Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 93425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“Meet us at the warehouses at nine, and bring Oleg or else you won’t be getting your boy back.”
I don’t have to ask him what warehouses he means. That’s where the final negotiations were supposed to happen. They are a completely neutral ground, owned by a supplier we both have business with. It’s oddly diplomatic to arrange the meeting on neutral ground, especially when they have the upper hand. And Nina knows she has the upper hand right now. She might be trying to maintain a semblance of a relationship between our families. Maybe hoping we’ll be able to go back to our deal after this. She doesn’t want to do anything that will sacrifice her father’s goals.
I’ll give her father back, but if he ever shows his face around me again, I’ll kill him before he gets the chance to say hi.
The guard gets back into the car and peels away. Everyone waits for me to make a call, to tell them to stop the car or to shoot at it. I don’t.
Patience. I’ll get my revenge once I get my son back.
“Emma,” I mutter. Once the car is out of sight, I pull her into my arms. She sobs into my shoulders, her fingers clinging onto the fabric of my shirt. I bring her inside of the house, closing the door behind us to give us a bit of privacy for the reunion. It’s not a joyous one, and it won’t truly be a reunion until our son is back in our arms.
“What happened?”
“I went to the store to pick up some clothes for Matteo and I, and she was there. There were guards and she grabbed him. Enzo, what are they going to do to him?”
“If they have any sense, they’re going to let him watch TV until it’s time for the exchange tonight. Anything else would be a supremely stupid move on their part.”
“I thought it would be safer if we left. Thought there wouldn’t be any more kidnapping attempts if we were away from you.”
The confession comes out through broken sobs and I pull her in closer to me. It soothes me a bit to know she wasn’t running away from me but trying to run toward safety. Unfortunately, she misjudged the dangers of existing away from me. I made a mistake in not ensuring her safety. It will never happen again.
“You belong here with me. Matteo too. I’m sorry I failed you, but I’m going to keep you safe from now on. The safest place for you to be will always be at my side. If that means you never leave my line of sight, so be it.”
Through her broken sobs, she’s able to let out a bit of laughter. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Try me.”
I maneuver both of our bodies onto the couch. We have already removed the blood-stained rug from the house, but I’ve had the bloody patch cut out and framed as a trophy of how badass my future wife is. I think I’ll hang it up in our bedroom.
She sniffles into my neck a few more times, wiping her nose on my shirt. “You know what I was thinking about when I was in the store? It’s Matteo’s birthday in two weeks, and if I ran, you wouldn’t be there to celebrate it. That you should be with me when I’m picking out clothes for Matteo. This is where we belong.”
I hate the circumstances surrounding it, but my heart warms at hearing her say it. It’s the first time I’ve heard her describe this as being anything more than for Matteo’s benefit. Admitting she is supposed to be here by my side is monumental for her. And hopefully, it’s the end of her resisting me.
“This is exactly where you belong.”
When my phone rings, I’m tempted to ignore it. It isn’t Nina, she’s passed along her message and we won’t hear from her until the exchange tonight. Everyone else can wait.
Emma answers it for me, obviously more concerned that we’re going to miss something important. “Hello,” she says, her soft delicate voice wrecked by her tears.
I hear a male voice on the other line and I take it from her, catching the last couple of words. “…you’re safe.”
“Derek, want to explain to me what happened? You told me Emma and Matteo are safe and now my son has been kidnapped.”
Derek curses on the other line. “I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t get in contact with Emma. Listen, I can’t tell you everything but know there’s a rogue government agent. He’s the one who told Oleg’s family where they were. Be careful. I’m going to take care of things on my end, but it won’t be pretty. Get Matteo and lie low for a while.”
“You’re a government agent now? Makes more sense than a social worker. Why are you telling us this?”