58. Arianna
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
ARIANNA
I t’s strange how a single event could flip your world upside down.
A few hours ago, I started thinking—maybe foolishly hoping—that Matteo and I would have a future together. Yet as I listened to my dad’s words, I didn’t know what to think.
“I can’t find a trace of her.” His face on the phone screen was murderous. “First I thought… hoped… she was after you. But now?—”
“I wish she was with me.” I released a trembling breath. “You’re the best at tracking people. Isn’t it odd that you haven’t been able to find her?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. She vanished, but then so did you. It took me over a month to track you down.”
“I was surprised you didn’t find me right away,” I muttered.
He let out a sardonic breath.
“Someone was wiping your tracks behind you.” My eyes darted to Matteo who was sitting opposite me, his expression inscrutable.
“It wasn’t me,” Matteo answered.
“It wasn’t Matteo,” Dad confirmed at the same time. “It was thanks to him that I found you.”
“So whoever was making sure you couldn’t find me is doing the same thing with Hannah,” I stated slowly.
“Exactly. Now let me see your so-called husband.” Dad’s calm voice reverberated through the phone, the last word uttered with a slight clench to his teeth.
Matteo came around and lifted me effortlessly, then sat in my seat, placing me on his lap. Dad’s expression on the screen darkened ominously.
“Here I am, dear father-in-law.”
I winced at his tone and pinched his thigh, but he didn’t even flinch.
“You and I… We’re not square yet. I specifically told you to stay away from my daughter, yet you go and kidnap her, threaten her with a gun… You married her! Without our permission and against her wishes.” Dad wasn’t happy at all. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever seen him so mad. “And then you keep her from us.”
Matteo stared at the screen unblinkingly, his hand on my thigh. He didn’t look the least bit worried.
“With all due respect, I have repeatedly told you that Arianna is mine.”
Being here was a small blessing because I was fairly certain that if my dad was present, this discussion would have gone a lot worse.
Dad’s stormy eyes returned to fix on me. “You’re sure he didn’t hurt you?”
The way he asked, it almost sounded like he was hoping I’d say yes so he could end him.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I said confidently. “And whatever problems we have, they’re between Matteo and me. Promise you won’t interfere.”
Matteo’s hand on my thigh tightened its grip while Dad let out an incredulous breath. “I can’t make that promise. He pointed a gun at you. You’re my daughter, and anyone who hurts my children?—”
He didn’t have to finish that statement. “He would never hurt me. Besides, it’s worth noting that I pointed a gun at him first. Shot him too.”
“You did?” I nodded, and he smiled proudly. “That’s my girl.”
Matteo’s eyes burned holes into the side of my cheek, but all my focus was on my dad. “Promise me you’ll leave the Vitales alone and stop tearing through their assets, Dad.”
His eyes shifted to Matteo, shooting him a glare as he made an I’m watching you gesture with his fingers.
“Fine, I promise.”
A small smile grazed my lips. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Matteo?” Dad turned his attention to him. “Next time I see you… you’re going to regret your methods.”
“Fair enough, sir. Just let me live so I can recover and live the remainder of my life with your daughter. With my wife.”
“I’ll think about it.” Dad pinched the bridge of his nose and released a heavy sigh. “Now let’s turn our focus to finding Hannah.”
I felt the same worry in the marrow of my bones and I stilled my spine, sending a silent prayer that Gianna would forgive me for what I was about to do.
“There is something I have to tell you,” I started hesitantly. His expression softened as it locked on me. “Our cousin could be responsible for erasing Hannah’s and my tracks.”
His brow furrowed. “What are you saying? Your uncles were worried out of their minds, just like us. None of their children—your cousins—would?—”
I shook my head. “No, not them. Mom’s other brother’s son.”
Dad stiffened and his hand curled into a fist. “How do you know about him?”
I inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly. “Remember Gianna’s kidnapping?”
As if anyone could forget it.
Dad pushed his hand through his hair. “I do.”
“Of course, silly question,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “Anyhow, the man who kidnapped her… he’s our cousin. Marco King’s son,” I clarified.
“Why didn’t you tell me before, Arianna?”
“I’m telling you now. Marco King’s son…” My voice got stuck in the back of my throat at the sheer memory of it, and I cleared it. “He kidnapped Gianna. I didn’t know he was our cousin until recently.”
Matteo and Dad were stunned into silence, my husband’s jaw flexing.
Dad’s expression turned thunderous. “I’m going to murder him and all the men that work for him when I get my hands on them.”
I shook my head. “There’s one man you can’t hurt.”
“What?” Dad and Matteo questioned at the same time.
“There is a man who had helped Gianna and I escape. You can’t kill him.”
“What’s his name?” Dad grunted, clearly not happy about sparing anyone’s life.
I hesitated. “Well, I’m not… sure.”
“What does he look like?” Matteo chimed in.
I chewed on my bottom lip before answering, “I ran into him recently.”
“Yes?” Dad encouraged.
I took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.
“Agent Lloyd… He’s the one who helped us escape all those years ago.” I met Matteo’s eyes. “I didn’t know who he was until that night of the fire.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Matteo’s voice came out raw. “Agent Lloyd is working undercover.”
Dad nodded. “The agency must have been aware of organ trafficking for a lot longer than us.”
“You guys know him?” I asked, flabbergasted.
“I don’t,” Dad retorted wryly. “But I would very much like to meet him and at least thank him for saving my daughters. However, the priority is putting a stop to organ trafficking.”
“Ditto,” Matteo agreed.
“But one thing doesn’t make sense,” Dad continued. “The FBI only deals with domestic matters. When we questioned the doctor who was part of the organ trafficking, he mentioned their dealings have mostly been overseas.”
My jaw dropped. It was shocking to think that there were men out there willing to butcher human beings for their organs.
“There has to be more to it,” Matteo reasoned. “Also, there’s no way one man is a mastermind behind the resurrection of the Belles and Mobsters Agreements and these auctions. There had to be others working with him.”
“There are,” Dad confirmed, rubbing his face tiredly. “The moment I heard about Marco’s son, I knew trouble would follow. Fucking heathen.”
“We’re all descendants of heathens, Dad.” I leaned forward and gripped the screen. “But this guy… yeah, he’s decidedly not good news.”
“I really hoped you’d never hear about Benito King and Marco.” His calm voice didn’t fool me. It was obvious there was history between them and my parents. “My intel shows that Marco wasn’t even listed on his son’s birth certificate. The fact you were able to connect it all is a miracle.”
“Sheer luck,” I muttered, not willing to throw my sister completely under the bus. If Dad knew, he’d lock her up and throw away the key. “I just went digging through online Welsh birth records.”
I really hoped Dad would buy into the story I was spinning.
“Why Welsh?” Matteo asked.
“Benito King was Welsh and so was Marco,” Dad explained. “So it makes sense that Marco’s son has roots in Wales.”
I nodded. “Exactly.”
“Send me what you have, Arianna. I’ll run it through my system. Do you have agent Lloyd’s picture?”
“I only have a sketch. I’ll send that.”
“Good.” Dad glared at Matteo. “Bring her home.”
Matteo glared back. “When our honeymoon is over and she’s safe.”
“Son, you don’t want me as your enemy.”
The two stared at each other as if it was some kind of competition.
“We’ll be home soon, Dad,” I said before hanging up, then turned to face my husband.
This wouldn’t be easy, but we’d make it work.