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“Yeah, yeah, okay. Call me when you get the rest of the story. Thanks, man.” Ryan ended the call and sat up, then twisted to look at me, cradling the phone in his palm as if he wanted to crush it. “That was my friend, Noah. And apparently, Anthony lied.”
“What do you mean?” When he stood, I went up with him resting my hand on his arm in silent support.
He tucked his phone into his pocket and fidgeted with the tie around his neck. “I was told my brother owed money to several loan sharks, and that this Canadian businessman now holding my brother prisoner bought up his debt.”
“And that’s not the case?” I frowned.
“Not only did my brother not owe any loan sharks in Monaco money, he was seen hanging out with the Canadian at one of the underground casinos. The same one where he lost two fifty the night he went missing. I don’t know if this guy staked him that money, but if that were the case, why lie?”
“Maybe he’s trying to get more out of you?” I proposed.
“Who? The guy holding him hostage?” He grimaced. “Or my brother?”
“You don’t really think Anthony would fake being in danger to try and get money, do you?”
Ryan let go of a deep, frustrated breath. “He knows I’d do anything to save him. I don’t want to think he’s capable of going to such extremes for cash, but at this point, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Before I could respond, there was a hard knock at the door.
I assumed it was Enzo or Maria, but Ryan checked the peephole, and cursed. “It’s my uncle’s men.” He looked over at me, and stretched out an arm, an order to stay back. He opened the door a moment later, standing directly in front of them to block me from their view. “What do you two want?”
From where I was standing, I couldn’t see the men in the hall. I heard one say, “Your uncle has had a change in plans. If you need the money soon, you and your girl need to leave tonight. He has an unexpected business trip and will be gone for two weeks. You can wait or come now.”
Two weeks? That’d be too late. I stepped into view, catching sight of the two guys out there. “We have plans. And—”
“It’s your call. But if you need to make this happen now, you can fly with us on the company jet.” The man checked his watch. “We leave in forty-five minutes for Firenze. It’s a short drive to your uncle’s place in Toscana from there.”
Ryan’s shoulders fell, and he turned to face me, still holding the door open. I knew he was weighing his options. On the verge of telling the men to leave without us in light of the new information he’d just received from his friend. But if something happened to Anthony because of that decision, he’d never forgive himself.
I reached for Ryan’s arm and squeezed. “We’re coming.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
NATALIA
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Ryan remarked in a deep voice, sitting across from me on a leather reclining chair. There was a table between us with an untouched bottle of champagne on ice there.
At no point in my life did I ever imagine I’d be flying to Florence on a private plane to spend the night at a vineyard in Tuscany.
Ryan twisted around to look at where his uncle’s men were sitting watching a football game. They were in leather reclining chairs as well, but they were facing the cockpit, their backs to us.
He’d called his uncle from the hotel room to ensure the trip was legitimate, and also, a necessity. Maurizio confirmed he had business in Dubai and had to leave Tuesday morning. So, we had Monday to win him over, and then he’d write the check before his flight.
“Well, you don’t know for sure if this is a hoax by your brother. And I hate to think he’d go to such extremes because of his gambling addiction.”
“I’m not sure which is better, to be honest.” He swiveled back around to face me. “That he’s being honest and really in danger. Or he’s safe and lying to extract money from me.”
“We’ll figure this out. But you need the money just in case. So, we didn’t have a choice but to come.”
“You had a choice.” He set his elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his head onto his palm. “I hate this.”
Ryan looked down at the S on his chest as if forgetting he was still in the Superman tee. He’d removed his white dress shirt and tie and chucked the fake glasses in the trash before we’d left the hotel.
Maria had been shocked and concerned at our abrupt departure, and Enzo had reacted as I’d expected. Pissed.
Once I convinced them they couldn’t change my mind, I’d swapped my Lois Lane outfit for yoga pants and my Carolina hoodie, and then Ryan and I took his truck to the airport.
“Well, I’m pretty sure Enzo wants to kill me when we return.” Ryan frowned. “Not that I’m scared of him.”
