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“Sorry to hear that. Are you not here with anyone?” I ask, hoping this small talk will distract me enough until my phone signals that Nico is ready.
“Nope, I come to these things hoping I will find someone, but not one man out there is even remotely attractive.” She smacks her lips, then puts her lipstick back in her purse and continues to rummage through the small clutch for something else.“Well, there is one. One I’ve been with and had my eyes on for a while.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, except there’s some bitch in the way.” Her voice is hostile, and suddenly I realize she’s talking at me and not to me. I turn to look at her, and she gives me a malicious, mocking smile.“Hello, Emelia. I’m Natalia. Nico’s ex. And you’re in my way of getting back what I want.”
I go to open my mouth to tell her to leave or I will call Nico in, but she rips her hand from her clutch, and I feel a sharp stab in my neck. The room becomes fuzzy, and my eyes grow heavy until there is nothing. Nothing but blackness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
NICO
“You will makesure to take her to a new hotel. Do not go back to the other one until I give the all-clear. Your only job is to keep my wife safe,” I tell Giulio and Phillip, her newest guard.
“Yes, sir.”
“You three, with me. In and out. You get the car, and you two hold them hostage in the back. Take them to the warehouse, and I will be waiting.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Taking out my phone, I text Emelia that we’re ready. I head to the entrance with my men and wait for her. I can see her father and brothers coming, and I curse, knowing we have mere seconds to make this work.
Fuck.
I call Emelia, and it goes to voicemail. I look back again and notice that Mrs. Notelli isn’t to be seen, and my stomach drops.
“Giulio! Watch them. If they leave before we do, follow them. Get to the car now. Keep me posted.”
“Yes, sir.” He hurries out before the Notellis see him, but I pass them on the way to the restroom, that feeling in my stomach growing worse.
“Looks like we both lost our brides tonight,” Giuseppe says with malice, but I ignore him.
I keep my cool, because if he knows we’re going to follow him, it will be the end of this plan. I pray Emelia’s merely knocked out and can be taken to the hospital or that her mother has her locked in there until her father can get away. He probably thinks I will have my men distracted finding Emelia. Wrong. The only one who will find her is me. I will not let them outsmart me.
I get to the bathroom and throw open the door. I kick in each stall, and they’re all empty. That’s when I see Emelia’s clutch on the floor alongside her phone.
“Fuck!” I pull out my phone and call Giulio.“ They have her. They fucking took her. Did they see you? Do you have eyes on them?”
“They saw us. But not before I could mark their car with a tracker. We’re following but keeping a far-enough distance. We didn’t want to let them know we’re onto them, sir. I had to change the plan. Emelia not being there put us back.”
“Fuck, Giulio, listen to me. They fucking have her. They got Emelia.”
“What?” he hisses.
“Yes. I need you to get to her. I’m tracking you now. I will get there as fast as I can. Do not let them hurt her. Do you understand me, Giulio?”
“Yes, sir.” He cuts the call, and I rush out. I see the nearest SUV and take it. I don’t give a fuck who it belongs to. The valet hollers after me, but I’m already gone. I weave in and out of traffic, following the tracker on Giulio's phone.
I can’t speed fast enough. I can’t get to her quickly enough. My phone pings then. It’s a message from an unknown number, and I almost don’t open it, but I see Emelia’s name in the body of the message.
Unknown
With Emelia gone, you have me and I have you. Love, Natalia.
Fucking bitch! Is it her? Did the Notellis not have a part? I hit the Call button, and Natalia answers.
“Baby,” she coos, and I cut her off.
