Page 41 of Single Malt Drama
Nicolina
Memories of waitingin other armored SUVs with other armed guards flooded me. This wasn’t the first time I watched someone I loved put themselves in danger, but I told myself this was different. Marco had gone inside the house to save two children, not to extract mafia justice on someone who’d wronged him. Still, I couldn’t shake the sense of déjà vu when he strode up the walk and pounded on the door like one of my father’s enforcers.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” The guard in the front seat stared at me in the rearview mirror.
No. I’m definitely not all right. Forcing a smile, I said, “I’m fine. Please, call me Nico.”
“Stuart.” He turned his attention back to the small track house on the outskirts of New Orleans.
Marco emerged carrying a baby in one arm and a small child in the other. Unlike some men who tensed up and moved like robots when handling kids, he walked with his usual easy grace. However, there was no mistaking the hard set of his jaw.
A second guard stood on the front porch discretely holding a gun to a shirtless man’s side, while the third jogged ahead and opened the back door to the SUV.
“Take him.” Marco handed me the baby, a chubby little guy with snot oozing from his nose.
Wincing, I settled the soggy toddler on my lap. I’d never spent time around young children. I was the youngest of my family and none of my brothers had married, let alone had kids.
The little guy stared at me with the biggest blue eyes I’d ever seen, and I knew two things for certain. One, I wouldn’t let Sophia Abruzzo, or anyone else, hurt this child. And two, I wanted one of my own.
“Daddy!” The boy couldn’t have been older than four, but he struggled to break free from Marco’s grasp.
“It’s all right, son. I’ll get you back.” The guy on the front porch was either desperate or stupid. Ignoring the gun pressed to his side, he shouted, “You can’t take my kids! I know who you are! I’ll call the police!”
Marco struggled to get the older child into the backseat, but the boy moved quicker than a spider monkey. He extended his skinny arms and grabbed the doorframe one second, and kicked the next.
What the hell is Marco thinking? The Abruzzos won’t think twice about putting a bullet in that man’s head.“We can’t leave their father behind. You know what will happen to him.”
Scowling, Marco motioned to the guard on the porch. “Bring him.”
The white showed all the way around the man’s pupils. “Where are you taking us?”
Marco shot me a see-what-you-did look and called over his shoulder, “We don’t have time for this. Get in. I’ll explain later.”
“Oh for goodness’ sakes.” I pulled the baby closer to my chest and climbed out of the SUV. “Please, sir. You and your sons are in danger. We’re trying to help you, but we need you to come with us now.”
The man looked me over as if I were an all-you-can-eat buffet. “I can protect my own.”
“Get back in the vehicle, Nicolina.” The ice in Marco’s voice surprised me. I’d never heard him use such a hard tone.
“Not yet.” I turned back to the father and motioned to the armed security team. “Don’t be an idiot. There will be twice as many men here any minute. Get in the SUV, or you won’t live long enough to call the authorities.”
He swallowed hard, strode to the SUV, and slid in beside his older son.
I climbed back in and rubbed the now-screaming baby’s back. “It’s okay, Sammy. We’re going to see your mommy.”
Marco settled beside me and made goofy faces at the baby.
Sammy took one look at him and nuzzled into my shoulder.
I had a difficult time making sense of Marco’s behavior. He’d barged into the house like he planned to shoot anyone who got in his way, and now he cooed to a toddler?
Stuart put the vehicle in drive and sped away with the other guards following us in a second SUV.
“Time to buckle-up, Drew.” The father helped the boy fasten his seatbelt. “One of you needs to tell me what the H-E-L-L is going on.”
Marco opened his mouth to speak, but I rested my hand on his arm. The last thing we needed was for the two of them to get into another shouting match.
I turned and looked the man in the eye. “I’m Nicolina.”