Chapter Twenty

~ Vittorio ~

Without question, I shoved Tony toward the villa. "Warn Luca."

Once Tony had taken off running toward the villa, I faced the guards and started shouting out orders. "Use the SUVs to block the gate and get ready to fight. Do not let anyone through. Defend the Sabatino family at all costs!"

"Vito, are you insane? We have to get out of here."

Carmine tried to grab my arm, but I shook him off. "I am not leaving Luca to fight this fight alone so either help me or leave."

"What if it's the Romanos coming?"

"I don't care if it's the Roman Legions," I snapped. "I'm leaving Luca and his family defenseless."

"I appreciate that," Luca said as he hurried up to us, "but we only need to hold them off for about ten minutes. Borelli's men should be here by then."

I wasn't sure that was going to be enough.

The problem here was that Tony had said trouble was coming. He didn't say what that trouble was. Until I knew, it was going to be hard to plan a defense.

"Vito!" Tony shouted as he started shooting into the air.

I had no idea what he was shooting at until a black object fell to the ground several feet away. I had just enough time to recognize it as a drone before it exploded and I was thrown back, crashing down onto the ground.

"Shoot the drones!" Tony shouted as he continued to pull the trigger on the pistol in his hand. "Shoot them down before they reach us. They are loaded with explosives."

This was new. I'd never seen someone attack with exploding drones before. Might be something to look into in the future.

While several of the guards started shooting into the air, I tried to keep track of Tony. He was all over the place. Running and jumped and hurling himself over obstacles.

At one point, I swear I heard him laugh.

When the drones stopped coming, we only had a few injured and several large craters blasted into the ground. We'd been lucky. If they tried to attack from the air again like that a second time, I didn't think we'd get the same outcome.

I walked over to Tony who was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily. "Are you injured at all?" I asked as I started running my hands over him looking for any sign of blood.

Tony shook his head. "No, but I'm a little winded."

Yeah, I would be too if I'd run all over the place like he had.

"Any airport anxiety?" I asked.

"A little, but not like it was."

"Do you think this is the intermission and they will attack again?"

"That would be my bet."

"By land or by water?"

Tony squinted for a moment and looked off into the distance. I had no idea what he was looking at or even if he was looking at anything specifically.

"Both, I think," he finally replied.

I turned and searched the area until I spotted Luca, calling out him name. When he walked over to us, I said, "Tony says the next attack will come by land and water. Do you have anyone watching the beach?"

Luca blinked as he turned to look at Tony. "How do you know this?"

"Really long story that we don't have time to explain right now. We'll do it later over a drink," Tony replied. "Right now, we need to get ready for the next attack." He turned and pointed to the high stone fence. "Can you get some sharp shooters up on that wall? Some on each side of the gate?"

Luca snapped his fingers and called over one of the guards. "Find me six of our best sharp shooters. Get them outfitted and armed and then have them man the top of the fence at the front of the estate. I also want another until of guards at the beach access to the estate."

One the guard had run off, Luca turned back to me and Tony. "What else?"

I was amazed that the man was just taking our word for how things might go. "Why are you doing this without demanding to know why?"

"Because I've seen what Tony can do," Luca said, reminding me he had been standing outside with us the entire time. "If he says we got trouble, we got trouble."

I was glad for his belief in Tony, especially when Tony suddenly gasped and took off running toward the villa. Luca and I both took off after him. We reached the front doors at the same time.

"Tony!"

"I think Nico's in trouble."

That was all he needed to say for the three of us to run into the villa. Luca ran faster and got several feet in front of us. He started to race down the hallway when Tony suddenly put on a burst of speed and dove for his legs, tripping Luca.

They both went tumbling to the ground.

When Luca tried to get up, Tony held onto his legs, wrapping himself around the man.

"Tony, wha—"

We were all thrown back by a loud blast and a hot gust of wind that came from the direction of the safe room.

"Nico!" Luca cried out in a voice so filled with agony that it brought tears to my eyes. For someone to fill that level of anguish...It was something I prayed I never went through.

Tony had a tight hold on Luca, not letting him go. He was dragged along when the man started clawing at the marbled tiles trying to reach the exploded safe room.

"Nico!"

When Luca turned toward Tony with ravaged eyes and took a swing at him, I jumped forward and grabbed his arm, keeping him from hitting Tony again.

"Let me go!"

"Nico wasn't in there," Tony explained quickly, hanging onto Luca like an octopus.

Luca froze. "What?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't think Nico was in there, but I still feel like he's in danger. We need to find him."

"Let me go!" Luca shouted again.

This time, Tony let him go.

Luca scrambled to his feet and raced over to the area where the safe room had been located. I helped Tony up and then hurried over to join him. The blast had ripped a hole in the side of the steel walled room big enough for a man to step through, but with all the debris hanging from the ceiling, we didn't dare.

One thing was clear, Nico wasn't in there.

"Franco!" Luca shouted at the top of his lungs. When the man came running, Luca grabbed him by his suit jacket. "Nico is missing. I want him found now."

Franco stared at the blast scene with wide eyes. "Wasn't he in...?"

"He's missing!" Luca shouted with a frantic tone. "Find him."

"Yes, sir." Franco started shouting out orders to the guards in the area, demanding a full search of the villa.

I watched Tony as he rubbed his arms, his gaze going to the double doors at the end of the hallway. "Tony, what is it?"

Tony shook his head and started walking toward the doors.

I snapped my fingers to get Luca's attention and then started following Tony. When he reached the double doors, he didn't open them. He just stood there staring out through the glass.

"Tony?"

Tony waved a hand at me. "Ssshh."

I frowned, my confusion growing bigger when Tony tilted his head, turning the side of it toward the double doors. "I hear a boat engine."

Boat engine?

My head snapped to Luca. "Do you have a marina at your beach?"

"No, it's just a small cove with a private beach."

"It's probably a Zodiac then," Tony stated.

Zodiac?

"It's an inflatable power boat," Tony continued, "one like they use in all those crime dramas. They are easy to use, they go fast, and they can be driven right up onto the beach."

I quickly looked at Luca. "Do you have any boats?"

Luca frowned at me. "A few. Why?"

"Get them in the water and to that cove. If whoever took Nico has a boat, they will use it to try and escape. We have to be able to catch them before they do."

Luca stared at me for just a moment before spinning on heels and running back down the hallway to where Franco stood barking out orders. I don't know what Luca said to the man, but Franco took off while Luca hurried back to us.

"Let's go," Luca said as he pulled his gun and then pushed the double doors open, stepping through them.

Not knowing what else to do, I pulled my gun and stepped out after Luca. When we started for the stairs that led down to the beach, Tony grabbed my arm and stopped me.

Tony nodded his head toward the edge of the cliff. "I'm going to take the scenic route."

"You're what?"

Before I could ask more, Tony raced over to the edge. He glanced back at me, shooting me a smirk, and then jumped.

"Tony!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I fully understood Luca's anguish.