My heart sings when I realize that it’s Brandon. He’s alive! I found him! But the next moment, my hopes come crashing down. Because I haven’t rescued him, I’ve only inserted myself into a dangerous situation. Now we’re both in danger of dying at the hands of this man we’ve never met. And Francisco has no idea where we are.
I decide to make a run for it. I think I read on a blog once that it’s harder to hit a moving target with a bullet than one that’s standing still. My arms are still tied behind my back, but I’m going to do the best I can. I don’t bother signaling to Frankie. He’ll figure it out once I run.
I don’t get very far before someone grabs me. In fact, I can hardly take one step. A massive goon from behind grabs my shirt and holds me in place. Carlo Andretti steps close, his face a mask of fury.
He slaps me across the face and spits on my shoes. I’m petrified by the amount of hatred he’s packed into the simple act. I’ve never been spit on before. It feels demeaning.
My cheek is on fire from his blow. My eyeball feels like it’s going to pop out of my skull. I bite down on my teeth to keep from making a sound. I’m not going to give this bastard the satisfaction of hearing me scream.
From his corner, Brandon shouts again. I can’t tell if he’s trying to say something, or if he’s just screaming. Frankie steps between me and Carlo, his eyes flashing dangerously. I know there’s very little he can do in this situation, but I appreciate all the help I can get. If we ever get out of this alive, I’m going to tell his father how strong he was. I hope I’ll get a chance to sing his praises.
“Hey!” Marcello shouts from behind me.
I turn to look at him and see that he’s still got his gun. It’s still pointed at us and still extremely deadly. We’re not going anywhere. It looks like running isn’t going to work, and fighting is out of the picture. Even without my arms tied, there’s no way I could defeat so many strong men.
So, I decide to try a bit of negotiation. “I am married to Don Corello,” I say confidently. “Any move against me is a move against his family. And I didn’t know what business my father was in until recently. But I’ve discovered that both Brandon and I are members of the Rocca family. So by doing this, you’re declaring war against two powerful families.” I pause. The silence in the room is deafening. “Is that something you’re willing to risk?” I demand.
Carlo raises his hand again, as if I’m too stupid to argue with. Frankie growls. I’m surprised to hear the sound coming from such a friendly man. Francisco’s son holds his ground, making sure that Carlo knows not to hit me again.
“If you touch her again…” Frankie swears.
“What will you do?” Carlo says with a laugh.
Despite all of Carlo’s anger, he can’t get to me without moving Frankie out of the way. I don’t feel safe, but at least I’m spared another blow to the face.
“If you hate my father so much, you should take your anger out on him, not Marlena,” Frankie suggests.
“Oh, I will,” Carlo promises. “Just as soon as I’m done with the three of you.” He points at me as if I’m the one who started it. “She has to answer for the sins of her father first.”
From the corner of the room, Brandon shouts again. I can see him struggling with whatever restraints are holding him down. He’s draped in shadow, but he’s making a big scene. I wish he wouldn’t. I wish he would just fade away into the woodwork and maybe take this opportunity to make a run for it.
Instead, he pushes himself up into a sitting position. Only then can I see his face, and all the bloody welts that dot his forehead. A wellspring of anger opens up within me, and I see red. I want this monster to pay for what he’s done, and suddenly I’m glad that my father killed his brother.
One of Carlo’s men walks over to Brandon.
“No!” I shout, darting toward them.
Another one of the thugs wraps his arms around me, holding me in place so I can watch. I stare helplessly as the first man punches Brandon in the face. My little brother goes down, out like a light.
I crumple to the ground, unable to bear what they are doing to my brother. The man next to me grabs me by the shoulder, hauling me to my feet. The situation is worse than I thought. I can’t stand to see Brandon hurt, but it looks like I have no choice.
Frankie springs into action, pushing against my captor with his shoulder. I stumble free, desperate to run to Brandon’s side. But Frankie won’t let me. He’s the only thing standing between me and Carlo’s men, and he means to keep it that way.
CHAPTER 40
FRANCISCO
We pull up outside the bar and find the car Marcello has stolen empty. There are no signs of Frankie or Marlena. Giovanni goes into the bar to see if he can get some answers. I know better than to show my face in there. It’s a hangout for Andretti’s men, and I don’t want to get sidetracked. If something pops off, Giovanni will call for me.
The rest of our men show up a minute later and fan out to search the parking lot. I’m pacing angrily beside my car. All my pent-up anger has nowhere to go. Giovanni comes back outside, shaking his head.
He’s dragging one of Andretti’s soldiers with him. The man is already drunk and pleading with Giovanni to let him go. I let loose several hard punches, connecting with the man’s stomach, jaw, and shoulder. Giovanni releases him, and he falls to his knees, cowering before me.
“Where’s my wife?” I demand.
“I don’t know!” the soldier shouts, begging me for mercy.
I turn away, furious that I can’t find any answers. Suddenly, my phone rings. It’s the same number I contacted Andretti at. I snatch at it, turning it on speaker so that Giovanni can hear.
