Life of a Fool (London Brothers Book 2) (20 page)

“I know.  And I feel guilty as hell about it too.”  As I
continued to listen to Craig, I noticed both Frank and Tyler both answering
their phones. 

“Well, we’re going to find her.  Guy One carried her over
his shoulder and Guy Two, who was limping pretty badly, walked south where I
saw a car’s lights turn on and the men climb inside.  It was a dark-colored
sedan, like a Crown Vic.  I’m running plates now, but I doubt it will show up. 
Where are you?”

“I’m standing outside Centennial Airport…waiting.  By the
way, you didn’t happen to magically get Antonio’s number, did you?  Only asking
because we are tracking Lori Ann’s cell, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t have it
with her out on the balcony.”

Again, I noticed Frank and Tyler’s movements, their
expressions and the look of urgency on their faces.  “Craig, I gotta go.”  I
hung up before he had a chance to respond.  “What the hell is going on?”

“Let’s go.  Now!”  Frank yelled.  Without question, I
followed them into the terminal.

“What’s happening?”

“There’s a plane here and at Denver International that fit
the details we were talking about.  Came from San Diego, only here a few hours
and getting ready to depart.  Thomas and his guys are on the one at DIA, but we
need to find the damn flight that’s here.” 

“Fuck!”  We ran through the airport, flashed our badges at
security, and headed for the gate that Frank had been told.  Tyler was on his
phone, relaying all kinds of shit to someone.  As we approached the gate, we
all saw a small Lear jet taxi away from the jetway, and my heart sank.  “We
have to stop that plane!” 

Frank was on his phone, Tyler was still on his, and as I
watched the plane continue to move, I felt hopeless…for the first time in my
life.

“London!”  I heard Frank yell. 

“Yeah?”

“This isn’t her plane.  I just got visual confirmation that
only men boarded.  All gray headed and flying internationally to Paris,” Frank
assured.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Now what?”  I felt lost.

“We wait for Thomas to call and tell us about the DIA
plane.  Then, we regroup.”  I hated his answer, but what was I supposed to do?

“I’m feeling a little lost here, boys.  I need some
guidance.” 

“I know, but we have to wait, man.  Go where the evidence
and clues send us.  You know this.”

“I do.  But if this were your wife, your girl…you’d be as
crazy as I am.”

“Damn right I would.  That’s why we’re here to help.  It’s
hard to think straight when it’s your loved one in trouble.  There’s a reason
Tyler and I are here.”  Frank paused.  “My sister disappeared a few years ago. 
Still haven’t found her.  Tyler’s girlfriend…well, that story didn’t end the
way any of us wanted it to.  He’s okay now.  Happened six years ago, but he’s
been on a mission ever since.  So, you’ve got two people right here that understand. 
Let us help you.  Please.”

I stood and hugged Frank like he was my long lost brother. 
He understood.  I needed to trust him.  I
would
trust him.  “Thank you.”

“Thank Craig and Thomas.  They knew.  They warned us that we
might be needed.”

“Well, fuck,” I muttered.

“Yeah.  So, let’s keep working this.  Okay?”

“Okay.”  I couldn’t describe the gratefulness I felt toward
these men who truly understood my pain.

“Ty…anything?”  Frank yelled.  Tyler held up his hand,
telling us he needed a minute.  I waited as patiently as I could.  I watched Ty’s
face, and as soon as he hung up, I felt the weight of the world land on my
shoulders. 

“Okay.  The flight that left Denver International had a
woman that fit your girl’s description along with three men.  Bad news is the
flight left about ten minutes ago, and no one is saying where it was headed.  I’m
betting anything this is our plane, though.  How the hell he got out of here so
quickly is beyond me.  I haven’t had anyone else report back about a similar
plane.  This has to be him.”

I felt my world come crashing down around me.  He’d gotten
her on the plane and now they were headed back—a world away from me.  This
couldn’t be happening.  I just had my Lori Ann in my arms a few hours ago.  She
was mine.  I felt my body sinking to the floor.  Frank knelt beside me.  “We
will get her back.  I promise.”

“He’ll kill her, Frank.  As soon as he figures out she’s
pregnant, he’ll hide her away until that baby is born, then he’ll kill her.”

“Then, we’d better find her before she has that baby.  We’ve
got some time.  Now, let’s get out of here.”

I stood and walked out of the airport.  My emotions were so
tightly wound I didn’t know how to deal with them.  I wanted to hurt
someone…anyone.  My phone alerted me to a message.  It was from Craig. 

Craig:  Answer your fucking phone!  I was trying to tell
you that I have Antonio’s number!

What the hell?

I listened to my voicemail. 

Hey, you hung up before I could tell you that when you
first passed me Lori Ann’s phone in the car, back in Italy, I copied The
Italian’s number.  Just in case…habit, I guess. But YES, I have his number.  I’m
running it.

“Holy shit!  Craig is my hero.”

“What?”  Frank asked.

“Craig happened to copy down Antonio’s number weeks ago when
we first rescued Lori Ann.  He just told me.  Thank God.”

“Is he running it?”

“Yes.”

“Great.  In the meantime, let’s regroup and figure out our
next step.  We need to be in Italy as soon as we can.”

“WE?”  I asked. 

“Hell, yeah!  You’ve got a whole team of people here that want
to see Lori Ann back home…safe.”

I extended my hand.  “Thank you!”

“No thanks necessary.  You’d do the same.”

“Yes I would.”  I owed these
men a huge debt, and I’d never forget it.

*****

There were fifteen of us piled into the townhouse Lori Ann
and I shared—Craig, Thomas, Frank and Ty included.  It was 3:00 am, nine hours
since my girl had been taken.  There had been no contact from her or Antonio,
and I was getting more and more anxious as the hours passed. 

I sat on the couch, elbows on my knees, head in my hands,
trying like hell to keep calm.  I was startled out of my thoughts when Craig
put his hand on my shoulder.  “Did you hear me?”

“No.  What?”  I stood and followed.

“Come look at the tape again.”  Craig had gotten the deli
owner to email him a copy of the video footage, and all the men were huddled
around the kitchen island, watching his laptop.  I inched my way between the
guys.  “Look. This is the break we need.”

I glanced closer at the screen and could see a grainy image
of my girl leaning over Keri, checking on her after one of the men hit her,
knocking her out.  She carefully took Keri’s phone out of her hand and slid it
into the front of her pants. 
That-a-girl!

I gasped as the very next thing I saw was Lori Ann go limp
from being hit and that fucking bastard lifting her body—touching my
woman—taking her away from me.  The sight of her lifeless body disappearing
down the sidewalk made me feel sick.

I spun around.  “Holy shit!  Tell me you’re tracking Keri’s
number?”  My heart was beating out of my chest with anger, hope, despair…all of
the above. 

“Frank is doing it now.  Let’s hope we can pick up a signal.”

“God, I hope so.  I can’t take this much longer.  I feel
like I’m going out of my fucking mind.”

“I know.  Hang tight, man.  We’re going to find her, Jace.” 

It wasn’t that I went willingly. 

I was taken.  I tried to fight.  I tried to save us.  But he
hit me.  When I woke up, I was in a car, parked on a runway next to a private
airplane.  My hands and feet were bound, and a nasty headache was pounding in
my head.  My left arm was throbbing beneath the cast.  I hoped it was only
because it was pulled tight to my right hand in the restraints.  As I was
trying to take in what was happening, the sound of men yelling set my frayed
nerves on fire.

I knew that voice—the one yelling loudest. 
Antonio.

This wasn’t going to end well for me. 

Incredible sadness washed over my entire body as my mind
pictured Jason—panicked and looking for me.  I wanted to cry, but I was too afraid
I wouldn’t be able to stop, and I needed to focus on helping myself get away
from Antonio.

The car door jerked open, and there he stood.  Staring. 
Watching my reaction.  His face almost looked relieved.  I didn’t move.  I just
watched as Antonio slowly bent and sat in the car next to me.  “Amore mio.” 
My
love.
  He reached his hand to touch my face and I jerked back, closing my
eyes.  “Shh…I’m not going to hurt you.”  His hand rubbed across my temple, and
I let out a groan as pain shot through my head.  “Quei bastardi.” 
Bastards.
 
“I’m sorry they hurt you.  I told them not to touch you like this.  They were
only supposed to bring you to me.”

I opened my eyes to look at him.  I didn’t know how to read
his statement.  Was he angry his men had hurt me?  Or angry they had gotten the
first hit instead of him.  I didn’t ask.  I didn’t say a word.  “Tell me, amore
mio, are you okay?”  His hand cupped my cheek. 

“No, Antonio.  I’m not.”  It was true, but more than that, I
decided to play on the sympathy that I was getting.  Maybe if his anger was
directed at his men for a little longer, I could survive long enough to come up
with a plan.  I hoped like hell I still had Keri’s phone in my pants.  I tried
to slide it under the waistband of my panties, but couldn’t feel if it was
still there. 

“Tell me.”  For a moment, I could see the man I used to
love.  His eyes were kind and gentle. 

“They hurt me, Antonio.”  And right then, I decided I’d go
big…so I could go home to my Jace.  “They could have hurt your baby, too.”  I
rubbed my bound hands across my stomach and hoped like hell that I’d played my
card at the right time. 

I watched as his eyes flashed with anger.  “What?”  His hand
fell from my face as he looked out the window at the men standing nearby.  “Speak. 
Now.”

“I just found out.  I didn’t know until I had…”

“Had what?”  He was still angry, but calm.

“I had some bleeding, and I didn’t know what was wrong.  I
went to the hospital and they told me.”  I was careful to glaze over the
details.  I didn’t want to piss him off.  I was too vulnerable.  My life was in
his hands.

He stared at me for a long time.  I wasn’t sure if he was
deciding whether to believe me or if he was trying to decide what to do with
me.  “How do I know you are telling the truth, amore mio?”

“I am.  But you can take me to the doctor and see for
yourself if you want to, Antonio.  This is your baby.”  I felt sick just saying
the words to him.  But the decision was made—I would do anything to get back
home safely to Jason. 
Anything.

“Mi hai stregata, amore mio.”
You have bewitched me, my
love.
“I am so angry with you for running away from me…with the Americans. 
And they have killed one of my men.”

“Antonio, they were trying to protect me.”  I carefully
reached my tied hands over to his lap and fought not to flinch when I touched
his hands.  “I was scared of you.  It was my fault.  Don’t be angry with them. 
Please.  You have me now.  Io sono tua.” 
I am yours.
  He closed his
eyes, squeezed my hands, and leaned his head back on the seat.

“Ho un debole per te.” 
I am weak for you.
  I knew I
had him.  That was what he’d always said when I’d won him over about anything. 
Antonio was telling me he wasn’t going to hurt me, at least not tonight. 

He leaned up, looked into my eyes, and without a word took
the ties off of my wrists and ankles.  “I’m sorry they were rough with you.  I
will make sure they understand their errors.”  Picking up my right hand,
Antonio turned it over and kissed my palm several times.  It was a move he’d
done thousands of times during our good years.  “I have missed you, amore mio. 
Ho bisogno di te.  Solo tu mi capisci.” 
I need you.  Only you understand
me.

Hell yeah, I understand you.  That’s why this game has to be
played carefully.  Lives, not just mine, depend on me being a great actress. 

“Antonio,” I said softly. 

“Please, mia moglie.  Ti voglio baciare.”  Please,
my
wife.  I want to kiss you.

I hadn’t thought through this part of the game.  Antonio
would expect things. 
Fuck!
  “Antonio, I’m not feeling well.  Can you
help me?”

“Oh, amore mio.  I’m sorry.  Yes, what do you need?”  He
looked down at my stomach, and I had the urge to hide my tiny bulge with my
arms, but didn’t. 

“Where are we going?  We are just sitting here.”  I wanted
to know in case I had a chance to text Craig or Jason. 

“Ah, yes.  The plane should be ready now.  Hold on and I
will get you on board and will take care of anything you need.  May I?”  He
reached his hand out to touch my belly, and I could only nod, allowing him to
touch me. 

His hand noticeably shook as he placed it on me.  I wondered
if this baby meant more than I thought it could to him.  Surely not.  Maybe the
old Antonio that I knew years ago would have loved becoming a father, but not
the violent man that beat the living shit out of me more than once.  I had to
keep that Antonio in my mind…always. 

Just as his hand laid flat on
my stomach, one of the men knocked on the window glass, and I saw fury raging
in Antonio’s eyes.  “I’m sorry, mia moglie.” 
My wife.
  “They will not
interrupt us again.  Let me see to this and get us on our plane.  I want you
away from here…both of you.”  He smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek. 

*****

I had hoped Antonio would want to stay, to confirm that I
was pregnant before he took me back to Italy, but that was wishful thinking. 
He was smarter than that.  He carefully lifted me from the car and cradled me
in his arms as he carried me up the stairs to the Lear jet waiting for us.  I
could feel my body shaking, but played it off like it was because I was feeling
bad, not that I was a nervous wreck and on the verge of puking at the thought
leaving the States and Jason behind.  I wanted to cry.  I hoped he would find
me.  I stalled as long as I could with Antonio, but it was to no avail.  We
were boarding the plane and flying a world away.