The Playboy's Fugitive Bride (35 page)

Wallace shook his head, probably still too stunned and in too much pain to get words past his swollen lips.

“I’m a businessman, as you are.  And I expect people to pay me back when they borrow from me.  In the cases where they’re unable to meet their obligations, I weigh the situation and act accordingly.  But I don’t go after their children.  I don’t threaten their health, their lives, or offer to pimp them out.  I don’t kidnap, enslave, or force them to work off their parents’ debts, especially when that parent is deceased.  It’s just not right, nor fair.  Don’t you agree?”

Wallace nodded again.

Massimo pushed the envelope toward him.  “I’m aware of the amount of money Mr. Norwood borrowed from you.  And since I’m a businessman, like you, who expect a return on my investments, I went ahead and calculated interest for the past six years.  You forfeited all late fees and penalties when you threatened his children.  I realize it’s not nearly as much as you expected, but I consider it fair—comparable in today’s economy.”

Now that they were talking money, Wallace found his voice.  “Look here Andretti, if you think you can just—”

“I’m not finished,” Massimo stated, raising his hand to stop him, and like the coward he was, Wallace shut his busted trap and settled back into his seat.  “I have enough on you and your shady business practices to put you away for a long, long time, but since your business is not my affair, except where this young lady and her brother are concerned, I’m willing to look the other way.  I want you to forget these people exist.  If you fail to adhere to my warning, I will have some of my Italian and Russian friends who live in the City pay you a visit.  Believe me, they won’t be as congenial as I am.  They shoot first, and never ask questions.  And just in case you still don’t get my point, here’s a little more incentive.”  He reached into his other pocket and dropped another photo on the table.

Wallace dropped his hand and picked up the photo.  His damaged lips dropped, his good eye bulged, and his swollen eye wept as he stared at the image of his wife and four young children.  His good eye looked crossways at Massimo while the other one squinted out of a red socket.  “You can’t threaten my family.  You have no right.”

“I have every right.  You threatened mine.  Not a pleasant feeling, is it?”

“What are you talking about?  How can I threaten your family when you don’t have one?”

“Oh, I have one now.”  Massimo held up his left hand and tapped his wedding band, then the photo of Nia.  “There are three of us, and soon there will be more.” 

“You married her?”  Wallace sucked in his lower lip, but apparently too swollen and numb to be controlled, it popped right back out with a loud smack.

Now that he knew Wallace posed no further threat to Nia and Aaron, Massimo almost felt sorry for the man.  Where had he gone wrong?  His background check on Edward Wallace had produced some unexpected facts.  He’d come from a decent middleclass family and had graduated with honors from Harvard School of Business.  He was obviously intelligent, but instead of putting his brain to good use, he’d chosen to victimize the weak and innocent.

Just went to show that
what
you become isn’t always directly linked to
where
or
from whom
you come.  It’s your heart, your mind, and your spirit that carves the soul inside you—the soul that makes you who you are.

Massimo picked up the picture of Nia and returned it to his pocket.  “Besides the return on your investment, this envelope contains some instructions for you to follow before during and way after my wife makes the drop to you.  I suspect that she will be coming to the City tomorrow, so I suggest you begin preparing today.  You’d better convince her of your sincerity, Wallace, or NYPD Blues will be fishing you out of the Hudson.”  He paused and when he was certain, Eddie understood him, he continued.  “I’ve also included a—”

Wallace tried to frown.  “If you’re settling her account, why’s she still making the drop?”

Massimo shook his head slowly and sighed aloud in frustration.  “Forgetting already, Wallace?  My wife is not to know we spoke.  She will deliver the million dollars you requested from her.”  His chest rose and fell on another deep sigh.  “Now as I was saying, I’ve included a list of children’s charities right here in New York City, and I’ve written down the amounts I want you to donate to each one in Ambrose Norwood’s name.  And let me suggest you start supporting your community instead of trying to destroy it.  Your children are growing up here, for God’s sake.  Believe me, it will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment.  Remember, stay away from my family and I’ll stay away from yours.”

Massimo pushed to his feet just as the waiter entered the room. 
Perfect timing.
  “Hmm, lunch has arrived.  I hope you like
Cochinillo Asado,”
he said on his way to the door.

“Never had it.  What is it?”

“Roast Suckling Pig.  Enjoy your lunch, Eddie.”

Massimo exited the restaurant and climbed into the limo waiting on the side of the street.  He sat down in the seat next to his cousin, but opposite his two dearest friends.  He’d told them about Nia’s background and about Eddie while they’d been hanging out in Bryce’s den yesterday.  He hadn’t told them about Nia’s proposal, just that Eddie had threatened her and her brother, and that she’d come looking for him because she blamed him for her father’s death.  They’d finally accepted his obsession with her, his marriage to her, and had pledged to protect her as he’d pledged to protect their wives in their absence.

“That was quick,” Adam said as Massimo buckled in.

“You pounded that bastard, didn’t you?” Bryce asked as the limo pulled away from the curb and began its journey to JFK where the Fontaine jet waited to take them to Bangkok, the first stop on their Asian trip as CEOs of Fonandt Wind Energy.

“He most certainly did.” Erik said, watching him intently.

“Not as soundly as I wanted to.”  Massimo tried to make a fist and grimaced.

“Let me see that hand.”

Massimo grimaced again as the doctor probed and prodded the back of his hand, his knuckles, and fingers, even his arm. “Nothing broken,” he said, releasing him.  “But you should put it on ice.  That should bring down the swelling by the time we land.  If you need a painkiller, I have some in my bags on the jet.”

“Gee, thanks, Doc.”  Grinning at Erik, Massimo stuck his fist into the ice bucket nearest him.  Erik was a member of Global Doctors, an organization that serviced war-torn countries and those that suffered from natural disasters.  He was among a group of doctors traveling to Thailand to try to convince the Thai authorities to allow them to service non-documented refugees who were being held in detention camps in that country.  But instead of traveling with his colleagues, he’d opted to fly with his friends.  He would meet up with the other doctors in Bangkok.

“Nothing like having your own personal physician at your service,” Adam said.

Massimo smiled.  Adam was just along for the ride, although he’d mentioned his interest in the possibility of a Hotel Andreas in the region.  It was nice to have the whole gang together.  Their expanding businesses and equally growing family obligations had been cutting into their group time, so they cherished the moments they could spend together and talk about manly stuff without their wives being present.

“Do you feel better now that you whipped his ass?” Adam elbowed him in the side.

“A lot better.  I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and watch the life drain out of him.”

“I know the feeling.  I almost killed Kaya’s ex when I found out he was using her.  The things we would do for the love of a good woman.”

Massimo frowned over at him.  “I never told you I love her.”

“Didn’t have to.  The fact that your hand is shoved into a bucket of ice says it all.”

“Have you told her yet?” Erik asked.

Massimo’s heart leaped around in his chest.  “No.”  He pulled his hand from the bucket of ice and wiped it on the napkin Adam held out to him.

“Do it as quickly as possible,” Erik admonished.  “Let her know exactly how you feel.  How deep your love is for her.  I’d already lost Michelle before I told her how I felt.  I’m just lucky that she has one of the most forgiving hearts in the universe.”

“I agree,” Bryce said.  “I almost lost Kaya because I was afraid to open up to her.  Michelle was the one who encouraged her to forgive me, and just love me.  Don’t make our mistakes, Mass, especially with a wife who has a propensity to run when she feels cornered.  She might make it over the town line next time.  Maybe even out of the country.”

They all laughed, even Massimo who saw the humor in his scheme to keep Nia in town.

“Speaking of propensity, do either of you notice anything about your wives after they’ve all been together?  How overly amorous they are?”  Erik glanced from Bryce to Massimo.

“Like yesterday?” Massimo asked with a silly grin on his face.  “I think they talk about us, share notes.”

“Yeah,” both Erik and Bryce said with equally silly grins on their faces.

“What happened yesterday?” Adam asked.

The husbands stared blankly at him.

“Once you get yourself a wife and she joins the brides’ club, you’ll know,” Massimo told him.  “Until then, you’ll just have to wonder, little cousin.”

“Seriously?  From a three-day-old husband?” Adam said satirically.

Yep, the wives definitely shared notes, even his three-day-old one, Massimo thought, closing his eyes briefly as his mind wandered back to the erotic scene in his Lamborghini.  He still felt cramped, the welts on his back and shoulders were unbearable, and his pectorals hurt where his wildcat had bitten into him.  He was going to have to start wearing protective gear to bed.  Perhaps he’d take one of Erik’s painkillers when he got to the jet.  When he’d pointed out his injuries to Nia, she’d smiled and told him it was his fault for being such an amazing lover, and that that’s how pussycats behave when they’re aroused.  He guessed even optimum pleasure had its price.

Massimo turned to Adam, and couldn’t even believe the words coming out of his mouth as he spoke them.  “Marriage isn’t such a bad thing Adam, as long as you’re with the right woman.”

“That’s something coming from you, Mass.  You married Nia to keep your inheritance.  Lucky for you, she just turned out to be the right woman for you.”  He paused and glanced out the window, a sadness settling into his features.  “I gave up on marriage after Claire.  I loved her, and she hurt me.  I’m not doing that again.  I guess I’ll never experience the kind of happiness you all have.”  He shrugged and brought his attention back inside the car.  “I’ll always be a bachelor I guess.  The lone billionaire bachelor,” he added with a wary chuckle.

Massimo felt for his cousin, but he said nothing because he had no idea what to say to someone who’d been hurt by a woman, by love.

“Don’t close your heart to love and happiness, Adam,” Erik—the expert on being hurt by a woman said.  “You thought Claire was right for you.  Obviously, she wasn’t.  Your heart and your ego were crushed, but she did you a favor by leaving you at the altar.  The right woman for you will find you.  And your heart will know it when you see her.  But you have to keep it open.”

It became suddenly quiet in the car as if each man was savoring his individual happiness.

Then Bryce spoke.  “Now that your inheritance is somewhat secured, I think you should reach out to your brother, Mass,” he said, fixing his black eyes on Massimo.

“Never gonna happen,” he answered through clenched teeth.  “I can’t prove it, but I know his mother caused my mother’s and my baby sister’s deaths.”

“Galen had nothing to do with their death, Mass.  Your father and Judith Carmichael are the guilty parties.  Children don’t decide their DNA composition or the circumstances under which or into which they are born.  Children are innocent and should not be held responsible for their parents’ mistakes.  I’ve always believed that, but even more so since I have my own.”

When he didn’t respond, Bryce leaned forward and planted his elbows on his knees.  “Look, I can never say that I understand your pain and anger, my friend, but I know that Kaya still regrets not reaching out to Lauren and getting to know her when she had a chance.  You still have a chance to know Galen.  He’s your brother, Mass.  You share the same Andretti DNA.  Don’t make the same mistake Kaya made.”

Massimo glanced out the window as they sped along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway toward JFK.  He agreed with Bryce’s opinions about not holding children responsible for their parents’ mistakes, especially since he’d learned about Eddie.  And he understood Kaya’s regrets about not forming a relationship with Lauren when she had the chance.

But his situation was different.  Galen didn’t know the identity of his father and the vast empire he’d left behind.  He didn’t know he had a half brother who was worth billions of dollars. There was no evidence that the waters had been stirred where Galen was concerned, and he’d be an idiot to go looking for trouble now when he needed all his focus to remain centered on his new bride.

There were still a lot of issues he had to work out with Nia, secrets to reveal, and misconceptions to set straight before they could settle down and learn to trust and love each other freely and unconditionally.  The most significant of all was forming a relationship with Cameron Norwood.  That held more importance to Massimo than forming one with Galen Carmichael. 

Nia loved her brother, and he could only imagine how hard it must have been for her to send him away while she figured out how to protect him.  He loved her bravery, her sense of loyalty and commitment to her family.  She would make a fantastic mother, willing to do anything and everything to protect her children—his heirs—just as he would do any and everything to protect them and their mother.

Massimo also knew that he would never have all of Nia’s heart, her trust, her love, until she and her brother were reunited—a reunion he was certain would be taking place by tomorrow night.  He hoped that by the time he returned home on Friday, Nia would be ready to open her heart to him.