17. Gia

Iwake up to the soft light filtering through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. The sheets are tangled around me, and a faint scent of last night"s passion still lingers in the air. I stretch lazily, feeling the comforting weight of Ryder"s arm draped over me. His steady breathing tells me he"s still lost in slumber beside me.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I murmur, nudging him gently.

Ryder stirs, his eyes fluttering open with a sleepy smile. "Morning, gorgeous," he replies, his voice husky with sleep.

"Thank you for taking care of me last night."

"It's my job."

"No, it's not," I giggle softly. "But I do appreciate it."

"I enjoy spending time with you, alone or otherwise. I could definitely get used to waking up next to you."

Me too.

I lean in to press a soft kiss to his lips, savoring the moment before reality intrudes. With a reluctant sigh, I extricate myself from his embrace and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. Ryder props himself up on one elbow, watching me with a lazy grin.

"Where are you off to?" he asks, his tone teasing.

"Just need some coffee to wake me up properly," I say with a playful wink, slipping out of bed and grabbing a robe from the back of the door.

As I make my way to the kitchen, Ryder disappears into the bathroom. The sound of running water drifts out from behind the closed door, and I set about brewing a pot of coffee, relishing the routine of it. But before I can even pour a cup, there"s a sharp knock at the door, breaking the peaceful morning stillness.

I furrow my brow in confusion, wondering who could be calling so early. Wrapping my robe tighter around me, I make my way to the front door and peek through the peephole. My heart lurches in my chest when I see Allison standing on the other side.

"How did you find me?" I demand, my voice tinged with alarm as I swing the door open.

Allison"s laughter is cold and mocking as she meets my gaze. "Oh, Gia, you didn"t really think you could hide from me, did you?"

I narrow my eyes, bracing myself for whatever she has in store. "What do you want?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her smirk fades, replaced by a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You know damn well what I want," she says, her tone dripping with venom. "You called the cops on me, you bitch."

I feel a surge of anger rising within me, but I force myself to stay calm. "I called Rodney. What did you expect? Now leave before I call him again."

Her expression darkens, and she takes a menacing step forward. "You think you can just push me around and get away with it?" she sneers. "Think again, sweetheart."

My heart races as I glance back toward the bedroom, where Ryder is still blissfully unaware of the danger outside. I can"t let Allison ruin everything I"ve built here. But before I can figure out what to do, she drops her bombshell.

"If you don"t help me, I"ll walk right in there and tell Ryder exactly who you are," she threatens, her voice low and dangerous. "I"ll blow your cover wide open."

I feel a surge of panic coursing through me, knowing she"s not bluffing. I can"t risk Ryder finding out the truth about me, not like this. Swallowing hard, I meet Allison"s gaze with a steely resolve.

"Fine," I say through gritted teeth. "What do you want me to do?"

Allison's smirk returns satisfied that she"s regained the upper hand. "That"s better," she says, her voice dripping with triumph. "Now let"s talk business."

My stomach drops.

I cannot join forces with the devil. Think fast, Gia. You have to get yourself out of this mess.

Before I can do anything else, there's a figure moving from beside the cottage. I turn my head to see Christoph move to the side of the porch. His gun is pointed at Allison.

"Hello, liebe," he drawls in his thick German accent calling her love.

"Christoph," she gasps. "What… what are you doing here?"

"You stole something from me, I'm here to get it back."

"I didn't steal anything from you, darling, you know that," she purrs.

He chuckles drily, his pistol still pointed at her.

"Don't lie to me."

"Listen, baby, Gia's been holding the money for me. I was just coming to get it now that it's safe to do so. She was just being a cunt about it though."

"She doesn't have the money; we've already been through this place with a fine-toothed comb. Not to mention, I've been watching her."

Allison's eyes narrow as she looks back at me then again and Christoph.

"You spent all the money?" she hisses.

"Save it, Allison, I know better."

He points the gun at her again. Her eyes go wide before she lets out a banshee yell, grabs me by the arm, and flings me toward Christoph.

I stumble forward, caught off guard by Allison"s sudden outburst. As I collide with Christoph, I feel the cold metal of the gun pressing against my chest. We scuffle and I hear Allison sprint off the porch before a car starts.

"Damn it! I don't want you, I want her," Christoph growls as he shoves me off him.

He jumps off the ground and watches as Allison speeds away.

"She's staying somewhere in town," I say breathlessly.

"I know. So, help me, if I find out that you're on her side I will come back and kill everyone you know."

With a growl, he leaps off the porch and sprints to a car nearby. He gets in and tears out of the driveway. I bend over, putting my hands on my knees as I try to slow my breathing and my heart rate.

"What in the Hell just happened?"

I go back inside and grab my cell phone. Luckily, Ryder is still in the bathroom. I send up a silent prayer that he heard nothing and walk back outside.

"I had eyes on Allison and Christoph. They were both on my porch," I say to Rodney. "How in the Hell did you not get her before?"

"She was gone by the time we got there. Security cameras showed some man walking by and seeing her unconscious, he took her to his house. I had an officer sitting outside but they didn't notify me that she was gone."

"Looks like you need to hire better help," I hiss.

"Where are they now?"

"Allison took off in her car, a nondescript black SUV three years old. Christoph was in a brand-new Cadillac, with tinted windows. He was about two minutes behind her. If he catches up to her, he will kill her."

"Which direction?"

"North into town."

He hangs up the phone quickly.

I pace on the front porch before making my way down to the beach. I need to calm down and I cannot allow Ryder to see me like this. He was kind enough to not ask questions yesterday, but I probably won't be that lucky two days in a row.

I pad barefoot to the water, letting my toes sink into the wet sand when I get close enough to feel the waves crash over my feet. I close my eyes and inhale, then exhale blowing out all the stress and negativity as many times as I can.

I feel it all leaving my body before I turn around and walk back into the cabin. Ryder is in the kitchen, rifling through the refrigerator looking for something to make for breakfast.

"Slim pickings," he teases as his eyes flit to mine.

"Let's go into town and get something to eat. I hear there's a diner with best pancakes in the U.S."

He grins back at me as he crosses the room to wrap his arms around my waist.

"Where did you go?"

"I walked down to the water to meditate."

"I see," he kisses my cheek before pulling away. "You should change out of that robe before I throw you over my shoulder and take you right back to the bed."

"Don't tempt me with a good time," I reply flirtatiously as I playfully pop him on the butt.

I scurry away to the bathroom to quickly shower and get dressed.

As I step out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and ready to face the day, I find Ryder waiting by the door with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He holds out a hand, gesturing for me to take it.

"Ready for those pancakes?" he asks with a charming smile that never fails to melt my heart.

I slip my hand into his and we head out of the cottage, the anticipation of a peaceful breakfast momentarily pushing aside the chaos that unfolded just moments ago. The morning sun kisses our skin as we walk towards his car, the serene surroundings providing a stark contrast to the tension that still lingers in my mind.

We drive through the winding roads, passing by lush greenery and quaint cottages that dot the landscape. The town comes into view, bustling with life even at this early hour.

I wonder if Christoph caught up to Allison.

Stop thinking about that. Focus on Ryder.

We arrive at the diner and Ryder leads me to the same booth we'd sat in eight years ago. He gestures for me to sit down, and I do, mesmerized by the gorgeous view of the boardwalk again.

As we settle into our seats, the waitress approaches with a warm smile, her pen poised to take our order. Ryder orders two plates of the diner"s famous pancakes without even glancing at the menu, his easy confidence putting me at ease. I follow suit and request a cup of coffee, needing the caffeine to shake off the remnants of the morning"s chaos.

The diner is alive with chatter and laughter, a stark juxtaposition to the turmoil that had engulfed my thoughts just moments ago. The smell of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee fills the air, wrapping me in a sense of comfort and normalcy.

Ryder leans back in his seat, his gaze is soft as he looks at me. "You okay?" he asks quietly, his voice filled with concern.

I offer him a small smile, appreciative of his understanding. "Yeah, just a lot going on," I reply, trying to keep my tone light despite the weight of the situation.

"Here? Or just in general?"

"Just in general. I'm fine with busy places most of the time."

"I get that. Some days it's just a bit much for me. Especially when we've been going hard traveling with the team. I try to be extra patient with Chloe during those times."

"I can't imagine what that's like with kiddos. I know how I get when I'm tired."

"It's bad when we're both tired. I've really focused on not raising Chloe the way I was raised. My parents weren't bad parents by any means, they were doing the best they knew how. There's a lot of things that weren't right and I don't want that for her."

"I feel that in my soul," I giggle.

"You're really good with Chloe. Landon and Layla adore you as well."

"Thanks."

Ryder chuckles softly, the sound like music in the comfortable atmosphere of the diner. The waitress returns with our order, setting down steaming plates of fluffy pancakes in front of us. The sight and aroma instantly lift my spirits, and I eagerly dig in, savoring each bite as if it were a taste of normalcy in the midst of chaos.

As we eat in content silence, I find myself stealing glances at Ryder. His easy smile, the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he laughs—it all fills me with a sense of peace that I desperately need right now. Despite the turmoil that is still on the edges of my mind, being here with him feels like a breath of fresh air.

After we finish our meal, Ryder pays, and we step out into the warm sunshine once more.

"Want to take a walk down the boardwalk?"

"That would be great."

He laces his fingers down mine, and we begin walking. Taking in the sights and sounds of the lively boardwalk. Even early in the morning, people are already milling about eager to sink their toes in the sand or experience the carnival-like atmosphere of the boardwalk.

As we walk, I recognize Mia up ahead. She's talking quietly to a man as they sit at a table outside the coffee shop. She's sitting close to him, her hand on his knee.

"Looks like Mia moved on to someone else," Ryder chuckles as he nods toward the sight I'm already looking at.

"I see that. She doesn't waste time."

As we move closer, I recognize the man she's with and my stomach drops and tightens. Bile rises in my throat as well as fear.

Fear isn't something that I feel often in my line of work.

The man that Mia is sitting across from, looking all cozy and lovey dovey is none other than Don Vincenzo Carusso's youngest son, Matteo.

He's considered the heir to the throne and when he was eighteen he had already been a suspect in four brutal murders. According to the CIA files, he's nothing short of a sociopath now that he's twenty-five years old.

Does Mia know who he is?

Is that why she suddenly showed up at Josh's because she's working with them to get to Ryder?

I'll be damned if she gets close to Chloe and Ryder now.

"I wonder where she found him."

"You don't recognize him?" I ask.

"No, should I?"

"Oh, I don't know. I guess I thought maybe he's from around here."

"I'm not home enough to really know the answer to that. He could be I guess."

I nod slowly as we continue walking. I do my best to make sure we move quickly past the two of them so that they don't see us.

I can't see the eyes on us right now, but I know that there are people from the Carusso Family following us—they won't give up easily.