Chapter 33 Bruno
brUNO
My baby.
My baby?
This is hardly the time to freeze with two dead guards on the floor and the impending knowledge that I may have just royally screwed the both of us but all of it pales in comparison to the words coming out of Saoirse’s mouth.
My baby.
She’s pregnant and it’s mine. But we…
Thinking back, we were lax with the protection but surely, that wouldn’t mean what I think it means? “How… How far along are you?”
Tears of exhaustion slowly fill Saoirse’s eyes. “Uhm… maybe six months?”
“Six months? But we—”
“Bruno.” She cuts me off softly. “You wore a green mask to the Gala, do you remember? Back in April.”
“I do, but that was…” It hits me like a surge of cold water washing over me from head to toe. April. The Gala. “You?”
“Yes.” Saoirse nods and her damp hair drags back and forth across her shoulders. “You’re my mystery masked man. And we fucked in that closet.”
“I… I remember.” Fuck. I haven’t thought about that night in so long because as soon as I met Saoirse, she took all my interest. I no longer cared about finding the hot mystery woman from the Gala because Saoirse is everything I want and more.
It never crossed my mind that they could be the same person. “H–How?”
“You need a rundown on how I got pregnant?” She laughs hollowly and a tear escapes down her cheek. Surging forward, I end up covering her hand as she wipes it away and then I continue to do so to try and clean away some of the blood.
“No, I just— sorry, this is a lot to take in. Saoirse, you’ve been through hell here. Fuck— are you sure you’re still…?” The words don’t come as I glance down at her belly.
“Honestly?” Her voice cracks. “I have no idea. I know I was before this, but now I don’t have a clue.”
“Shit.” In a few minutes I’ve learned Saoirse is pregnant and I’ve become a father. My heart races so fast that the taste of iron creeps up my throat and my entire world shifts to a completely different axis.
A baby. I’ve barely ever been worthy of my own family, never mind creating and having one of my very own. What kind of father would I be? How can I even consider it given what I’ve done?
“I found out just before Rocky’s wedding,” she whispers. “Well, I knew I was pregnant before that, but I didn’t know you were the man behind the mask. I was going to tell you after the ceremony—”
“And I fucked it. I royally fucked it.” Everything I touch just crumbles to dust. In my youth, I was convinced the world would be better without me in it and in these moments, there’s a growing surge of understanding the same.
The things I’ve done, the pain I’ve caused Saoirse and now my baby—her baby—is at risk because of me.
“Bruno—”
“I’m going to fix this.” Cupping her cheek, I kiss her suddenly. It’s one of passion and apology and the touch of her lips is so intense it’s enough to bring me to tears. “I’m so fucking sorry. Stay here. Lock the door. Don’t let anyone in, okay? Not a soul.”
“What? Bruno, where are you going? Bruno!”
Her cries follow me as I sprint out of the room and back down the stairs, trusting that she will do exactly that.
There’s no time anymore. I can’t wait for Sarah to track down Mary.
I can’t wait for some miracle. I have to get her out of here but I know she won’t go without Cian.
So how the fuck do I get both of them out of here?
Outside, the urge to crumble rises like a hand clawing up through my gut. I can’t breathe and by the time I reach my car, I’m panting. My chest feels like it’s being crushed from the inside and my vision swims slightly as my racing heart causes pulsing shadows at the edge of my vision.
Am I having a heart attack? No… no, it’s just panic.
Once I’m on the road, I call Sarah. She answers after the fourth ring.
“Sarah?”
“Bruno? Why are you calling me, I thought we agreed—”
“There’s no time, you have to listen to me. We can’t wait any longer. Did you find anything out about Mary?”
“Bruno, what on earth—”
“Tell me!” My grip tightens on the steering wheel, praying that my outburst won’t make Sarah shut down on me. “Please, I’m sorry. Please.”
“Mary is staying with a friend upstate. She’s under heavy guard and has been since she arrived. She appears to be under the impression that Domenico has done this for her own safety and she seems happy.”
“Can you get to her?”
“Bruno, a move like that without—”
“Can you get to her?”
“I can’t but some friends might. But not until you tell me what the hell is going on.”
“I don’t have time.” Fuck. I have no time at all. The longer I take, the more danger Saoirse is in being left alone at the lighthouse. Maybe she’ll run. Maybe she’ll do something stupid to save Cian and I’ll arrive back to her dead. Maybe I’m making all the wrong choices again.
But I have to do something.
“Bruno, if you have time to call me then you have time to explain.”
“No, because if I explain then there’s a chance I’ll talk myself out of everything and I can’t have that. I just need to get to my father and all of this will be over. Sarah, you have to get Mary out now. I can’t risk him sneaking a call or something that would end her.
“But Bruno—”
“No, Sarah. Listen to me! You need to do it now. Like right now. And you need to send people to the lighthouse because Saoirse and Cian are both there but please try and save Mary first. Please!”
“Bruno, wait listen to me—”
“No! You have the information. You have to get there before they kill Mary, before they kill anyone. I’m going to distract him and I’ll do everything I can to keep him with me until the end, okay?”
There’s no answer. I glance at my phone and hit the steering wheel to see I’m driving through a pocket of low service and Sarah’s response is lost to the airwaves. “Fuck. Please, Sarah. Please get there in time.”
The call dies so I focus on racing toward the Barati Estate, where my father has been ruling ever since Rocky’s wedding.
I have no plan. For all I know, my father already knows that guards are dead and as soon as I show my face, I will be too.
But Sarah knows where Saoirse is now so that’s all that matters.
Someone knows.
I just hope no one else I care about dies for it.
Reaching the Estate, the main gates are closed and locked so I park without care and scramble out of my car. I’m prepared to climb over the gate if I have to but just as I approach it, two armed men come out of the guard box.
“Oi!” one barks at me, lifting his assault rifle.
“You shouldn’t be here, Bruno,” says the second who keeps his rifle down low against his body. “You’re not welcome on the grounds.”
“I need to speak to my father so open the damn gate.”
“No,” the first replies stiffly. “Go home.”
“Open the gate.”
“No.”
“Open the fucking gate!”
“Or what?” The first steps forward, ready to shove the barrel of his gun into my chest but the second one steps in between us and glares at his companion.
“Listen. We’ve been on lockdown for a few weeks now, okay? No one in or out without prior clearance and you’re not on the list. No one is on the list. So go back to your post. If you really need to see Domenico, then I’ll tell him you dropped by.”
“I can’t leave.” Anger builds inside me like hot pressure and it’s impossible to stand still. “I need to see him right now and I’m not leaving until you let me in through that gate, understand?”
“Try it.” The trigger-happy guard glowers at me over his companion’s shoulder. “I’ve not shot someone in a long fucking time.”
“Look, you don’t understand!” How can I explain this in a way that will make them listen to me? If only I hadn’t given that gun to Saoirse, then I could simply kill them and climb over the gate. “I just need—”
I trail off as we’re suddenly awash with the bright headlights of an approaching car as it crawls up the drive.
Due to how I parked my own car, the vehicle stops a few feet behind and sits with the engine purring.
I lift my hand above my eyes, trying to prevent the glare from blinding me while both armed men raise their rifles to the new arrival.
My heart pounds violently. Could I make it up and over the gate while they're distracted? Not a chance. Unless I was a superhero or something. Fuck.
“Identify yourself!” The first armed guard barks at the new vehicle.
They slowly split apart from one another as one guard moves left and the other moves right.
They’re beginning to circle the vehicle but before either of them gets too far, one of the doors opens and gravel crunches under the weight of footsteps.
“Put the damn gun down,” drawls a familiar voice. “I’m tired and not in the fucking mood.”
“Rocky?” I thought he was in Italy? “What are you doing here?”
Rubbing at his jaw, Rocky Barati walks past my car after giving it a distasteful look and our eyes meet. “Bruno. I could ask you the same thing.”
“I thought you were overseas?”
Rocky’s eyes narrow faintly. “Who told you that?”
I hesitate. “You know who.”
He nods, just once and glances at the guards as they lower their weapons. “What’s going on here?”
“He wants onto the property, sir,” states the second guard. “But we’re under strict orders not to let anyone in unless they’ve had prior approval.”
“Why?”
“Uhm—” The guard hesitates. “Domenico’s orders, sir. He thinks the Irish are desperate enough to sneak in someone or something dangerous so he’s protecting the property and the lives of everyone inside.”
“Is he now.” Rocky drags one hand through his hair and glances back at me. “And you, what’s this about?”
“I need to speak to my father.” It’s unclear how much Rocky knows and I can’t even guarantee he’s on my side but if he can get me in to see my father then that’s all I need. “It’s urgent.”
“How urgent?” Rocky asks.
“Urgent enough that I was contemplating the best way to subdue two armed guards and not die.”
Rocky snorts softly in amusement. “Well, he’ll be here soon. He’s picking Sarah up from work so we can all have a much-needed overdue meeting.”
My blood turns to ice.
He’s picking Sarah up? Fuck, was he with her when I called? Is that what she was trying to tell me? My heart plummets to my stomach and before I know it, my hands are gripping Rocky’s shoulder while both guards raise their weapons toward me.
“Rocky, Sarah’s in danger! Do you know where they are?”
“What the!” Despite pulling back, Rocky’s face immediately turns concerned. “What do you mean?”
“I— fuck!” Releasing him, I pace away just to exert some of the pent up energy that’s building up inside me.
“I called her! I was so stupid. I called her because I was coming here and I knew she was the only one who could help me. She knows where my sister is, Mary. And my father’s been keeping Mary under lock and key for weeks, using her life as bait to make me do what he wants and I called Sarah and demanded that she saves her because I was coming here to confront my father. ”
“About?” Rocky’s already got his phone in his hand.
“Everything! The human trafficking, the lies, the fact that I’m pretty sure he shot me just so he had a public excuse to villainize the Irish.
He’s had Saoirse and Cian in captivity and me by extension, because one toe out of line and Mary would die!
Oh, God.” My hands come to my face. “I killed two guards and just left her there.”
“Who?” Rocky demands with his phone to his ear.
“Saoirse! I thought… I thought I could come here and distract my father while Sarah saved Mary and then Saoirse and then I’d… fuck, I don’t know. But if he heard even a fraction of my call with Sarah then—”
“She’s not answering. Fuck. Braden, I want everyone on red alert,” Rocky snaps at one of the guards. “Everyone, you hear me? Everyone. Someone get me Cormac on the phone and I want that private security squad on Sarah’s GPS now. You.” He points at me and jerks his head toward the car.
“I want you to tell me everything, understand? Every detail while you help me save my wife.”
“Sure, yes.” I scramble toward his car but pause with my hand on the door, heart hammering. “But if we save her—”
“When,” Rocky says tightly.
“When,” I correct. “Then you have to help me save the woman I love.”
Rocky’s gaze meets mine as he pulls open the car door. Then, thankfully, he nods.