Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Okay, so it was possible to hate himself more than he already did, and watching Georgia hug her stomach protectively while her face turned an ashen colour and fear sprang in her eyes did it for Niccolo.
He took her hand and squeezed it tightly, holding her frightened stare just as tightly. Speaking with calm intent, he said, “I am not going to let anything happen to you, carina. Whatever happens, you and our baby will not be hurt. I swear.”
“You keep saying that, but this is about more than money and humiliation,” she whispered hoarsely.
“Why the hell do you think I got to you so quickly?” Niccolo had broken every speed limit in Italy, France and England to get to her. If he could have made the plane fly over the continent faster and put rocket fuel in the train taking him through the Channel Tunnel, he would have.
Pulling her hand to his mouth, he grazed kisses over the knuckles.
“Let me explain some things. Lorenzo wrote off the debt when I agreed to marry Siena, but the threat was implicit that if I backed out of the wedding, the full sum and more would have to be repaid. Failing to marry her would mean a threat to my life. Lorenzo’s death turns that threat into a whole different ball game. ”
“That much I understand,” she said in the same hoarse whisper, but then something flickered in her eyes. “But you have the money to pay them off?”
“Every last cent of it plus interest. It’s in a Swiss bank account, but they won’t care about it,” he warned her.
He didn’t want Georgia building her hopes up that the repayment of his debt would make everything magically better.
She needed to understand that two of Lorenzo’s sons were seeking blood vengeance.
Her eyes widening, she pulled her hand away. “You knew you were going to jilt her?”
Considering what they were talking about, the question was completely left field.
It took a beat to get his thoughts in order to answer it.
“Not consciously, not until I did it, but I was clear-headed about the need to rebuild and secure my fortune as a means to protect myself for the future. I had an idle fantasy that I would pay them back and use my remaining millions to disappear, but it was just a fantasy because no one disappears from the Espositos. When I abandoned the wedding, it was with the full knowledge that they would come after me, would most likely find me and that I’d be lucky to escape with my life.
I had no idea you needed protecting, too.
I had no clue the Espositos had been keeping watch over you…
” He blinked with sudden thought. “How did you know they’d found out about the baby?
Rico didn’t mention it in his message when he warned me they were coming for you. ”
She closed her eyes. “An Italian man phoned and told me the Espositos were coming for me and that if I wanted to keep myself and my baby safe, I had to leave immediately and do exactly what he said.” Her eyes opened and locked back onto his. “It’s how I ended up at that Bayswater flat.”
“An Italian man?” he clarified.
“Yes.”
“It must have been Rico.”
“The man who warned you?”
“Yes. Lorenzo’s son.”
“You are joking? Lorenzo’s own son is trying to help us? Why would he do that?” Without any warning, she jumped to her feet, her gaze darting in all directions. “Is this all a trap? A means to herd us into place so they…”
“No,” he interjected firmly. “I thought it was a trap too, but if it was, they would have ambushed us at that apartment. They had plenty of time to organise themselves while I was on my way to you.”
“But…” She sank back onto her seat, her face creased with thought. “Why? You’ve just told me how close the family are so why would he help us?”
This was something Niccolo had been thinking about a lot since he’d received Rico’s voice message. “There was talk in Accardiano about Rico and Marisa.” Realising the name would mean nothing to Georgia, he explained, “Marisa’s the sister of Gennaro’s wife.”
“Your sister-in-law’s sister?”
“Yes. Our families were very close when I was growing up. I’ve known both the sisters since they were tiny. Marisa’s a very good person, very religious. If the rumours about her and Rico are true, then I would imagine her influence is behind him helping us.”
“Really? Her influence would make him go against his own family?”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Love makes men do foolish things.”
She held the stare only a moment before a hint of colour stained her cheeks and she looked away. “You think he was foolish for helping us?”
“I can’t imagine his brothers will be happy if they find out,” he pointed out in an even tone. “But I could be wrong; it could be that he discovered his conscience for himself, but Marisa…” He lifted his shoulders. “If any woman was going to help him find it, it’s her.”
“You sound like you’re in love with her yourself.” He heard the effort it took to make her own tone light.
“Everyone falls in love with Marisa, but I’ve always thought of her like a cousin. Any love I have for her is platonic.”
Still avoiding his gaze, she tucked her hair behind her ears. “Well, whatever Rico’s reasons for helping us, I’m very grateful to him, and glad I trusted my instincts to trust him.”
Niccolo’s stomach dropped at a sudden image of what would have happened if Georgia hadn’t trusted Rico’s warning.
A coldness like nothing else spread from his heart through to his veins, and he had to swallow to open his frozen vocal cords.
“Believe me, no one is more grateful than I am,” he said hoarsely.
Dio, if he made it out of this mess alive, he could never repay the debt he owed Rico. A true debt.
At a time when he must have been reeling at the shock of his father’s sudden death, Rico had found the presence of mind to get Georgia out of vengeance’s way to safety and give Niccolo the means to reach her.
Her eyes had darted back to him. Even as deeper colour flushed over her cheeks, she held the stare, and now she was the one reaching for his hand, enveloping it between both of hers, her body twisting to face his.
For the longest time, neither of them spoke. Not with words. Words weren’t needed to know they were both processing just how much they owed Rico Esposito.
It was Georgia who broke the silence. “How do you think he knew about the baby?”
“They’ve had you under surveillance.”
That made her blink. “Seriously?”
“I’m guessing since Paris.”
Her eyes closed tightly, as if it hurt to even hear the word Paris, but then she lifted her chin and pulled a small smile to her face, looking at him as she said, “Oh well, that’s that mystery solved, because I didn’t tell anyone.”
“No one?”
She gave a small shake of her head. “Callie guessed a while ago. She felt she had to tell Dante, but I know she wouldn’t have told anyone else.”
That landed like a punch. “Dante knows?”
“She told him the other day. I think she thought he’d be on her side about telling you, but he agreed with me.” The glimmer of a smile played on her lips. “He thought you might jilt the bride if you knew about the baby before the wedding and that hellfire would rain down on everyone.”
He pulled his hand from her clasp and dragged his fingers over his stubbled cheeks.
He needed a shave, he registered dimly as the sting of betrayal coursed through his veins.
Dante was his oldest friend, the person he trusted above everyone.
That he knew about the baby came as much of a shock to Niccolo as the pregnancy had done.
“He was trying to protect you,” she said softly into the long silence that followed.
Tilting his head to the ceiling, he sighed heavily.
If there was one person in the world who would put his life on the line for him, it was Dante.
“I know,” he admitted. “You both were.” He lowered his gaze back to her.
“And now it is for me to protect you and our baby and put into action a plan to stop the hellfire.”
Her eyes shone. “So you do have a plan?”
“Yes, but it will only work if I can get hold of Dante, so I need to find a way to hack into Benjamin’s computer.”
“What do you want Dante to do?”
“I want him to use his vast wealth and resources to get us to Switzerland. I don’t have enough cash on me to do it, and right now it’s too dangerous to access my bank accounts.”
Her hopeful expression faded, the shine in her eyes fading. “I can’t leave the country, Nic. I haven’t got my passport.”
He bit back an oath. The only way for the plan that had been forming and solidifying in his head to succeed was to get out of England. Leaving Georgia behind was out of the question. “We will get your passport.”
“How? It’s in my flat. Won’t they be watching it?”
He rubbed his stubbly cheeks again. “I saw two men watching your flat last night. They would be stupid not to have men inside it too, and we know the Espositos are not stupid.”
“Then no passport.”
“Dante can help us with that, too… If I can hack that damned password to get hold of him.” If not, he’d come up with a new plan.
“Wow, this really is serious if you’re prepared to ask for help.”
His grin formed without any warning. Now that they were discussing a way out, Georgia’s mood had visibly lifted.
“I am famous for asking for help when it’s needed,” he deadpanned. He didn’t need to be a mind reader to know she was thinking of his failure to ask for or accept help at any point since Lorenzo’s blackmail.
Screw his pride. When it came to Georgia’s life and the life of their unborn child, he would do anything to keep them safe.
Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “I don’t suppose you know Dante’s phone number off the top of your head, do you?”
“No…” He thought back to their childhood. “But I know his father’s.”
“Off by heart? How?”