Page 49 of Daddy's Claim
For reasons I couldn’t explain, it soothed my soul to hear my normally laidback brother practically seething with rage. “Marissa Castiglione. The woman she was at the club with the night she snuck out.”
“I know her. Not well, but she comes into the club occasionally. Once we get Nora back, I’ll start asking around, see if we can’t figure out who the fuck she’s working with.”
“Good idea,” Cole said, his voice gruff with grim determination. “Luca, how close are you?”
“Five minutes. Alex says there’s some old, abandoned shops out there and they’re probably holed up in one. I say we surround the place, don’t give her a chance to rabbit.”
“No.” Fear clogged my throat. “We do that, she’s going to feel cornered and then she doesn’t have any reason to keep Nora alive. I’ll go in, keep her distracted. It’s in the city, so there has to be a spot somewhere for Alex to set up.”
“Gabriel is with us.” A dark glee filled Luca’s voice. “If anyone can find a spot, it’s him.”
“I didn’t know he was back in the states.” Good. Gabriel was my uncle Lorenzo’s son. The last I’d heard, he was in South America on business he wouldn’t—or more likely couldn’t—disclose.
There was nobody I trusted more to dispose of a threat from a distance.
“Just got in last night. Bitched like a girl about getting dragged out of bed until we told him what was going on. I don’t think the hounds of hell could have kept him away once he knew she was family.”
Hearing my brother refer to Nora as family went a long way toward easing the panic still digging its claws into my chest.“Thanks, Luca. Just make sure Marissa doesn’t see you. I want her to think I came alone.”
“We’ll stay out of your way for now, but if that bitch hurts Nora—”
“She’s going to have all of us to answer to,” Cole finished.
Nora
There had to be some way out of this.
But with my head still pounding and my arms starting to go numb from being tied too tightly behind me, I didn’t see many options.
Marissa was seated in a chair similar to the one I was currently tied to, smiling like she’d just won the fucking lottery and singing softly to herself.
God, how could I have been so stupid? For as long as I could remember, we’d spent nearly every second of our free time together. Had she always planned to use me to start her war? Or had my marriage to Mikey just given her an opportunity and she’d jumped at the chance to get rid of me?
Mikey.Tears stung my eyes at the thought of him, but I stubbornly blinked them away.
Then blinked again, certain I was imagining things when the door to the warehouse opened and he stepped inside.
“Marissa. We need to talk.”
My heart leapt with joy at the sound of his voice. He wasn’t a mirage. He was real, and he’d come to rescue me.
But my joy was short-lived. Marissa leapt up from her chair, swinging her arm up to aim the pistol straight at my husband’s chest.
“Rissa! No!” I could hear the desperation in my own voice as I screamed and fought against my bonds.
“Don’t come any closer.” Marissa’s voice was flat, as empty as I assumed her soul must have been for her to do what she’d done.
Slowing his steps, Mikey held his hands up to show they were empty. “I’m unarmed.” Eyes locking on me, he took another slow step toward us. “Are you hurt, princess?”
Rissa shoved the gun against the side of my head, wrenching my neck to the side and I bit back a cry of pain, not wanting to startle her. “Come any closer and I swear to god I’ll end her.”
“I’m not coming any closer. You have my word.” As promised, he didn’t move toward us but instead stepped to the left, giving me a clear view of the door he’d just come in through.
Run! Save yourself. I’m not worth your life.Even as the thoughts raced through my mind, I knew he would never leave me. Stubborn fucking man.
“Why would I take the word of a DeCosta man for anything? You all put on a good show, but underneath the fancy suits and charming smiles you’re just a bunch of fucking back-stabbing assholes.” Once again the gun pressed hard against my temple, jerking my head to the side. “And tell your backup if I hear so much as a footstep, I’ll put a bullet in your wife’s head. You havemyword on that.”
“It’s just me, Marissa.” Mikey’s voice was low and soothing, as if she were a wild animal he was trying not to spook. “No one else is coming. I just want my wife. Let Nora go, and I’ll let you walk out of here. Nobody in our family will come looking for you. Disappear, make a new life somewhere away from all this bullshit. But if you hurt her, all bets are off.”