Chapter One
Calderone made hisway to the front door.He drew his weapon and carefully stepped inside.
The house looked like a tornado went through it.The furniture looked wrecked and overturned.Lamps lay on the ground smashed with glass scattered and there was blood all over the place.
He refused to think the worst as his gut clenched in fear for Willow and his bodyguard.The place looked like a fucking crime scene for damn sure.
As Calderone made his way deeper inside the safe house he found one man in the kitchen, lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.He turned the body over and when he landed on his back, Calderone studied the guy but he didn’t know the man.The fact he was dead was apparent when Calderone noticed his throat was laid wide open.That’s when he noticed the partially bloody footprints walking away from the body.He got up slowly and followed them down the hall to one of the bedrooms.
Each step he took was soft and silent.He only began to sweat when he reached the door and those footprints ended.He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.He readied his weapon and quietly pushed the door open.Scanning the room, he swiftly moved further into the room.The bloody footprints he’d followed to this room on the hardwood floor, now disappeared into the carpet.This room hadn’t been disturbed like the living room and the kitchen so Calderone felt some small bit of hope.
He knew about the safe room in the house and he could only hope Jordy had shown it to Willow before they got invaded.Scanning the room, he moved to the ensuite bathroom and saw it was empty but he hoped Jordy and Willow were in the safe room.
Stepping over to the linen closet, he swung the shelves out by the hidden hinges and faced the door behind them.He hit the keypad with the code and waited for the door to swing open.His heart pounded in his chest as he breathed her name out in a reverent whisper, “Willow,” as the door opened.He then was face to face with a heavy breathing Jordy, holding his weapon head high.
Willow’s voice then sobbed in relief.“Calderone.”
Jordy slowly lowered his gun.Stepping aside, he stumbled and dropped to his knees.
Calderone paused, then looked at him closely.
Jordy’s face looked bruised and bloody.He also had a wound on his chest as blood seeped through his shirt, staining his clothing as it was spreading.
Calderone knelt and held the other man up.“What the hell happened here?”he snarled.“Are you guys all right?”He looked up at Willow.
While holding her arms awkwardly, a bruise marred her cheek.
He held out his arms.
Stepping forward with her body trembling, she almost collapsed into him.
He wrapped his arm around her and hauled her close to him.“I am so sorry, my love,” he whispered to her.
“We were ambushed,” Jordy told him as he winced.“Someone leaked our position and that bastard in the kitchen got inside.I moved Willow to the safe room then went back to find him.We fought in the kitchen.He got lucky with that knife.But I had better luck as I walked away and he hit the floor dead.”
“How long ago did this happen?”Calderone snarled.
“About six hours,” Willow answered this.“I tried to take care of Jordy’s wounds but every time he moved, the cut broke open again.”
“We need to get him to a doctor.”Calderone worried for his guard.
“I’ll live.”Jordy nodded.“But boss, I’ve been hearing things from my contacts.Something about Fredo Grimaldi taking down the Don.Then kidnapping you and Lucas?Is that what happened?”
Calderone nodded at him.“Si, that happened, but we were warned beforehand, so we weren’t caught unprepared.”
“Are the Don and Lucas safe?”Willow asked apprehensively.
Calderone looked at her and smiled slightly.“Si, they are fine.Lucas is shook up but he’ll be fine.His father Fredo is probably dead by now and his brother Giovano is in Boston, probably taking aim at my father.Oh, and Juno is in hospital recovering from being shot by his own father for not going along with this crazy plot.”Calderone rubbed his face and added, “This has taken a long time to plan and a short time to unravel.But we must get on a plane and go back to Boston as soon as possible.I know dad is worried about us.These Grimaldi men have tried to take something that never would have been theirs in the first place.Fredo has broken every rule the Familia set in place and now he will have to face the consequences of his deception.But I have to warn my father soon.At least check on him and make sure he’s still alive.I can only hope and pray he knows about the assassination attempt before it happens.”
“This is crazy.I can’t believe it’s happening.”Jordy shook his head.
“Fredo is insane to think he could get away with this,” Calderone said.“He had to know it would be crossing a line he couldn’t come back from.”
Willow stood, then reached down to help Jordy up off the floor.Calderone went over to his other side and together, they lifted Jordy up on his feet.
Jordy groaned as they left the safe room and told Calderone, “The vehicle is in the garage.We can get to the garage through the kitchen.”
Calderone nodded.“Si, bene.First, I will grab the Med kit and try to close your wound.You can’t just be left to bleed out, man.”
