Chapter 30
JADE
The chaos of the two days before is behind us as I sit beside Kayla, luckily fine, the flesh wound now wrapped by a doctor we took her to after we left the warehouse.
I couldn’t believe that Enzo’s dead brother has been alive all those years in Agnelo’s clutches. I kept staring at him, wondering if I ever saw him at that filthy private club, but I don’t think we’ve ever crossed paths.
Raquel is seated next to Chiara, home recovering after checking herself out of the hospital.
She wouldn’t hear a word of it and told Dom she’d go back if there was a need.
And when Chiara makes up her mind, the devil himself couldn’t stop her.
The fight in her eyes, it’s back now. That’s how I know she’ll be okay after all that she’s endured.
They can knock her down, but she’ll always rise to the top.
It’s how she’s been the entire time I’ve known her since we met at the strip club seven years ago.
Robby is home too. His doctor was impressed with how well the meds were working, and Enzo assured her we’d take care of him.
She didn’t object, and even said being with us may be best for him.
And here, in Enzo’s place, we’re finally home.
Robby’s upstairs, sleeping in his own room that Enzo promises to turn into whatever he desires.
The look in that man’s eyes when he talks about my son and me, it’s overwhelming.
I could practically feel his love for me, for a boy he doesn’t even know.
It’s more than I ever thought I deserved.
“We have to find Elsie.” Kayla’s voice splits through my thoughts. I haven’t pushed her to talk about what happened when she saw our friend last, wanting to give her some time to process it all before any of us begin questioning her.
Her hand jitters as she lifts a water bottle to her mouth, taking small sips before placing it on the coffee table before us.
“We will,” I tell her, raising my leg onto the sofa, pivoting toward her. “You wanna tell me what happened? Why she left and you didn’t?”
She nods as she peers down onto her lap. Elliot, Enzo, and his brothers stand beside each other, their front against the back of the sofa where Chiara and Raquel are seated.
“We were looking out the window,” she starts, her brows angled with a frown, “when a dark blue SUV pulled up. We’d never seen that vehicle before, and we made a habit of remembering every person and every car that came.” Her gaze sweeps past me, staring straight, her eyes lost to the memories.
“The guards who watched us and the other six girls who lived at the house were stationed on the first floor by the entrance. Elsie and I were on the opposite side of the floor at the time.” She strains with a quick exhale before continuing.
“A man in a long black wool coat stepped out of the car, his black hair slicked back. I don’t know his name, only what he looks like.
The man went inside, speaking to one of the guards, asking for Faro, saying something about talking business.
” She blinks back tears, some caught in her long lashes as she stares at her fidgety hands.
“Something told Elsie that this was our chance to run. She begged me to come with her. She said we could escape out the window while the guards were distracted and hitch a ride in the back of the SUV. But I chickened out.” She flashes her tear-filled eyes to me.
“I couldn’t. I was too scared. I was never as brave as you two were.
So, I stayed.” She shrugs, lips bending with a scowl.
“I have no idea where she is, or whether that man ever found her. It eats at me every day, not knowing what happened, that I never joined her.”
The hopeless anguish inside her has my own tears springing. “You did what you felt you had to. It’s okay.” I take her hand, slipping it into mine. “If I were in your place, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
“Oh, please.” She cracks a smile, swiping under her eyes. “You know you’d be in that truck already.”
A brittle sigh falls from my lips. Would I go or would I stay? I don’t really know. But she’s here with us. Finally. And we’ll find Elsie too. I can’t give up hope.
“Please find her.” Her eyes plead with Enzo and the others.
“We’re going to,” Enzo swears. “We have something to go on, thanks to you.”
She nods wistfully.
“We may need you to look at some pictures,” Dom adds. “To see if you can spot the guy you mentioned. If he was at that place where they kept you, then he has to know the Bianchis well.”
Her eyes suddenly grow huge. “Oh my God! I just remembered.”
I scoot in closer. “What is it?”
“His scar.” Her voice drowns into a whisper, mouth parting for a beat. “There was a scar on his cheek. It was long, like he’d been slashed across it with a knife.”
“Shit.” Chiara’s brows shoot up and everyone’s attention flies to her. “Was it on his right side?” she asks, edging toward the end of the sofa with a hiss, clearly fighting through the pain.
“Yeah.” Kayla’s gaze narrows as she meets her stare. “How did you know that?”
“Because I know who it is.”
My heartbeat quickens.
“Who, baby?” Dom strides to her, his thumb rolling down her cheek tenderly as she peers up.
“It’s Michael Marino. The man my father was going to force me to marry.”
“Fuck,” Dom swears. “You think he’s involved in the club?”
“I have no idea.”
“Isn’t he in the Messina family?” I ask, anxiety filling my lungs, finding it hard to breathe.
“Yeah.” Chiara’s mouth thins. “He is. His father is the don, and I heard not for long. Rumor has it, he’s at war with his older brother, wanting to take over for his father instead.”
What has Elsie gotten herself into?
“His door will be the first one we knock on when we go looking.” Dom moves a step back as he glances to his brothers. “If that bastard did something to her, I’ll personally end his fucking life.”
“I guess we may have another war on our hands.” Enzo rubs his palms together, his lips rolling with a sneering smile.
The stairs creek behind us, and suddenly Robby’s there, rubbing his eyes as he pads to me. “Mommy?” he groggily asks. “I had a bad dream.”
“Oh, baby.” I get up, lowering before him, wrapping tender arms around my sweet boy. “Want to sit on Mommy’s lap?”
That gets him grinning wide, the sleepiness still fastened to his face.
My laughter at his genuine happiness is a welcomed sound. It’s still pretty early in the morning and I much prefer he get as much rest as possible, but I’d never refuse snuggles with him for anything.
Slipping my hand around his small one, I lead us to the sofa, scooping him up on top of me, his delicate face tucked against my chest, the grogginess disappearing as he gazes at everyone.
“How about I get you a big-ass chocolate chip cookie?” Enzo asks. “Maybe two.”
“Language.” I widen a glare with a teasing jerk of my lips.
“Baby, with you two living here, that kid is gonna hear a lot worse shit coming from me than that. I kinda have a potty mouth.” He winks with a wicked smirk, and hell, it goes straight to my core.
“I quite like it,” I sass.
His gaze smolders, jaw flexing, those eyes finding my mouth and staying there longer than appropriate.
“You two need a minute? Because Uncle Dante can babysit.”
“Shit, maybe you only need a minute.” Enzo shoves his brother playfully across the chest. “But my girl knows, with us, it’s more like hours.” His lower lip disappears between his teeth as he practically undresses me with warmth caressing over my most sensitive places.
“Dude, that’s my sister.” Elliot shakes his head, laughing.
“Sorry?” Enzo flips his hands in the air, feigning an apology.
“Do you have any brownies?” Robby asks. “That’s what the nice lady who I stayed with would make me when the mean man wasn’t there.”
I suck in a breath. Afraid to move. Afraid he’ll stop talking. My heart lurches.
Keep talking, baby boy.
I’ve been terrified to ask anything, not wanting to somehow impede his recovery or harm him by remembering, but I have to know who kept him all these years.
“Wow, that was so nice of her,” Enzo says, lowering to the spot next to us, glancing at me, his expression intense. He knows how important this conversation is, and I let him take the lead.
“Yeah, she was really nice. Ms. Greco always made yummy stuff.”
“Like what?” Enzo’s features soften.
“Muffins and cupcakes. That kind of thing.”
“I wish I could have some.”
“The other lady was nice too,” Robby adds. “She helped me learn to read and did math with me. I love them both.”
My heart tugs. Who are they? Did they love him back?
“I bet you’re better at math than I am.” Enzo rolls his eyes. “I’m not very good.” He chuckles, eliciting a giggle from Robby.
“Aida always told me I was a genius.”
“Did you sa-say Aida?” Chiara stammers, her expression stunned.
“Yeah. She had yellow hair,” Robby tells her. “I lived with her and the bad man who sent her away. She said her dad was the bad man, and I had to hide when he came home.”
“Oh my God.” Chiara’s fingers tremble against her chest.
My vision goes hazy. He’s been right under my fingertips. No one knew that Chiara and Raquel’s cousin had my son this entire time. I never imagined Agnelo would keep him in his own damn home. But what better place to hide him than there?
“Did they ever hurt you?” I caress his forehead with the tips of my fingers, the back of my nose straining with an ache, but I fight the emotional black hole trying to swallow me up.
“No.” He lifts his face up to me. “Well, sometimes her dad screamed really loud when I was bad.” His mouth drops into a scowl. “He is very scary.”
Anger burns white-hot across my skin. “You weren’t bad, baby. It’s that man who’s bad.”
“Yeah, buddy. Your mom is right. He’s not a good guy, and he’ll never come near you again.
” Robby sits up taller, eagerly looking at Enzo like he’s his new favorite person, and it makes my heart all sorts of happy.
“You see my brothers over there and your uncle?” Enzo slants his head toward them, and Robby nods.