“And you’re not? That fucker is trying to go to war with us and you’re not even remotely angry about it?”
“Of course I’m angry. But I’m not reckless. We have to be smart about this.”
I pace around the room. “I say we break into his home, kidnap the fucker, torture him and then kill him. We can find out where he lives.”
“I’ve been trying to prevent a war. For us it would be better if Alessandro backs off instead of killing him. It’s why you took Emma in the first place. If we just go and kill him, it could plunge us deeper in this war. Alessandro has contacts. Men he works with that might not appreciate us killing him. The better option is for Alessandro to just cease coming after us.”
“But he won’t and now he wants to go after Emma. He wants her back.”
“She’s his daughter. It makes sense.”
“She’s my wife,” I snap, slamming my hand onto the table. “I won’t give her to him.”
Gabriel raises one eyebrow. “Do you have feelings for the girl? Actual feelings?”
“No,” I grumble.
He huffs. “Ok. Tell yourself whatever you want. Just don’t be reckless, Leo. Don’t go after Alessandro. We’re keeping him at bay for now. That’s what’s important.”
“We can’t keep him at bay forever and you know it.” I storm out of Gabriel’s office and head back to my house.
The moment I pull into the driveway, I can tell something is wrong. Just a gut instinct.
I run into the house and before I can make it far, a man pistol whips me in the head, sending me to the ground. I don’t know this man but he’s clearly out for blood. He points his gun right at my head but I pull my gun out and shoot him in the leg. It knocks him to the side, giving me the chance to get to my feet.
I shoot him in the head without thinking.
That’s when I hear a woman scream. Emma.
My body doesn’t stop as I run to her bedroom and find her in the arms of her father. Alessandro has a death grip on her arms and is yanking her towards the door. He stops when he sees me.
“Leo,” he grits out, struggling with Emma as she fights against him.
I raise my gun. “Let her go.”
“I came for my daughter. She is mine. Her mother kept her from me, that bitch. But I will have what’s mine.”
“Leo,” Emma gasps, her eyes pleading with me to help. The pure terror on her face breaks my cold fucking heart.
“Let her go,” I growl.
Alessandro puts Emma in front of him so I can’t shoot. “You married her to hurt me. You took my daughter from me. The daughter I never got to know. Will you shoot her, Leo? Do you care for her? Or are you just using her?”
“Let her go,” I repeat.
“I am taking my daughter back. She is mine and no one else’s. You won’t shoot.” He drags Emma towards the door and I step out of the way. I can’t risk firing my gun and hurting Emma.
“Leo, help,” she pleads.
“I am your father, girl,” Alessandro barks at her. “He’s just the man who kidnapped you. Why do you want his help?”
“I don’t know you,” she says. “I don’t know what you want to do with me.”
Alessandro drags her down the hallway, backing away from me so I still can’t fire my gun. My only choice is to follow them.
Emma manages to elbow Alessandro in the face, making him jerk back. That gives me the advantage. I point my gun at his shoulder and fire. The bullet lands, knocking him against the wall. Emma runs away from him.
And right to me.
