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NICO
Ifidget in my seat, sweat building on my forehead. I’m itching to get to Emilia. Sebastian and I are in the car on our way to the Dragonfly compound. A large chateau built into the cliff face along the French coast. Designed that way to prevent access from unwanted visitors. They have a casino, accommodation, winery, and God knows what else in this massive fortress. We were in the jet and in the air within thirty minutes of our call to Hugo, so I know he can’t be too far ahead of us.
The four of us boys have been frantic for the past eight hours, each of us on the phone to someone. We have rallied all our associates in Italy, everyone we are friendly with. We have teams of people already in France, positioned both inside the chateau in plain view to create a presence and around the nearby town for a quick getaway. Dante has arranged fueled planes waiting for us. Carter has boats manned and at the docks in case a sea getaway is needed.
We are all on high alert.
I still can’t believe an ally of ours would dare take Emilia. They had to have known who she was; they had been waiting for the right time, and I served her up on a platter to them. I am furious with myself for letting her out of my sight. I should have gone with her to the cemetery, but she needed space. And she has never done what I have told her to do since the moment I met her, so there was no way I could have kept her at the compound.
But I should have locked her up. I should have kept her with me.
My cell vibrates, and I see Sofia’s name light up the screen. I don’t answer. I haven’t spoken to my sister in days. She knows something is up. But for the first time in years, she is not front and center in my mind. She has been calling incessantly, but I need to focus. I need to focus on getting Emilia back with me.
“We’re here. Are you ready?” Sebastian asks, as we pull up to the valet, men in pristine uniforms surrounding the car.
“I’m ready,” I say sternly, my teeth clenched, running off adrenaline like never before.
“Remember the plan, Nico. Don’t do anything stupid,” Sebastian warns me, because he knows. He knows I will do anything to get her back, including stepping away from our carefully laid out plan.
We are going in and negotiating for Emilia’s life. It is something I could never imagine doing. Her deadbeat father is currently in a separate car with Carter and Dante, going to a safe location. I am to trade her life for his. Get her out and all of us to Sicily before nightfall.
We are not stupid. The Moreau family knows we are here. They run this town, so no one gets in or out without them knowing. Sebastian has tried calling Lucas, the famous Godfather and Hugo’s father, but he is not taking our calls. The uneasiness of that plays on my mind. We sent a message via his people, because he needs to know that his son is breaking all alliances and potentially starting a war.
His stunt in his new position as head of the French Mafia could well be the end of them.
I give Sebastian a silent nod before we both step out of the back seat and are immediately patted down. I remain stiff, my nostrils flaring, as I breathe in the air, filling my lungs to capacity.
“Clear,” the soldier says before sweeping his arm up. “Let’s go.” Sebastian and I walk forward, and our car leaves the premises.
As my feet hit the cobblestone footpath, I am calm. I have no fear. If my life ends today, then I do it for my child. For my woman. I thought the heartache and anguish I experienced as a young man seeing my little sister ill was the worst thing to ever happen. But knowing the woman I love, who is carrying our baby, is locked inside this fortress against her will, it has overridden everything that has come to me before this.
At least twenty men surround us. All armed, all moving in synchronization, their team one I would regard with envy at any other time. Right now, I just want to kill them all.
We progress through a double glass door, the faint sounds of voices trailing up from the chateau’s main floor, and small musical notes from the overhead speakers a distant jingle. Our feet clip on the polished marble hallway to an elevator. Stepping in, Sebastian and I are significantly outnumbered. It is almost comical, as they clearly see us as a threat. I am beginning to wonder if Hugo is regretting his decision to take a member of our family.
The elevator doors open, and stepping out, I can feel that we are well below ground level. My anger rises as understanding washes over me that they have Emilia down here in their cells.
“You are fucking kidding me,” I grit out to Sebastian, and he remains silent, but gives me a look to tell me to stop talking. As we continue on, I notice his jaw clenching. He is furious, and I have never been more grateful to him than I am right now.
We come to a door with two soldiers out the front. They immediately step to the side at seeing our entourage, and the door opens, revealing a large cement room. There are about eight men standing around. Hugo is at the end, looking at us, his body rigid, his arms crossed in front of his chest, like a security guard. Then my eyes land on her.
She is to the side of the room, tied to a chair.Tied to a fucking chair.Her mouth is gagged, her cheeks are tear-stained, one of which is purple. Her hair’s disheveled, mascara’s running, but her beautiful blue eyes widen with relieved surprise as Sebastian and I enter the room. I stare at her for a beat, my eyes flicking to her stomach and back to her face again. Watching a solo tear fall from her eye, my chest hurts. It is then I notice blood on her temple and my attention is brought back to that bruise. How dare they make someone so beautiful bleed.
“You have traveled a long way for a woman, Sebastian. She must be special.” Hugo says by way of greeting, and I want to rip his head from his body. He doesn’t move to shake Sebastian's hand. The disrespect he is showing is astounding.
Sebastian hasn’t looked at Emilia, his eyes remaining focused on Hugo. I see his icy stare drilling into him, and Hugo starts to shuffle, losing some of his confidence with one look from Sebastian. There is no doubt this kid is not ready to lead. He is my age, late twenties. He has years to go before he can lead a family.
“I don't care about the girl or her baby, but how poetic it will be to not only kill her and the baby but you as well,” Hugo says in a light threat, and still Sebastian and I remain quiet, standing side by side right in front of him.
I watch their exchange before looking back at Emilia. I can see her trying to move her hands and get out of the restraints, and I shake my head a little to tell her to stop. Not only will she burn her skin, but I will have her out of them soon. She understands and stops moving, but then I can clearly see the shake in them, and her fear pains me.
“Does family mean nothing to you, Hugo? You make a bad decision and give your money to a man who didn’t repay you, and you decide to throw a tantrum?” I question, stepping toward him slightly, Sebastian remaining beside me. After severely torturing Brian Cole, we now know he stole millions from Hugo. Brian gave him empty promises, and Hugo was extremely gullible. Now in his haste, Hugo kidnapped Brian’s daughter for revenge, not knowing we already had him and had her working for us. Not knowing she is one of us. That she ismine.
“Step closer, brother. I am more than happy to take the life of Sebastian Romano’s protégé,” Hugo threatens again as he lifts a gun that was hidden behind him and points it at my forehead.
My blood boils. Hugo has no idea what he is even saying. He isn’t even trying to negotiate. He has no business sense, no sense of family or alliances. If he is not careful, this is going to end up in a bloody mess right here in this room.
“Go ahead. Do it,” I push him as I step into the gun, feeling the cold steel press against my forehead, and I hear Emilia whimper as my eyes drill into Hugo.
