Chapter 38

Arianna

I t's been twenty-four hours since Mads and Adelina went missing. Twenty-four hours of torture. I can't sleep, I can't eat, all I can do is agonize over where they might be and what might be happening to them. Is Mads scared? Is she wondering why I'm not there, why I'm not coming for her?

I've been cursing myself for not asking Adelina more questions. Perhaps if I had, we'd know more about where they might be now. We'd talked in the car, mostly reminiscing about our childhood together, and I filled her in on my life since she'd been gone and told her about Maria. But she'd not spoken much about herself. I didn't push it, not wanting her to relive the memories. Now I wish I had.

She stated that she was mostly kept prisoner, that Di Stefano would gloat and tell her of his business but that she didn't know where she was most of the time. She also said that Father knew full well she was alive, that he had seen her regularly over the years and done nothing to help her. He'd taken pleasure telling her that I was married to Lucchese and taunting her with the fact I was going to have a marriage ‘as happy as hers'. I didn't think it was possible to hate my father more than I already did, but the sheer rage I feel toward him now is terrifying. I will go to any length to rescue my daughter and sister.

Nikolai has been my rock. I know he's as worried as I am for Mads, that already he loves her as much as I do, but he doesn't show it. He's determined to find her, going to all lengths. He's also completely forgiven me, and I know he blames himself, that he thinks he should have stayed away from me. It's not his fault though. Somehow, my father keeps finding us. He won't stop.

Nikolai has tried to make it easier for him to contact us with demands, putting out a cell number for him to call. Kimiko has flown in and she, Endo, and Dimitri are as frantic as us. They're out now as we rattle around Nikolai's New York apartment, awaiting news. I know Nikolai is itching to be out too, but his desire to stay by my side won out. We've sat staring at the phone for hours. Just when I'm starting to lose hope, it rings.

Nikolai answers, putting it on speaker so I can listen in.

"Hello."

"Kuzmin, long time no speak," my father's voice drawls across the line.

Hearing it again makes me feel like a scared little girl again and I have to remind myself that he can't hurt me now. But then that's not true, he has the one thing that means the most to me in the world. I would die for my child. And now, he's stolen my sister from me when I only just got her back. I'd do anything to save her, too.

"Where are they?" Nikolai demands, his voice calm and controlled though his knuckles are white he's clenching his fist so hard.

"Where would the fun be in telling you that?" he replies, his tone mocking. "You took something of mine, so I took something of yours. I think that's only fair, don't you?"

"She is not yours," Nikolai growls.

At the same time, I call out, "You can have me, just let them go!"

"Ah, Arianna, there you are, how noble of you. But no, I don't want you. I already have a new, better you. What use would I have for two Arianna De Luca's," he says condescendingly.

"Then what do you want?" Nikolai asks through gritted teeth.

"Your power, of course. We're family now, I think it's only right that I should get my fair share," he replies confidently.

"Where are you?" Nikolai asks, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

"An old school businessman who likes to do things face to face, I see. Very well," he says, reeling off the address. "Come alone. I'd hate to have to blow Adelina's brains out. Of course, my granddaughter is far too important for that. No, I have very different plans in mind for her future. Oh, and I'd hurry, he sneers. "Say goodbye, dears."

In the background, I can hear Adelina screaming in pain and Mads crying. I feel sick to my stomach, and my heart drops at the thought of what they're going through.

"If you touch one hair on her head, I'll kill you," I snarl.

"Well, well, well, it seems you've grown some balls, Arianna. If only you were a man, you might have been useful to me. See you soon," he says, hanging up.

Neither of us needs to say anything, we both get up, sprint to the door, and get in the car. Nikolai calls the others and updates them on the situation but warns them to keep their distance. If my father sees any of them, there's no telling what he might do to our daughter or Adelina.

Mercifully, my father hasn't taken them to Chicago and is in New York. I don't think I could have handled such a long journey to reach them, the hour it takes with Nikolai driving at breakneck speed is hard enough. As we pull up, I'm surprised by how many men are guarding the grounds. Immediately, our hope that we could kill the guards and level the playing field is squashed. There's no way the two of us could get to them without being heard, and who knows what Father would do if we came in guns-blazing. Without the element of surprise, we don't stand a chance of sneaking in either.

"Ready?" Nikolai asks me, concern etched on his face. He wanted to go in alone, but I refused. We've spent most of the drive arguing over it, but he knows I won't stay put, even if he went in ahead, I'd just follow.

I take a deep breath and nod, not trusting myself to speak. We get out of the car and approach the guards at the gate who are expecting us. They pat us down, removing our weapons. I can tell from Nikolai's rigid posture that he's using all of his self-control not to start fighting. He knows it's not worth the risk, even if he could take them down single-handedly, we can't risk my father killing Mads or Adelina before we reach them.

Satisfied there are no more weapons on us, the guard leads the way into the house. As expected, it's garishly ostentatious, just how my father likes it. The house resembles a castle, it even has a turret complete with small slit windows. I know for a fact, my father cannot possibly own this place and wonder if it belonged to Di Stefano. The guard leads us through a maze of corridors, past other armed guards, and down into the basement.

My heart leaps when I see them, both alive and unharmed. Adelina is gagged and tied to a chair and my father holds a crying Mads. Behind him stand two burly men. I long to run over and rip her from his grasp but I know I have to remain calm to keep her safe.

"Momma!" she cries reaching out for me.

"It's okay baby, Mommy's here," I say, trying to keep my voice level and comforting so she cannot hear my fear.

Nikolai remains silent beside me, surveying the room and our chances of escape. From the grim set of his jaw, I don't think I want to know what he's thinking.

"Well, isn't this touching, a family reunion," my father drawls, throwing his arms open wide.

"You're no family of mine," I hiss.

"Now, that's no way to greet your dear father after he's finally rescued you from your kidnapper, is it?" he says, shaking his head.

"He didn't kidnap me, he rescued me. You're the kidnapper here."

"Ah yes, your knight in shining armor, the brave Nikolai Kuzmin, rescuing you from your life of luxury," he sneers.

"I didn't want any of it, I'd rather be poor, than beholden to you or accept your blood money!" I say, glaring at him. My daughter is reaching out for me, and I long to close the distance between us, but I'm afraid of what my father would do if I approach.

"And yet here you are, living as his whore and spreading your legs for the city's biggest playboy and siring his bastard offspring," he spits, his words like knives.

"Don't you dare call her a whore," Nikolai growls, his voice low and dangerous.

"Ah, finally, he speaks!" Father declares with a wide grin, baring his teeth.

"Enough stalling, tell us your demands, and let's get on with it," Nikolai states.

"Very well," he says, bowing his head, "Shall we?" He gestures for us to sit.

"We'd rather stand," Nikolai coldly states.

"Very, well," he replies, unconcerned, handing Mads over to one of his men who places her in what I can only describe as some sort of cage.

She proceeds to cry even more and instinctively I start to walk over to her. The man immediately points his gun at me.

"Ah, stay right where you are, Arianna. We wouldn't want this precious child to pay for your stupidity, would we?" My father says, wagging a finger at me like I'm a child again.

"You locked my daughter in a goddamn cage!" I snarl.

"It's for her own safety. We can't have her toddling around and getting hurt, can we? People put children in playpens all the time."

As much as I want to argue with him, he has a point, she's safer in there than in his or the guards' arms.

"It's okay, sweetie, mommy's right here," I say, trying to comfort her.

I'm vaguely aware of the conversation between Nikolai and my father, the ridiculous agreement he's demanding that I know Nikolai would never agree to without another choice. He will no doubt try to get out of any agreement as soon as we're safe. But my focus is solely on my child as I try to comfort her from where I stand, humming softly and hushing her.

"Excellent!" Father exclaims, clapping his hands together. "Of course, the child will stay with me for the foreseeable future to ensure your cooperation. I'm sure you understand. After all, your father had a similar arrangement with the Tanaka family and the twins."

My surprise over the fact that the twins became part of Nikolai's family as a bargaining chip is overwhelmed by my horror at what my father is suggesting.

"No!" I cry out.

Father doesn't even look at me as he speaks to Nikolai. "Women, so emotional. I trust you won't make the same mistake."

"Of course not. I'm a businessman and the head of the Kuzmin Bratva, first and foremost," Nikolai replies cooly.

I can't believe that Nikolai would do this, that he would give up the one thing we came here for. Our child. I feel as though I've been punched in the stomach and the air goes out of me. I have to find a way out of this, to rescue my daughter. I'd rather die than let her spend a moment of her childhood living with my father.

"You. Go and fetch us a bottle of Scotch," Father orders one of his men. The man hesitates. "Well, what are you waiting for? It's fine, they're unarmed, they won't do anything!" he declares, gesturing at us with a wide arch and open hand.

I'm still looking incredulously at Nikolai when he gives the slightest signal with his hand. His eyes plead with me to trust him, that he has a plan to get us out of this. I feel a swell of relief that he is just faking, that he wouldn't dream of handing over Mads. I have to trust him. We have to trust each other if we're going to get out of this alive.

With one guard gone, I know he's thinking what I'm thinking. In here, the playing field just leveled. But there are still several armed men outside. Nikolai could easily take down my father, but not before the guard here gets to him. If he takes down the guard first, Father could escape or call for help.

I hear Adelina faintly moaning and glance over at her. Her eyes are darting back and forth between me and something just behind me, trying to communicate silently with me. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I turn my head slightly to see what it is.

It's a gun.

Or rather, an old rifle mounted on the wall.

I look back at her, confused. Surely my father wouldn't be stupid enough to keep a loaded weapon in here within our reach? It has to be for display only. But I can tell from Adelina's expression that she believes it is loaded. I decide to trust her and take a chance.

"It's okay sweetie, we're gonna get you out of here any second now," I say, louder than before, making sure to look at Nikolai in the hope he understands what I want him to do.

He's still looking at my father, talking, but he nods his head and I pray it's meant for me, not him. "Let's shake on it," he says reaching out his hand.

"A gentleman's agreement," Father replies smugly.

Nikolai steps forward, hand outstretched, and catches both my father and his man off guard by delivering a sharp blow to my father's neck. Father immediately drops to the floor sputtering for breath, his windpipe crushed. Before his man can react, Nikolai is wrestling with him, trying to get the gun from his grip.

I race toward the gun on the wall, grabbing it and feeling the solid weight of it in my hands.

Nikolai and the man continue to grapple, the gun skittering away across the floor as it becomes a fistfight. The man produces a knife and Nikolai expertly blocks his attack, though his arm gets cut doing so.

My father starts to crawl toward the gun, he's almost reached it.

"Do it, shoot him Arianna, you have to save us!" Adelina cries from behind me, having worked the gag out of her mouth.

I don't hesitate, I quickly grab the gun and shoot.

Adelina was right, the gun was loaded. A bright bloom of red spreads across my father's chest as he coughs, sinking down and looking at it in surprise.

Nikolai finally gets the upper hand on the guard, the knife falls out of his hand and Nikolai kicks it away before getting him into a chokehold and snapping the man's neck with his bare hands.

I watch as the life in my father's eyes dies, and he takes his last breath.

Nikolai and I both rush over to free Mads and Adelina from their confines.

"It's okay we're safe now," I say kissing Mads' head and savoring the feeling of her in my arms again.

I've never been happier to hold my baby girl. Nikolai pulls us both into an embrace. But we know that the danger hasn't passed. The guard is due back any minute and we've still got dozens more to face if we stand any chance of getting out of here alive. Nikolai and I look at each other, bracing ourselves for what is about to come.