Chapter 45
CIRO
All I could think about was Isla and how she looked when I kissed her good-bye an hour ago. Would she hate me after this was all over? Could I blame her if she did?
No. I didn’t blame her for anything.
Her sister’s piece-of-shit boyfriend was to blame. He assaulted Isla and brought the Russians into the apartment building, for a measly ten grand.
The flight to Canada would take six hours. That meant I had two hours to get Pippa back and get her home to her mother before bedtime.
Roman’s phone rang. He answered it and I could tell it was about Wolf’s mother.
“Are you sure?” my brother asked. “There is no room for mistakes about this.” He tapped his thumb on his knee, a thing he did when he was nervous,
I had a feeling my intuition was correct about Wolf’s mother. She wasn’t alive.
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” Roman ended the call and put his phone away. He stared out his window for a long second. I didn’t push him to talk because I already knew I was right.
“We’re five minutes away,” our driver announced.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“She’s dead,” Roman hissed.
“I knew she was.”
“Do you have to be so goddamn smug and always right?” he snapped. “Whether Vera is dead or alive, killing Wolf’s brother is going to hurt him.”
I shrugged. “When did you grow a pussy? You offend me with your seeming disregard for my child’s life. I’ll remember this.” I gritted my teeth and stared out of my window.
“Don’t act like that. I want nothing more than Pippa’s safe return. She should’ve never been taken to begin with.”
“Exactly! And if Kira hadn’t fucked around with Zotov, my daughter would be with her mother right now.”
“Oh, sure. Her mother who is unconscious because a drunk lunatic beat her up. What are you going to do to make sure they are both safe going forward?” he asked in a challenging voice.
“I’m going to marry Isla. Give her and Pippa a beautiful life full of wealth and privilege. The life my mother had only experienced for a short time with Padre.”
My mind was made up. My fears be damned. After what happened last night to Isla and Pippa being taken, they weren’t any safer away from me than if they were with me. At least with me, I would do everything in my power to protect them.
Roman blinked at me like I’d grown horns out of my head. “Finally.”
“Go to hell.” I sneered at me.
The car stopped. I opened the door, got out, and slammed it behind me.
Fabio greeted us. “It’s awfully bold of you to conduct this sort of business in broad daylight. Gotta say, I admire you all the more.”
“Stop kissing my ass,” I told him sarcastically. “What do you want?”
“Nothing gets past you.” He nudged his head to the side, letting me know he wanted a private conversation away from my brother.
“What?”
“When this is all over, are you up for discussing Roman’s future?” Fabio asked.
“Future what?”
“Marriage.” His answer intrigued me.
I arched one eyebrow at Fabio. “Have you entered the matchmaking business?”
“Maybe. It could be quite lucrative for your family and Roman.” He smiled wickedly.
“I thought you hated the idea of arranged marriages?”
“I do for myself. But there’s a Pisano who’s looking to marry off his very beautiful, very young daughter to an established powerful family and I thought of your brother. Really, either of them.”
“Interesting. Let’s get my daughter away from the Bratva first.”
“Follow me.” Fabio led the way down to a warehouse.
“What was that all about?” Roman asked as I knew he would.
“Something about the Pisano family. I don’t know.” I waved my hand like I didn’t care.
“I went to school with a guy named Piero Pisano. Is it the same family?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Can we focus on what’s happening in the present?” I shook my head and looked up at the seagulls flying around. It was a clear day, uncharacteristic for the Bay Area. Usually there was fog and it would burn off after lunch.
We entered the building and my eyes landed on Wolf tied to a chair next to his brother, who was also tied to a chair. My brother-in-law glared at me. He wasn’t gagged so that was good.
“What the fuck is this?” I asked Fabio. “Untie Wolf.”
“Sorry, no can do. He was being a problem.”
“Jesus Christ.” I went over to the brothers. “If Rosa knew you were tied up, she’d have my head.”
“And mine. I don’t appreciate you forcing me to come, when she could go into labor at any moment.” His upper lip curled and he glared at his brother. “But then if you hadn’t fucked with Zotov, Ciro’s baby would be with her mother.”
Kira tried to talk but he was gagged.
I looked at one of the soldiers guarding him and motioned for him to remove the gag so I could hear what he was trying to say.
Kira coughed and cleared his throat.
“Speak,” I barked.
“I would never harm an innocent baby.” With his thick and phlegmy Russian accent, it made understanding him difficult. Especially because he was so obviously scared. “Zotov wanted a woman of value to pay my debt.”
I clamped down on my back molars. “And you were going to give him my woman?” When I’d spoken to Zotov, he’d apologized for taking Pippa.
His men couldn’t tell the difference between Isla and her sister, Elsie.
I understood. Both were blondes, similar height and facial features.
But my Isla was the woman of value compared to her sister.
The blood drained out of his face as he realized what he’d confessed.
“Did you not think to ask us for help before causing this mess?”
“I try to fix it myself,” Kira said.
“You helped them get my woman and child!” I slapped him across the face. “My baby is with strangers!” I backhanded him, hitting his nose and making it bleed.
Wolf’s breathing increased but he didn’t tell me to stop.
“Please. I beg. Don’t take me to Zotov. Please. I run away and never come back,” Kira said.
“No,” I replied flatly.
“No?” Kira asked.
“No,” I repeated.
“Brother.” He turned toward Wolf. “Please. Please help me. Ciro will listen to you.”
“No!” I shouted in Kira’s face. “Zotov will kill my baby! You’re nothing but a filthy, selfish cockroach!”
“We can try—”
“No.” I cut off Wolf. “Say good-bye to your brother. He fucked with the wrong man.” I hit my hand against my chest.
“You’re doing the right thing,” Fabio whispered at my side.
“Let this be a lesson to all of you.” I turned around to face the others in the warehouse. “You betray me and my family, you will die!”
“How much time does he have?” Wolf asked.
“I’m waiting to hear from Zotov with a time and location,” I said. “If I have them release you, will you be a problem?” I didn’t like seeing him tied up like his brother. But if he tried to stop me from rescuing my baby, I would put a bullet in him.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.
“Then let me help you to know for sure so you don’t try to stop me.” I stepped closer to him and his brother. “Where is your mother, Kira?”
Wolf stared at me a long beat, then cut his gaze to his brother.
“In Russia,” Kira said.
“Yes, but is she alive in Russia or is she dead?” I asked in a dramatic, knowing tone.
“What do you know?” Wolf asked me. His jaw twitched as he stared at his brother with a murderous glint in his eyes. His anger was palpable. He should want to kill his lying, stealing, cockroach of a brother.
I waved my hand for Roman to step forward, and I moved to the side with Fabio.
“We’ve confirmed that your mother died months ago,” Roman told Wolf. “The facility she was supposedly staying at has no record of her. I’m sorry.”
“But I talked to her.” Wolf blinked rapidly.
“They’re lying, brother. She’s alive. I promise,” Kira just kept lying. Anything to save his own neck.
I punched him in the face to shut him up. Couldn’t stand the sound of his voice anymore.
“But I talked to her.” Wolf hung his head.
“Are you sure it was her? Kira could have paid someone to impersonate her.” I motioned for a soldier to untie Wolf.
“No,” he growled at the man. “Don’t or I’ll kill him with my bare hands, and then you won’t get your baby.”
“Fair enough.” I held my hand up, so the armed soldier moved back.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. It better be Zotov. I was out of my mind with worry for my baby girl. I needed to get her back to her mother before Isla woke up and vowed to hate me for the rest of her life.
“It’s from Zotov,” I told my brother and Fabio. “One hour. He sent me the location.”
Fabio peered at the address. “I know exactly where that’s at. It’ll take about forty-five minutes to get there.”
“Good. Let’s get a move on.” I turned toward Wolf. “It’s time.”
“Just take him away. I don’t want to ever see him again.” He raised his chin and turned his head away from his brother.
“Very well. Load Kira into the van.” I nodded to the closest soldier.
The Russian started yelling in his native language as the guards removed him from the chair and dragged him toward a black van with blackout windows. I was glad I didn’t understand a word he said.
But I could tell what Kira said affected Wolf deeply as his eyes filled with tears. Nonetheless, Wolf wouldn’t look at his brother.
When Kira had been gagged again and was secured in the vehicle, I had another guard free Wolf.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this. Let’s get my daughter and go home.”
He nodded and followed me toward the car we would take to the meeting place.
In the car, Wolf texted Rosa and I sent Luca a message. I wanted an update on Isla.
Luca: She’s still out. If she wakes up too early, Jon will knock her out.
Ciro: On our way to do the exchange. Hoping to be home not too long after you.
Luca: I pray it goes well.
Ciro: Me too.
The instructions I’d received from Zotov stated I could bring two people with me. No cops, of course. I didn’t want to bring Roman since he was next in line to be the Don of our family if something happened to me.
“I’ll go with you,” Fabio said, volunteering. He didn’t fear death. As the youngest boy in his family, he had nothing to lose. “I’ll bring Ross with me.” His right-hand man nodded from the driver’s seat.
“I appreciate it. Are you fine with that, Wolf?”
“Yes. I’ll stay back,” he replied.
The exchange should happen smoothly. Zotov would give me Pippa, and I would hand over Kira. Then we’d part ways. Whatever Zotov did to Kira would not be in front of us.
“Did you get the stuff I requested?” I asked Roman.
While I was at Alba’s, I’d texted him to pick up some supplies for Pippa.
If Zotov was an experienced father like he claimed, my child should have been properly cared for; fed and provided with fresh diapers.
Not that I wanted to think of someone I didn’t know changing her. I shook those thoughts out of my head.
If there was even a tiny bruise or scratch or a diaper rash on my baby, I would find Zotov at a later date and end his life. But I wouldn’t think about that now. The meeting would be uneventful. I didn’t want any trouble and neither did Zotov.
Everything needed to go off without a hitch…
The forty-five-minute drive felt like hours. But I was anxious and I hated being anxious about anything.
We were meeting at a park in Castro Valley, which at first, I thought was odd.
But it confirmed Zotov’s wishes not to become enemies.
He gave us specific directions on where to leave the van with Kira in it, and Pippa would be in a stroller with his own daughter in the playground.
Having his teenager there was a show of his good faith, which I appreciated.
My phone pinged with a notification. I opened the text, which was an image of Pippa and the young girl. They were at the park waiting for us. My heart raced as I stared at my beautiful baby. Even got a little choked up.
“She looks in good shape,” Roman said.
I nodded.
“Can I see?” Fabio asked.
I passed him the phone.
He smiled wide. “Wow. You’re lucky she looks like her mother.”
“Always the smartass. But yes. She looks very much like Isla.” I took the phone back and stared at my sweet baby.
My muscles were getting tight the closer we got. I jumped when my phone rang in my hand. It was Zotov.
“Hello?”
“Sorry to call, but I didn’t want to offend you by not being at the park,” he said.
“Why not?” Not that I cared. I only wanted my daughter back.
“I didn’t want to make this bigger than it needed to be.”
“You’re not going to fuck me over, are you? That wouldn’t be smart.” I gripped my device tightly.
“Not at all. I need to ensure my daughter will be okay as well. Bratva and Mafia meeting in a public place in the middle of the day would draw a lot of attention.” He wasn’t wrong about that.
“I get it. No offense, but I don’t care to meet in person. I only want my baby.”
“That’s fair. And I only want Kira.”
I glanced sidelong at Wolf, who’d been staring out the window.
“Well, we are pulling into the parking lot.” I saw the van go around us. Spotting the park, I searched for the girl with a stroller. “I see her.”
“That is my Alina. She is thirteen.”
The car stopped and I jumped out of the car. “Okay. I’m on my way toward them.”
“I see you. I’m in the white car on the left.”
I looked in that direction and saw the Mercedes. The van parked next to him.
“Go ahead and verify Kira is there and I will do the same with my daughter,” I said, walking fast. Roman was behind me, but I couldn’t slow down.
“He’s here. Sorry about the mix up. I hope we can do business another time.”
As I neared the stroller, my heart jumped into my throat. The young girl looked at me with bright blue eyes.
“Alina?” I asked.
She nodded, but I knew it was her because I recognized my baby.
“All good?” Zotov asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” The call ended.
I shoved my phone in my pocket and scooped up my sleeping baby and held her against my chest. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry about this,” I whispered to her.
“We should go,” Fabio said.
I looked at the girl, smiled and left. Fabio and I walked quickly to the sedan. I couldn’t stop kissing Pippa’s head and thanking God for keeping her safe.
Now to get her home to her mother and I prayed Isla would forgive me one more time.