Chapter 25
NICOLETTE
I’ve been pacing for hours, staring at the phone he gave me, firmly clutched in my palm. He promised he’d call as soon as he could. Why hasn’t he?
I tried calling, but it went to voicemail.
What if something happened? What if he got into an accident and is bleeding somewhere? What if he’s…
No. Don’t do it. He’s fine. Probably has poor reception. That has to be it.
I stare at the gun he left me, and the briefcase of more cash than I’ve ever seen propped against the nightstand.
He told me if he doesn’t reach out to me in twenty-four hours, to take the cash and travel to Hawaii.
He’s got a place there no one knows about, and if he doesn’t show up, it means he didn’t make it.
I was sick at the thought, not wanting to hear a word of it, but he told me it was important. That we needed a plan.
If he doesn’t come back tonight, I won’t sleep at all. There’s no way I can. Not when he’s out there facing who knows what. A shiver crawls up my spine.
Parting the curtains, I sneak a peek into the parking lot, seeing two other cars. One is new. No idea which room is occupied, and the other belongs to the woman who checked us in.
I plop down on the bed, not knowing what else to do. An hour later, and I’m pretending to be watching a movie, but my mind is still on Raph.
Is he there already? I should’ve asked what the plan was. I don’t even know any details about what’s transpiring.
The credits on the TV roll, and I’m about to switch to something else when I hear a woman’s scream. My pulse jumps in my throat and I’m instantly on my feet, the remote falling on the floor with a loud thud.
“Shit,” I mutter, fear taking over.
My heart beats in an unnatural pace.
Who the hell was that?
“Help!” the scream returns. “Someone please help me! My baby! Oh, God, my baby!”
“What the hell?” I whisper, rushing toward the window and seeing a blonde middle-aged woman with tears streaking down her cheeks, her tanned sweater marred with stains.
Frantically, she runs toward the room beside ours and pounds heavily with her fists. “Please? Anyone? He’s not breathing. My baby’s not breathing!”
“Oh my God,” I gasp, quickly dashing toward my phone, intending to call an ambulance, unsure if she’s done it.
By the looks of her, she may not even own a phone. And the one in the motel doesn’t even work. At least the one in our room doesn’t. As I’m about to dial, she bangs on my door.
“Please! Anyone inside? He needs help. He’s dying!” She hits my door over and over and looks through my window.
When our eyes connect, my heart jumps to my throat. I back away, right into the corner of the wall. Fear slams into my body from all over.
“Miss? Please!” She smashes a fist against the window.
Where the hell is the woman at reception? Why hasn’t she helped?
“He’s only three, and I don’t know CPR!” she pleads. “If you do, please help us.”
After everything I’ve endured, I fear everyone. But, at the same time, if a child dies and I could’ve done something to stop it, I won’t forgive myself.
I suck in a long, shallow breath, slowly exhaling.
I have to help. It’s the right thing to do.
“I—I know CPR,” I tell her loudly enough.
By the time the ambulance gets here, he may die. And what if the police show up too? Knowing that the cops are connected to Raph’s family, I don’t know which ones I can trust. One of them could take me back to Giancarlo or kill me.
I back off the wall and move toward the entrance, my legs as heavy as lead. I start to unlock the door.
“Oh, thank God.” She slaps her palms over her knees and a breath of relief wooshes out of her. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” she feverishly says while I attempt to get my pulse to slow. “This way.”
With a tremble, she points a finger to her left, and we run toward her son.
“I’m only a few doors down. I don’t know what happened.
” She sniffles. “One second, he was fine, and the next, he was having a seizure and hit his head when he fell. I called an ambulance, but I know how it is in this part of town. They don’t care, so I was hopin’ someone helps before they show up. ”
As soon as we make it to her door, she scans her card and opens it.
“You’re an angel,” she pants. “He’s in the restroom. I left him on the floor and ran for help.”
I rush toward the child, with her close at my heels, and when I enter the bathroom…
It’s empty.
“What the…?” Fear grips my throat and my lungs grow heavy.
And all of a sudden, she’s not crying anymore.
I whip around just as something pricks the back of my neck.
My eyes widen. Her gaze flashes with malicious intent, and before I can fight her and run, my head spins.
Round and round.
The room blurs.
The light flickers in and out.
My body grows weightless.
“Night-night.” Her voice seeps through the chaos, and darkness falls all around me, trapping me with it.
RAPH
I stare out the only window with the light shining bright within it. The rest of the house is pitch black while I wait for Michael and the rest of them.
Dragging out my cell from my pocket, I attempt calling Nicolette again, but there’s no answer.
I got her worried text hours later, when I had a better connection. I called and texted her back immediately, but she never answered. I’m hoping it’s because she’s asleep by now. It’s late, but knowing her, I expected she’d be up.
All I wanted to do was turn back around and check on her. But the faster this is over, the faster I can leave.
Michael’s plan is simple. Pretend I’m alone. They take me, tie me up, except I’m not going to be tied up too hard. Just enough for my father to believe that Michael wants me dead. Then we give him one hell of a surprise.
“They’re coming, boss,” Julian, one of my guys, alerts me.
He leads my men. Ex-sniper for the Israeli army. Tough as they come. More loyal than anyone who’s worked for me.
“Have everyone on the ready.”
He nods and returns to his position downstairs. All the men have been instructed to hide. My father has to think he has a shot at getting what he wants.
Minutes later, I hear my front door creak open, and the thud of footfalls comes next.
“It’s time to end this. We have you surrounded,” Michael calls from down below, his voice traveling.
A grin crawls to my face. He’s damn near convincing me. My father won’t suspect a thing.
“Show yourself. Don’t be a coward,” he continues.
My laughter echoes through the hallway as I start for the stairs.
“Never been a coward, Michael,” I say, itching to get my hands on the bastard who’s ruined my entire life. “I’m glad you all finally decided to come.” I round the corner, almost at the top of the staircase. “I’ve been waiting for you for far too long.”
Adrenaline and rage hit me all at once.
“Seems like I’m not the coward after all.”
I greet them with another chuckle, and finally, I start down the stairs. Michael’s men point their weapons at me as soon as they see me.
Well played, brother.
And when I see them all—my two brothers, my father—the blood in my veins pumps louder. This is almost over.
“Where are your men? Your weapons?” Michael asks, already knowing the answer.
We spoke briefly after I left the motel and we discussed how everything will go today.
“They’re gone.” I raise my arms in surrender as I move down the stairs. “And as you see, I don’t have any weapons.” I continue toward them. “You came here for one purpose, so let’s get it over with.”
Let’s kill our damn father.
At that, my hardened gaze zeroes in on the bastard, and his eyes glare right back.
“Kill him, Michael,” he fires out, his body zapping with maddening fury.
He wants me gone just as badly. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. But somewhere inside, it hurts to know my own father wants me dead.
“Nice to see you too, Pop.” The words may as well be filled with poison.
Michael gestures toward one of Patrick’s sons, who grabs me while I play the part, keeping my hands up.
“Tie him up on the chair,” Michael instructs him. “Do to him what he did to Sophia and Elsie.”
The instant he says that, my pulse quickens. Michael told me what happened to his wife, Elsie, and his daughter. That my father sent people after them, organized the entire thing, and put the blame on me.
Apparently, I also set a fire to one of our restaurants and left a note behind.
My father is trying hard to make me look like the villain. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when the truth is finally revealed.
“How is my favorite niece doing?” I ask, grinning whenever I think about that kid.
God, I love her so much. I can’t wait to hug her.
I’m being dragged toward a chair while I keep my eyes on Michael.
“Misses you,” he admits.
Wish I could have told her the truth. That I didn’t abandon her. That I had no choice.
I close my eyes. “I miss her every day.”
“You fucking liar.” My father’s harsh tone seeps through my thoughts.
And when I open my eyes, he’s sprinting toward me while the men loosely tie my arms behind me.
“After what you did…” He punches me right in the middle of my jaw. “You don’t deserve to even utter her name.”
Fuck, I’m this close to emptying a gun into his chest.
“Stay back,” Michael warns him.
I don’t so much as flinch, staring with rage lighting my gaze on fire.
“This is my kill,” Michael goes on. “My daughter.”
“And she’s my granddaughter!” Our treacherous father bangs a fist to his chest.
“Yeah.” Michael slowly nods. “She is.”
I know he’s thinking what I am. How could he do that to Sophia? She’s a child. But he never cared about that. He only cares about himself.
“No mercy for the enemy.” My chuckle is deadpan. “Isn’t that what you taught us?”
“That’s right.” My father hits me with a narrowed stare. “And today, you’ll learn what that statement truly means.”
This is it. It’s time.
I grin.
“I think the only person who’ll be learning that lesson…” I slowly slip out of the ties and bring my arms forward. “…is you.”
My father’s eyes grow large.
My laughter is cold and menacing, and I revel in the shock etched to his face when I jump to my feet and prowl closer to the bastard.