Chapter 28
Georgi
I caught up on sleep during the flight to Spain, and as Santino drives us in the direction Rosie gave, I’m checking my weapons.
It was dumb luck that she found the fuckers. Someone posted a video on social media of a sunset, and across the road was Boris and Anton, sitting on a porch.
There was a white Mercedes parked in the driveway of a shitty house that’s a far cry from the luxuries the two men must be used to.
“Get ready,” Santino tells all the men via his earpiece. “We want them alive.”
I check in my side mirror and see the two SUV’s tucked in close on our tail. Al and Frankie are right behind us with Jerry, Sal, and Braylon bringing up the rear.
I left a small army to guard the women, and Dad said he, Fabrizion, and Vincenzo would do regular checks for me.
Raya assured me she will spend a lot of time with Nina so they can get to know each other.
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. It will mean the world to me if they could become good friends.
Suddenly, a white Mercedes reverses out of a driveway before tearing down the road.
“Fuck.” Santino slams his foot down on the gas, and the SUV shoots forward.
The quiet town quickly falls behind us as we chase after Boris and Anton, and we manage to get close enough to verify that both men are in the car. Anton is in the passenger seat with Boris in the back. The guard whose name I can’t remember is driving.
Soon we find ourselves racing along mountain roads that wind down to Ronda, the engine roaring beneath our seats.
The road narrows, and to our left is the mountain wall, while on our right, there’s a steep cliffside.
Santino takes a sharp turn, gravel spraying beneath the SUV. The Mercedes barely holds around the bend, and a rock shoots up from its tires, hitting our windshield and making a crack splinter through the glass.
“Closer,” I order, my voice harsh with my need for vengeance. We’re too close to let the fuckers get away.
Suddenly, the Mercedes' back lights go on as the fucker slams on the brakes. Santino swerves, avoiding a full-blown collision, and comes up beside them.
I look Boris dead in the eyes, then grin and wave with my gun in my hand while letting down the window.
“Miss me, motherfucker?” I shout, and training my barrel on the side, back window, I pull the trigger.
He ducks down, probably lying flat on the seat to avoid the bullets.
Suddenly, he darts up again and takes a wild shot at me, but he misses, and the bullet hits the back door.
Santino jerks the wheel, keeping us from going down the cliffside, and we push the Mercedes into the wall, the sound of metal scraping sharp in the air.
Tires screech, and dust kicks up into the air as Boris fires another shot, the bullet missing us completely and hitting somewhere behind us.
The Mercedes’ back window is blown out by one of my men, and Santino laughs as he drives the accelerator to the floor.
Suddenly, the road grows wider, and our bumper smashes into the Mercedes, hard enough to send the sedan snaking across the dry terrain, rocks and sand shooting up from the tires.
“Let’s end this,” I growl at Santino.
“On it.” He turns the steering wheel hard, and we follow the Mercedes off the road.
I think of the cells I have beneath one of my warehouses. They were inspired by Damiano, our retired capo dei capi. These fuckers are going to die in those cells if it’s the last thing I do.
For Nina.
For Simi.
For me.
Gunfire erupts again as Al and the others close in, coming up on either side of us so we can box in the Mercedes between the vehicles and force it to a stop.
We come up on the right again, and this time I lean out of the window and aim at the rear tire. Both shots rip through the rubber, and the Mercedes pitches sideways before cartwheeling into the air. It lands with a crash of metal and glass, and I shout, “Fuck. They better not be dead!”
Santino brakes so hard the belt cuts into my chest, and before he brings the SUV to a stop, I shove the door open and jump out.
“Wait for me!” Santino shouts.
Not listening, my boots hit the ground running as I lift my hands, holding my weapon ready.
Somehow, the Mercedes landed upright. The driver's door opened, and the guard fell out during the accident, but from his brains spilling over the sand, I’m pretty sure he’s dead.
I reach the front passenger side first, and ripping the door open, I grab Anton by his throat and haul his ass out of the car before slamming the handle of my gun into his face. “You thought you could hide, motherfucker.”
Terror creeps into his eyes, and it feeds the vengeance in me.
Behind me, Boris stumbles from the wreck and begins to run, but Santino tackles the bastard to the ground. Boris swings at Santino, but my friend knocks him out with two quick punches.
I hit Anton again, just for the fucking pleasure it gives me, before I drag the fucker toward the SUVs.
My men move in fast, bringing zip ties, and while they restrain the assholes, I watch, a sliver of peace returning to my soul, knowing I have them.
When they load Anton into one of the trunks, I step closer and smirk at him. “Nina’s waiting. My woman has a lot of anger to get rid of. She really liked the idea of skinning you alive and cutting off your dick.”
I indicate for them to close the trunk and watch as Santino slams the other one shut with Boris inside.
I climb into the passenger seat of our SUV, and when Santino slides in behind the steering wheel, I grin at him. “Let’s go home. I want them in the cells.”
Nina
“Eat your carrots,” I tell Simi when she pushes them around her plate.
“No.” My daughter pouts, her jaw setting with a stubborn look. “Georgi doesn’t.”
“Carrots are good for you.” I pick one up and hold it in front of her mouth. “Come on.”
She presses her lips together and shakes her head, causing frustration to slither into my chest.
Just then, I hear the elevator doors open, and I hurry out of the kitchen to see who’s here, my heart quickly increasing to a thundering beat.
The sight of Raya lets me exhale an audible, relieved breath.
“Hi. With Georgi gone, I finally get to spend some time with you,” she says, her tone cheerful and a friendly smile easing over her face.
“Hi.”
I glance at Simi, noticing the moment she realizes it’s not Georgi. Her chin begins to quiver, and she looks down at the carrots she’s refusing to eat.
My child was not happy when she woke up the day before yesterday and didn’t find Georgi in the penthouse, and she’s been moody ever since.
“What’s wrong?” Raya asks when she reaches me.
I gesture at Simi. “She misses Georgi, and…and…” My throat closes up as tears threaten to fall. “She’s being difficult, and I don’t know what to do because this is all new to me.”
Georgi would probably set her down on his lap, and she’d eat everything he feeds her. He’s so much better with Simi than me and it makes me feel like a failure.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” Raya rubs her hand up and down my arm. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, Nina.”
We walk to the island where Simi is sitting in her kid chair, and when she frowns at Raya, my heart sinks even more.
“Oh my word, is someone in a bad mood?” Raya asks, her tone dramatic. “You know what I do whenever Georgi is in a bad mood?”
Interest trickles into Simi’s eyes as she shakes her head.
Raya lifts her hands and wiggles her fingers. “I tickle him until he laughs.” Suddenly, she pounces on Simi, teasing her sides until my daughter is crying with laughter.
Everyone is better with Simi.
I cover my mouth with my hand, fighting to keep the tears back.
“Now,” Raya glances at me, then asks Simi, “How can we make your mama laugh?”
Simi looks at me, and seeing I’m struggling, she holds her hand out to me. “Come, Mama. Carrots are good for you.”
I move closer and sit down on the stool beside her. She picks up a carrot and feeds it to me. While I chew, I say, “Now it’s your turn.”
When she finally pops one into her mouth, I swear it feels like I’ve reached the top of Mt. Everest. I throw my arms into the air and shriek with happiness. “Yay! Mama’s so happy.”
After that, Simi eats all her carrots.
I give Raya a thankful look, to which she shrugs.
“I didn’t do anything. That was all you.
” She opens the fridge and helps herself to a soda before coming to sit at the island.
“Sooo, you both know I’m Georgi’s sister.
I’m younger by four years. Unlike him, I like to stay indoors to chill.
” She taps her chin, then grins at Simi. “And I love castles and horses.”
“Me too!” Simi exclaims, trying to wiggle out of her chair. “Georgi bought me lots.”
I help her out, and as soon as I set her down, she runs out of the kitchen to where her castle playhouse stands in the corner of the foyer.
As Raya and I follow, she says, “I’m hoping we can become good friends, Nina.”
Knowing it’s important to Georgi, I ignore any apprehension I have, and a smile pulls at the corner of my mouth as I glance at her. “I’d like that very much.”
She takes hold of my arm to pull me to a stop and lowers her voice so Simi won’t hear. “I want you to be comfortable with me, so if I ever do anything you don’t like, please tell me. I tend to form bonds quite fast, and sometimes that overwhelms people.”
“Okay.”
I had friends in school and loved spending time with them. The memory makes a need for that kind of relationship fill my chest.
“I like the red streaks in your hair,” I comment, wanting to say something nice to her.
“Thank you.” She lifts her hand and touches a few of my curls. “I love doing all kinds of things with my hair. If you feel up to it, I can run down, and we can put some moisturizing oils in. What do you say? Want to have a hair spa day with me?”
A real smile forms on my face as I nod.
“I’ll be right back!” she walks to the elevator, and I watch as she leaves before I turn my attention to Simi, who’s having a serious conversation with one of her teddies about not eating all of its carrots.