Chapter 29
Hunted or Hunter
Sammy
“Nice place,” Maldonado murmurs as we walk through another luxury high-rise apartment.
“Yeah, nicest one we’ve seen all week,” Uncle Czar says.
The property I purchase will be here in Manhattan, that much I have seen. This evening, Uncle Czar, Maldonado, and I are looking at the last of the properties pulled with my requirements. Dad has demanded Maldonado not let me out of his sight.
That is fine, as he has been in my visions. Mom and Dad are still adjusting. They want to help, but neither of them wishes to overwhelm me.
There is already a lot on my plate. As Mom has suggested to me, in the last week, I’ve been breaking down my dreams and visions into tangible tasks. This has been working for me.
Although some things have become clearer, I’m only waiting for their right timing. I have made lists of things I understand and what I can do in the present to achieve the outcomes I desire.
There is more to be done than planning for my enemies, but I’m prepared for them as well. After my talk with Miss Lovie and Uncle Jamie, I was able to put my plan in motion. The trap I have set is working.
They are coming for me. They have been watching all week as Uncle Czar has been taking me to look at different properties. I have shown them what I want them to see.
Miss Lovie has been a great help, reporting back to me on their movements.
I trust her; she’s allowing me to handle this without taking control from me to handle it herself.
She’s been my outside eyes and ears while I have been keeping my eyes within, making sure I don’t miss any important changes. For now, the focus is on me.
“This is not it,” I say to Uncle Czar and Maldonado as yet another property can be checked off the list.
“We have two more left. As you said, this will be the last night. Do you want to do the others now or take a break for dinner? Your parents are in the city having dinner. Do you want to join them?”
I know Mom and Dad are here. I had Uncle Uri and Auntie Val ask them to join them for dinner. It’s all a part of the plan.
“No, no,” I say quickly. “I have to stay in character; they are watching. If Mo-mo sees how I’ve been behaving, she will show concern and believe something is wrong with me.
“The therapist in her will react, wanting to help me, believing I have started to regress. I don’t want to alarm her, and this has to look natural. They can’t know I’m playing them.
“I need them to see me as weak, an easy target. I have planned it so Mom and Dad arrive just when I want them to. Not a moment before.”
He holds his hands up. “Okay, I get it. We leave LaSalle and Tasha out of it for now.”
“Let’s move to the next one.”
“Are you sure the one you’re looking for exists? I mean, these visions are from when you’re older. It could be a property that’s not available yet.”
“No, Uncle Czar. It exists. I will spend years perfecting it, but it’s available to me now,” I say, getting frustrated.
“Okay, kid. I’m just checking.”
“You’re annoying me. Stick to the plan.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. I frown as I see in my mind’s eye why he’s in such a rush tonight. This will happen this evening and I’ll be able to release him.
“Sorry, I’m not trying to annoy you. Put yourself in my shoes. You haven’t given me much to go on when it comes to this plan of yours or information on what’s about to go down.”
I purse my lips and think his words over. I’m trying to be patient here and understand his position. However, it’s still getting on my nerves.
“If I told you everything, you would not respond in the manner that’s needed and that could compromise your safety and my mission. I have told you everything I need you to know. Now I ask that you trust me.”
He reaches to place a hand on top of my head. “I’m down for whatever you need. As long as I get you home safe in the end.”
“This will be over soon, and I will make it home without a scratch. If you and Maldonado are hungry, we can stop somewhere for a bite to eat.”
“I wouldn’t mind something to put in my stomach,” Maldonado says.
Uncle Czar only grunts in response as he looks down at his phone, something grabbing his attention. I smile when it comes to me what will happen tonight when he gets home.
“Since there are only two left, at least we know you will be able to put the offer in for me in the morning. Tonight, your wife is waiting for you to come home. She has news for you.”
Uncle Czar looks up from his phone at me and lifts a brow. I smile back at him, but I don’t tell him what I mean. She will tell him about their first baby when he gets home.
He will be happy and worried, but he has nothing to worry about. Uncle Czar will make a great father. Everything is going to be fine. I will not allow any of this to touch his family.
“Now you have me curious. Let’s grab something quick to eat and head to these last two. Simon left the keys with the doormen for the last two. You ready to get to it?”
“Yes, I—”
I’m pushed forward into a vision and my words are cut off. Suddenly, I’m standing in my room with Jess. This is in the near future. She has a picture for me.
I take it from her and notice right away the numbers hidden. Then everything changes. I see the woman with the blue eyes, but there are more details as I look at her. Then I begin to hear the voice in my head.
They are coming. You will not finish this today. Let it go and leave. It’s time.
The present comes back into focus. I look to Uncle Czar, who’s watching me, and nod. This one I understand. I don’t need my notebook.
“I know the address of the right property, but we must leave. We will finish this later.”
I remove my backpack and place it at my feet. I then remove my suit jacket to reveal my new custom vest Uncle Uri had made for me. The new weighted vests look like a third piece to my suits and have hidden panels for my knives so they’re not as obvious.
Neatly folding my jacket to place in my backpack, I then tuck it under my arm. Next, I open my backpack and take out the holster inside to put on before I tuck my jacket into the backpack.
“What the fuck? What just happened, Sammy?” Uncle Czar asks.
“They are going to make their move. Maldonado, my other bag, please,” I reply as I place my backpack back on and pull out my phone.
“I’m calling your dad.”
“No, I have that covered. You and Maldonado will ride down with me. Half of their men will be in the garage.
“The other half are on the street. They intend to ambush our car once we pull out. They won’t get the opportunity,” I say without lifting my head from my phone.
Jamie is on standby to deliver something to my parents for me. Mom and Dad know I’m in training, but they still worry about me. I need them to see who I am too.
Tonight, everyone will know.
Me: Do it now.
LaSalle
“This is a nice place,” Tasha says as we enter the restaurant with Uri and Val.
“We’ve been here once since the opening. The food was divine. The service.” Val pulls a face and shrugs. “Let’s hope they have worked on that.”
“Dinner without having to play ref, I’ll take it. I’d be happy to go back there and get my own order,” Tasha snickers.
“You and me both. I swear Inzo and Nori have been driving me crazy lately. Everything has become an argument between the two.”
“It will stop,” Uri says confidently.
“I hope so.” Val pouts.
“If it does not, they will be in Italy.”
Val begins to laugh. “You will not send our children to live on the same property only to be acres apart. They aren’t you and your siblings. We will not turn that into a Donati tradition.”
“I don’t see why not. It will work.”
Val rolls her eyes and grabs Tasha by the hand to move to the hostess station as the people ahead of us move out of the way. I step behind my wife with my hands crossed in front of me. Uri does the same, placing a hand on Val’s back.
“Your table will be ready in another ten minutes,” the hostess says.
“Thank you,” Val says.
“Let’s head to the bar,” Uri says.
I nod as Tasha and Val walk ahead of us. With a smile on my face, I keep my eyes on my wife. She and Val are dressed similarly.
They both have on leather-looking bodysuits and red bottoms. Tasha is wearing a leather crop jacket that calls attention to all her curves. Val has a cape on over hers.
I get the feeling there’s a holster resting under there. I grin, knowing Tasha has hers locked in the hidden compartment of her bike. We both rode in on our motorcycles this evening.
It seems Uri and Val had the same idea. Something tells me Sammy planted the seed to get us all to make that decision tonight. I wouldn’t put it past him.
Once we are all seated, we place our drink orders. However, before our drinks are placed in front of us, Jamie and Dylan O’Brien appear. My hackles go up immediately.
The two are carrying what looks like gift bags in each hand. However, the looks on their faces couldn’t be more serious. They stop before us and hold the bags out toward us.
“Sammy sent us to hand you these. Open them and we will give you the next instructions,” Jamie says.
We each take a bag. I peer into mine and furrow my brows. There’s a motorcycle helmet inside. Looking up, I find the others pulling out the same.
“Okay,” Tasha drags out.
“I’ll make this quick. You are to use those. Once you have them on, everything will make sense. The kid is under attack. The location and everything else will be provided through the helmet.”
I don’t give Jamie a chance to finish his words before I’m in motion. Tasha is right at my side. We move from the restaurant, heading back to our bikes without a word.
Once outside, I tug the helmet on before I even get to my bike. Not again. I can’t be too late again.
“GPS loading,” an automated voice says through the helmet the moment it settles on my head.
An address flashes across my vision inside the windscreen. I recognize it as one of the property addresses Czar reported to me. He has been keeping me and Tasha in the loop concerning Sammy’s request of him.