by Amy Cecil
“None of us did. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Now, we need to concentrate on getting Zaira back unscathed. Pull out all the stops, Ricco. I want her found, and I want Darius in the watershed and chained. I’ll deal with him personally.”
“You got it.”
“I have to go to the hospital and check in on Pop. I’ll take Ice with me. You stay here and find her.”
“I won’t let you down, Mikey. We’ll get her back.”
“See to it.”
As I turn to leave, Vince grabs my arm. “I want in on this, Mikey. We’re talking about my fucking sister here.”
“No, you’re too emotional.”
“What the fuck, and you’re not?” He’s angry, and I really don’t blame him. I’d be the same way.
“Fuck, Vince, of course I am, but I can’t remove myself from this. I’m a big enough liability in this and have to constantly keep my emotions in check. I can’t be worrying about you too.”
He shakes his head in defeat.
“Besides, if something happened to you, Zaira would never forgive me.”
The look in his eyes tells me he gets it. “Tell me you’re gonna do everything to find her.”
I look directly into his eyes. “Do you even need to ask that?”
“I guess not,” he replies.
“Don’t worry. They won’t hurt her as long as they are still waiting for my answer. I will get her back before I give it. You can count on that.”
“Keep me posted?” he asks.
“Of course.” I nod and walk out of the office and into the hallway where Hawk and Spike are still posted outside my door. “Where’s Ice?”
“He just walked that way,” Hawk replies.
I turn down the hall in search of Ice. Hawk and Spike follow behind me, and I feel my phone buzz. I pull it out of my pocket and see I have a text. I open my messages, and the first thing I see is a video. I push play and see Zaira, bound, gagged, and strung up like an animal. My blood boils. Holy fuck! What have they done to her?
“Ricco!” I yell.
He comes running down the hall.
“Look!” I hand him my phone. “Those fucking cocksuckers,” I say as I pace back and forth in the hall. Thank God Vince already left and can’t see this. He’d fucking go insane, and there is no sense both of us going insane. I will definitely keep this information to myself.
“Mikey, calm down. I know how it looks, but I want you to think of some things here, as bad as they may be. First off, she is fully clothed. Secondly, I don’t see bruises or red marks on her. And thirdly, she’s still alive.”
He’s got a point. “Find her, Ricco! Find Darius! He’s the key to finding her.”
I walk toward Ice. “Care to go for a ride?”
“Sure, man, where are we going?”
“The hospital. I need Ricco to stay here, but he won’t let me go alone.”
“Sure, we’ll go. Rebel, Hawk, let’s go, boys. We’re riding.” He looks at the last MC standing with us. “Spike, stay here and help Ricco with whatever he needs.”
“You got it, Prez.”
“Let’s go,” I say, and we proceed to the garage. Once we are all mounted on our bikes, I pull out first, with Ice, Hawk, and Rebel close behind.
We get to the hospital, and I rush immediately to the registration desk in the ER. “May I help you?” the woman behind the counter asks.
“Yes, I’m looking for Domenic Vitali. He was brought in several minutes ago via ambulance.”
“Are you immediate family?”
“Yes, I’m his son, Michael Vitali.” I know she is only doing her job, but I’m getting irritated.
“Follow me, sir.” she says, then glances at the men behind me. “I’m sorry, sir, but these men cannot accompany you.”
I walk up very close to her. “You know who my father is? You know who I am? I trust these men with the lives of my family as well as my own. They will go in with me, and they will stay as long as I need them to. Do you understand?”
“But, sir… there are rules.”
“Fuck the rules. We are talking life and death, sweetheart. Now take me to my father.”
“Fine, but if I lose my job over this….”
I have to say, I like her spunk. “Darling, if you lose your job over this, you come see me. I’ll give you a job and double your salary,” I say as we turn the corner into Pop’s room.
“Mamma, how is he?” I ask.
“Bene,” she replies. “He’s doing much better now.”
“What did the doctors say?” I ask.
“Turns out it wasn’t a heart attack as we had feared.”
“No?”
She shakes her head. “No, turns out it’s pancreatitis.”
“Pancreatitis? What does that mean?”
“His pancreas is inflamed, and the inflammation can cause severe chest pains. They’ve taken him into radiation for some imaging to confirm their suspicions.”
“Can it be cancer?” I ask.
“We don’t know yet. That is one of the things they are trying to rule out. It could just be an infection.”
“So we just wait.”
“Yes, son, we wait.”
I look around the room and realize my brother and sister are not here. “Where’s Alex and Gina?”
“Oh, they went to get me a cup of coffee,” she replies.
“And Marco?” I ask, a little miffed that he left my mom alone.
“Don’t be mad, Michael, I sent him with them. I needed some time alone.”
I admonish her. “Mamma, you know better.”
She waves her hand and says, “I know, I know. I don’t need the lecture.”
Just then, saving my mother from the inevitable lecture, they walk back into the room. “Hey,” Alex says. “Everything okay at home?”
“Yeah, the situation is under control for now.” The last thing I want to do is worry my mother about what has happened. She will be heartbroken when she sees the damage to her home, but worse, she’ll be devastated when she finds out about Zaira. She has enough to worry about; she doesn’t need to know about all that now. “We’ll talk later,” I say, and he nods in agreement.
We spend the next few minutes waiting for my father to return from his tests. I can’t stop thinking about Zaira, and I’m anxious that I haven’t heard anything from Ricco. So I text him:
Anything?
A few seconds later, he replies:
We might have something, but it’s not solid.
I’m looking into it now.
I’ll keep you posted.
I reply:
Find her, Ricco!
Ricco:
I will!
The waiting is killing me. I get up from my chair and pace until I step out of the room to where Ice and his boys are out in the hall.
“How’s your old man?” Ice asks.
“We’re not sure yet. We know it wasn’t a heart attack. They’re looking at his pancreas right now.” I pause, collecting my thoughts. “So what are your plans?”
“Hadn’t really thought about it. Why, you need something?” Ice replies.
I sigh. “Aw shit, Ice, I don’t know where to go from here. I’m worried sick about Pop and Zaira, I’m trying to keep everyone safe, and I still believe making the deal with Gallardi is a bad idea. Pop would agree too. I know it.”
“Then stick to your gut, Michael. They’re banking on you caving to their demands. Don’t do it. You’ve got a strong family, lots of allies, and more than enough smarts to beat them at their own game,” he says, “As for the other stuff, trust the doctors to care for your pop and trust Ricco to find Zaira”
“What if they hurt her?” I ask.
“They won’t. Right now, she is the key to ensuring they get what they want. And we’ll do everything we can to help you.”
“So you’re staying?”
“For a while. Eventually we’ll have to get back, but we’re always available when you need us.”
&nb
sp; “Thanks. If you could just give us a couple of days, then you can head back. We’ll keep you up to date for when we make our move on Gallardi.”
“Oh hell yes, definitely keep us in the loop. We will come back for that. You know we love a good fight,” Ice replies.
A few minutes later, they bring my father back. Dr. Siegel motions for me to follow him inside Pop’s room. Once the family is together, he proceeds. “Well, I was right about it not being a heart attack. Your father’s heart is strong. But, after more tests, it appears he has acute pancreatitis.”
“What does that all mean?” I ask impatiently.
“Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed, and the digestive enzymes are activated before they are released into the small intestine and begin to attack the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis is sudden and can exhibit symptoms of a heart attack. Most recover completely from acute pancreatitis, and I am confident your father falls into this group.”
“Thank God!” My mother sighs with relief as she makes the sign of the cross from her forehead to her heart and across her chest. Then she kisses her rosary.
“So where do we go from here, Dr. Siegel?” I ask.
“I’d like to keep him for a few days and monitor how the treatment is progressing. He should be able to go home by the middle of next week, provided there are no complications.” He looks around at each of us. “He’ll be out of it for a while. You all should go home. Let him rest, and you can see him in the morning.” And before my mother or any of us can argue, he says, “I’m not budging on this either. Go home, all of you. He needs to rest.”
Without any argument, my mother nods, walks to my father, kisses him on the cheek, tells him she loves him and then turns toward me. “Marco, can you take us home?”
“Sure, ma’am. Ready?” he replies.
“Actually, Marco, I’d like you to stay here with Pop. I’ll have some things sent for you. Alex, you can drive Mom and Gina home.”
He nods. Gina and Alex both say good-bye to Pop and follow our mother. I walk to the bed and sit in the chair next to him.
Taking his hand, I say, “Pop, I’m not sure if you can hear me or not, but I want you to know I’ve got everything under control. You just get better and come home.”
My father squeezes my hand.
I walk out of the room and nod at Ice. “Let’s go.”
Ice, Rebel, and Hawk stand to follow behind me.
“Marco, call Jude with a list of things you’ll need. We’ll get everything sent right up for you.”
“I’m good, Michael. You have enough to worry about. Thanks. I’ll take good care of your pop.”
“You always do,” I reply.
Chapter 12
Zaira
I have no idea how long I have been suspended in this room. It feels like days, but by the darkness in the room, it’s probably only been a few hours. The last thing I remember is the guy named Romeo sending Michael pictures of me. He must be frantic with worry. I know Michael will want to give them whatever they want, but I have a sneaking suspicion that once they get it, they will renege on their agreement. They don’t seem honorable to me. I will just become a loose end. And growing up in this world, I know what happens to loose ends.
I still find it difficult to understand how Darius could do this. What could they have offered him to betray Michael and me? I thought he was my friend. I trusted him. Michael trusted him.
I’m exhausted, I’m thirsty, and I have to pee. I’m completely fatigued being tied this way. Time seems to drag on as I hang here. Michael, where are you?
More time passes, and I hear the click on the door and someone entering the room. I can’t see who it is, but I can feel their presence.
“So, Mrs. Vitali, how are you feeling?”
Really? He wants to know how I am feeling? Asshole. I recognize his voice. It’s Romeo.
I hesitate before I answer him because I realize I need to say the right thing in the right way if I am ever going to get him to untie me. “I’m really thirsty, and I would like to use the bathroom if that would be okay?”
“If I untie you, you will have to promise to be a good girl. Can you do that?”
“I promise,” I reply, hopeful.
“You will also have a twenty-four-hour guard in this room with you. I can’t have you in here alone planning an escape. It’ll most likely will go bad for you, and I don’t need that.”
“I understand.” At this point, I will agree to anything to be able to move and sit normally.
He opens the door and yells, “Darius, Hector, come in here.” They enter the room, and Romeo continues. “Let’s give our guest a break. Untie her. Both of you will stand guard in here with her. She is allowed to use the restroom, and she is allowed to have some water. She will eat in the morning.”
Once he leaves the room, Darius and Hector work at the knots to free me from my restraints. I keep looking at Darius accusingly, but he refuses to look me in the eye. Bastard. I feel no sympathy toward him when I think about his fate once Michael gets his hands on him. If I get out of this alive, I plan to be there to cast judgment on him. In either case, he will pay for what he’s done.
Once I’m free, I find it’s difficult to stand up straight. Stretching out my body, I move toward the en suite bathroom. “If you’ll excuse me,” I say and walk into the bathroom.
Darius follows behind me.
I give him an incredulous look. “I’d like some privacy, please.”
“Sorry, Z. Ain’t gonna happen, darling,” Darius replies. How dare he call me Z? He lost that privilege when he helped have me kidnapped.
“Fine, then. Watch, you sick bastard. And the name is Mrs. Vitali.” I lift my dress with purpose, showing my garters and stockings, pull down my thong, and sit my ass on the toilet.
Darius stares, and it makes me uncomfortable, but it will be a cold day in hell before he knows it. When I’m finished, I right myself and walk to the sink. I wash the cum out of my hair and the stickiness off my body as best I can. Feeling somewhat normal, I stomp out of the bathroom, snubbing my nose at him as I pass by. You are so dead, asshole.
“Zaira, let me explain,” he calls after me.
I turn to face him, holding up my hand. “No, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Do your job, Darius, and leave me the fuck alone.” I start to walk back to the bed and realize he has no right to be so informal with me. I turn back toward him, pointing my finger at his chest, “And don’t you fucking call me Z or Zaira. You’ve lost the privilege.” I walk to the bed, lie in a fetal position, and try to get some sleep.
I wake to the bright sun shining through the windows. Darius and Hector are still in my room sitting in the chairs across from the bed. I’m hungry.
“Good morning,” Darius says.
I don’t even acknowledge him. I’m so done with him. I turn toward Hector. “May I have something to eat?”
Hector stands from his chair and walks to the table. He grabs a McDonald’s bag and basically throws it at me. “Here, it got cold waiting for you to wake up. It’s all you’re gonna get until later, so you better eat it.”
Whatever. I dig into the bag. There is an egg McMuffin and a hash brown. I take a bite of the potatoes. Yep, they’re cold, but I’m famished so I eat them anyway, including the sandwich.
I get up from the bed and walk back to the bathroom. Darius, of course, follows me in there. After another repeat of last night, I splash water on my face and return to the bedroom.
Several minutes pass before Darius pulls out his cell phone, dials, and holds the phone to his ear. “Hey, Stace, it’s me.” He listens. “Yeah, just wanted to check in. I’m on a job, and I’ll be home in a few days.” Does Darius have a girlfriend? He listens more and says, “Nope, not going to Italy. There’s been a change of plans.”
Stace talks longer this time, and Darius rubs his face in frustration, then paces the room. “Hey, sis, I’m sorry. I should have stocked the fridge for you
.”
So it’s his sister. I make sure I take in as much as the conversation as I can. Michael will need this information if he doesn’t already know that Darius is the rat. I smirk at my thoughts. I was raised in this life but never embraced it. And now, without even thinking it comes so naturally.
He looks at his watch. “Yeah, I should be able to break away for a bit sometime this afternoon. I’ll pick up some things for you and bring them by.” He pauses. “Yeah, I know you don’t have a car or any money.” He rakes his hand through his hair, and I can see by the expression on his face that he’s pissed off. He then yells, “I’ll take care of it!” He disconnects the line.
After the phone call, we all just sit and stare at each other. So now, I guess we play the waiting game.
Chapter 13
Michael
It’s been twenty-four hours, and we still have nothing on Zaira. I’m going out of my freaking mind. Ricco and Jude are working around the clock to get a lead on where she might be, while we wait for contact from Romeo.
Alex and Gina took lead on getting the house back in order and have already called the construction crews we know to work on getting the house and grounds back to normal. They started first thing this morning.
I’ve exhausted all avenues. I’m frustrated and pacing in my office, trying my hardest to think of where they may have taken her when Ricco walks in.
“Good news, Mikey. I’ve got a lead on Darius.”
“Thank fuck! Whatcha got?”
“Well, last night, we bugged Darius’s home and tapped into his sister’s phone. She’s his only living relative, and apparently she’s been staying with him for quite some time. Anyway, early this morning, we got a ding. He called her this morning to check in. Said he would be gone for a couple of days and to not worry.”
“That’s it?”
“No, there’s more. He told her he was on a job and that he wasn’t far from home.”
“So we know they’re close.”
“Oh yeah, we actually know a little more. When she asked if he was still going to Italy, he said no, plans changed. She complained about not having any food in the house, and he said he should be able to get away for a short time today and would bring her what she needed. Apparently she is sick or something, has no money or vehicle, and is pretty much down on her luck, which is why she is staying with her brother.”
