Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
FRANCESCA
I might have worked a few jobs for Uncle Tony and AJ, but I’ve never once considered breaking into my house and rescuing someone that Dad was interrogating.
“Don’t you think this is kind of a risky plan? Breaking Jax out of the house, I mean.”
“This is our only window to make it happen. Arturo and Joey are at the arena for the game tonight, and most guys are going to be out on patrol. The last thing they would expect is for us to get Jax and bring him back to the Rossi’s house.”
Uncle Tony grabs his backup gun from his desk and places it at the small of his back before grabbing extra magazines.
“I’m assuming you don’t have one on you?”
I shake my head. “I can’t have one on me at the arena.”
Truth be told, my gun is locked up in my bedroom at Dad’s house. I haven’t carried it since AJ gave it to me after the last job.
AJ grabs a gun from the filing cabinet and hands it to me before grabbing several extra magazines. “You need to keep it on you.”
“I can’t bring it into the arena. ”
“Well, cousin, you might need to find different employment, or Dad and I will have a talk with Arturo. After the kidnapping, you need to be armed twenty-four seven.”
I don’t argue with him. It’s unlikely after tonight that I will ever be alone. Rhett will watch me like a hawk, and Dad may as well lock me in my old bedroom for betraying him.
Uncle Tony glances around the room, checking everyone, including the two guys that left to deal with the guests at the hostess stand. “Everyone good? Let’s go. We’ll take three cars. One stays with me and the other one will be the lookout.”
In a split second, everyone moves to head through the kitchen and out the back door of the restaurant.
I tuck the gun into the waistband at the small of my back and hop in the backseat of AJ’s sports car while Uncle Tony gets in the passenger seat. AJ takes the lead as we head to Dad’s house.
My stomach tightens, like I shouldn’t be doing this, but what other option do I have? Mom is Uncle Tony’s sister and if she’s alive, he deserves to confront her, too.
AJ drives down the long driveway to Dad’s house.
The house I used to think of as mine.
Uncle Tony turns around in his seat to face me. “Alright, so I think you should sneak around to the basement alone and get Jax while AJ and I distract the guys your dad hired as security.”
“How do you know Dad hired guys? ”
“Do you think he’d leave the heir to the Rossi Empire alone?”
“Well, Jax told them his last name was Brown, so Dad might not even know he’s a Rossi, unless Rhett told him.”
“How does Rhett know he’s a Rossi?”
“I told him after he interrogated Jax. He wanted to tell me about Mom.”
“Does your father and Joey know about Elizabeth?”
I shake my head. “Rhett came straight home and told me.”
At least, I think he did. Would Rhett tell Dad and Joey before telling me? Is his loyalty more to them or to me?
That is something I can worry about later. For now, I need to get to Jax and figure out if mom is still alive.
AJ parks on the side of the house. “We will meet back here in five minutes. If you aren’t back by then, I will force my way into the house and come get you and Jax.”
“Got it.” I say, even though I don’t think it will take me that long.
We get out of the car and immediately split up. I head around the back of the house to the basement door. I use my key and unlock the locks before quietly opening the door and slipping inside.
The basement is empty and dark, but I know my way around. I slowly make my way over to the large metal door .
The door squeaks as I open it. I’m assaulted by the aroma of sweat and bleach.
I quickly glance around the mostly empty room. There’s a foldable metal chair in the middle of the room with a circle of white powder all around it.
“What the hell is that?” I whisper as I step closer to it.
Jax’s voice is dry and strained when he speaks. “Sodium peroxide. It’s used to clean blood stains from concrete. The bleach you smell was used to clean the chair and the bed.”
A small dim light shines from the corner of the room, illuminating half of the bed.
I follow his voice and see him lying down on a twin bed with chains around one wrist and one ankle that lead to giant hooks in the wall.
“What are you doing here, Francesca?”
“Actually, I’m here to rescue you.”
He stares at me for a moment before tilting his head back and laughing.
I cross my arms. “I’m serious, Jax.”
I’m rewarded with another howl of laughter.
Thank God, the room is soundproof or else they would come investigate why Jax was laughing.
He regains his composure and glances at me. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, and we need to go, but these chains complicate things.”
I take a couple of steps closer to him, stopping before I get within arm’s distance.
Should I trust being this close to him ?
Will he try to hurt me or let me help him?
His gaze lingers on mine for a few moments before moving to the padlocks on the chains. “You don’t happen to have the key, do you?”
“No, unfortunately.”
But I have lock picking skills, thanks to Uncle Tony and AJ.
Reaching into my hair, I pull out the pin and get to work.
“That’s not really going to work. Is it?”
“Do you think I’d be wasting precious time on something that’s not going to work? Of course it works. I’ve picked so many padlocks, I could do it blindfolded in my sleep.”
I open the hairpin and get to work on his ankle lock, just like I was taught years ago.
He sits up, pulling the padlock out of my hand. “Cocky, aren’t you?”
“I’m not cocky. I’m confident.”
Picking up the lock, I try again. This time, the lock tumbles open with a soft click.
“Hell yeah!” Jax exclaims as I grab the padlock at his wrist.
It feels strange being this close to him and helping him escape from my house. The last time I was this close to him, he was threatening to kill me and my entire family.
“I shouldn’t be doing this.” I mumble.
“Then why are you?” He whispers.
I pause and glance at him. His dark orbs dance in the dim light. “Let’s call it goodwill. ”
He rolls his eyes. “What would I call it?”
“Quid pro quo.” I say after a few moments.
“Ah, so you help me out, and I help you out?”
I nod as I get back to the padlock. “Something like that. I want answers and to squash whatever vendetta you have against me and my family.”
“That’s a huge quid pro quo. I don’t know if I can just move on from everything.”
“You do realize that I’m going against my family to get you out of here, right? I’m helping you escape and bringing you back home before I get anything. I’d say that a lot of quid before I get my quo.”
“Hey, I’m not going to look the gift horse in its mouth, but you want me to forget everything and move on.”
“I’m not saying forget everything. Just don’t kill me and my family. We can talk things out and try to figure everything out together. You lived with my mother. You have probably heard and seen things that can help me.”
“And what about me?”
“Well, for starters, you get to live. And second, I’ll try to help you find out the truth about whatever you are harboring a vendetta for. It doesn’t seem too far-fetched to believe we’ve been lied to most of our lives. At least I was.”
“So, you’re proposing that we work together?”
I turn the hairpin and feel the lock click open. As I undo the padlock and free him, I say, “Temporarily. Then, you can go back to New York and live peacefully. Well, as peacefully as a mafia heir can be. ”
He stretches his muscles and jumps off the bed. The move catches me off guard and I drop the padlock on the concrete floor.
“Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He bends down and picks up the padlock, tossing it on the cheap cot-like bed.
“Let’s go. Time is not on our side.”
I lead him out of the interrogation room and out the back door. We slowly creep around the corner of the house and head straight to AJ’s car.
Someone steps out from behind the car, and I let out a yelp. Jax clamps a hand over my mouth and pulls me into the bushes.
Uncle Tony’s voice is heard from the car. “Principessa, it’s just us.”
“Fuck, Uncle Tony. I thought you were someone else.” I say as I pull Jax from the bushes.
The men size each other up.
I sigh. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Can you two do this in the car? We need to leave.”
The men nod before getting in the car. I slide into the backseat with Jax as AJ and Uncle Tony take their seats.
AJ carefully turns around and slowly drives down the driveway to not draw any attention to us.
Breaking the silence, I say, “Can you stop somewhere and get Jax some food?”
AJ stares at me in the rear-view mirror but nods his head. He heads to the nearest fast food drive through and orders a large burger, fries, and soda before driving toward the Rossi house .
The more Jax eats, the more comfortable he gets. It’s almost like the times we would hang out together.
“I’m surprised at your choice of men, especially after being with me,” Jax says between bites.
Uncle Tony turns around in his seat and raises his eyebrow at me, but Jax continues.
“Your mom would be appalled at your choice of a boyfriend. How could you choose to date an outsider? A non-Italian man?”
How dare he bring up Mom?
I narrow my eyes and glare at him. “As opposed to who? You? The son of our rival.”
“Better that than a sucker.” He shrugs and grins before taking another bite of his burger.
AJ and Uncle Tony nod in agreement. They would love for me to marry an Italian man, especially a mafia man, even if it meant marrying our family’s rival.
I don’t have a rebuttal. No one in this car supports my relationship with Rhett, and nothing I say will convince them to change their opinions.
When AJ pulls up to the gate, Jax relays the gate code and the gate opens.
Memories flood my mind as I remember the last time I was here.
This time is different. This time, I’m willingly coming. This time, no one will be harmed.
As soon as AJ parks in front of the house, several men storm out the front door.
Did Jax give us a wrong code that informed them of our arrival? Do they have our cars memorized ?
Jax climbs out of the backseat and holds his hands up. “They mean no harm. We need to set up a meeting right now.”
They nod their heads and escort us through the front door. We pass the office where I was kept last time and keep going deeper into the house.
Jax steps closer to me and whispers, “Don’t worry Francesca, you aren’t being led to the wolves.”
“Why don’t I believe you?” I whisper back as we step into the living room. He chuckles and steps away from me.
One of the Rossi men stops and turns to face us. “Wait here. Jax, you come with me.”
I step around the glass coffee table and sit down on one of the couches and glance around the gaudy room. Everything is gilded and overly decorated, like a bunch of men just bought a lot of furniture and threw it in here.
A man steps through the doorway, drawing our attention to him. He’s wearing a well-fitted suit with a patterned tie that commands attention.
He looks like an older Jax. Still handsome in his older age with wrinkles on his face, but a youthful body and a sharp angular jaw.
“Can I speak to Miss Francesca, alone? I promise, I mean her no harm.”
Uncle Tony and AJ seem like they want to refuse, but I give them a reassuring smile. Besides, I still have the gun at the small of my back. “I’ll yell if I need anything. ”
The mystery man laughs in response. “I won’t even sit on the same couch as her.”
Uncle Tony and AJ follow the guard out of the living room, giving me a look that is more of a warning.
When I am alone with the mystery man, I sit in the same spot I was and true to his word, he takes the other couch that is on the opposite side of the coffee table.
“Do you know who I am?”
I shake my head. “Sorry, I don’t.”
Should I?
“That’s okay. I completely understand why your family would keep my identity a secret. I’m Giuseppe Rossi.”
Jax’s father. The Rossi boss himself.
A maid enters the living room, carrying a tray with teacups and a pot of hot tea.
She gives me a smile as she places it on the coffee table in front of me. My stomach tightens as I feel conflicted. I don’t want to be rude and not accept the beverage, but I don’t know if I can trust them.
“It’s not poisoned.” He says before making a cup for himself and taking a sip.
Maybe a couple of sips won’t hurt.
I make a cup and take a sip of the hot liquid.
Giuseppe clears his throat. “I want to thank you for bringing my son home. My family is indebted to you. You know, he told me you were different, but I didn’t believe him.”
Jax has talked about me to his father ?
I place my teacup on the coffee table. “Different? How?”
“He said you weren’t made for this world. That you were too caring and kind, and that he didn’t feel right leading you on like he was. I, of course, encouraged him to keep pursuing you, but now, I can see he was right. Your father was right to keep such a kind soul away from this life.”
Jax said that? About me? That’s not like the Jax that pointed a gun at me and dragged me to his getaway car. It’s like the Jax that I saved. The one that was soft and gentle in the backseat of AJ’s car.
“Wow, I don’t know what to say.”
Could this be the opening both families need to put the rivalry behind us? I just have to know one thing.
“I do have a question, if you don’t mind. After Jax told me about my mother still being alive, he said the plan was to kill my entire family. He hinted at some wrongdoing that my family did to him. Would you mind telling me what it could be?”
He doesn’t get the chance to tell me, but based on the look that crosses his face, I’d say my question caught him by surprise.
A loud bang sounds from the front door.
I jump up and follow Giuseppe toward the noise. The entire front door and framing is laying on the ground in shreds.
“What the fuck?” I ask, bewildered as bullets whizz past us.
Giuseppe looks over at me and drags me back into the living room. “This wasn’t your doing? ”
My mouth falls open at his accusation. “No! Why would I be here if I planned on attacking? I swear you men don’t use your brains at all.”
Footsteps echo through the foyer, growing louder as they get closer to the living room. Uncle Tony appears at the doorway. “We need to get out of here. What the hell are you involved in?”
Giuseppe frowns and pulls out a gun from his waistband, pointing it at Uncle Tony. “This has to be coming from your side.”
AJ steps to the side of his father, pointing a gun at Giuseppe. “Bullshit. Our guys were on lookout and now they aren’t answering their phones. What did you order your guys to do?”
Giuseppe takes a few steps forward. “Why the fuck would I tell my men to attack my house? Do you know how rare this marble flooring is?”
I step between the men. “If none of us are responsible for this, then who is?”
Jax runs into the room. “We have company, and a lot of it. I’m heading upstairs.”
“Who?” I ask as he turns around and runs out of the room.
I follow him into the foyer, but he’s long gone.
Where are the stairs?
Looking out the large hole where the front door used to be, I watch, frozen in my spot, as men dressed in all black shoot at one another.
Is this a Marino versus Rossi fight, or is there more going on?
Gunshots and explosions rock the house. A bullet hits the chandelier, shattering a bulb and several crystals right over my head.
Men scatter and yell as they try to prepare for the inevitable attack. Giuseppe runs through the foyer, escaping deeper into the house.
Uncle Tony pulls me back into the living room as bullets continue to whizz past us. The living room windows shatter.
“Fuck.” He yells out, causing me to spin around just in time to see blood soaking through the sleeve of his shirt and running down his arm.
AJ pulls us in the same direction Giuseppe ran in, ducking into a small alcove. “We need to find a way out. We can’t be sitting ducks here.”
“Good idea. I need to find Jax and Giuseppe. I need answers about Mom.”
“Frannie, those answers can wait.” AJ yells as a loud crash happens above our heads.
What the hell is happening upstairs?
“No, they can’t!” I yell back.
I need to know the truth. I need to know what happened all those years ago.
Uncle Tony chimes in. His tone is slightly calmer than AJ’s. “What good are the answers if you get yourself killed?”
I drop my gaze to the floor, unable to look at them or else I might let them convince me to leave now. “At least I’ll die knowing the truth. I need to know. I’ll meet you on the road at the mailbox in fifteen minutes.”
Without their approval, I pull out my gun and continue through the house. If Giuseppe and Jax went this way, maybe I will get answers from both of them.
As soon as I make it to the second floor, my heart races and time seems to slow down.
Two pairs of emerald green eyes look my way, raising their guns toward me.
The loud bang from a gun going off rings in my ear before pain rips through my leg. My leg buckles, unable to bear my weight before I collapse on the ground.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I reach for my leg, squeezing my blood-soaked pants.
I should have gone with Uncle Tony and AJ. Maybe then I wouldn’t have been shot in the leg.
The men with the emerald green eyes disappear from view as I lay here bleeding.
Giuseppe runs to me and directs the men following him to leave me alone and to get the stuff loaded up in the vans in the basement.
He helps me stand and half carries me down the dark hallway. “You need to get out of here. Take the elevator down to the main floor. There’s a separate staff entrance to the right. Go through there and call for help.”
He clicks the button to call the elevator before running back down the hallway, leaving me alone.
Why is he saving me? Is it because I saved Jax and brought him home?
The elevator opens and I slowly ease my way inside while holding onto the wall. I need to find Uncle Tony and AJ. I’m losing too much blood, and the edges of my vision are starting to fade.
The elevator opens on the ground floor and I peek out, looking both ways, before slowly sliding along the wall and trying to find the service entrance Giuseppe spoke about.
A familiar smell floats through the air. I sniff and try to decipher what it is.
Is that smoke?
Is something on fire?
I continue along the hallway until I get to a door. Opening the door, I slam into something hard.
Please let it be a friend and not a foe.
I fall back on the hard marble floor, wincing and yelping as pain radiates through my leg.
A man turns around and glares at me, but my eyes close as my vision and my head spin.
I open my eyes and close them, trying to get my vision to focus on the voices.
How many people are here? Am I outside?
I open my eyes really wide and glance around. There is just a man and a woman out here, but the woman looks familiar.
“Mom?” I whisper a second before I pass out from the pain and the blood loss.