Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

A lexandra

Relax.

I continued to tell myself that even though hours had passed. I knew several men were watching the motel, the three-story location not the prettiest on the block, but providing adequate coverage for my car. I’d dared stop at a Wawa, grabbing a few waters and junk food to tide me over. I’d checked on my aunt, ensuring she was okay, but in truth, I was terrified to use the phone.

Or sleep.

As dawn had risen I’d done little but pace the floor. I knew Italy was five hours ahead of this location and it had been late when I’d called. I knew he had a private jet, but the flight time was still at minimum eight hours.

Now it was almost nine in the morning. I was exhausted, overwrought, and still so terrified breathing was impossible.

The morning news hadn’t offered much of anything, including the dead man’s name. It was just listed as an ongoing investigation. The only thing that was new was that the FBI had been mentioned. The crime was obviously a bigger deal than I’d realized.

God. What had I done? Of all the times to decide to do something nice.

The third-floor room was a typical walkup on the outside. Few of those existed any longer. It wasn’t the best of accommodations, but it was clean and that’s all that mattered. It also had the thick drapes from the eighties, which shut out all the light and prying eyes.

The sun was bright, the day beautiful, and I’d never wanted to crawl into a hole more than I did right now. I peeked around the curtain, seeing nothing odd in the parking lot. I was frustrated, so far over the edge I was certain I’d fall.

The analogy was provided by a tired brain.

If only I could get some sleep.

The sharp ring of my phone made me jump several feet.

“Shit. Shit.” I rushed toward it, half expecting the murderer and his thugs had found my number. Seeing my godfather’s number almost made me gleeful.

“Nico.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice gruffer and filled with even more concern than before.

“Yes. There’s been nothing unusual. But I’m so scared.”

“I know you are. The men report the same. There’s nothing going on. We just landed. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Just breathe for me, baby girl.”

“Okay.” My voice was still so tiny, as if there was nothing left of the strong woman inside, the one who’d graduated at the top of her class from college and was currently kicking butt in medical school.

I’d always been precocious, or as my aunt Kim used to say, too intelligent for my own good. What she’d never had issues with was me getting into trouble. Well, maybe once or twice. Making faces at my teacher had been the basic extent of my bad girl era. That she’d known about anyway. I’d been the one to act like den mother during the beach trip after high school graduation. It had been a good thing one of the four of us had been responsible or I had a feeling all four of us would have ended up in jail.

A subtle, emotionless laugh left my lips. Had I known then what I knew now, I don’t know if that would have changed me.

What I couldn’t fathom was the total disruption of my life. I was so close to having everything I wanted. This was such a nightmare.

After a few seconds, I grabbed my laptop, flipping it on. I was able to connect to the hotel’s shitty wi-fi, which allowed me to continue surfing to find out anything I could about the murderers. They were very dangerous men, reportedly responsible for dozens of gangland and corporate-style killings.

Most of the time, it appeared they tortured their victims first.

Great.

I could only imagine what the notorious, brutal leader would do to me if I was caught.

Unable to take reading about their horrors any longer, I toyed with searching for my godfather. I honestly knew very little about him other than he was rich and lived in Italy. He’d always been closed off during the years, keeping his private life very private. As a girl, I’d envisioned him more like a knight on a steed, always coming to my rescue.

Why not see what I could find? What could it hurt?

As I searched through the gloriously handsome photographs that appeared on the internet, I shuddered from the strange, new sense of electricity coursing through me.

It was strange to hear his Italian accent after what seemed like forever. I’d adored it as a child, asking him to say anything in Italian. It hadn’t mattered. I remember he used to read me Italian stories. I couldn’t understand a word, but his melodic voice had soothed me every time.

He used to call me baby girl, but that had stopped when I’d entered high school. Sadly, I hadn’t seen him in a very long time. He used to fly over for Christmas, Easter, or my birthday every so often. Even that had stopped as I’d grown older. He’d been very good to me, but aloof. I’d never understood it.

When I’d been old enough to learn what happened during the christening, I’d asked Nico about details and he’d provided very little other than he’d been there and had made it his life’s mission to hunt down my father’s killer.

I had to admit, in the pictures with Nico in a tuxedo, his smile captured a twinkling expression I’d rarely seen. He was one handsome and very sexy man.

And I shouldn’t be thinking of him that way. I’d wanted to consider him a father figure when I was young, but that would have required him spending real time with me. When I’d moved into adulthood, it had stopped him cold.

I closed the lid and thumped onto my back on the bed. What was he going to do at this point? Burn down the city to find the perpetrator?

I’m not certain I’d put it past him. The few reports I’d been able to read in English on his business activities had called him a savage operator. He was also considered Cosa Nostra, the real kind. The type of syndicate Italy had become known for. But he also gave generously to charities. Plus, he had a huge and very reputable corporation that seemed legitimate to me. But what did I know?

My aunt had refused to talk about his nefarious side. I adored her and was grateful she’d taken me into her home, no questions asked. I’d had a built-in little new family, but almost as soon as I’d turned five, I’d known she held some resentment over being forced to take me.

I’d overheard a conversation years later. I knew how she really felt. Yet as I’d gotten older, we’d become closer, just like I had with my cousin. Chasity had always been a little hellion, but she had a heart of gold and was getting her life on track. But we were different people, shifting apart in adulthood.

Why was I reminiscing? Because I was terrified I’d never see either one of them again.

I found myself almost falling asleep, forced to sit up when I heard a noise. Goosebumps popped along every inch of my skin. What if the men protecting me had been killed? What if the mob was on their way up the stairs right now? Oh, God.

The knife was still positioned in my side pocket wrapped in some clothing. I grabbed the handle, first returning to the window. Seeing nothing, another sound caught my attention. Voices. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Not a chance in hell.

I stuck out the knife as I stood only a few feet away from the door. If the bastard kicked it in, I knew exactly where to slice the sharp blade so the fucker would bleed out instantly. At least my medical training would come into some practical use.

Hysteria was close. I could feel it in my bones.

The sharp knock on the door almost made me scream, but I stifled it.

“Alexandra. Open the door.”

Nico.

I was so overwrought now, so full of emotions that there was no chance of holding back the exhausted sobs. I threw open the door, forgetting I had the knife in my hand. My godfather caught my arm.

“Whoa, baby girl. It’s me. You’re safe now.” Nico took the knife from my hand and I noticed he was standing with two other sharply dressed men.

As soon as I threw my arms around his neck, he stiffened. “You came.” I clung to him like a child who’d had a nightmare. The moment was completely awkward.

“Of course I came. I told you I would and I’m right here. Now, let’s get your things so we can get out of here.”

“Where are we going?”

“Italy.”

I immediately backed away, shaking my head. “I’m not leaving the country. I have finals that I can’t miss, or I’ll flunk the year.”

“You’re coming with me. There is no choice.” He was staring at me incredulously.

Shaking my head in defiance was ridiculous. Did I think he was going to stay in the country watching over me? “You don’t understand how important this is to me.”

His sigh was out of intense frustration.

“We’ll work something out. I’ll contact the university. I can’t protect you here adequately. Now, get your things. This isn’t a request. Do you understand?”

He had the same stern voice I’d heard when I was younger. I was thrown by his command and the fear that I’d never return.

“Alexandra. There is no other choice. I have a jet waiting.”

A jet waiting.

A different lifestyle.

Italy.

A place I’d never been allowed to visit.

I was terrified, but the trickle of electricity that I’d felt while looking at his pictures was stronger than before. He wasn’t just handsome or sexy; he was an Italian god with his thick, curly hair and deep blue eyes. They were bluer than mine, mesmerizing. And his muscles? The suit couldn’t hide his physique and I was floored at my body’s reaction.

My nipples were hard and my pussy throbbing.

The moment was entirely inappropriate and nothing I could control.

Taboo.

Forbidden.

I was in deeper shit than ever before.

Nico

Alexandra was fast asleep. For that, I was grateful. She hadn’t said two words on the way to the plane, obviously resenting me for stealing her away from her life. I understood I would need to follow through with my promise to contact the university. Surely, she could take her exams online.

What was I saying? They would allow that to happen. Period.

I sat on the edge of my seat, studying her intently. She’d turned into a stunning woman. Not just beautiful, but classically so with her natural golden hair and blue eyes. There was an easy way about her, as if she’d be comfortable in jeans or in a fancy dress.

My thoughts had been all over the place from hoping to find the right words to express the kind of danger she was in without completely derailing her mind. I could tell what she’d been through had rattled the girl to the core.

The rise and fall of her chest caught my eye. I was a twisted man thinking such lurid thoughts.

I was attracted to her. I’d never experienced that with the girl ever before. She’d been a cute kid, although gangly. She’d been defiant yet brilliant, talented in everything she’d attempted.

But now, I could barely take my eyes off her.

I was furious with her for going back to her condo. That had been a risky move and one that she hadn’t thought out. One of the goons could have been waiting. She’d gone over the details again, so they were fresh in my mind, no emotion involved, which meant she’d been tossed into some level of shock.

A part of me wanted to admire her for her actions, but I couldn’t move past the fact I could have lost her.

“Boss, you wanted to know when the aunt’s house was surrounded,” Enzo told me. I could tell he was standing close, enough he could easily see my pained expression. Yes, I was freaking exhausted myself, but sleep was out of the question until I got her back to my estate safely.

“Excellent work.” I finally left her alone, getting to my feet. My men were having an impromptu meeting near the back. Perhaps they’d been able to find out something that could be useful.

After making a drink, an indulgence I’d need to be careful with, I sat down near the group. “Anything new that’s worthwhile?”

Luca snorted. “You know I have several sources, right?”

“Yes, which have proven helpful over the years.” That was truthful. When we’d started selling olive oil and wine in the States, he’d found exactly the right distributor who was reliable and didn’t ask questions. Then Gio had crowded in, a business alliance I’d believed would augment our sales just where we needed it. Including with our ‘special’ shipments leaving either the Philly or New York Harbor. Finding the right stateside personnel was important in the international trading system. Not that we were bringing in a heavy volume of illegal contraband, but questions were usually asked by customs, a pushback lasting weeks if not months.

We’d had none of that.

“Well, they haven’t seen the body, but according to the buddy one of my contacts has at the morgue where the victim’s remains were taken, it would appear he was a senator.”

I almost choked. Alexandra had seen the beheading of a goddamn senator? No wonder the murderer was after her.

“What?” Now that was risky for any crime syndicate. While the Italian government was in a sense a loose representation of the American government, the differences were also pronounced. However, while syndicates had wanted to take over politics since the beginning of time, it had gotten almost impossible to do so in either country over the years.

Plus, killing someone of prominence brought the organization into the limelight. Even if law enforcement, including attorneys and judges had been bought, the murder would force the powers that be to try to enforce the law, making arrests.

“Who was it?” I asked. There wasn’t enough time in the world to pay attention to the nitty gritty of American politics, other than the upper echelon, but there should be information on the supposed victim.

Luca brought up information on his iPad, handing it to me.

“Jonathan Weber. That name sounds familiar.”

“Read the article. It’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

I expected to read that the man in his position as senator of Maryland had used his position to create a platform of eradicating crime including crime syndicates. Weren’t all politicians hopeful to be on the fast track to a higher position?

I shouldn’t speculate, but I’d read enough. Yet this article was different. “Wait a minute. Senator Weber is backing a gas pipeline?”

“He is and so are a lot of others within the Senate. According to experts, it will be good for the economy, carrying oil and natural gas produced in America to far-reaching locations. That would lessen the dependency on foreign oil.”

However, it would interfere directly with a huge resort Adonis had been planning for years. At least according to the article. The plans had been approved, set to break ground. Then their permits were pulled.

“Interesting,” I said. Yes, maybe a reason to kill, but one senator didn’t have full control over the situation. Maybe Adonis meant to scare off the others, have them pull their affiliation with the pipeline project. It wasn’t unheard of and Adonis was smart.

He’d prided himself in doing business differently than his father, although his method of handling disappointment was far more brutal than mine.

What I didn’t completely understand was whether or not the Greek had been trying to keep the senator’s death a secret until he offed a few of the others involved in the project. Adonis was a hothead, but even if Alexandra had seen anything, what did it really matter?

I wasn’t going to solve the entire riddle and I wasn’t certain I cared. It was American politics, which I wanted no part of. I had my own issues to deal with in Palermo. The various leaders of the Cosa Nostra were getting antsy, fearful the avenues of trade were becoming less and less profitable, safe, and possible. Not all of them cared about modern technology or the use of the internet. They were old school.

Certain threats had been made over the years, although I’d yet to receive one. It was part of who we were. However, my reputation was significant throughout Italy and most of Europe. People didn’t want to fuck with me.

“Well, the asshole is angry and let’s be clear about one thing. The Greek will not have an opportunity to slide into Italy to hurt my goddaughter. Do all of you understand that?”

“Absolutely,” Luca said. He was also educated in the United States, his accent not nearly as heavy as most of my men. Enzo, on the other hand, had a strong inflection, often preferring to speak Italian.

“We will… As Americans say, schiacciarlo come un insetto .” The man was obviously pleased with himself, announcing that we’d crush him like a bug.

“If necessary, but I’m hopeful that will not happen,” I told them. After taking a sip of my drink, I thought about the infamous day when Gregory had been gunned down.

I’d searched for the man’s killer, finally taking Alexandra to his home hours later. Being there while he was lying in a morgue had been surreal, difficult.

Almost immediately, I’d had a visit from Gregory’s attorney, Walter Reed. Either Gregory had been concerned about his future for some reason or he’d simply wanted to be completely organized in the event anything horrible should happen.

Since Georgine had died in childbirth, the latter had made sense to me. Walter had been very nice but pushy, insisting I understood what was at stake and what my best friend had asked of me.

In exchange for being left all Gregory’s worldly belongings, I was to accept and become his daughter’s caretaker, including being her godfather. There’d been no choice at the time. I’d quickly learned Georgine’s sister, Kim, had been left in dire straits of her own. Her fucking ex had left her high and dry with a baby of her own. She’d been struggling to finish nursing school and pay the rent. She hadn’t wanted to care for another child until I’d offered significant financial incentive.

I couldn’t blame her. She could barely feed herself and her young child. It had been a win for me. I wasn’t capable of raising a child on my own and I certainly wasn’t going to find a wife.

At that point, I’d stayed for ten days putting everything in order, including selling the house, which had nearly broken me. I’d established a trust fund for Alexandra and provided a healthy bank account for Kim and her little family. I added funds to it over the years, enough that Kim had been able to buy a very nice three-bedroom home when Alexandra had been a few years older.

I’d sent presents and cards, but seeing my goddaughter brought up horrible memories. What I’d been smart about was the way I’d set everything up in connection with the girl.

There was no connection to me. Not any that I could remember, but I’d call my attorney, Francesco Lombardi, tomorrow and make certain I was right.

The Greeks were slippery individuals and I wouldn’t put it past Adonis to have one of his relatives attempt to make my life a living hell.

I couldn’t allow that to happen.

“We’ll be landing in ten minutes,” the pilot said over the intercom.

It would be close to the middle of the night by the time we landed with the time difference. I’d wanted Alexandra to have something substantial to eat since all she’d consumed had been junk food, but she needed rest more.

“We will meet in late morning, ensuring all our security measures are in place,” I told them. “Keep an eye on the Greeks. I want to learn any new information about the case and their hunt for my goddaughter as soon as you hear it.”

Both my main men nodded.

This was going to be a difficult next few days with Alexandra being in a new environment, but I’d been through worse.

When the plane landed, she didn’t budge, which forced me to carry her to the waiting SUV. Even after the long hours, and the time spent in a seedy motel, she still had a fresh scent of night-blooming jasmine and exotic spices.

And I needed to get my mind out of the damn gutter.

Touching her was off limits entirely.

The drive was quiet, with barely any traffic on the road. It was also incident free.

When the driver pulled down the long aggregate driveaway, I considered waking her, but I honestly didn’t want to get into an argument either. I was way too exhausted and uncertain of what the future would hold.

And I needed another drink.

So I carried her into the house and up the stairs, my housekeeper preparing the nicest guest suite on the estate.

When I eased her down onto the bed, covering her with the sheet and comforter, I stood back for a few minutes.

Yep.

This was going to be one of the most difficult things I’d been required to do.