Stealing Luca's Heart (27 page)

Luca considered her for a moment and then snaked his hand around her neck and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back while he gave her a quick a kiss. “Then let’s hurry.”

On their flight over to Great Barrier Island, she asked Luca if they could find out if Wayne or Graham were also on their way out. The pilot was able to confirm that an airplane had indeed been chartered an hour ago out of Dairy Flat, not far from Gulf Harbour. There were two men on board. One of them was confirmed as Graham McMann.

“So how far behind Graham will we be?” She held Luca’s hand, gently rubbing her thumb over his.

He tightened his grip. “Not much. It’s less than a half-hour flight.” He checked his phone with his free hand. “I wish I could get cell coverage out here. I can’t even call Gracie to tell her what’s going on.”

“Maybe your dad sent her a reply e-mail,” Ally offered.

“Let’s hope so.”

“There it is,” Luca said looking out his window. “Ninety kilometers of unspoiled beauty.”

The large island was nothing like what she had seen on Waiheke Island. Great Barrier Island appeared unspoiled, with native forests spreading across the rugged island. The center of the island narrowed, exposing breathtaking beaches. Sailboats were tucked into protected coves, as were a few power boats. What she didn’t see were many homes or buildings. Maybe living off the grid didn’t appeal to many people.

“Where does Gracie live?” Ally felt them slow down, approaching a secluded cove below them.

“She has a place below us.”

Ally couldn’t make out what Luca was saying to the pilot, but he motioned toward the beach. On her right there looked to be a few homes and perhaps a convenience store to service the boaters. The pilot slowly lowered the helicopter onto the beach.

“Let’s go,” Luca said, pulling her with him. “Watch your step!”

She climbed out after him, making sure to keep her head down, trying to keep up. He still had her hand, pulling her with him on the beach. They ran past the convenience store and took a left up a flight of wooden stairs leading up a steep hill through the thick forest. After about fifty stairs, she turned to catch her breath. The view of the ocean and the cove from this spot belonged on a postcard.

“Ally, c’mon. Almost there.”

When they finally reached the top, the stairs opened up to expose a large portion of the island that, surprisingly, didn’t have any trees. There was a structure a few yards away that looked like what her sister would call a bach. It was a small white wooden building that looked half the size of a mobile home.

“Gracie!” Luca yelled, running up to the front door and proceeding to walk right in.

She helped him look around the small space for any clues that Sean or Graham had been there. Not seeing anything, she decided to go back outside. Maybe there was someone else around here that saw Sean or two men walking around here recently.

Opening the front door, she automatically threw her hands into the air.
Oh, shit!
Gracie was standing in front of her with a gun aimed at her chest.

Chapter 21

“Gracie! What the hell are you doing?” Luca snapped, stepping swiftly in front of Ally.

“What am
I
doing?” Gracie yelled back, lowering the Glock. “What are
you
doing? Just showing up and ransacking my place! I didn’t know who was in there! What’s going on Luca? First Sean shows up looking for a place to hide out. Then my father shows up with some guy demanding to know where Sean went.”

Luca linked his fingers behind his head and began to pace. “I know. I’m sorry, but you don’t have a phone. Things have gone to shit pretty fast in the last couple of hours.”

Ally let herself relax as Gracie clicked the safety on the gun and placed it on the wooden picnic table next to her.

Gracie motioned for them to sit with her at the picnic table. She took in Gracie’s work boots, jeans, and black tank top. Her long blonde hair was in a tight braid down her back. Ally hadn’t guessed that night at the barbecue that Gracie Tetari was a complete badass and definitely could take care of herself.

Gracie rested her forearms on the table. “Sorry, Ally. I didn’t mean to scare you. I carry a gun because you see how remote my home and work is.” She looked over at Luca. “I usually don’t have this many of my family members show up like this, or anyone else for that matter.”

Luca eyed the gun. “Can you tell us where Sean went?”

Gracie cocked her head. “Give me the quick version of what’s going on. Then I’ll decide if I should tell you or not. This has to be big, or he wouldn’t have come all the way out here.”

He nodded. “Fine. The quick version, since we don’t have time for the long one,” he said, leaning across the table. “I thought Sean had gotten his shit together and really wanted to be part of the family. I gave him most of my interest in Silver Fern Canyon to show my appreciation, but he had been playing us all along. Actually, he and your dad.”

“What?” Gracie stared at Luca in disbelief.

“Sean gave part of his interest to your dad. They are trying to use their combined power to sign over the land and business interest to Eurostar Energy, who would control the Turning Green wind farm.” Luca exhaled and sat back. “They need Sean to sign the documents today.”

“But we think Sean is having second thoughts,” Ally added. “I overheard a conversation that leads us to think this Eurostar CEO tried to kill George or my dad. He may try to kill anyone who crosses him. When Sean became aware that his family could be in danger, he took off.”

Gracie’s eyes widened. “No wonder my dad and that guy he was with were so impatient with me.”

“Where’s Sean?” Ally and Luca asked in unison.

“There’s an old silver mine quite a ways from here. I drove him out to it. I told my dad to take the dinghy there, which means they had to backtrack to the beach and go around the coast. I didn’t know what they wanted, and I needed time to decide if I was going to warn Sean, but then you showed up.”

“Is there another way there?” Luca asked.

“Yeah, my quad. If you leave now, you should get there about the same time.”

All three stood up. Luca strode around and offered Gracie a hug. “Thanks, Gracie. Sorry to get you mixed up in this.”

“Do you need me to go with you?” she asked, stepping back.

“No, I want you to stay here in case they come back.”

“Look, you know how I feel about my dad. I’m sad to say that it doesn’t surprise me one bit that he’s mixed up in this. Take my gun,” she said, handing it over to him. “You never know.”

Gracie showed them to the quad parked behind her house. “Stay on this path, and you’ll come across what used to be the old mining office. The path runs along the cliff. When you see a grove of pōhutukawa trees, stop the quad and go the rest of the way on foot. You’ll also see the top of some wooden stairs that lead up from the beach. My dad will have left the dinghy on the beach and will be taking those stairs, so watch yourselves in case they’re close by. Hopefully, you’ll get there unnoticed. I don’t know what you plan on doing, but at least they won’t know you’re there.”

Ally climbed on the quad behind Luca. “Maybe you should notify the police.”

Gracie smiled. “I’m planning on it. I’m going to run down to the store for the owners to radio out right now.”

Once they were racing along the dirt path, she leaned up to Luca’s ear. “Do we want to make a plan?”

“See that gun tucked into my pants? That’s my plan.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and needed to think this through. They were racing toward a madman who was doing what? Holding Sean at gunpoint, making sure he signed over the billion-dollar canyon? She prayed the police or coast guard or whoever patrolled this area would get here quickly.

Luca turned his head and pointed. “There are the trees.”

Ahead of them was the field filled with the brilliant red blooms of the pōhutukawa trees. Luca stopped the quad behind a thick patch of bushes along the path. They both slid off and stood together.

“You need to stay here, Ally,” he said, solemnly. “If I’d been thinking clearly, I would have left you in Gulf Harbour. This isn’t your fight.”

“We don’t have time for this.” She gestured to the shed. “We need to get to Sean. Your brother needs you right now.” She didn’t want a chance to second-guess her own decision to risk everything for this man. Maybe she’d help him get out of this in one piece. “I’m your backup.”

Luca hesitated and then nodded.

As they closed in on the shed, a helicopter roared above them. It slowed to land in the clearing just beyond the shed.

“That’s got to be Graham’s.” Luca looked at the shed. “He must have contacted it somehow to take him off the island. We need to hurry. It might already be too late.”

Ally felt her stomach tighten. “Let’s go.”

They crept along the edge of the dirt path, coming up behind the century-old mining shed. They crouched below a small window that hadn’t held glass for a very long time. Voices could now be heard, just barely, over the turning blades coming from the other side of the building. They both slowly raised up to peer into the corners of the window. She swallowed a gasp.

“Now, see how easy that was, Sean,” Graham said, taking the pen and paper from Wayne. They were both standing in the center of the structure while Graham held a gun on Sean, who was sitting cross-legged on a sleeping bag, his head in his hands. “Thank you, Wayne. Nice doing business with you.”

“And you, Graham. I look forward to a long, lucrative relationship together.”

Graham walked closer to Sean, crouching down next to him. “Sean, did you know that it wasn’t a coincidence that you and I met at that bar in London?”

Sean didn’t look up.

“I’m sure you’ve probably figured that out by now. What you might find interesting is that your favorite uncle here was really the mastermind of this family takeover.”

Sean looked up, meeting his uncle’s eyes, disbelief filling his face.

“It was nice to have someone actually approach me with a deal for once. But this will be the last time. Too many loose ends, too many moving parts, and I don’t tolerate incompetence,
ever
.”

Graham suddenly shifted the gun to point at Wayne. “You were to shoot George. See, if we shoot George, then the sons would be worried about their lovely mum being next. Get it?”

Stunned, Wayne took a step back. “They switched fishing jackets,” he stammered. “They had hats on; it was a tough shot.” Panic swept his face.

Graham fired two swift shots and turned the gun back on Sean before the body hit the floor. Sean started to stand, his mouth gaping.

“Oh, no, son. You’re not moving until you sign.”

Sean sank back on the sleeping bag and began weeping.

Ally and Luca quickly crouched down below the window. Ally’s hands flew to her mouth.

Luca mouthed the words,
Stay here!
He slowly stood, moving the gun up to the window, but a look of frustration came over him. She guessed he couldn’t get a good shot at Graham. He turned and crept around the side of the building.

Where does he think he’s going?
Ally tried not to panic. She wouldn’t let anything happen to him. She refused to lose another person in her life. She raised back up to the window, looking for Luca.

“Don’t cry too hard for him, Sean,” Graham said simply. “He played you, set you up, and turned you on your family. Let’s just finish this,” he said, handing the paper and pen over. “We both know you wouldn’t risk anything happening to your lovely mum or your brothers. And I’m an excellent shot.” He waved the gun in Wayne’s direction on the floor.

Ally watched Sean lift his head, staring at the document, and then to Graham’s gun. He took the pen and scribbled on the paper.

Gunshots suddenly rang from the front on the building, sending fear through Ally’s system. She heard men yelling. Graham snatched the paper from Sean and quickly stood. He strode to the front door, stuffing the document in his pocket.

While Graham’s back was to her, Ally quickly placed her hand inside the window and waved to Sean.

Sean’s eyes grew wide. Ally mouthed the words,
Luca’s here
, and made the motion with her hands showing him that Luca had a gun. When Sean nodded, Ally left her post and peeked around the corner to see what the commotion was.

Luca was in front of the building, watching a man run into the forest behind them. Ally guessed it was the pilot. Luca aimed his gun again and fired into the helicopter’s spinning tail.

Graham walked out of the building and raised his gun.

“
Luca! Drop now!
” she screamed.

He immediately hit the dirt.
Thank God!
Graham’s bullet went over his head. Graham twisted his head to her, finding her crouched next to the door.
Shit.

“What a shame,” Graham said, turning to point the gun to her head.

Sean suddenly burst from the doorway, tackling Graham to the ground.

Luca was sprinting to the pair when the shot went off.

Graham rolled out from under Sean, who was holding his side, blood everywhere.

Ally immediately tried rushing to Sean’s side, but Graham looped his arm around her neck tightly.

“Stay where you are, Tetari, and I might keep your girl alive.”

Luca lowered his gun to his side, watching Graham, steady as a lion.

Ally was off balance and felt light-headed as Graham walked them backward to the edge of the cliff. She wanted to break free but knew if she struggled, he’d just shoot her.

Luca remained focused on her while slowly bending down to check Sean’s pulse. He quickly removed his shirt, wrapping it around the open wound. He placed a nearby rock on top of it to try to stop the bleeding. Sean’s lips moved slowly, and Luca leaned down to listen, nodding.

“It’s over, Graham,” Luca yelled, his eyes galvanized on Graham. He stood, wiping his brother’s blood off his hand onto his suit pants and slowly approached them. “Nowhere to go, police are on their way. No one else has to die over this.”

Graham glanced behind him, his eyes focusing on something briefly, and then down the length of the cliff face.