“I found him and his family a safehouse away from us. I felt he needed a place away from us for his wife and baby to feel safe,” Dakota told them as he dialed Schaffler’s number.
“Okay,” Lis responded and Dakota nodded.
“Chris, we have a problem,” Dakota said as soon as Chris answered his phone.
“Be there in ten, boss,” Chris responded without hesitation.
“See you then,” Dakota told him and ended the call. “If anyone knows anything, it’ll be Chris.”
“Yes, but will he remember?” Rachel asked and looked at the faces around her.
“Only way to know is to ask when he gets here,” James answered and looked at them all. “No matter who this person is, we will face this threat together.”
“What threat?” David asked when he entered the room.
“Lis just got a phone call from her Father’s cell phone. It was a man who said he was watching us and told us to watch out for each other,” Dakota answered. “None of us recognized his voice though.”
“Did your Dad have any associates you didn’t know?” David asked Lis and Rachel.
“Probably hundreds,” Lis answered honestly. “Neither Rachel nor I had much to do with the business. Neither of us wanted to.”
“Do you still have his address book? I know he had one,” Dakota asked and Lis nodded.
“It’s in the safe in our bedroom,” she answered and Dakota rose to his feet.
“I’ll get it and we will see who all is in there.”
After he walked out of the room, Lis looked at Rachel and sighed. “He referred to you as beautiful twice. Was there anyone in Dad’s circle who paid extra attention to you? Anyone who would make a point to talk to you at the functions we couldn’t avoid?”
“A couple, but they were all teenagers like us,” Rachel responded and cringed. “There was one. I can’t remember his name, but I remember what he looked like.”
“Describe him. I may know who it was,” Dakota told her as he walked back over and sat beside Lis.
“Dark hair and eyes, about James’ height and build. Had a scar above his right eye and a tattoo on his left wrist. A tiger, I think.”
“Fuck. Yeah, I know who that is,” Dakota told them and sighed. “That’s Giovanni Moretti. He’s the leader of the Italian Disciples. They’re a gang of former Italian Mafia and their children.”
“Why was he at Dad’s functions?” Lis asked and shook her head.
“No idea,” Dakota answered and opened the address book. “But here’s his name and phone number. Your dad was in contact with him.”
“I remember he used to always tell me I was beautiful when he would see me. I never really thought anything about it because I was fifteen and he had to be at least twenty years older than me. Dad would have killed him had he tried anything,” Rachel told them and James pulled her to his side.
“I will kill him if he tries anything now,” he assured her.
“I’m not scared, but I do think we all need to watch each other’s backs. We also need to talk to Chris and make sure Moretti is the one we’re looking for. Hopefully he can remember more about that night now.”
“Here’s hoping,” David said as Chris walked into the room.
“What’s going on?” He asked as he looked at everyone sitting there.
“What do you remember about the people who were around the night our parents were killed?” Lis asked without hesitation.
“Other than the guards, I think it was Giovanni Moretti and his eldest son, Piero. Piero is around your age, Lis.”
“Wait, I know him. Rachel, he went to school with us. He graduated with me, but he dated Kiwa Nadas for a while.”
“Son of a bitch. There’s the fucking connection,” James said and rose to his feet.
“Seems we know who and why, now we just need to figure out when, where, and how,” Dakota said and they all nodded.
“We will keep each other safe,” Lis assured him. “I think it’s time to leave this house and find another location though. Maybe somewhere on the beach.”
“Sounds like a great idea. Let’s pack up, everyone. Tomorrow morning, we will head to my beach house,” Dakota told them. “It has top notch security and a fully stocked safe with all the guns and ammo you could ask for.”
“Plus, the view is amazing,” Lis added and they all laughed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“They are on the move,” a male voice said as soon as Piero Giovanni answered the phone.
“Oh?” He asked, a hint of humor in his voice. “Follow them and tell me where they go.”
“Yes, sir, but they are taking three vehicles. Who should I follow?”
“Rachel. If you value your life, and the life of your daughter, you will not let her out of your sight.”
“Yes, sir,” he responded and ended the call.
“Father,” Piero called out as he walked down the hall of his house. “I have some news.”
“My son,” Giovanni smiled from the bed he was confined to. “You seem happy.”
“I am, Father. The Manning girls will soon pay for the things their Father did to you. I will start with Elisabeth and end with beautiful Rachel.”
“My son, vengeance will not repair the damage Manning inflicted on me. No matter what you do, I will not survive much longer.”
“I am sorry I failed you, Father. I will avenge you, though. I will not let the Mannings get away with what they have done to you. I will not let your death be in vain.”
“Son, the only thing the girls are guilty of is having a tyrant for a Father. Do not harm them in my name.”
“Father, the sins of the Father,” Piero started and Giovanni interrupted him.
“Are not the sins of the child,” he started and stopped when his breath caught in his throat.
“Father?”
“My son, take care of the family, take care of your Mother,” Giovanni spoke in a soft whisper. “Take care of yourself.”
“Father,” Piero cried out as Giovanni’s eyes closed and his body stilled. “Father!”
“He is gone,” the young nurse they’d hired said as she walked into the room. “He survived longer than any doctor expected him to.”
“NO!” Piero shouted as tears streamed down his face. “I will avenge you, Father.”
With that, he walked out of the room and straight out of the house.
****
“We’re being followed,” James told Rachel as he turned onto a side street and the dark sedan followed them.
“Whoever it is isn’t very good at tailing people. He’s way too obvious,” Rachel pointed out.
“Definitely an amateur,” James agreed and grinned. “Wanna play with him a little?”
“Oh yeah,” Rachel said with a grin.
“Hang on, love,” James told her just before he took a sharp right down another side street.
For the next several minutes, James took them through a series of twists and turns that would have left most people dizzy, but the sedan stayed on their ass through them all.
“Fuck, he may be an amateur at tailing people, but he can sure as hell drive,” Rachel announced as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket.
“Rachel, what’s wrong?” Lis asked as soon as she answered the phone.
“We have a tail that we can’t shake. Everything quiet with you two?” Rachel explained.
“Yes,” Lis responded before relaying to Dakota what was going on. “Dakota wants your location so he can come help you shake the tail.”
Rachel stayed on the phone as Lis and Dakota doubled back. When she looked in the mirror and saw Dakota fall in behind the sedan she grinned.
“Thanks, sis,” she told Lis and looked at James. “Gonna put the phone on speaker so we can all talk.”
Once she clicked over to speaker phone, she heard Lis do the same.
“James, you keep heading straight. I’m going to pass you both, then you pass me, then I’ll pass you. Let�
�s see if we can confuse this fuckwad,” Dakota told them and James grinned.
“Let’s do this, bro,” James agreed and slowed a little so Dakota could safely come around both vehicles.
When Dakota passed him and sped up, James sped up and got right on his tail. After about thirty seconds, James whipped around him and slowed down a little.
For the next twenty minutes, James and Dakota passed each other every few seconds, keeping the sedan behind them both.
“James, we are almost to the bridge. Once we are across it, I’m going to take the first right, you take the first left and we will see who he follows. I’m hoping he is confused and decides not to follow either of us,” Dakota told James.
“Sounds like a plan, bro,” James replied as they got on the bridge. Dakota was between him and the sedan at the moment so he was hopeful the driver would follow Dakota. “I hope he follows you. You know this island better than I do.”
“Even if he follows you, I will help you lose him. The road you’re taking leads to the docks and there are many alleys there you can disappear down quickly,” Dakota replied and grinned.
“What about you and Lis?” Rachel asked nervously.
“Lis and I are going to be heading to the residential district. I know that area well and I can lose him there,” Dakota answered.
“Okay, here we go,” James told them all as they neared the end of the bridge. “No matter what we will see each other at the house. Even if we have to make this asswipe crash into the goddamned ocean.”
“Yes, we will,” Dakota agreed.
As soon as the tires hit the end of the bridge, James floored it and took the first road to the left, just as Dakota had instructed him.
He saw Dakota take the right with the sedan right on his ass.
“He took the bait,” James announced and Dakota laughed.
“Amateur,” Dakota said and grinned. “Seems he isn’t as good as he thought he was. Head to the house and we will see you there within an hour.”
“Be careful, bro,” James told him and nodded to Rachel to end the call. “They’ll be okay.”
“I know they will be,” Rachel agreed and grinned. “They always are.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Do you think they’re okay?” Rachel asked again. They split off from Lis and Dakota almost an hour ago and haven’t heard anything from them since.
“They will be here soon, baby. Relax and just wait for them,” James assured her even though he was starting to worry as well.
“How can you be sure, James?” She asked just as her cell phone started ringing. “It’s Lis. Hello?”
“We will be there in under five minutes,” Lis told her as soon as she answered.
“Thank God,” Rachel responded.
“Had a bit of a problem, but you’ll see when we get there,” Lis told her and sighed. “Have James meet us out front in two minutes. We will need his help.
“Will do. See you in a couple minutes, sis,” Rachel responded and ended the call. “They need you outside in about a minute and a half.”
“Better go now then,” he told her and kissed her forehead.
“Be safe,” she told him as he walked out the door.
A minute later Rachel heard Dakota stop the SUV in front of the house and walked to the front door just in time to see Dakota get out of the back of the SUV and pull the driver of the car that had been following them out behind him.
“Meet Apollo. He works for Piero Moretti. Moretti told him to tail us and let him know where we were going,” Dakota informed them as he pushed Apollo toward the door. “That’s all I got out of him before he stopped talking.
“I think we can get more from him,” James said and grinned.
“I know we can,” Dakota agreed. “I think we should let the ladies take this one. I hear Rachel and Tiffany have mastered the art of torture.”
“Oh, this should be fun,” Tiffany commented from behind Rachel.
“A lot of fun,” Rachel agreed and Lis grinned.
“Let’s do this,” Lis added as Dakota entered the house, almost dragging Apollo behind him.
“Where do you want him?” Dakota asked.
“Back yard,” Lis answered and grinned. “I have an idea.”
“Fuck, I love you,” Dakota told her and her grin grew wider.
“I love you too,” she responded and lead the way through the house and out the back door.
“Where do you want him?” Dakota asked and Lis grinned.
“Right here,” she pointed at an old patio chair. “Tie his hands, but I want his feet left free, please.”
“What if he kicks you?” James asked as he helped Dakota do as she asked.
“Then I’ll cut his foot off,” Lis answered without hesitation as she walked into the house. A moment later she walked back out carrying three large knives. “Ladies, choose your weapon.”
Rachel walked over, picked the largest of the three, and grinned as she tested the sharpness. “Very nice, sis.”
“Thank you, but I can’t take credit for these babies. Dakota had them in his kitchen.”
“Oh wow, Dakota. Do you cook?” Tiffany asked as she choose the smallest of the two left.
“I do,” he answered and grinned. “And Lis just grabbed three of my favorite chef’s knives.”
“I’ll buy you new ones, baby,” she promised and he grinned.
“Have fun, ladies. Yell if you need us,” he told them then kissed Lis’ forehead and walked back inside.
“See you in a bit, love,” James told Rachel before kissing her lips softly and following Dakota.
David nodded to them and followed the others inside.
“Ladies, ready to have some fun?” Lis asked and grinned.
“I’m always ready for fun,” Tiffany responded and Rachel nodded.
“Then let’s do this,” she told them and explained what she wanted to do in detail. By the time she was finished Apollo was pasty white and sweating from head to toe.
“What’s wrong, Apollo? Do we scare you a little?” Tiffany asked and pulled the tape from his mouth.
“Please. He has my wife and daughter. He said he’d kill them if I didn’t do what he asked,” he stammered out as soon as the tape was off.
“Fuck,” Lis spat out and laid her knife down. “Dakota!”
“Right here, love,” Dakota answered and stepped back outside.
“Apollo, tell him what you just said,” Lis ordered and looked at the terrified man in the chair.
“Piero Moretti has my wife and daughter. I have no idea where they are. He told me he’d kill my daughter if I failed,” Apollo told the men and Dakota sighed.
“I will look into this, but if I find out you’re lying I will gladly let the ladies chop you into little pieces,” Dakota told him and Apollo nodded.
“Okay, deal. I don’t care about myself, but I can’t let my daughter be harmed. She’s only two.”
“I’ll make a couple of phone calls,” Dakota told them then walked back into the house.
“Well, I guess we wait,” Tiffany said and sighed. “I was looking forward to making him bleed.”
“Someone will bleed soon enough, sweetheart,” David assured her and grinned when she snarled at him.
“Back off or that someone will be you,” she warned him and growled at his laughter.
“Play nice, you two,” Rachel teased and they both looked at her. “Lis, wanna help me chop away this sexual tension? It’s so thick, it’ll take both of us to cut through it.”
“Shut it,” Tiffany told her and sighed. “I’m going inside. Tell me when we know something.”
David shook his head and followed her inside. He knew nothing would happen until Dakota found out what was going on.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Damon, how are you?” Dakota asked as soon as the other man answered the phone.
“What the fuck? Jackson, is that really you?” Damon asked in surprise.
“Al
ive and well, old friend,” Dakota responded and sighed. “Elisabeth and O’Brien are alive as well, and Rachel is safely with us now too.”
“That is very good to hear,” Damon told him and smiled. “Who tried to kill you?”
“Morrison, but we are dealing with him. I’m calling about another matter.”
“Oh, what might that be?”
“Piero Moretti,” Dakota answered and Damon sighed.
“Haven’t heard the Moretti name in quite some time. I heard Giovanni was seriously injured the night Manning and his wife were killed.”
“That could explain why the son threatened Lis and Rachel,” Dakota mused and Damon groaned.
“Who do these men think those two are? Both are trained in hand to hand, knife, sword, and gun fighting.”
Dakota chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not sure, but I can tell you that neither appear to be more than meets the eye. Hell, I was even convinced Lis was a pampered princess until I saw her shoot a gun.”
“Did you really think Manning would allow his daughters to grow up not knowing how to keep each other safe?” Damon asked, shocked by what Dakota told him.
“Not exactly. I thought the girls would have rebelled against it because neither wanted any part of the life.”
“Oh, they did, but Manning insisted. I am proud to say that I helped train both of them.”
“I guess you’re the one I can thank for Lis being alive then. Thank you. Now, I need your help with something. We have a man here who works for Piero Moretti. He claims Moretti is holding his wife and daughter hostage in order to get him to cooperate. I need to know if this is true, or if he’s telling us this just to stay alive.”
“What’s his name?” Damon asked.
“Apollo is all he will tell me.”
“I’ll do a little digging and get back to you asap,” Damon told him and ended the call.
Dakota looked at his phone for a second before deciding he needed to make one more call.
“Morrison,” Mike answered on the first ring.
“Michael, how are you?” Dakota asked happily.
“How the fuck do you think I am, bastard?”
Mafia Princess (The Manning Sisters #2) Page 8
