“He ran the errand you sent him on.”
“Fuck, I didn’t send him on an errand.” Why would Gio help Frankie and betray me?
My phone rang and it was Frankie’s number.
“What are you doing with my woman, Frankie?”
The cackled, but it wasn’t Frankie. “Anything I please.”
“Gio, what the hell? Bastard, I’m going to enjoy this more than I thought.”
“You The lack of respect is the reason you need to be taught a lesson.”
“What lesson could you possibly teach me?”
“You’re not as tough as everyone thinks you are. It was so easy that weak, nearly dead Frankie snatched her. You need to keep your valuables well protected.” He laughed. I thought she was well protected, but I underestimated Frankie’s need for revenge and Gio’s petty jealousy. “We have your little whore,” Frankie shouted through the line. The threat from Frankie pissed me off. I’d had enough of his shit. He’d only been patched up a day ago and he hadn’t learned his damn lesson, but he would.
“Just that threat alone is going to get you buried. No one and I mean no one disrespects my bride. Touching her means you’ll suffer slowly. You’re a fucking piece of shit.”
“It seems you messed with the wrong son of a bitch all over a dumb broad. If you think I was going to forget what you did, you were mistaken. I don't give a fuck if Gabriele made you the Boss; I don't work for you, and I don't take orders from anyone. This little bitch of yours is going to do a nice little job for me.” The way he continued to find every word humorous was only going to add to the torture I inflicted.
“I’ll rip your throat out, you pig.”
“You think I'm afraid of you. You're soft and not careful and let young pussy control you.”
“What can I do to get Ana back?” I asked, trying to keep that fucker on the line as long as possible.
“We can make this right. Give me the money I deserve, and your bitch won't die.”
“So this is really about money? That’s easy. Tell me when and where.”
“You’re really that pathetic and willing to do anything to get her back. Fine. I want two million and I’ll hand her over to you, but I expect you not to come after me.”
“Deal.” We negotiated the exchange for another minute while Marco kept tabs on them. I pulled up the location for them on my phone. I had all their whereabouts all centered around an abandoned warehouse and I knew the area well. Fools wouldn’t get far. Everyone was prepared and ready to go.
Chapter Ten
Ana
I stared at Elio and the words he uttered broke my heart in so many ways. I didn’t have a voice to express them, so I needed to get away before I broke down right in front of everyone in such a nice place. I refused to allow myself to be embarrassed in public anymore. I ran back to the dressing room to change my clothes.
For years my father forced me to suffer with ridicule and poverty and now I knew it was all for nothing. I thought back to everything in my past and nothing screamed that my father ran the city. Perhaps Elio was mistaken. Elio had to be because my father wasn’t good for a damn thing and there was no way he’d be capable of being powerful like Elio. My dad always came stumbling in at four in the morning every few days looking like he’d been on a bender.
I needed air and to cool off before I asked all the questions that I knew would crush me and prove that my life had been a waste.
I was barely half-dressed when the curtain opened. I thought it was Elio coming to apologize, but it wasn’t him. I didn’t recognize the man. He held a gun pointing at my head. “Come quietly. We already have several men on your beloved uncle and your foolish lover, so don’t try anything dumb.”
I nodded and followed him still in my heeled sandals I’d been trying on. “Time to get moving, princess.”
“Who are you? What do you want?”
“Elio’s going to kill you for this.”
“He isn’t going to get a chance. Now say something else and I'm going to crack you across the mouth.” He yanked the back door open to a sleek white SUV to shove me inside.
“You don't lay a hand on her,” another voice that I recognized so well came out of the darkened interior. “Now get inside, Ana Maria.”
My heart stopped as I stared at the man who should probably be dead in a ditch somewhere from his debauchery. “Daddy what's going on? Why are you doing this?” Seeing him in the nice suit, completely clean shaven with his hair slicked back proved exactly what Elio said. My father was a mobster and more than that, a liar.
