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"Jerk," I murmur to myself, then snatch up my flute of prosecco and toss it back. I grab the bottle and am about to top up my glass, then change my mind. He wants me? He can come get me.
Walking out to the patio, I shut the door…to make sure Andy can’t get out, then walk out onto the beach, then away from the house toward the jetty I’d seen earlier.
The setting rays of the sun bathe me in their warmth. The heat from the cooling water seems to rise in the air. I stand at the edge of the jetty, raise the bottle to my mouth, and drink the sparkling prosecco. It slides down my throat and cools me enough that goosebumps pop on my skin. The waves lap at the edge of the jetty as I tilt the bottle to my mouth and take another sip.
The hair on the back of my neck rises. I turn to find Michael is silhouetted against the window of the kitchen. I raise my hand and wave at him and he waves back. This man… He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. To think, I’d thought the opposite when I had met him. Guess love can come in so many different ways, eh? And he does love me. So what, if he hasn’t told me so?
It’s there in his every gesture, in how he takes care of me and of Andy. He’s so gentle with my pet… Always taking care of his needs first. If he can be so tender with that kitten… Surely, he’d be a wonderful father, too. And I am not on birth control, so maybe I’ll leave this island pregnant. I slide down to sit at the edge of the jetty, with my legs hanging over. I take another sip of the prosecco and set it aside. Then stretch my arms above my head.
I circle my head once, then glance down to find waves rippling out from a spot in the water. Huh? I lower my arms, glance at it, not sure what I am looking at. A black shadow appears under the water, and before I can pull up my legs, it swoops up, grabs my leg and tugs. I yell, but I am already falling.
24
Michael
She is going to love this dish. I slide the roast back into the oven, then straighten and turn my attention to the salad that I am assembling. Andy prowls into the kitchen and brushes against my leg. I smirk as he glances up at me, then at the dish I am cooking.
"No food for you yet, boy." I chuckle. "Your mother’s gonna be pissed if I feed you between meals. But if you are a good, little kitten, I might sneak you a little snack to keep you going."
The beast blinks at me, then with a huff, turns and walks away. I swear, that cat can understand me. And here I am, talking to it. I shake my head.
That’s the kind of magic she has woven over me, my Beauty. Mypiccola. Mine.
I glance through the window and find she’s not at the jetty. Huh? I peer through the pane, take in the surroundings. There is no sign of her. What the hell?
Maybe she just went for a walk. Yea, that’s all it is. She just walked out of sight of the house. I glance down at the salad, then back at the now empty jetty. The hair on the back of my neck rises. I place the knife on the counter, turn and head for the doors that lead to the patio. I throw open the door, rush out…then pause.
"Cazzo!"That cat needs to stay inside. If he wandered out and something happened to him, she be beyond pissed-off about it. I retrace my steps, close the door behind me, then take off again. Around the house, across the sand that surrounds the house, toward the jetty. I reach it, and there’s still no sign of her. I glance around at the water and freeze. A figure dressed all in black, tows another figure that is prone and on her back. Ahead of them is a motorboat, manned by a second man.
Che diavolo!Who’d dare come to my island and try to take my wife from right in front of me? My heart pounds in my chest and adrenaline laces my blood. I dive into the water and swim toward them. Every time I surface for air, the distance between us seems to have shrunk, but it’s not fast enough. Once they reach the boat, I’ll lose them and not be able to find out their identity.
Oh, I’ll be able to track her down, thanks to the tagging device, but damn, if I am going to let them get their hands on her. I increase my pace, propel my body, and cut through the waves. I kick and move forward bit by bit.
When I surface again, it’s in time to see the diver handing the prone figure to the man on the boat.How dare he touch her! How dare they take her from me? I am not going to lose you, Bellezza; not this time.I thrust forward through the waves, just as the sound of the motor starting reaches me.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! I push forward and reach the boat just as it takes off. I lunge up, grab at the boat. My fingers graze the side of the boat but it leaps forward. Bloody fuck! I fall into the water, then begin to swim in the wake of the boat. I kick and propel forward, almost reach the boat again, only it pulls forward.
I watch helplessly as the distance between me and the boat grows. Motherfucker! This can’t be happening. My heart pounds so hard in my chest that I am sure it’s going to leap out of my rib cage.
I had gotten swayed by my Beauty. So immersed in her that I had gotten sloppy again. I hadn’t been able to protect her. It’s my fault that they got to her. I should have stayed in Sicily and focused on tracking down the men responsible for rigging the car that caused my brother’s death. Instead, I had given in to my need to see her and I had put her in danger. Again. But this time, I am going to find them and put an end to this. Never again, will they be able to harm me or what’s mine. I am going to reveal the true wrath of what it means to cross the Capo of the Cosa Nastro. And when I am done… No one will ever defy me. Ever again.
Turning, I begin to swim toward the island.
Fifteen minutes later, I pull up the app on my phone that allows me to track her.There.I see the blue dot moving across what appears to be the expanse of the sea. They are heading toward England… What the hell? It has to be the Kane Company who took her. Fuck.
I had known who it was, and yet, I hadn’t moved in on them. If I had, they wouldn’t have been able to take her.Stop that.I shake my head.Focus, I need to focus. I need to get to her.I strip out of my wet clothes, pull on jeans securing them with a belt, then a T-shirt, and the jacket that I had loaned her earlier. I reach for my knife and slip it into the sheath at my waist. If only I had brought my guns. I drag my fingers through my hair. The, one time in my life I had lowered my guard and she had been taken from me. It's dangerous to go in without my weapons but fuck that, my knife will have to do.
I turn off the oven, top up the food and water in the cat’s bowls, then race for the door. Andy darts out from under the settee and I sidestep him. He races for the door, plants himself squarely in front of it and stares up at me.
"Out of the way, cat. I need to get to her."
He blinks, and I swear, he is aware that something has happened to her. I bend down, grasp him gently by the nape of his neck and move him to the side. He tries to dart past me, and I manage to hold him in, then shut the door before he can leave the house. I hear the angry hisses as he scratches at the door. I dial Seb’s number as I race toward the boathouse where I have the motorboat stored.
"Fratellone?" Seb answers on the second ring. "Where are you?"
"Enroute to her." I slow down a little so he can hear me speak "They took her again; motherfuckers snuck up on me on the island and took off with her."
"I don’t understand," his voice is puzzled, "how did they reach you without your noticing their arrival?"
