I heard movement and muted conversation before Dante came on the line. “Boss. Liz said Greg’s been kidnapped?”
“Yes. Can you come to my apartment now?”
“You bet. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Bring your sidearm.”
“Yes sir.”
Liz came back on. “He’s changing now. Is there someone else I can call?”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “I’ll call Hunter and Isaac from here.”
“Isaac’s out of town this weekend,” Liz said.
“Dammit. Okay. I have to go.”
“Okay,” she said quietly.
I hung up before she could say anything else. I couldn’t deal with platitudes at the moment.
What did the stalker mean I’d taken from him? Taken what? Did he mean because I’d started dating Greg? It sounded personal. Like he was trying to get back at me. But what for? Something was niggling in the back of my mind. Something I was forgetting. I pushed it aside. “Okay, focus,” I murmured. I pulled up Hunter’s contact and hit his number.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey, Tony. What can I do for you?”
I didn’t mince words. “Greg’s been kidnapped and I need your help.”
Hunter muttered a string of curses. “Hold on. I’m in the grocery store. Let me go outside so I have more privacy.”
There was a moment of muffled sound and then the noise of cars passing by and horns blaring. “Okay, I’m out of earshot of anyone who might be listening. Read me in.”
I told him everything I knew up to that moment, including the flowers and the note. “How soon can you get to my apartment? I’m on West 30th, two blocks from Penn Station.”
“I’m not far from my apartment. I’ll have to go home to change and get my firearm. I can take the 1 train straight to Penn Station. Maybe twenty minutes?”
I gave him my address. “Okay. I’ll let the security guard know you’re coming.” I ended the call, thankful it wasn’t rush hour yet. The subway was a mess during rush hour and everything tooktwice as long. I then called down to the security desk to tell them about my expected guests. Before I could get a word out, the guard said, “I was just about to call, Mr. D’Angelo. A Mr. Vitale and Mr. Riccio are here to see you.”
“Good,” I replied. “Send them up.”
There was the sound of another man’s voice, and then the security guard came back, sounding anxious. “There’s a second Mr. Riccio here who insists he should be going up with the other two.”
I sighed quietly. That would be Gio’s brother Alessandro. And people thoughtIwas overprotective. “It’s fine. Send him up.”
He hesitated, then asked, “Are you expecting more people, Mr. D’Angelo?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Dante Carter, who should be here soon, and Hunter McLaughlin. Sorry, I forgot to call you about the other three.”
“No worries, Mr. D’Angelo. Thanks for letting me know about the rest. I’ll send them right up when they get here.”
I still had my phone to my ear when someone knocked on my apartment door. I quickly ended the call and hurried to open the door. Of course Alessandro was the one who knocked. I opened the door wide and gestured for him to enter. He walked past me with a short nod, his eyes scanning my apartment. As he went to open my bedroom door, Salvatore snapped, “Alessandro, that’s enough. Anthony is family.”
Alessandro clenched his jaw and nodded. “Yes, Mr. Vitale.”
Sal came to me and pulled me into a tight hug. “We’ll get him back.”
Tears stung my eyes, and I held on to him so I wouldn’t fly apart. “Thanks,” I said hoarsely.
When I pulled away from him, I saw Gio standing uncertainly in the middle of the living room. “Gio, thanks for coming. Would you prefer the table or my desk?”
