Stealing Luca's Heart (28 page)

“I guess it depends on whether or not she can swim.”

Chapter 22

Everything happened so fast, and Ally didn’t have time to react before Graham had her by the waist. In one swift motion her body was violently lifted and thrown off the cliff. Panic overcame her, and she instinctually wanted to scream, but nothing came out. Her eyes stared down as she fell, focusing on the approaching water. Although the fall was quick, it seemed to take forever, and she found herself thinking, “Keep your body in a straight line. Don’t bend it!”

Ally’s feet hit the icy water first, and she felt her breath escape her. Her skin stung from the impact. A quick prayer flew through her mind when she realized the fall hadn’t broken her neck. Using every bit of strength she had, she pulled her arms toward the surface for air.

Large waves tried to pull her under when she reached the surface. She gasped for air and began treading, trying to survey her surroundings. The cliffs along the shore didn’t appear to offer anything she could hang on to. She remembered Gracie had a dinghy somewhere close by but had no idea where or how far away it was. Searching the bay, she noticed a sailboat close by. She would need to swim to it. That was her only option.

She’d already lost her shoes in the water and quickly pulled off the water-soaked suit jacket she’d been wearing followed by her pants. Determination set in as she knew the boat was her only hope.

Maddening thoughts swirled through her mind while she started to swim. Had Graham jumped too? Was Luca okay? Despite her best efforts, panic was setting in. She’d just seen a madman shoot two people and had no idea who would be next. He was like a rabid animal trapped in a corner and would do anything to survive.

Finally, the sailboat was nearby. She could hear its motor idling, which meant someone was on board that could help her. Optimism filled her. She had to get there before they put it in gear. Ally called out but still couldn’t see anyone on the boat.

She finally closed in on the boat’s stern and used all her strength to climb up the narrow metal ladder. She carefully stepped into the cockpit and did a quick search up and down the boat. No one was in sight, and she needed to radio for help.

“Hello?” Ally called out, shouting down the wooden stairs. Silence. Ally turned briefly to glance behind her, toward the cliffs where she last saw Luca. Where was he? Was he tending to Sean and Wayne? She put her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath. The swim was a challenge, and she was exhausted. The cocking of a gun by her ear quickly refocused her attention and sent adrenaline surging through her.

“Stupid girl,” Graham hissed, taking the last step out of the cabin. “I didn’t want to hurt you. You actually remind me of my own daughter.”

Ally slowly turned around. “I didn’t know you were here!” Ally forced the tears from her eyes, refusing to let him see her panicked. She’d need to remain alert to stay alive.

“Let me just go,” she begged. He was using the boat as a getaway, that was clear. Where were the owners of the boat? Were they still onboard? Did he shoot them?

“Now, what to do with you,” he said, jerking her arm forward, maintaining the gun’s position at the back of her skull. “Get down on your knees,” Graham ordered.

Ally did as she was told. Graham took hold of the back of her neck, shoving her face against the fiberglass bottom of the cockpit.
Don’t panic…

Graham yanked a sail tie from his back pocket and shifted his weight so his knee was forcefully pressing into her back. With quick hands, he swiftly tied Ally’s hands together behind her and then rolled her onto her back.

She noticed his expression had changed to one of a different type of predator. Graham stood over her, his eyes darkening while he took in her soaked blouse and panties, and then gazed down her legs.

“Such a waste,” he hissed, pulling another sail tie from his back pocket and started to secure her feet. “Maybe I will throw you back just to see just how good a swimmer you really are with your hands tied.”

“The Tetaris will stop you.” Ally declared, keeping her voice steady and her gaze intense. “How many people can you kill before you’re caught?”

He shook his head without looking up. “At least one more,” he sneered. “Too bad you won’t be around to find out just how far I will go to get what I want.” Graham suddenly stopped when the sky started buzzing with noise.

A police helicopter and a red coast guard helicopter whizzed past overhead.

Ally hoped they were responding to Gracie’s call.

Graham muttered under his breath and began untying the knot around her feet. He yanked her up and secured her to the wheel base.

“Don’t get too comfortable.” Graham whipped his head around, looking for the helicopters. Satisfied at their location, he threw the boat’s motor into a higher gear, steering toward open water.

He pulled something out from a side pocket in the cockpit and jumped on top of the boat. Using the tool, he raised the mainsail while trying to maintain his balance on the swaying vessel.

She stared at Graham’s back while he worked. Her wrists were already sore from struggling to escape the bindings that were around them. The knots were too tight. She was trapped. Her thoughts went to Wayne and Sean but refused to accept that her odds weren’t looking great.
Think,
Ally kept repeating in her mind.
There must be something you can do.

Even with all the commotion, Graham noticed that there was a buzzing sound approaching that was not coming from the sky. He narrowed his eyes and, reaching behind him, pulled a gun from his waistband.

Ally strained herself upward as much as her bound body possibly could, desperately trying to peer over the side of the boat. She could just make out a dinghy streaming toward them.
Luca!

“What’s the saying, Ally? Shooting fish in a bucket?” Graham raised his gun, grinning wickedly and putting his attention on the rapidly approaching Luca. Distracted, Graham had let the boat drift off course, causing the outside sail to get hung up on the mainsail.

She heard him curse and watched him try to quickly fix the sails on the wobbly boat. Graham worked to balance himself next to the main. An idea flashed to her. Reaching back, she felt the wheel and grabbed it with her bound hands, cranking it as far and fast as she could. The boat immediately responded, jerking violently. Graham completely lost his balance, falling overboard.

*

Luca was praying Ally was still on board with Graham. He couldn’t see her or any evidence that she was there as he closed in on the sailboat. He clung to the hope that he still had a chance to save her. He shook his head, pushing down the pictures of Ally being hoisted over the cliff and the pools of blood surrounding Wayne and Sean. Thank God Gracie had shown up when she did. She would take care of Sean and Wayne.

But he hadn’t thought twice about leaving Sean to save Ally. He had rushed to the edge of the cliff after Graham and Ally had gone over. Luca watched desperately to make sure she surfaced and then bolted when he saw where she was heading. What if she hadn’t come up? He would have dived in after her, of that he was sure. He was almost there. Why wouldn’t this dinghy go any faster?

“What the hell?” Luca gasped, staring in disbelief as the sailboat suddenly heeled over, sending Graham overboard very close to him.

Luca saw two helicopters approaching ahead and waved to get their attention. He hoped they were on the scene to help him, not Graham. Who knew how this was going to play out? Reaching down to the bottom of the rubber boat, Luca took the gun. He aimed it at Graham’s head while steering the dinghy up next to him, ignoring the helicopters hovering above, assessing the situation.

“It’s over, Graham.” Luca shouted out.

Graham continued treading water, seemingly unfazed by the gun pointing directly at him. “It’s only the beginning. I’ve already got all I need, Luca. You’re the one who’s lost. You’ve lost millions, part of your farm, your heritage, your brother, and…the girl,” he spat back. Graham quickly raised his hand and shot.

Luca barely dodged the shot, lunging away into the water, realizing immediately he’d dropped his gun in the process. That was when he lost control.

He dived down in the dark water deep enough so he knew he wouldn’t be seen. His lungs were burning for a breath, but he barely noticed. Just before he surfaced behind Graham, he glanced up to make sure he wasn’t detected. Graham was moving toward the dinghy, so he acted.

With steely resolve, he swam up and erupted from the water, jerking Graham’s head back with enough force that Luca hoped he might break Graham’s neck. It didn’t.

Unable to speak, Graham brought both hands up, trying to loosen Luca’s chokehold. Luca held Graham’s neck and was still able to wrestle the gun out of Graham’s hand. Apparently, Graham thought breathing was more important as he continued pulling on Luca’s arms.

Now, with both hands, Luca yanked Graham’s neck with both his hands, forcing his head underwater. He didn’t know how long he held him there. All he could see was Sean’s bloody body lying in that shed. This was for Sean and the family. It was for Ally. Oh, God, Ally…It wasn’t until Luca registered a voice from above, calling his name, that he loosened his grip on the dead man.

Blinking, Luca cast a glance upward and realized someone with a bullhorn was yelling down to him from the police helicopter. He was having trouble understanding him but followed to where the man was pointing. The coast guard chopper had followed the sailboat. Luca could see a man sliding down a long rope, preparing to jump aboard the moving vessel.
Ally!

Chapter 23

Ally’s eyes fluttered open when her wake-up call went off. The now familiar sound of the family rooster brought a smile to her face. She glanced out the sliding glass doors of her bedroom, noting that the sun was barely a promise in the early morning sky. It was looking like it would be just another gorgeous summer day in New Zealand.

She gently rolled onto her side, gazing at Luca, who was still sleeping peacefully, lying on his back. He looked so handsome, and she still couldn’t believe her fortune to find him there next to her.

Luca must have kicked off his sheet during the night. Ally propped herself on her elbow, taking the opportunity to admire the view better. His physique was simply magnificent. She could never tire of running her fingers along the muscles in his chest, arms, and back. The symbolic tattoos over those muscles were incredibly sexy.

She softly traced her fingers over them and thought about how she’d never have thought she’d be interested in a guy with tattoos. Her eyes traveled to Luca’s face, thoughtfully observing the angles of jawline and cheekbones, the mussed-up black hair, and those eyes…those intense and seductive eyes that stopped her heart.

During the events of the past few weeks, she’d discovered the man next to her was as solid as they came. Here was someone who had risked his life for his family, for her. The shadow of reality washed and hit her hard. She and her dad were leaving New Zealand that evening. She sighed deeply, staring at the muscles that seemed to ripple even when Luca slept, recalling the events of the past week.

After Graham’s death, both Luca and Ally had been detained in Auckland until the police were satisfied with the chain of events. They quickly determined that Luca had acted in self-defense and that he was in no danger of having any charges brought up against him.

Governor Jacobs had come forward, describing his relationship with Graham, much to her dad’s shock. She wondered how that was going to affect Ian’s public and personal life. It would likely cost him the governorship and certainly eliminate him from a presidential bid.

The international media had latched on to the story, and Eurostar Energy was in crisis mode, claiming they had no knowledge of Graham’s kickbacks from the landowners. Their PR people were working around the clock, trying to regain any ground they might lose due to Graham’s antics. They also deemed any contract agreements made between their company and the Tetari family would be invalid. Not only was the contract made under duress, but all of Graham’s dealings were now under investigation.

The Tetari and Edwards families had rallied together in Auckland. Dad, Tara, and the entire Tetari clan had fused together to manage their own fallout. Dad had to give his statement to the police regarding his relationship with Graham. After that, he stood by Ian and Ally when it was their turn. Tara never left her sister’s side, except of course at night when Ally and Luca would escape to their hotel room.

Gabi had appointed herself the media spokesperson so her mom could make the necessary funeral arrangements for Wayne. She said being busy had taken her mind off losing her dad and the circumstances surrounding it. She also confided to Ally that being the family spokesperson had turned out to be a massive job, and she was going to hire an assistant. The heroics of Ally and Luca had gone viral. Ally had already received texts from everyone she knew.

As far as George and Simone went, they were vigilant in tending to Sean, who was still in intensive care. What would happen with Sean was on hold until he was able to leave the hospital. No one knew what would happen. All she knew for certain was that no legal charges were going to be filed against him.

Snapping back to the present, she let out a long sigh. Stepping back into her life in Iowa City would be different now. Not just from the tragic events she was witness to, but she had allowed herself to finally consider a different life. Was spending her life in Iowa City her destiny?

Luca rolled over to face her, slowly opening his eyes.

“Good morning,” he murmured, lips curling into a smile, snaking his hand around her waist, pulling her toward him. His black lashes were barely open.

She felt the heat radiating off his body as he leaned in, nipping gently on her neck and seductively down her collarbone. She closed her eyes and snuggled into him, happy to let him take her far away from her thoughts.

“Good morning.”

Luca slowly raised his head, and she could feel his stare on her and the affection in his fingers as he ran them through her long curls splayed over her pillow.