Devotion (Mafia Ties #3) (2 page)

“I can see why DeLuca wanted ya for himself, lass. Ya have the face o’ an angel, eyes like emeralds, and enough curves to keep yer man warm at night.”

I gulped at the hint of masculine approval in his eyes, shrinking away from him when he reached out to touch me. With my hands tied, there was no way to avoid him and I found myself lifted and placed on a chair in the corner of the room.

“There ya go.” Once he had me settled, he rolled another chair a few inches from where I sat and dropped onto it. He rested his elbows on his knees while he considered me. His eyes were somehow both cunning and dead at the same time. His stare sent goosebumps racing up my arms, but they were nothing like the ones I felt whenever Nic was near. This man made me feel fear, and I began to wonder if I really was going to make it out of this alive.

“How long have ya been with himself?”

“About a month.” I forced my answer past a dry throat and stiff lips.

He nodded, as though he knew the answer already and was pleased I hadn’t tried to lie to him. Then he reached a hand into his pocket, and I stiffened in terror. When he pulled a small bottle of water out, the breath I’d been holding heaved out on a deep sigh. He cracked it open and held it to my lips, but I hesitated to take a sip, even though I was thirstier than I ever had been before.

“I don’t have ta trick ya with drugged water,” he said, bumping my lips with the bottle and tilting it up until I opened my mouth and drank from it greedily.

“There now,” he murmured, pulling the empty bottle away and dropping it onto the floor. “I’m happy ta know you’re willin’ ta see reason since I have some questions for ya.”

He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I nodded warily.

“How much do ya know about yer man’s business?”

“Nothing.” I didn’t think about my response before I blurted it out, something I quickly came to regret.

“Ack, then, it's a shame I have ta rough ya up a bit ta prove me point. Sorry, me girl. This is goin’ ta hurt.”

Fear sliced through me as he stepped back and waved another man over. “A couple o’ digs,” Pat instructed, “but nothin’ broken or permanently damaged. She’ll fetch a fair price.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed, not for myself, but for the safety of the baby I might be carrying. When I heard the soft click of the door shutting, I opened them again, just in time to see a meaty fist fly at my face. I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream, but at the feel of my lip splitting open, I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped. I swore, if I ever made it out of here, I would kill these bastards myself.

With the next hit, the world went fuzzy and turned to black.

“I
f I weren’t so fucking livid, it would almost be funny that you thought you could hide from me, Darby,” I spat. “Did you really believe that you could so easily sway people away from me?”

Darby scowled at me, but didn’t speak as he sat tied to a chair at the back of my warehouse.

“If you want that kind of power, go back to Boston and join the Southies. But here in New York, the DeLucas run things, and I think it’s about fucking time to remind people of this. Finding Gianna and destroying those who took her is going to send a message not to fuck with what’s mine.”

I walked up close and bent over so I was eye to eye with him. “If you tell me where she is, I’ll
consider
letting you deliver the message in person.” My next words were full of deadly intent. “If you don’t, we’ll deliver the message in the form of your broken and bloody, dead body.”

Staring fixedly into his green eyes, I saw what he was trying hard to hide. Fear. I smiled smugly as I stood back up. Without warning, I bent my arm and threw a fist into his face, breaking his nose, causing him to scream and blood to spurt from his nose it. “For your little stunt with Brandon and Carly,” I explained.

“Untie him,” I instructed, without taking my eyes off the little bastard. Felix, one of my enforcers, took a pair of scissors and cut the zip ties. Getting into Darby’s space once more, I wrapped the fingers of one hand around his neck and squeezed, lifting him from his seat.

“What’s it gonna be?” I questioned.

He struggled to breathe, his hands clawing at my fingers when they weren’t swinging out, trying to strike me. I had over a foot and at least fifty pounds on him, keeping him from even reaching me, let alone doing any damage.

“Boss,” someone called from the doorway to the offices.

“Not now,” I growled.

“Boss, it’s a delivery. You’re gonna want to see it.” Something in his voice convinced me to drop the cowardly motherfucker to the ground and step away as he fell to his knees, doubling over, and trying to suck in air.

Looking at Felix, I jerked my chin in Darby’s direction. “Help him make a decision while I take care of this.”

Felix nodded and I jogged for the door, satisfied with the sound of Darby’s grunts and little girl screams as he incentivized Darby to talk.

Reaching the entrance, I grabbed the envelope my man handed over and ripped it open.

“Motherfucker!” I shouted, throwing the pictures of Gianna with a busted lip and black eye to the ground, and throwing my fist into the cinderblock wall beside me. Pain radiated from the bones all the way up my arm, but I barely noticed it. The pain and fury were the only things keeping my terror at bay.

Whipping back around, I stalked over to Felix and Darby, who lay on the ground in a huddled ball. “Get him up,” I commanded.

Felix lifted him under the arms and helped him get steady on his feet, before moving out of my line of sight. I pulled a pistol from my shoulder holster and pointed it straight at his forehead. “Where is she?”

Darby’s eyes flicked around wildly, before returning to my gaze, and flinching at the barrel of the gun in his face.

“Broo—Brooklyn Heights,” he stuttered, his words choked through the blood and his already swelling face. “The basement of Flannigan’s Pub.” He rattled off an address and Felix got on his cell, calling Devon to relay the info. I put out my free hand, silently demanding the phone.

At the feel of the cool metal object, I brought it to my ear. “She’s been beaten, take Doc. I’ll meet you there,” I said flatly. “And Devon”—I paused—“if you arrive before me, no one touches Pat O’Reilly. Keep him until I get there.”

Devon was silent for a moment, then asked, “And Darby?”

My finger twitched, on purpose, and the quiet ping of a silencer was the only sound as Darby fell to the floor.

“He’s about to take a ride out to the East River. I expect you to come through for me, Devon. Because, as of right now, I haven’t decided whether you’ll be joining him.”

***

I
slammed my shoulder into a flimsy wooden door and it splintered apart easily, the broken pieces left on the hinges swinging into the wall.

The tiny room held a small cot and there was a lone figure huddled up in a ball.

“Gianna!” I sprinted to the bed and tried to scoop her limp body into my arms. The moment she felt my touch, she began to struggle violently, her legs kicking out and one arm swinging, while the other stayed curled protectively over her stomach. I was breaking inside as I was forced to restrain her, lowering my head so my lips were near her ear.

“Gianna. Calm down, bellissima,” I said soothingly. “It’s Nic, mia dolce.” I don’t know if it was the words or the sound of my voice, or both, but she suddenly froze, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. I ran a hand over her hair before tracing one finger over her swollen cheekbone. It wasn’t the time to let my rage take over, but I vowed to make whoever inflicted the damage pay.

Her eyes blinked open and my shoulders slumped in relief at the recognition in her green eyes. They filled with tears and I cupped her face gently, kissing each one away as they fell.

“Nic?” she whispered.

“It’s me, mia dolce.” I gathered her up and took her place on the bed, pulling her onto my lap. “I love you. I love you so fucking much,” I murmured as I placed soft kisses over her eyes, cheekbones, and one, very carefully, on her lips.

“Sophia? Allegra?” she asked urgently.

“They are both safe, unharmed. Only worried about you, bellissima.”

“I—I knew you’d come for me,” she cried fervently, burying her face in my neck. “I love you.”

The clearing of a throat drew my attention to the door and my arms instinctively tightened around Gianna.

Devon stood there, his face expressionless as usual. “Pat O’Reilly slipped out before we got here. One of his guys admitted that word of Darby being taken got back to them. Pat’s not as stupid as his son. He knew Darby would crack.”

If I didn’t have Gianna in my arms at that moment, I’d have spent the next one on the phone, informing Brecken his team was one man down. But, even if Gianna was aware of the darker side of my life, I didn’t want her to witness it. She was my first priority.

“Find him,” I gritted out between clenched teeth. He nodded and departed out the door.

I held Gianna close as I got to my feet, then swiftly made my way through the dusty basement. She clung to me, making it easier for me to keep a hand on her head, so her face remained buried under my chin. I didn’t know how she would react to the multiple bodies littering the ground and steps up to the backroom of the pub.

A black Town Car was waiting outside the building and I slid in, settling Gianna on my lap, unwilling to let her go. I placed a hand on her flat belly and pictured her, round with our child and cuddling with our other daughter. It warmed me, helped me to calm my racing heart.

I kissed the top of her head, nuzzling her soft hair before resting my cheek in the same spot.

“I love you, mia dolce,” I crooned. “I promise not to fail you again. I will always protect you and our children. You are everything to me.
Everything
.”

C
radled in Nic’s lap, listening to him murmur sweet nothings in my ear, I let my eyes drift shut. I felt him shift my hair away from my face and kiss my forehead, but I kept them closed. His concern for me was evident in his voice and by the way he touched me. Knowing this strong man had no problem showing me a vulnerable side he kept hidden from everyone else was humbling. Even though I knew he’d come to my rescue, that I was safe, I started to tremble and sob.

“Shhh, bellissima. I’ve got you,” he whispered into my ear.

His soothing words only made me cry harder. I was having a delayed reaction to what I’d experienced and nothing was going to make it stop. I needed to cry it all out. Or at least, that’s what I thought until we pulled up in front of the hospital.

“W-w-what are we doing here?” I hiccupped on a sigh.

Nic’s thumb gently rubbed under my left eye, before hovering over my bottom lip. Even as lightly as he touched me, it hurt and I winced in pain.

“You need to be checked over, mia dolce.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted. “I just want to go home. Please. Everything will be better if I’m home with you.”

The sound of a soft cough from the driver’s seat drew our attention to Felix, who was staring back at us. “Doc made it to the pub shortly after we left. He’s on his way here, but I can let him know to meet us at the house instead.”

I was nodding my head wildly, willing to go along with any plan that meant we could leave without anyone else seeing me. I was bruised and beaten, in pain, dirty and disheveled. I wanted nothing more than to go home and try to pretend this had never happened. If it made me a coward, so be it. But, Nic wasn’t having it. His hand moved to my belly and he glanced down meaningfully, before looking me in the eyes again. “I need you to do this, Gianna. For me and for the baby you’re carrying.”

Tears streamed from my eyes once again, as I admitted my biggest fear aloud. “But what if they have horrible news? I tried to keep our baby safe, Nic. I really did, but what if I failed?”

“None of this is your fault, mia dolce.” He slid his hands upwards, gently cupping my face in his palms. “I won’t have you thinking you’re to blame for any of it.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but he slid his thumb over my lips to stop the flow of words. I winced in pain, and his eyes lit with a mixture of sympathy and fury.

“If there’s something wrong with the pregnancy because of what you endured due to my failure at protecting you, then we’ll face it together.”

“It wouldn’t be your fault,” I protested.

“Then how can you possibly think it would be yours?”

As much as I wanted to do so, it was impossible to argue with his logic. I sighed and slumped against him in acceptance. Nic gently moved me off his lap, then he and Felix climbed out of the car. Felix opened my door and lingered while Nic lifted me out.

“Doc’s waiting inside. He said he’ll smooth the way, try to limit how many questions are asked. Make sure she gets VIP treatment,” Felix told Nic.

It turned out Doc was a miracle worker. We were ushered up to a private room the minute Nic carried me inside. A nurse followed behind us, turning down the bed, and placing a fluffy robe on top of the mattress.

“Can I take a shower?” I asked her.

“Not yet.” I frowned at her reply, and she rushed to explain further. “It won’t be long, though. The doctor will be in shortly to examine you. As soon as he says it’s okay, I’ll make sure you get a shower.”

Nic helped me out of my clothes, his eyes darkening when he noticed the scrapes and bruises underneath them.

“Merda!” he bit out.

“It’s just a couple scrapes,” I reassured him.

“They will pay for marking your beautiful skin,” he swore.

He had a murderous gleam in his eyes, but I wasn’t able to discuss it further because the doctor walked into the room. He was followed by a shorter, older man who moved quickly to Nic’s side and whispered in his ear. Nic nodded his head in agreement. “Stay, Doc.”

The portly man turned kind eyes to me. “As long as it’s okay with your lovely fiancée as well?”

I wasn’t about to argue after whatever he’d done to ensure I was so well taken care of by the hospital. “Yes, please do.”