Chapter 46
Recovery
Rico
Six months later …
“Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man blasts through the speakers in our home gym as I push my body to its max. However, I don’t feel like I’m only human. I’ve crossed over into a different zone.
My one goal is to fully recover so I can avenge my wife and child. I haven’t stopped seeing red since Oni told me we lost our baby and that bastard tried to violate her.
I know exactly where the brothers and Alyissa are. We’ve trapped them in New York City. All the families know the deal.
If anyone aids Alyissa or those two assholes, their entire family will be wiped off the map with them. They can’t move outside the five boroughs without running into my men, one of the crews, or one of the other families.
Everyone has been ordered to bring them to me on sight. I have a torture room ready. They bring them in; I’m going to put them through all nine circles of hell.
“Rico,” Oni calls as she enters the gym and turns down the music.
I rack the bar and sit up. Sweat is dripping down my face and chest. Oni walks over and hands me a towel.
“Babe, you’re pushing too hard. Come chill with me.”
“Not yet. I still have a few more sets and I want to hit the treadmill.”
“Rico, come on. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this.”
“I love you, Oni, but I’m not going to stop pushing until I make this right.”
She cups my face in both hands and straddles my lap. I settle my arms around her waist and look into her eyes. This woman is so fucking strong.
“I love you too,” she says. “Believe me, I want them dead as much as you do. It’s going to happen. We’re going to make that happen together, like we do everything else.”
“We should have been together when they took you. I’m never going to forgive myself. I need to do this. I need to get back to a hundred percent so this can be handled.”
“Rico, this isn’t your fault. You have to forgive yourself. There’s something I should have told you before we even left for that trip. You might be angry with me when you find out, but you should know.”
“Tell me. I’m not going to be angry. Just talk to me.”
“You know how you kept asking me what was going on?”
“Yeah, something was off. I knew something was bothering you. That’s why I planned the trip.”
“Well, Emory had reached out and asked me to meet up with her. When I did, she told me Lorcan and Mason were coming after me.”
I groan. I can’t believe she’s just telling me this. I asked her if someone was fucking with her. She told me it was nothing.
“Listen, I hadn’t brushed it off. I told you I was fine because I had it under control. At first, I didn’t know if it was a credible threat.
“Then, I didn’t care either way. I planned to put them down the day you surprised me with the trip—”
“Why didn’t you tell me then?”
She gives me a pointed look. “If I would have told you once we arrived at the island, you would have canceled our trip and come back here to put them down yourself.
“I was going to tell you when we got back. Who knew Romano was funding their operation? I wouldn’t have thought that in a million years.
“They didn’t have the money to follow us, so I wasn’t pressed about it. My mistake. It will never happen again.”
“Underestimating our enemies or not telling me what the heck is going on?”
“Both. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m still not blaming you for this. They took something from us. I should have protected you, and I didn’t. That’s still on me, no matter what.”
“Yeah, but Rico—”
“When this is over, maybe I’ll be able to forgive myself.”
“Fine, but can I ask you for something?”
“Anything.”
“Instead of burning your legs out on the treadmill, will you use them to give back what they took?”
I nip her chin and palm her ass in my hands. “Are you asking me to fuck you and give you a baby?”
“Yeah, handsome, you’re looking hot from all the working out. I need a little attention from my husband. Do you think your body is up for a good fuck? I miss you.”
I take her lips and devour her. Palming the back of her head, I keep her close. She wants a baby, and so do I. I’m not about to deny her.
So for the next two hours, I take my wife all over this gym. I keep her calling my name and coming all over me. When I’m done, we end up on a mat panting for air with smiles on our faces.
I can’t help praying that she’s pregnant again. I’ll protect them with my life this time.
Oni
“There she is,” Emory says.
It looks like Alyissa couldn’t take being in hiding for a minute longer. Two of my guys caught her trying to leave the city. Wrong move.
I got the call during dinner that she was on the move. I decided to go get the bitch myself. Emilia and Emory asked to come with me after finding out what I was up to.
Emory has been staying with Mario and Emilia, so she overheard when the call came in. Rico agreed to allow me this as long as he and the guys followed to keep an eye on me. A part of me had hoped the other two would try to run with her.
I want this to be over. Rico is obsessed with making them pay. His recovery is the only reason the three are still breathing. Rico wants to handle this himself. However, taking those hits to the leg and his back is taking longer to heal than he would like.
“I’ll make this quick. Open the hatch for me, will you?” I say and hop out of the SUV.
My guys have Alyissa’s car surrounded. She’s in a blacked-out BMW. The bitch was too stupid to try to escape in something inconspicuous.
I pull the door open and drag her ass out by the back of her hair. She’s kicking and screaming as I drag her to the SUV. Rico stands with his arms folded over his chest in front of the SUV he, Mario, Ed, Al, and Fredo rode in.
I stumble from all her thrashing and get pissed off. I turn and punch her in the face. Her nose gushes blood and she stops flailing to cover it.
“Now shut the fuck up,” I snarl.
I drag her the rest of the way to the SUV and toss her ass into the cargo area. The guys are all laughing behind me as they watch on. Rico shakes his head at me, then winks.
Emilia places tape over Alyissa’s mouth as Emory zip-ties her hands and feet. I slam the door closed on her whimpers then roll my eyes. She has some fucking nerve.
“Let’s go. It’s going to be a long night,” I say as I go to get back into the car.
I smile to myself as I climb back into my seat. Once everyone is in the truck, I peel off. I have plans for Alyissa.
***
“It’s all ready when you are,” Rico says as he pops his head into the room I’ve been waiting in.
I nod as I finish my bag of chips and crumble it in my hands as I stand. Lazily, I saunter toward him. He dips his head and pecks my lips.
“Don’t get lost in there,” he murmurs and taps my ass.
“Never.”
I pat his cheek and head for my mission. When I step into the room we’re holding Alyissa in, I find her curled up in the corner, trembling. She looks like shit.
I beat the shit out of her when she got bold and tried to attack me. Emory had cut the ties, not thinking much of it, but Alyissa took that as an invitation to lunge at me. I whipped her ass like she stole something.
I have never rag-dolled someone with so much force. I’m surprised I didn’t break her neck. She’ll think twice about trying that shit again.
I scoff and go to grab her. Grabbing her by the back of her long-ass hair once again, I drag her behind me. She starts kicking and screaming again.
“No, no, no. Please, I’m sorry. I only gave them money. Lorcan came to me with his plan.
“I don’t deserve this. You took my fiancé from me. How am I paying for this? Rico was going to marry me,” she sobs.
“He was never your fiancé, you crazy bitch. And if you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to hack you up into little pieces until you stop all the fucking screaming.”
“What are you going to do to me? I just want to go home.”
“Oh, honey. You’re going home all right,” I scoff.
Emory opens the door that leads outside to my little surprise. I already have on my boots, I’m ready. Not missing a step, I drag her ass out the door.
Alyissa’s screams are music to my ears as I slowly pull this bitch over a bed of hot coals. When I get to the end, I step off the coals and turn to step on her face, pressing down with all my weight as she hollers.
The smell of burned flesh fills the air. One of her eyes looks like it fell out along the way as I dragged her. Blisters are forming all over her front.
“Please stop. I don’t deserve this,” she gasps out.
“Excuse me? Say that again.” I seethe.
“I don’t deserve this. Please.”
“My baby didn’t deserve what you motherfuckers did to me. Did that stop any of you?”
I kick the shit out of her, right in the face. She flips over on her back and screams some more. I put my foot on her face and press her head down into the coals. Her screams are muffled by my boot.
I keep pressing until she stops moving. Fuck, I didn’t want to kill her so soon. I lift my foot and look down at her. Her chest isn’t moving.
“Oops,” I sing and step back.
Rico stands against the side of the house, laughing. He straightens and opens his arms. I saunter over to him and melt into his embrace.
“One down, two to go,” he croons.