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“His being calm is the problem right now,” she said with a sigh and lowered the magazine, obviously giving up on pretending to read it for the moment. “He’s scary as hell like this, Jet. I don’t know where his head is right now, but if he keeps this up I’m scared he’s going to charge into a trap without thinking about it and get himself shot to pieces.”
I wasn’t about to tell her that I had the same fear. My brother wouldn’t appreciate it if I voiced the same misgivings. I knew that if I were in his shoes and it had been Flick who had gotten snatched, I would have been in the same frame of mind. Fuck, it was exactly how I’d felt when I’d found her beaten half to death after Westcliffe had gotten done with her. By the time I’d actually gotten my hands on the bastard, my rage had been overflowing and I hadn’t hesitated as I’d given my ex-best-friend the same beating he’d inflicted on my female. Just as he’d taken my unborn child’s life, I’d taken his. I didn’t regret his death, only that I couldn’t bring him back and do it over and over again.
Hawk was probably feeling the same way…
Ciro and his men were waiting outside the airport when we arrived at a little after seven that evening. He had five, huge, black SUVs waiting on us. He stepped out of the back of one and his eyes went from one biker to the next before they zeroed in on Flick. She let out a small laugh as she threw herself into her cousin’s arms.
Around me, the other men were taking in the men in suits who were getting out of the other vehicles. We all knew they were all packing and we itched to have our own guns. I’d told Ciro to have us some waiting, as well as the knives that Hawk wanted. My brother was already planning on how he was going to cut up the bastards who had taken Gracie. Uncle Jack was just as torn up over the fact his granddaughter had been snatched, but he had been handling his emotions a little better than Hawk. And by better, I meant a little more vocally. He’d already told me in detail how he wanted to handle his granddaughter’s paternal grandfather.
“You are even more beautiful than I remember, little cousin,” Ciro muttered so low that only I heard him because I was standing so close to Flick as he enfolded her against his chest. Very few people knew that Flick was Ciro’s cousin and that was the way we all wanted to keep it. If everyone knew that she was family, his enemies would target her to get to him.
I’d seen some scary fuckers in my life, Bash being at the top of the list followed quickly by Spider. Ciro Donati would always be in the number-one slot, though. It wasn’t any one thing about the man that screamed dangerous, it was the whole package. From the tilt of his chin, the way that ivy cap was pulled low over his cold blue eyes, even the expensive suit that couldn’t hide the muscles underneath. Standing at six and a half feet, he was only two inches taller than I was, but he was several years younger. Only twenty-five years old, he was the youngest street soldier on Vitucci’s payroll, but he was the deadliest.
As Vito Vitucci’s godson and Cristiano Vitucci’s best friend, he was the most feared man on the East Coast if not all of North America.
Ciro released his hold on Flick and stepped back. “It’s good to see you, Felicity. I apologize it is under such tense circumstances, though. I’ll have to find time to come to California to visit with you more.”
“Have you found out anything yet?” she asked softly.
He turned toward the five large SUVs. “Let’s get off the street. Jet, your boys can divide up between the other vehicles with my men. You and Hawk may ride with me and Felicity.”
“I’m not Club president anymore, Ciro,” I reminded the other man. I’d put my cut back on as soon as I could touch the thing, but I was happy just to be able to do that. To be able to call myself part of the Club again. Bash was perfect in the role as president and I sure as hell didn’t want that position back. Fuck, I wasn’t going to push Flick’s limits. She’d said she wanted me back in the Club. That was enough for me. “Hawk is VP now, so you should go through him.”
“I don’t recognize your new president,” Ciro said with a clench of his jaw. “Sebastian Reid is no friend of mine. I will go through your brother, however, if that is what you wish.”
Flick blew out a frustrated sigh and shot her cousin a smirk before climbing into the back of the SUV he was helping her into. “You need to get over that, Ciro.”
“It’s not in my nature.”
“Of course not,” she muttered and looked at me long enough to roll her pretty blue eyes before taking her seat.
My heart squeezed at the look she’d given me. With the chaos that had been going on all day, it felt like we’d stepped back in time. She was turning to me more and more, offering me the support during this fucked-up mess that she knew I needed but would never ask for.
She scooted over to the middle of the seat and I climbed in next to her, tucking her close while Hawk carefully took the other window seat. Once Ciro was in the front passenger seat, the driver pulled out into traffic and Ciro turned in his seat to face us.
“I’ve had my men watching the Morgans. There has been some unusual activity out of Connecticut the last few days, it seems.”
Hawk’s fists clenched, but he didn’t speak.
“Vito has personally spoken to your lawyer, Jenkins, so he knows as much as I currently do. After some careful digging we have found that the elder Morgan is facing possible bankruptcy due to some recent unwise investments. He has no money of his own left. His son, your woman’s uncle, is following close behind. The money that was left to her would assist them greatly in getting back on their feet.”
“So why don’t they just take the money?” Hawk’s voice was still dangerously calm despite the way his fists were clenched.
“It’s all about legalities. Neither man can touch her money. The lawyers have it tied up tight. They need her before it will be released…And I assume you know the stipulations of her father’s will?”
“She’s not marrying anyone but me.”
Ciro inclined his head. “That’s good and all, but Morgan and his son must approve of the marriage, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Hawk gritted out.
“That’s what your man Jenkins said. It seems that the elder Morgan has already found his granddaughter a husband, however.”
My brother’s gaze didn’t waver from Ciro’s but it was Flick who spoke. “Who?”
Ciro grimaced. “Through my connections I have learned that the Morgans have reached an understanding with Santino, who has been wanting to set up house here. He has been trying to take over our East Coast businesses for years, but hasn’t been able to because he doesn’t have the right connections.”
“What the fuck does that have to do with Gracie?” Hawk bit out.
