her violet eyes flick to mine for a fraction of a second.
“You came,” Briar whispers, glancing back down at her immobile sister.
Max and I rush to Chloe’s side, and I inject the antidote into Chloe’s bloodstream. The universal antidote used to be a potion that was given orally, but the newer version is given intravenously.
I put the syringe away and wrap my arms around Briar. I press a kiss on the side of her head and breathe in her scent.
A rush of emotions hits me in the chest.
I can’t let myself feel everything just yet, though. It’s still not over.
“She’s not moving,” Max says, pressing his fingers against his fiancée’s carotid artery. “Why is she not moving?”
“I’ve been told it takes time to work,” I say.
“What if it’s expired?” he says. “What if it doesn’t work?”
“This is how the antidote works,” I say. “In some cases, the person’s condition appears to get worse before they heal.”
All of us wait with bated breath for the antidote to do its magic on Chloe.
“Does she have a pulse?” I ask Max.
He nods. “She does, but it’s very weak.”
Briar holds my hand and squeezes it tightly.
I’ve never seen Chloe look this pale before. There are no signs of life on her face. Her chest barely rises when she breathes.
I never had many friends in my life, but Chloe has always been nice to me. Even when she had no reason to show me kindness, she told me that she was on my side. Even when I had her locked up in that room with her son, she asked me about my well-being.
And for the second time today, I feel an unexpected pang in my chest. It's my heart feeling things again.
I'm not entirely sure if I like what I'm turning into. Caring about more people will only mean that I’ll have more chinks in my armor.
“Be patient,” I remind them again. “It should only take a few more minutes.”
I stand. Briar's hand remains wrapped around my wrist.
She looks up at me.
"Where are you going?" she asks.
"I need to find your mother," I say.
Briar reluctantly lets go of my hand.
"Please be careful," she says, taking a deep breath.
I nod. With one last glance at the three of them, I head toward the inside of the jet. I walk down the aisle of the passenger area and head toward the cockpit. That’s where I find all of Jennifer’s men bound and restrained, with Jennifer herself in the middle. Our men made quick work of it.
She arches an eyebrow when she sees me.
"We finally meet," I say, extending my Uzi and pointing it at her head. "I was going to take my sweet time with you, but it's better I get it over with now."
Any other person in her position would shrink in fear. But not her. She has a soft smile on her lips.
"Any last words before I blow your head off?” I ask.
"Actually, yes," she says. "I just don't think it's a great idea for you to kill me right now. Not if you want to be a part of your unborn child's life."
Her words shouldn't ruffle me. But she hit the nail on the head, capturing my biggest fear in a single sentence.
I know exactly what she's doing.
She's baiting.
But it's that smug smile on her face that makes me second-guess myself.
"Why?" I grit out.
Her smile widens. She stares out of the cockpit window. I don’t see anything in the distance. It’s just more of our men on standby.
“I did something naughty,” she confesses. “I made a little call when I found out you were coming.”
Fuck .
I immediately bark orders at the men around me, telling them to hide all weapons and incriminating evidence. These are trained men, so they act swiftly under pressure. They replace all metal handcuffs with plastic zip ties. They get rid of all our weapons.
Two minutes later, I see the blue siren lights approaching.
Interpol agents and local police jump out of the cars, surrounding us on all sides.
They're here for one reason and one reason only. They storm the private jet and head straight for Jennifer.
The woman winks at me.
"Better luck next time," she says, flashing me a bright smile.
"This isn't over," I say to her.
Her smile drops. "I promise you it's not."
She holds her wrists out as she's arrested on charges of human trafficking. She'll be put behind bars for the rest of her life.
Her red-soled stilettos click as she walks down the aisle.
And just like that, she’s gone.
Feeling dazed, I head back toward Max and the women.
I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see that Chloe is awake. She’s in Max’s arms. At least one part of our plan went right.
I reach for Briar and hold her hand.
Max looks up at me.
"How did this happen?" he asks.
"She was one step ahead of us again,” I say. "She called the police on herself."
Max curses in Italian. "She knew she'd have a better chance of survival if she got arrested. With us, all that awaited her was a bloody death."
"How is she?" I ask, nodding at Chloe.
"I'm fine." Chloe answers for herself. "But where's..."
She trails off like her throat isn't allowing her to finish the rest of the sentence.
"Is Grace safe?" Briar asks, turning to me.
Max and I exchange glances.
“We don’t know,” I tell her.
“How can you not know?” she says. “Weren’t you the ones who informed the police about the auction? I heard there was a raid there.”
"It wasn't us, actually," I say slowly. "Someone else called Interpol. We didn't even know where the auction was being held."
"What do you mean?" Briar asks.
"The location was changed at the last minute," I say. "Your mother intended to go through with the deal no matter what."
"Are you telling me that someone already... bought my little sister?" Briar asks.
"I'll take care of it," I tell her, brushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes are wide with shock. I hate seeing her like this. "We'll find her again."
Max and I exchange glances.
“If it wasn’t one of you, who called Interpol, then?” she asks.
"Someone with a lot of guts, that's who," Max replies. "Whoever it was, they just made an enemy out of every crime family present at the auction. Not to mention the billionaires and the politicians. This vigilante better hope their identity is never revealed. If it is, they’ll have to face the wrath of some of the most powerful families in existence.”
"That's true," I say.
The doctor arrives a minute later and starts checking Chloe over.
I take Briar outside. The Mediterranean sun shines down on us. There are puffy white clouds against a blue sky.
"Did your mother give you any drugs?” I ask Briar.
"No," Briar says, looking lost in thought.
I keep glancing over her body compulsively, checking for any signs of hurt. But whatever damage her mother caused this time is contained to her mind.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask her.
Briar sighs. "About thirty minutes ago, all I wanted was to be back in your arms again. I wanted nothing more than for Chloe to be safe. I prayed and prayed that you would get to us on time. And you did."
I know where this is going.
"But all I can think about now is my little sister," she says. “She was sold to some random man in an auction, Dimitri.”
"You have every right to be worried about her," I say, cupping her face in my hands.
"I just thought I'd feel better after I saw you," she says. "And I do. I really do, but at the same time, I'm also worried sick about Grace.”
“You’re allowed to feel conflicting emotions at the same time,” I tell her. “Back when I first met you, I felt happiness like I’ve never felt before. But at the same time, I was distressed about my brother.”
“How did you deal with that?” Briar asks, looking up at me.
“It wasn’t easy,” I say. “But sometimes that’s just the way life is.”
As I look at her eyes, I’m reminded of my time at the hospital. All I wanted back then was to see her eyes again. And now, they’re all mine.
She’s all mine.
Briar takes a deep breath.
"I can't believe my mother's finally in prison," she says. "She won't be able to touch us anymore."
That's not necessarily true. I know crime family bosses who call the shots while being incarcerated. Being in prison doesn't change anything when you have power and connections. But the last thing Briar needs is one more thing to worry about, so I don't tell her that.
“How long do you think it will take to find Grace?” she asks.
"We have a guest list of everyone who attended the party, so we should be able to track down who was last seen with Grace relatively quickly.”
"She's always been soft and sweet," Briar says, nibbling on her bottom lip. "I can't stop thinking about her."
"All I know is that if your sister is anything like you, she'll be just fine."
"You really think so?"
"I know so, princess.”
"You're right," she says. "She’s going to be okay. We'll find her in no time."
She's trying to give herself a pep talk. It’s equal parts adorable and heartbreaking.
"I can't promise that everything will always be perfect, but I promise that you'll always be able to count on me," I say.
She smiles at me with tears in her eyes.
"I really don't know what I would have done if I never met you, Dimitri," she says.
"It was our destiny to find each other," I say. "For once, all of the stars lined up just right, and you walked into my life. You pumped life back into my frozen heart, and I'll be forever indebted to you for that."
She throws her arms around me and presses her lips against mine.
"I love you so much, Dimitri," she says.
"I love you too, Briar. I love you with every beat of my heart.”
I deepen the kiss, losing myself in her sweet essence. The rest of the world falls away piece by piece. This fire and magic between us is all that exists now. My heart soars when I hear her whimper against my mouth.
This girl is my little sun.
My entire life.