Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess (39 page)

Carter started hyperventilating. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, and the room began to spin. An unexpected wave of nausea crashed into her. “I’m going to be sick,” she gasped.

Her mother rushed her across the room and grabbed the trash can just in time. Carter held both sides of it and let go, emptying her body of everything she had taken in that day …

***

Carter was rushed through the doors, out of the Salerno Organization’s building. She could feel a hand on her back and hear the sound of a million voices as she walked numbly to wherever they were leading her. She could barely see through the tears in her eyes, barely make out what the voices were saying to her over the sound of her heart breaking into a million pieces.

“Nathan was shot …”

Her mother’s words just kept playing over and over in her head.

“They don’t know where he is …”

Why don’t you know where he is? Why didn’t anyone go with him?

“He went after Silas …”

A soft sob escaped Carter’s lips. What was she going to do? She had to do something. They expected her to just sit and wait while Nathan could be in some unknown place fighting for his life? How could she do that? How did they expect her to sit still while her husband, the person she lived and breathed for, the father of her child, was somewhere hurt and alone?

Carter tried to look around and gather her surroundings. She knew they were in front of the S.O. building, and the sidewalk was packed with people getting off work, headed home. She could hear the voices of her mother, Cesare, and Mickey close to her— arguing about something. It sounded like they were arguing with the drivers about hurrying up so they could get her to her and Nathan’s home in the country. Why were they worried about
her?
They should be getting on a plane to go look for Nathan.

Carter wandered mindlessly toward the edge of the sidewalk, contemplating walking into oncoming traffic. Though that wouldn’t solve anything, it’d certainly numb the pain. But it would be stupid to do something that would kill her and their unborn child. Nathan wouldn’t understand— he’d hate her for it. Carter wandered even further away from the chaos. She had no clue where she was walking because she wasn’t thinking. Once she couldn’t hear Mickey, Cesare, or her mother’s voices anymore, she closed her eyes. She shut out everything going on around her in effort to feel him, to feel her husband. Carter knew in her heart that he was hurt badly and in pain. Tears poured from her eyes.

He needed her, and she couldn’t get to him. She needed to be there to take care of him. She knew he was strong, but what if he needed her help, and she wasn’t there. She’d never be able to live through it. A memory flashed through her mind, a recent memory. Something Nathan had said to her when she confessed on their yacht, some fears she had about Silas …
“You, of all people, should know not to underestimate me. I will fight for you, and me— us— until my last breath. And my last breath isn’t coming anytime soon. I promise …”
Carter smiled through her tears. She could feel him. She could feel his promise. Nathan was the strongest man she’d ever known, and Carter felt him. He had to be alive. He had to be coming back to her.

Carter’s thoughts were interrupted when she felt something hit her leg. She looked down to the ground and saw the assaulting object lying in front of her. When she squatted down to examine the object, she frowned. It was a large gold coin. It said 1973 and a picture of the St. Louis Arch decorated the back of it. Carter inhaled a deep breath as a memory of her lying in bed, staring at a coin resembling this one flashed through her mind. She knew this coin. She used to have one, but she was positive that she’d left it when she left-

“My, my, my. My little caterpillar has become a butterfly …”

Carter’s body went completely still when his voice hit her ears.
Oh my God— it’s not possible.

But it was possible. He kneeled down right in front of her and when Carter lifted her gaze, they locked eyes.

Carter didn’t believe it. It couldn’t be him. But only one person had ever called her his “little caterpillar” … “Henry?” she whispered.

It
was
Henry. Carter’s first boyfriend from St. Louis. The guy who had taken her virginity. Standing in front of her now, looking nothing like the sweet, Christian boy he had been back in St. Louis three years ago.

“Indeed, love,” he said, a sinister smile on his face and his voice giving way to a British accent. “But let’s clear something up before we go. My name is not Henry.”

Without another word, he raised something resembling a gun and pulled the trigger. I sounded like a gun firing, but the object flying toward her wasn’t a bullet. Something small pierced her neck, and in an instant, darkness overtook her …

***

Two minutes earlier— Reno.

Reno searched through the growing crowd of people frantically, hoping that he’d spot Carter. He had no idea how he’d lost her. The last time he saw her she was standing on the side walk with her head down. He’d only looked away for a moment, and when he looked up, she was gone.

Civilians continued to fill the side walk, and Reno was beginning to lose hope that he’d find her in the crowd. Deciding that it’d be better to come clean and get help locating her, he went to Cesare, praying the man wouldn’t kick his ass for not watching closely enough.

Reno quickly pushed his way through the people until he stood in front of Cesare. “Cesare,” he said, out of breath. Cesare looked at him with a frown, but didn’t cease his phone conversation. “I lost, Carter,” Reno confessed.

Cesare immediately dropped the phone to his side. “You did what?” he shouted.

As soon Cesare shouted at him Reno saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. “There she is!” he pointed at her right before the sound of a gunshot pierced the air.

***

It had happened too fast. One second, Cesare was on the phone trying to contact his son— who would have been shot and killed had Nathan not protected him— Mickey was making arrangements for Carter’s departure, and Anastacia was having a heated argument with their driver, who was stuck in traffic, and the next second … a gun went off.

Their heads snapped in the direction of the sound as terror struck each of their hearts. Carter’s hand moved to her neck and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she dropped. She fell toward the ground, but a man with light caramel-colored skin scooped her up like a rag doll and ran with her like an Olympic track star through the screaming civilians. It happened in a matter of three seconds, and everything after that happened just as quickly.

Mickey pursued Carter’s captor. He pushed and shoved through the terrified people to find her, praying to God that the fucker didn’t get too far. How could he have been so careless? He could have sworn she was right beside him and Reno. “Carter!” He shouted her name at the top of his lungs as he frantically searched for her. How the fuck did this happen so quickly? Devastation more intense than anything Mickey had ever felt overtook his body. He couldn’t find her! He was breathing hard and racing through the street praying for just a—

And there it was. He saw the man toss Carter into a black SUV and jump in after her. then the car sped off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman with long, black hair running faster than he’d ever seen a woman run before … Mickey only had a second to register that it was Anastacia before he was hit by an oncoming car. His body bounced off the hood of the car, and he tumbled to the ground. Cars came to screeching stops around him, but he quickly stood to his feet, shook off the pain, and continued his pursuit…

***

Anastacia ran harder and faster than she’d ever run in her life. She didn’t know where she found the strength. All she knew was that the SUV was getting away— with her baby.

Tears blurred her vision when his name entered her mind. This wouldn’t have happened if he had been here. She had thought everything was safe since Silas had been spotted by Nathan in Russia— but she’d been wrong. That thought alone made Anastacia run faster. Now she understood how a mother could lift a car off of her child in a moment of desperation. A mother’s love could make a woman more powerful than she had ever imagined possible.

Anastacia ran through the streets with no thoughts of oncoming traffic. Her eyes were focused on one thing— the black SUV. Horns blared and cars came to screeching halts, but she continued to follow the SUV. She ran over the tops of cars and dodged traffic until she finally found a way to get to it.

She was close enough now to see the driver, and when she saw her, she ran faster. She watched the young woman’s eyes widen at the sight of her charging toward the car. The driver turned and yelled to whomever was in the back and then gave Anastacia an evil smirk. Anastacia jumped the last few cars between them, and the SUV came to a stop, but before she made it to the car door, the driver raised a gun and fired off two bullets— one connected with Anastacia’s body. The impact from the shot made her stumble back two steps. The SUV roared as the driver floored the accelerator and drove off. Anastacia heard the oncoming car before she saw it, but just before impact, big arms wrapped around her, turning her body. Their bodies bounced off the car and rolled to the edge of the sidewalk.

“
Oh my God!
Are you okay?”

“Somebody call the paramedics!”

“Get the police down here!”

“Sir, is she okay?”

The people began to gather around them, but they couldn’t afford to waste any time.

“
Move back!
”

Anastacia instantly recognized the voice.

“Ana, honey, can you stand?” His voice sounded frantic. She felt his hand on her side, and pain shot through her entire body. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Carterina.” Anastacia realized she was crying. “She’s gone! He took my baby,” she cried. “I have to get her back!” Determination laced her words, and she tried to stand up, ignoring the pain she felt. She didn’t care if she’d been shot— she was going to find her daughter.

A car stopped in front of them, and a door swung open. “Where is she? Did you find her?” Mikilo yelled. “What the fuck happened?”

Cesare scooped Anastacia into his arms.

“Cesare, no!” she yelled “I have to find her! We have to get her back now! He’ll take her away!” she begged. “Let me go!”

Normally, Anastacia would easily be able to get out of his hold, but this time she couldn’t. Her body was becoming weak. She was fighting to stay awake, fighting not to black out from the pain.

“Oh, shit,” Mickey said as he surveyed Anastacia’s wound.

Cesare walked past him. “Anastacia’s hurt! Open the door.” She heard the door open, and she was put into the car.

***

Mickey addressed his father. “Take the car. Get Anastacia to the hospital.”

His father took the keys from his hands. “Turn this city upside down until you find her, Mikilo. Do you understand?”

Mickey nodded and ran to the SUV pulling up behind them. There were lines of them coming down the street now, so Mickey knew the word had already spread. That was a good thing. It made it easier.

The door to the first SUV opened, and Ryan Mason and Dante jumped out. They quickly ran over to Mickey. Mickey began walking toward the car, and Ryan fell into step with him.

“What the fuck happened, Mikilo? We were boarding the plane, and they called and told us to come back!” Dante yelled.

“Nathan’s wife was taken,” Mickey answered.

“What?” Dante shouted and punched Mickey in the arm— hard. “Where the fuck was your head, Mickey?”

“What the fuck do you mean, his wife was taken?” Ryan yelled. “How could you let that happen?”

“We didn’t see! We were dealing with other things, and I was on the phone with Kyle.” Mickey’s jaw clenched. “I fucked up! I know that!” Mickey was prepared to take the blame for this. It didn’t matter that he’d left her in the hands of Reno, in the end, he was the one Nathan trusted to protect Carter. Mickey couldn’t believe he’d been so careless. He couldn’t believe he’d let her out of his sight. He remembered how broken and vulnerable she’d been when they told her about Nathan and his heart tightened painfully in his chest.

“You’re fucking right, you fucked up! Nathan is going to lose his shit!” Dante ran his hands over his face as intense worry and guilt washed over him. “Fuck,” he sighed. “We were supposed to protect her …” His words trailed off as his mind drifted to Carter. “Shit!” he yelled. “We’ve gotta find her, Mick. You heard all of that shit Adrien Stone said about Silas.” Dante dented the car of the person passing by them with his fist. “If that sick fuck lays one fucking finger on her—”

“You two should be worried about what the underboss is going to say when he finds out you didn’t protect his wife!” Ryan yelled. “You know as well as I do that Nathan is alive. When he finds out his wife was taken under your watch— best friend or not— you’re fucking done, Mickey!”

Mickey swallowed. He already knew that, but he could barely think about it. Images of Carter’s face as she fell to the ground flooded his mind. It tore his heart to pieces every time he thought about how he didn’t protect her from this. If he didn’t find her, she’d be face to face with a man she’d said she never wanted to see … and that was his fault. He accepted the blame for his mistake.

“We’re going to find her …” he chanted to himself over and over again.

“Get back in your cars!” Ryan shouted at the men stepping out of their cars. “Follow us, and don’t stray! Anyone of you that gets lost gets my foot up your ass!”

“Let’s go, Mickey!” Dante called to him.

Just as Mickey was about to enter the car, his cell phone rang. The name on the screen— Nathan— caused fear to seize his body. Any relief he may have been feeling was completely overwhelmed by the terror gripping his heart.

“What hell are you doing, Mikilo? Answer your phone,” Ryan said from the passenger’s side.