Lucia
“Mommy…Mommy, wake up.”
Antonia’s voice feels like it’s pulling me up from the depths of the ocean, dragging me from unconsciousness back to awareness. The warmth of her tiny fingers on my cheek brings everything rushing back in sharp, terrifying flashes. My eyes fly open. I sit up fast and pull Antonia tightly against me.
My head throbs viciously and my mouth feels like sandpaper. I blink hard, squeezing my eyes shut then forcing them open, trying to understand where I am. Antonia squirms in my embrace, whining for me to let her go, but instead, I tighten my hold around her.
Finally, my vision adjusts to the light, and the colors and patterns around me become clear. There’s no doubt, I’m inside the cabin of a private jet.
I turn my head and see the same huge man sitting casually in a seat, one long leg crossed over the other.
He’s changed into a black t-shirt and jeans, revealing a body covered in ink. Every inch of his exposed skin is marked with colorful tattoos. His face is strikingly handsome—light hair, warm honey eyes, sharp cheekbones. But something cold and lethal hides behind that gaze.
I tear my eyes away from him and focus on Antonia. I shift her behind me, shielding her with my body, and quickly check her from head to toe for any signs of harm. Lifting the hem of her dress, I check her legs, but she giggles and wriggles away.
“Stop it, Mommy, that tickles!”
Only when I’m certain she’s unharmed do I cup her small face in my hands. “Are you okay, my love?”
She nods, eyes bright. “I’m fine! Noah gave me pizza while you were sleeping. I even got to have soda.”
Her eyes widen as if realizing she just confessed to something she wasn’t supposed to. She points at the big man, looking guilty. “I told him I’m not allowed soda, but he said sometimes you have to bend the rules. What does that mean, Mommy?”
I pull her into my arms again. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”
Then I look back at the man, my voice tight. “Who are you?”
“Noah,” he answers casually.
“What do you want with us?”
“We’re playing a game, Mommy,” he says with a grin. “I’m going to hide you somewhere, and then we wait for Daddy to come find you and Antonia.”
He shifts his gaze to Antonia and asks, “Isn’t that right, little lady?”
Antonia nods enthusiastically. I reach for the sealed water bottle on the table and take a long sip, trying to push back the tears burning behind my eyes.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I force out my words, my body rigid with defense. “Where are you taking us?”
A smirk tugs at his lips, but it never reaches his eyes. “You mean you don’t know?”
I tighten my arms protectively around Antonia.
“It’s been five years,” I whisper. “Everything is different now. No one even remembers. Why can’t Carlo just let it go?”
His face stays blank. “In this world, no sin goes unpunished. You left a mark on Carlo’s honor. That kind of mark only washes away with blood.”
I swallow hard and clutch Antonia tighter, squeezing her so much she squirms in discomfort. “Mommy, don’t hold me so tight.”
Loosening my grip, I whisper in a voice drained of strength, “Why did you drag my daughter into this? She’s innocent.”
“Don Carlo doesn’t want to hurt your daughter. My original plan was to take Tony out. You were just the bonus. But that smart son of a bitch slipped away. His daughter, though?” He smiles coldly. “He’ll walk right into the trap for her.”
Tears spill down my cheeks, and I beg him. “Please, let my daughter go. I’m begging you.”
He stands, his voice cold and final. “Your daughter’s freedom comes at a cost, your life and Antonio Bruni’s. Settle the debt, and she walks free.”
***
