by Bianca Cole
Leo shrugs his shoulders. “Whatever, you two are just jealous that I have more humor in my little finger than both of you have combined.”
Both Kane and I look at each other and then burst out laughing, which lightens Alicia’s mood. She giggles along with us, taking a sip of her wine. My heart swells in my chest. This is what life could be like every day.
It’s nice to have all of us together as a family. Dare I dream that we could all have found this kind of happiness?
I had resigned myself to the fact I’d be alone for the rest of my life. Women were something I enjoyed now and then, but emotions never got involved. It was too dangerous to even consider an emotional entanglement.
Until now, I’ve never wanted to get involved with a woman emotionally, not until I set eyes on her. Alicia is already part of this world. She has grown up with it like me.
It still doesn’t help the guilt that danger will follow her now because of me. All I can do is protect her with everything I’ve got. I’ll protect her no matter the costs.
16
Alicia
The SUV pulls to a stop a few meters away from the meeting point. A rundown and out of use dockyard. The kind of place where anything could go wrong.
“Sir, we will go ahead and scope out the area,” Dan says.
Rick gives him a nod, and he gets out of the vehicle, leaving us alone. I glance back to see the other SUV with Kane and Leo parked behind us.
“Are you okay?” Rick asks.
I glance at him and give him a weak smile, despite my stomach being in total knots. “I’m not sure.”
His lips quirk into a beautiful smile. “On the plane, you were the one telling me everything will be okay.”
I shake my head. “Yeah, but now we’re actually here and I…”
He grabs my hand and squeezes. “What is it?”
“It will be hard to explain what this is to my father…” I pause a moment, contemplating what to say. “He’s always been very protective of me with boys.”
He chuckles. “Well, I’m not a boy, am I?”
“No, definitely not.” I swallow hard. “I think that will make it worse.” I shut my eyes, resting my head on the headrest.
We sit in silence together. The tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
A gunshot rings out, and my heart leaps into my throat. Rick turns to ice and drops my hand, getting out of the vehicle. I watch as he walks to the driver’s side, gets in, and starts the SUV. “Something is wrong,” he mutters.
Kane and Leo have left the vehicle behind, guns drawn. They amble toward our car, before opening the doors and getting inside. “What the fuck is going on?”
Rick shakes his head. “Dan and John have gone on ahead to check everything out. Where are the crew on the road?”
Kane checks his phone. “Last I heard they were about two hours away from here.”
“Damn,” Rick says, shaking his head. “They were supposed to be here when we met Juliano.”
Kane nods. “Yeah, they got held up.”
My heart is in my throat as I wonder if my father is okay. Has he been stupid enough to attempt to take the Romano brothers out on neutral territory?
Suddenly, Dan appears on the street with bloody hands, holding his side and rushing toward us. “Motherfuckers, we can’t let this go unanswered,” Rick growls, opening the door to the car and starting toward the building.
I jump out and rush after him, grabbing his arm. “What are you going to do?”
His eyes are filled with rage, as his two brothers also leave the vehicle with their guns drawn. I swallow hard, realizing what he means by not letting it go unanswered. If they were to flee this meeting, after their men had been attacked, they’d be seen as weak.
I hate this world and the way it works. It is kill or be killed.
“We’re going in. Stay here with Dan and John.”
I set my hands on my hips, glaring at him. “No fucking chance.”
Rick’s eyes narrow, and he steps closer, looming over me. “Get in the car, Alicia.”
I shake my head. “No.”
His fists ball by his sides. “It’s too dangerous. Do you even know how to shoot a gun?”
I grab the gun from his hand and aim toward a sign hanging one hundred feet away on a dilapidated building. “I’ll shoot the O,” I say.
Rick follows my gaze, and I pull the trigger, landing the bullet right in the center. I may be a brat, but my father always forced me to go to target practice. He taught me to shoot when I was eleven years old.
Leo whistles. “Damn, she’s a good fucking shot.”
Kane clears his throat. “We could use the extra help.”
Rick spins and glares at him. “What would you do if it was Jasmine?” he growls.
“If Jasmine could shoot like that, I’d let her do what the fuck she wants.”
Rick mutters something under his breath before nodding. “Fine. Let’s get these sons of bitches.”
Leo chucks something at him, and he catches it. “Smoke bombs always work a charm.” It’s a mask.
Leo passes me a mask. “Let’s see how good you shoot with zero visibility.” He then gives me a pistol.
“Thanks,” I mutter.
We all walk toward the building with our guns in our hands.
“Dan, what happened?” Leo asks as he gets nearer to us.
He shakes his head. “Whoever is in the shipyard wouldn’t show themselves. They shot both of us.” He winces, his hand is painted in blood.
Rick sets a hand on his shoulder. “The medical kit is in the glove compartment. I need you to patch each other up while we deal with these fuckers.”
Dan gives him a nod, before staggering past us. John is still limping a little way off. They’re both lucky to be alive.
My heart is pounding so hard it feels like I might throw up. The adrenaline pulsing through my veins is higher than anything I’ve ever experienced.
I notice one of my father’s vehicles parked in a spot and grab Rick’s arm. “My dad is here.” I nod my head toward the car. “Maybe you should enter holding a gun to my throat. That might keep up the ruse and ensure no one shoots us?”
Rick stares at me for a moment. “That is not a bad idea.”
He grabs the gun from my hand and flips on the safety, tucking it into the back of my jeans. “Grab it if things go south and get the hell out, do you understand me?” he whispers into my ear.
I nod my head.
“Good girl, now keep close to me.”
I let his warm hard body press against me as we walk into the vast old shipyard. The windows are boarded up, and it is so fucking dark. The dingy lighting illuminates the place and the glistening sea water in the bays where they would have built boats gleams.
“Where ever the fuck you are, we’ve got Alicia Juliano. We will shoot her.”
Someone laughs a menacing cackle, one that doesn’t belong to my father. “I don’t give a shit about that whore.”
Rick stiffens and pushes me behind him. He blocks me with his body like a shield.
Kane steps to the side of Rick. “I told you it was Austin behind all this.”
Rick shoots him a glare. “What the fuck do you want, Austin?”
I wonder where the fuck this guy is. “I want your blood running from this building,” he replies.
Rick gives Kane a nod, and he pulls the cord on the smoke bomb, throwing it into the old shipyard building. A shot goes off, and then coughing and spluttering as Rick, Leo, and Kane put their masks on.
Rick grabs mine out of my hand and shoves it onto my face quickly. Thick white smoke disperses through the corridor, and I can barely see a thing.
Rick’s hand laces with mine, and he moves forward, pressing further into the rundown old building. His touch grounds me and calms me. My mind is going wild over who this Austin is and where my father is. He’s definitely here, as his car is parked outside.
A shot rings out, and my heart le
aps into my throat. Rick pulls me closer to him as we walk deeper into the smoke-filled building. I’ve never felt so on edge. Even when I was kidnapped once before, it was nothing compared to this.
Rick’s presence calms my nerves as we walk deeper into the old dock warehouse. My mask is snuggly fitted to my face, making it possible to look through the smoke.
“I’m not sure what good you think your smoke will do for you,” Austin shouts.
Rick ignores him, walking forward and into the unknown. My dad’s car is outside, but there is no sign of him.
Has this man hurt him?
Whoever this guy is, he’s unhinged. Taking on the Romano family is a suicide mission. I always knew my dad wasn’t stupid enough to go against Rick and his family. It all makes sense now. This whole situation was manipulated by one man.
I stumble over something discarded on the floor and almost go headfirst into the water beside me. The shipyard hasn’t been used for years, and there is debris everywhere.
Thankfully, Rick catches me before I can tumble into the water. “Careful, princess,” he mutters.
There’s an edge to his voice. For the first time since we met, he isn’t in control. It scares me more than anything. I squeeze his hand tightly, trying to ground myself.
Rick’s hand slips from mine, and he steadies his gun, squinting through the smoke.
He pulls the trigger and shoots a guy in the heart, killing him dead with one shot.
I gasp, unable to mask my shock. Rick’s eyes meet mine. There’s guilt burning deep in them. I wonder what he feels more guilty about, killing a man, or me witnessing it.
My heart almost stops as I notice another guy pointing a gun right at me through the smoke. Both of us were distracted for a moment, and he is in close range.
The man’s eyes widen as he sees me. I do the only thing I can do and drop to the floor. The bang of the gunshot is so loud it feels like my eardrums burst, as I hit the floor.
That was too fucking close.
17
Rick
Alicia drops to the floor on instinct. The bullet flies over her head right where she was standing. Pride rises inside of me, watching her act off of instinct.
I grab the bastard who shot at her by the collar, making him yelp like the coward he is.
I’m about to punch him hard in the face when I recognize him. Only from photos, but he’s the man Leo has been trying to track since he got Ellie back. Bruce Hernandez, a lowlife drug dealer, and her ex-boyfriend. The same man that held her captive for two months straight.
I knock him out cold, dragging his body to one side. Leo will want to get his hands on him, and I’m not letting him escape. If someone snatched Alicia from me and put her through hell, I’d damn well want to murder the man who did it slowly and painfully myself.
I pull a cable tie out of my pocket and fasten it around his wrists. There’s no way I’m letting that asshole escape. Alicia is still on the floor, holding her hands over her head. Austin has picked a load of fucking idiots to support him in his attempt to overthrow us. The question is whether Alicia’s father is working with him or not.
It will put me in an impossible situation if her dad is working against us. All I can hope is that’s not the case. I get to my knees and crawl toward her. She flinches at my touch, before relaxing when she sees that it’s me. “Come on, we’ve got to keep moving,” I say.
She nods, gripping the pistol in her hand so tight her knuckles are white. I didn’t want her to be in this kind of danger, but her damn stubborn attitude had her insisting. It makes the stakes even higher. Everyone I care about in this godforsaken world is in this shipyard.
I go first, keeping her behind my back. I’m her only shield, and I will shield her from anything. There’s no doubt in my heart that I’d sacrifice my life for this woman.
“Rick, let’s talk about this,” Austin shouts.
He doesn’t get to call the shots, especially not after he told me he is here for my blood. The man is dead. There are no two ways about it. No one tries to take down the Romano family and survives.
He knows that we’ve got him. A damn coward. Kane is the one to find him first, as I hear the shrill scream of Austin up ahead. “I’ve got him.”
Alicia glances up at me through her protective mask. I give her waist a reassuring squeeze. We step toward my brother’s voice, nearly barging straight into Leo.
“Careful,” he quips, letting me and Alicia walk passed him.
I set eyes on Austin and my body tenses. “Why did you betray us?” I ask.
He smirks at me. “You and your brothers are too damn weak.” He yelps as Kane punches him in the gut.
“Who the fuck is weak now?” Kane growls.
He straightens and glances at me. “Sure, you all act strong and vicious, but I’ve seen first hand how much you care.” He shakes his head. “Your dad had it right. He was a true leader. I saw an opportunity to overthrow you, and I took it.”
Somehow, this all feels too easy. Austin is clever, and this couldn’t have been his plan. We’re the only living Romanos left, and he has been working for our family since before we were in charge.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, trying to work out his game plan. The guy isn’t this fucking dumb. “This isn’t right.”
Alicia steps toward him. “Where’s my father?”
Austin sneers at her. “He’ll be here any minute.”
That’s when it hits me. This was Austin's plan all along, trying to trap us in here and suggest we attacked first. If Juliano is working with Austin, then he will be in on it. But, if he’s not, then he will see this as us breaking the peace pact on neutral territory.
I grab Alicia’s arm and pull her toward me, holding her close to my chest. “He has set us up,” I announce.
The sound of a safety being taken off a gun behind me has me spinning so fast. Nick is standing there with three other men, and his gun is aimed at me. Leo and Kane have their guns trained on him in a second.
If I go for my gun, I’ve got to let go of Alicia.
Alicia tries to get out of my grip, but I keep hold of her firmly. “Nick, this is one big misunderstanding, orchestrated by the man standing behind me.”
His eyes narrow. “He said you might say something like that.” Nick takes a step forward.
Within seconds, I’ve got my gun against Alicia’s throat. The best thing here is to play it her way. If her father thinks she’s in danger, he won’t shoot. Otherwise, this could turn into a good old-fashioned shoot out before either of us can blink.
His eyes widen, and the fear in them is as clear as day.
“Not one more step,” I say.
Alicia clears her throat. “Dad, please listen to him. He’s telling the truth.”
Nick takes another step forward, and I cock the gun, pressing it against Alicia’s throat. It feels wrong having this gun anywhere near her, but he has to comply. Otherwise, we could all end up dead.
He puts his hands in the air and glances back at his men. “Guns down.” A few of the men hesitate. “Now,” he yells as he drops his gun to the floor.
They all give up their guns. “Fools,” Austin says.
Juliano narrows his eyes at me. “Explain.”
Alicia trembles in my arms, as I keep the gun pressed to her throat. Every part of my being is screaming at me to lower the gun, but I have to keep up pretenses for a little longer. “Austin is the reason all of this happened,” I say, glancing at the asshole who betrayed us. “Just over three weeks ago, he came to me and told me he’d found out you were selling into our territory.”
“That’s bullshit,” Nick states.
I nod my head. “I believe that since it was all a ploy to bring our family down. In fact, he was the one who came to me and suggested we snatch Alicia to get you to back off.”
Nick’s eyes narrow at Austin. “So, you’ve been playing two families off against each other?”
Austin gawps. “You don’t
believe this idiot, do you?”
He nods his head. “I damn well am believing him.” He steps toward Austin, and I watch warily. “It made no sense why, after eight years of peace, Rick would break it for no reason.”
Austin is trembling with rage, eyes searching for something. He hasn’t got a way out of here, and he sure as hell isn’t leaving this warehouse alive.
Nick turns his attention to me. “Rick, I get this was a misunderstanding, but you snatched my daughter. My flesh and blood.” His eyes narrow. “Give her back now, and no one needs to get hurt.”
I lick my bottom lip, wondering how this will go down. “There’s a slight complication.”
Alicia interrupts, “Let me tell him.”
I remove my gun from her throat and let her go, but she remains close to me.
“Dad, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go home.”
His brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
She backs up closer to me, pressing herself against my body. “I’m in love with Rick.”
His nostrils flare. “What?” He growls.
“Daddy, please understand.” She holds her hands up. “It just happened.”
His eyes fix on me. “You snatch my daughter and then take advantage of her?” he asks.
I shake my head, snaking an arm around Alicia’s waist protectively. “No, I fell in love with her because she’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
My part only seems to add fuel to the fire. Nick's face darkens, and his eyes widen. “You kidnapped her and then groomed her,” he shouts, bringing his gun back up and preparing to shoot.
Alicia stands tall and puts her arms up, trying to shield me despite being much smaller. “You can’t shoot him, I won’t let you.”
“Alicia, get out of the way.”
She shakes her head, grabbing my hand and squeezing. “No, I know you’re not happy—”
“Happy? Why the fuck would I be happy that you are insisting you are in love with a man who snatched you from our home?”
I knew this would be tough, and I can understand the way this looks. It looks bad. Neither of us planned for this. I could never have expected the powerful connection between us the moment I set eyes on her.
