Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
VINCENZO
I kept hunting Antonio down. It was a fruitless search, but I couldn't give up. I knew that as long as he was still out there, no one was safe. I wanted safety, not just for me, but for Isabelle.
I had changed so much for Isabelle without even noticing it.
Now that she was back home, I had gotten into the habit of reading the news in LA. It helped me feel closer to her.
My heart skipped a beat as I scrolled down the website of a popular LA online tabloid article.
“Two injured in car accident.” The headline read, but what caught my eye were the victims. Isabelle’s name. She had been injured.
I immediately knew I had to see Isabelle. Now. I had to be there with her at the hospital, no matter what.
With that in mind, I called Pietro.
“I need to go to LA. Take over for me while I’m away,” I told him.
Pietro gave me a sharp look, I'm sure he was confused as to why I was doing this during our manhunt, but he knew better than to argue with direct orders.
“Is everything okay?” He only asked, and I shook my head as I showed him the article. I found my hands shaking as I tried, and failed, to suppress the panic within me. I could see that he understood me. It helped me, knowing that he wasn’t blaming me for leaving.
My only thought was to get to Isabelle as quickly as possible. I checked the time of the next flight to LA and called for the car. It wasn't until I was it that I realized I didn't know the details of the accident or what hospital she was in.
I called her friend, Sarah. While she didn't pick up at first, when she did, she sounded jumpy.
“Tell me she's okay Sarah, please.” I asked.
“I don't know! That's what I'm telling you, the nurse told me they're keeping them under observation, but that's all I know.” She snapped, and her words didn't do much to help.
After I got the name of the hospital out of her, I let her go.
The only thing I had on me was my passport and wallet, clothes didn't matter, I could get them there.
Once I arrived at the airport, I bought a ticket for the flight and paced as I waited for my flight to board.
After I boarded, I I sat there, a small part of me couldn't believe what I was doing. I was leaving my duty, my family, and the Cupola behind to see her. I didn't know if my sudden absence would weaken my new spot in the Cupola, but I didn't care. Isabelle was lying in a hospital bed, thousands of miles away, and I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and regret.
Despite doing my best to protect her, this had happened.
As the adrenaline pushed through me, I wondered if any of this had been worth it.
Why had I stayed away for so long? Why had I let distance hold me back from being with her? Logically, I knew all the reasons, but they all seemed to pale before my worry and regret.
With so many things on my mind and the worry weighing me down, the flight seemed endless. I couldn't stop myself from tapping on the arm rest with my fingers and realized I had seen Isabelle do the same thing many times. She had rubbed off on me without me noticing, I realized with a wry smile.
I practically jumped out of my seat when the plane finally arrived at its destination. I left the plane and jogged through the airport, unwilling to let myself get trapped in the large crowd of people. Once I got out, I hailed a cab and urged the driver to speed to the hospital, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
“I don't want to get pulled over.” The driver said reluctantly.
“I'll give you this.” I said as I pulled out a hundred-dollar bill from my pocket. The money seemed to spur him because he peeled out.
The ride to the hospital felt like torture. I was already near her, but I still felt hundreds of miles apart from her. I could feel my fear growing the closer we got. All I could do was hope that she was okay.
Once I got to the hospital, I paid the driver and ran in. I went straight to the nurse at the nurse's station.
“I'm here to see Isabelle Mitchell my fiancée, she was brought in yesterday, she was in a car accident.” I said, my words came out jumbled because my brain felt the same way.
She looked up in confusion, before a flash of recognition showed in her eyes.
“Ah, yes. You are the father.” she said, simple words that turned my world upside down.
“The father…” I echoed numbly, growing dizzy at the information. I understood what it meant. Isabelle was pregnant. I was going to be a father. We were going to be a family.
The thought fueled my worry as the nurse led me to her room. Walking down the hall, I was reminded of why I hated hospitals, the sharp antiseptic smell that lingering at every corner.
When I reached Isabelle's room, I was met with a sight that took my breath away and made my blood boil. The woman I had been thinking about for the past few weeks lay pale and weak, tubes and wires surrounding her. A drip hung above her, feeding medicine into her. I had never seen her look so frail. I felt a lump form in my throat as I approached her.
“Isabelle.” I whispered, and her eyes widened as she spotted me.
“Vincenzo.” She said, but her voice sounded as weak as she looked. It made me want to pull her into my arms and never let her go.
I could see the question in her eyes. I knew she was wondering why I was here and how I knew about her accident.
I took her hand, and held it lightly. I had to be calm and strong for the both of us.
“I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid.” I said, and with that, I took a seat at her bedside. I didn't let go of her hand, I never wanted to let go again.
"You're here now." She repeated with a weak smile. Even in the weakness, I could hear relief in her voice.
My mind began racing now that I had a moment to gather my thoughts. Isabelle’s pregnancy had changed things. I was horrified thinking about how she must have felt, pregnant and alone.
One of her hands was placed on her belly, like she was cradling it. I couldn't stop myself from staring at her belly and thinking about the little life growing in it.
In that moment, I knew I would never let distance come between us again. I didn't know how we would do it, but I knew that I couldn't stay away from my family.
I also knew that I had to protect them. That was my main purpose now, to make sure Isabelle and our child would be safe.
As that thought echoed in my head, my phone rang. It was Pietro. I stepped out to take it.
“How's Isabelle?” He asked, and when I told him about the news of her pregnancy, he fell silent.
“Isabelle’s accident wasn't an accident. I found proof that Antonio ordered it,” he told me. His words were like water on hot oil, I felt anger bubbling up within me.
“Why?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“We think he wants to get you away from the city.” He responded, and if that was true, he had succeeded.
As we were talking, a message came in.
“That's exactly what he wanted. Antonio just sent me a challenge, a duel. It's tonight.” I told him.
“You can't go. It's a trap. That's why he got you there, so you would be far from home and without backup.” Pietro's voice sounded panicked. Maybe it was because he knew me and knew that I would not let go of any opportunity I had to get to Antonio.
“I have to go. If I don't, he'll send men to kill Isabelle.” Pietro fell silent at my words.
“Just hang in there, I'll try to get some people to back you up. I'll call in some favors.” Pietro said, and I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. I knew our business well, we didn't currently have any allies in America that we could trust with something like this. The one thing I was glad of was that we had a safe house with guns and ammunition, so I wouldn't be going there unarmed.
“You know me, I'm a fighter. Please, take care Isabelle and my child if I don't make it. And who knows, maybe Antonio will do the honorable thing for once.” I said, and despite Pietro's objections, I ended the call. I wanted to spend the rest of my day with Isabelle.
It was a bittersweet one; I was so happy to be with Isabelle, but I also knew that it could be our last day together. I tried to keep my spirits up so she wouldn't notice, but I don't think I fooled her. I made arrangements for her and our child, making sure to send her enough money for them to be very comfortable.
“Don't go,” she whispered, holding my hand as I was about to leave.
“I'll be back tomorrow,” I tried to allay her fears.
“What if you don’t come back? Please, don't go.” She begged me, but I knew that this time, I had to say no.
“I'm sorry.” I told her, before kissing her forehead. I would do anything else for her, but this was something I couldn't agree to.
On my way, I stopped at the safe house and got some weapons and ammunition. I had texted Pietro the address of the challenge, even though I didn't put much hope in him being able to get help to me.
I stood, feeling uneasy, as my eyes fixed on the deserted place before me. It was an old factory and it looked truly barren, with only a few old buildings around. This was the location. Business with Antonio had soured long ago, but the fact that he brought Isabelle into this and endangered her and my child sent me over the edge. My mind was clearer than it had been for weeks; we had let Antonio run around unchecked for too long. It was time to finally settle things and get rid of him for good.
The place was silent.
As I waited, a sense of unease crept over me. Something didn't feel right. Suddenly, Antonio emerged from the shadows, flanked by ten men in black, all fully armed.
"You fool," Antonio sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice. " Did you really think you could take me down alone?"
My hand instinctively went to my gun, but I was outnumbered. I knew I had to act fast. I knew that Antonio would take the dishonorable route, and I was angry. I took cover behind a nearby building, firing off a few shots to keep them at bay. The first shot hit one of Antonio's men and sent him down. I exhaled shakily in relief, that was one less person to worry about.
“You see, that's my problem with you and the other fools on the Cupola. You're like old men, clinging to your honor and tradition. You can take your honor with you to the grave, and who knows? Maybe after this, I'll pay a visit to your fiancée.” He said, and at his words, the men by his side began firing back.
I continued firing, I kept my ears open, focusing on each individual so I could figure out when they were reloading and act accordingly.
But they kept coming, their bullets ricocheting off the walls. I knew I couldn't hold out for much longer. Just as I thought I was done for, I heard the sound of screeching tires and gunfire.
A black SUV rushed into the clearing and stopped, and a team of heavily armed men pouring out. I was worried that they were Antonio's reinforcements, but then I recognized someone. They were led by Elia, the last person I expected to see in America.
"Why am I not surprised to see you playing dirty tricks?" Elia addressed Antonio calmly as his men began taking down Antonio’s men with ease.
I took advantage of the distraction to pick off a few more of Antonio's men. Bullets were flying everywhere, and I had two close shaves, but I felt excited. Finally, it seemed like we would be able to catch Antonio. The tide of the battle turned, and soon we had the upper hand.
Antonio attempted to flee, but I steadied myself and aimed. The shot rang out and he fell to the ground. I had hit him in the leg, pinning him to the ground.
To his credit, he got up and continued trying to run away, but he could only hobble. Nevertheless, I knew he was like a cockroach, if we even looked away for a second, he would get away. I would have admired his strength of will if he hadn’t been so despicable.
“Do you want to turn around and face your death like a man? Or is that another form of honor you look down on?” I spoke as I followed him. He didn't even pause, I stayed on high alert even though he was injured.
“Do you know what's funny? You had a decent shot on your own. Elia wouldn't have stepped in if you had kept your word” I continued.
Maybe my words annoyed him because he turned around and aimed at me. I didn't even think. Instinctively, I shot back, hitting him in the head.
I paused for a few moments before going to check if he was dead. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, it was finally over.
As we walked away from the mess behind you, I turned to Elia and asked, "How did you know I was in trouble?"
"Pietro called this morning as soon as you boarded your flight, and I decided to lend a helping hand. Besides, I wanted to visit anyway,” he said winking his eye at me and I realized that he meant he wanted to see Sarah.
I embraced him in gratitude, and he gave me a ride to the hospital.