Chapter 68
Rick
I insist on driving, waiting around the corner for the ambulance to come passed. It went against every instinct to agree to leave Alicia there with only Dan and John. Alicia is innocent in all of
this and needs to be taken care of by a proper hospital. Thank God it was just a flesh wound.
Her father left before us and has gone on ahead to the hospital. The ambulance has been in the docks for too damn long. Not to mention, no police have arrived yet.
As time ticks by, a part of me wonders whether something else is going on. Nick Juliano backed off reasonably quickly and accepted everything a little too coolly after she was shot.
Many scenarios are flying through my head right now as I wait, setting me on edge. What man would accept that a mafia don who kidnapped his beloved daughter is in love with her?
“Fuck,” I say.
Kane shakes his head. “What?”
“I’ve got a feeling we’ve been played.”
“I had a sense of that too. Juliano backed off too easy, right?” Leo asks.
I rub my hand across the back of my neck, trying to collect my thoughts. “Nick intends to get his daughter away from me, and I know exactly how he’s doing it.” I slam my hand into the horn and turn over the engine.
“Where are you going?” Kane asks.
The asshole tricked us and must have doubled back. If Juliano had called a real ambulance, then they would have been on their way back to the hospital by now. Either that, or he’s hijacked it. “There’s only one way he will head with her and that is to the airport.”
“Fuck,” Leo says.
Fuck is right. There had been something about the situation that had niggled at me. No man just accepts that his daughter is with a man like me unless he intends to ensure she never sees him again.
I push my foot down harder, speeding back into the industrial estate to make sure I’m right. Dan and John are lying on the tarmac outside still, and there’s no sign of the damn ambulance. I zoom past them, hardly thinking.
“What about Dan and John?” Leo asks, sticking his head between the two front seats.
Damn.
We haven’t got time to get them to the hospital. “Give Enzo a call and explain what happened. Ask him if he can get someone to tend to them and tell him we will owe him one if he can.”
Leo gives me a stupid salute. “Yes, sir.”
Enzo is the don of the Miami based mob who agreed to us negotiating peacefully on their turf. He and I have a good relationship, and he will stand on my side in this. We rush toward the private airfield where our jet is. It’s the only place Nick could fly out of near here.
“How do you know he’s flying?” Kane asks.
“Something Alicia said yesterday.” I take the exit onto the highway. “He flies everywhere.” Alicia is being taken from me, and she’s injured. My blood is roaring through my ears as I speed toward the other side of town. I can’t lose her.
Her father needs to understand how much I love her. I will start a war between our families if that’s what it comes down to. She is worth the risk.
Leo groans as a banging in the trunk starts. “You should have let me finish the bastard off at the warehouse.”
I shake my head. “Knock him out again,” I say, focusing on nothing but the road.
The speedo hits one-hundred miles per hour, going well over the limit. Here, we could get stopped by the police, but they’d have to fucking chase me.
“Kane, call our pilot and ask him to keep an eye out for Alicia and her father,” I say, hating how long it is taking us to get there. We could miss her, and Nick will be in a hurry to take off.
“Thanks, Harry.” He shuts off the call. “They’ve just pulled onto the tarmac in an SUV. He says he will try to get the manager to stall them.”
“Fuck,” I growl, slamming my foot even harder into the accelerator pedal. We’re still five minutes out, and that’s enough damn time for them to take off.
Tension wracks every muscle in my body, as the sign for the exit comes into view. I swerve, weaving around a truck to take it on the inside. He blares his horn at me, but I don’t give a shit. Alicia is about to be ripped out of my life, and I can’t bear it.
I skid to a halt in the parking lot of the little private airport. The sound of engines firing up has me flinging open the door and sprinting in the runway’s direction. If he gets her back into Texas, I’ll never see her again. He will protect her far more carefully, and I’ll be damned if he’s taken the love of my life from me.
I’m thankful when I see a small light aircraft propelling into the air, and Nick Juliano’s jet still sitting on the runway with the door open. This will be dangerous, taking her from him in her state, but I’m not letting him take her.
There’s no sign of Juliano as he’s probably on the plane with her. I draw my gun from my belt and rush straight up the stairs into the aircraft.
Juliano looks straight at me, and his eyes go wide. “How the fuck did you get here so quick?”
Alicia’s face is stained with tears, as she glances back at me. “Rick.” She tries to get up, but her dad stops her.
Leo and Kane come rushing into the plane after me with their guns drawn.
“Nick, you may not like the fact that I’m in love with your daughter.” His eyes narrow.
“But, I’m not letting Alicia go. No chance in hell.”
Alicia’s eyes well with more tears. “Rick.” She holds out a hand for me to take, and I step forward.
Nick cocks his gun and forces me to a stop. “Don’t take another step.” “Dad, don’t be an idiot.”
“Alicia, stay out of this.”
I bring my gun up and point it at him “Don’t speak to her like that.”
Nick’s eyes narrow. “She’s my daughter. I’ll speak to her how I damn well like.”
Leo and Kane take a few steps closer, covering Nick’s guys.
“I’m not leaving without her.” I keep my gun trained at her dad. “You’ve got to accept that we will be together. Why would you want a start a war over this?”
Nick glances between Alicia, who is staring at me with tears in her eyes, and back at me. A tense silence plays out as all of us wait for his response. “Let me speak with my daughter alone for a moment.”
I shake my head. “You can speak with her alone, but not on this plane.”
Alicia moves to sit up, and I notice her wound has been professionally tended to. Her dad helps her to her feet, and she walks toward the exit. Before she walks passed me, her arms wrap around my neck, and she squeezes me close. “You came for me.”
I snake a hand carefully around her waist. “Always.” Nick clears his throat. “Alicia.”
She unwillingly pulls away from me and follows her father out of the plane. Leo walks toward Nick’s men and grabs their guns. “Sit down,” he barks.
The men pale, doing as he says right away. No one is stupid enough to go against Leo Romano. The man is more insane than me. I worried that after Alicia witnessed what I did to Austin, she wouldn’t look at me the same. Obviously, my anxiety was unfounded. She looks at me with the same adoration as before, perhaps more.
I walk toward the exit of the plane and watch Alicia and her father talking. It looks heated, as he paces up and down the tarmac. I’m not expecting that he will back down and accept her leaving with me. The other alternative is one I don’t really wish to consider. A war over a woman.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
It would bring too many questions to light and undermine my entire position. Another story would have to be fabricated about Nick. I know it would hurt Alicia in the process too. The two men in her life fighting each other over her isn’t ideal.
Her dad walks up to her and grabs her hand, bringing it to his lips. It’s endearing to see how much he loves her and makes me respect him more. A lot of mob bosses don’t let it be seen who they care for, because it’s a weakness that can be exploited.
Nick doesn’t worry about that, which means Alicia has grown up in a loving household. It’s more than can be said for me, Leo, and Kane. Our father was a heartless bastard until the very end.
He nods his head, and she flings her arms around his neck. Perhaps it’s going better than I expected.
Alicia turns to the plane and signals for me to join them. I step out and walk toward them. It’s impossible not to miss the way Nick glares at me as I approach. At least he has put his gun away, for now.
Alicia’s smile is infectious. She beams at me. “Dad has agreed to let me go back with you to Philly on one condition.”
I raise a brow. “What condition?” “I’m coming with her,” Nick says.
I nod. “That is fair.” Our pilot, Harry, is already ready to take off for Philly. “We’ll take our jet, as we need to get John and Dan seen by our doctor too.”
Nick’s lips purse, but he nods in agreement. “I’ll get Alicia into your plane and send my men back on our jet.”
“I’ll escort Alicia, while you tell your men.”
He nods, reluctantly walking back toward his own jet. Alicia smiles at me. “I think he will come around to us.”
“You’re very positive, considering he tried to shoot me only a moment ago.”
She takes my hand, leaning on me and wincing. “Emotions were running high.”
I snake a hand across her back and hook an arm under her knees, lifting her carefully. “Come on, let’s get you into the jet and comfortable.”
Her arms wrap around my neck as I carry her toward the plane. I no longer care who sees me doting on her. Our relationship will become common knowledge, and so be it. She will be my queen and the only woman in my life.
Hopefully, she will be the mother of my children. I want to give her everything and make her as happy as she makes me.