The Captive Series (12 page)

The couple flew home the next afternoon. They wanted to be with their kids. In the back of their minds was the fear that someone could get at their babies, even though they were as well protected as possible. Niko scooped them up from the airport and took them back to Luciano’s parents’ house.

“So, how did you like your surprise, Luciano?” Niko asked with a smug smile.

“Ha! First your wife needs an ass whooping, and then payback will be coming,” Luciano warned, hugging Amber as they sat in the back.

“Oh, the dress,” Niko replied with a smirk, but continued driving while Luciano fumed.

“So you knew? And you let her go with it?” he roared.

Looking back and forth from the rearview mirror to the road, he said, “No, I know better than that. I’d spank your sister for that shit. She told me after I came back from the airport.”

He returned to looking at his mirrors continuously before he said something in Russian his passenger. “What’s up, Niko?”

“We’ve got a tail. Remain calm, Amber.”

“Luciano,” she whispered, frightened and hugging him tightly. Niko’s bodyguard Aleksei turned and handed Luciano a loaded gun.

“The safety’s off,” he informed him in a deep Russian accent.

It was stronger than the other Russians they knew, and they both wondered if this was his first trip to from Russia.

“It’s a rental car of some sort, and it looks like there’s two people in the car. It’s got the rental company’s name on the license plate holder,” Nikolai said, squinting his eyes to get a better view of the plate that was just off into the distance.

“We’re about three miles from the house. This would be the best place to welcome the driver,” Luciano suggested, testing the feel of the glock in his hand.

“That’s a perfect idea. Everyone, hold on tight.” With that, Nikolai slammed on the brakes, coming to a complete stop in a flash. The other car managed to stop just in time and missed their bumper.

Niko and Alexei jumped out of the truck before warning Luciano to stay and protect Amber.

“I’m scared, Luciano,” she ducked into his chest.

“Calm down, cara. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Looking out the back window, he could see both guys approach the car. The driver was a woman, but the man caught Luciano’s eye. It was McLaren. The men were about to force them out of the car when McLaren pulled an Ak-47 and started opening up rounds. Nikolai ducked down on the side of the road taking cover. The woman driver in the car started screaming in panic and Luciano watched as Alexei fell to the ground.

“Let’s go out of the car, you two,” he roared, waving a gun at them through the bulletproof window. Luckily Luciano tucked his weapon to hold Amber. If he’d seen the gun he might have cut his losses and shot on sight.

“What do you want, McLaren?” Luciano shouted from inside the truck, thinking for a way to get her to safety.

“What do I want? First, get the fuck out of the car. You and your whore ruined me, you piece of shit.”

“You ruined yourself.” As he approached the vehicle, Luciano pushed his wife to the floor of the SUV, ducking for cover.

“I said get out before I light up this truck in a bullet holes, hitting your wife and that unborn devil.” He remembered that her father had seen her come from the doctor’s when he harassed her.

“Fine, we’re coming out,” he agreed. Just as he opened the door, the blacked out side windows reflected McLaren’s position. Stepping out just enough to show surrender, Luciano held the gun in his right hand and out of sight. The moment he took the rest of his body out of the truck, Luciano opened fire on McLaren, hitting him dead in the chest and sending him to the ground before he could shoot Luciano or Amber. Keeping her in the truck and quiet, he moved toward McLaren. Looking down at him, McLaren’s eyes were wide open and lifeless. The moment he realized McLaren was dead, he moved to the car where a young woman was holding her side. She’d been shot.

“Please don’t shoot me,” she cried. Luciano looked at the girl and thought she couldn’t be any more than twenty.

“Get out of the car, now,” he ordered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nikolai come up from the embankment with his gun trained on the girl.

“Did you hear him? Get the fuck out of the car.”

“I’m trying, but it hurts.”

“She’s been shot.”

“Are you working for him?”

“I don’t know him. He kidnapped me from the rental place just as we were about to close for the night. Please help. It hurts,” she cried.

Nikolai went to her side and pulled her from the car and pressed his handkerchief to her side. “Stay still. We need to get you to the hospital, but I need to check on my friend.” Nikolai scurried to the other side of the car where Alexei lay. He wasn’t dead, but he was losing blood fast. After making a few tourniquets, he went back to the girl to help her.

In the meantime, Amber called the police and an ambulance without getting out of the car. Luciano ran to her side and pulled her into his arms. “Cara, are you okay?”

“I’m okay, but how is Alexei? Please tell me he isn’t dead.” 

“No, he’s hanging on. Nikolai’s taking care of him.” Suddenly the sound of emergency vehicles could be heard in the distance. It wouldn’t be long before help was here.

~~~~~

After two hours with the police, Luciano and Amber were free to go. Nikolai wanted to go to the hospital with Alexei, but the cops needed to talk to him, too. They waited for Niko to finish talking to the cops and they all went back to the Rossi home.

Luciano had managed to call his father and reassure him that they were all okay and on their way back. When they got back to the house, Bianca came running, pushing Luciano out of the way and jumping into her husband’s arms.

“You idiot,” she shouted and cried.

“I’m sorry, my love,” Niko whispered, kissing his clinging wife.

“Mama, Papa!” two of their boys shouted in unison, running up to Luciano and Amber and hugging their legs. Luciano picked up both of his sons.

“We missing you both.”

“We had fun, Papa, and we were good.”

Signore Rossi coughed. Luciano knew the boys didn’t know when to quit.

“Where’s Anthony?”

“The little ones are all down for the night. These ones wanted to stay up to see you, so we agreed,” Signora Rossi explained.

“Caros, it’s time for bed. Mama and I will tuck you in with a story, but then it’s sleepy time.”

“Yay, can you read us Beauty and the Beast?”

“Sure, the short version though,” Luciano bargained. He knew the boys would be asleep before Belle met the Beast for the first time and he was right.

~~~~~

While Luciano and Amber were upstairs tucking in the boys, Nikolai explained what happened. They freaked out that Alexei was shot. They didn’t know him like Niko did, but it could have been any of them. Bianca wiped tears from her eyes, taking a large drink of her water before Nikolai continued. “We learned from the woman driving the car that she was forced to follow us from the rental place at the airport. We don’t know how he knew where Luciano was going to be, unless he followed Luciano’s dealings or had someone helping him. He shot the driver when we stopped the car. Blaming her for me spotting them.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Bianca asked as she sat on the sofa with Niko’s arms wrapped around her.

“According to the medics, it didn’t hit anything vital and she should be better in a few days.”

“That’s so awful. I’m so glad that bastard is dead,” she feistily replied.

“Aren’t we all. Hopefully we can have some piece,” Nikolai sighed.

“I second that,” Signore Rossi said, everyone agreeing in unison, “Me, too.”

~~~~~
Luciano and Amber laid naked in the bed in his old room. They just had another round of breathtaking sex. Running his hand through her hair he asked, “Cara, tell me. How are you feeling?”

“I’m as well as can be,” she whispered on his bare chest. “Thank you for doing what you did. I feel like I can breathe again.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with it? I know your hatred for him was strong, but so is your good heart.”

“He was evil, body and soul. If you hadn’t killed him, he would have killed both of us. I hoped he wouldn’t get a chance to fire on you. I was so scared as I heard the gunshots and not being able to see.”

“I’d do anything for you, Amber. Hopfully this will be the last time someone needs to die.”

“I can’t agree more. Now before the sun comes up, love me one more time.”

“Anything for you,” he growled, flipping her onto her back and thrusting back home.

“Cara, it’s time for the ultrasound.” Luciano called out over the noise of the boys playing loudly. It had been two months since their final encounter with McLaren. He was buried in a pauper’s grave, unmarked and forgotten. The case had been wrapped up quickly and efficiently. There were no repercussions for Luciano or Nikolai, but Aleksei was a different story.

The young girl in the car had a room next door to his, and it only took one random conversation as they took a walk on their floor to know that they were meant for each other. Well, she may not have thought that, but Alexei did. He wasn’t going to let a little thing as language barrier get in the way.

Amber came down the stairs, “What’s the point, Luciano? It’s always a boy.”

“Do you want a little girl, amore mia?”

“I do, after seeing little Katya all the time. Are you still against a little girl?”

“No, I just want you and the baby safe and healthy.”

“Yeah right, you and Niko already are hounding down the potential boyfriends Katya could one day have.”

“So, I didn’t say wouldn’t want her. I just plan on picking her man.”

“Just remember how well that worked out for Bianca.”

“I didn’t say I’d pick a thug like me or Niko, and sure as hell not one like Santini, but a boy that will trust to be afraid of me too much to break my little girl’s heart.”

“We’ll see.” Luciano stole a kiss from his skeptical wife. He was afraid of having a daughter to love and protect. He knew that if he did he’d be just as nuts as he was with Amber’s safety. “Rosa, are you good with the boys?”

“Yes. Go. See the little bambina.” Luciano scowled at her, but led Amber to the car. They were taking men with them as usual, but instead of being in the car, they rode in a second one to give the couple some much needed privacy.

“I love you, Amber, and I love the little one in there. Girl or boy.”

They arrived at the doctor’s office, but just as they got there they were told the doctor was running late. They had an emergency delivery at the hospital and the doctor was on her way. Twenty minutes of pacing Luciano was starting to drive Amber nuts.

“Luciano, sit down. You’re making me dizzy.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just nervous. I hope everything’s alright with the baby.”

“It will be.” There was a chime of the door. “Look, here’s the doctor now.”

“Nurse, please take the Rossi’s to room four,” the frazzled doctor hurried. She turned to them and said, “Sorry for being late, I’ll be ready in just a moment.”

After five minutes of prep, they began the ultrasound. “Wow. It seems the baby wants you to know who they are right away. Do you want to know?”

“Yes,” Amber answered enthusiastically.

“Well, you see, you have a little girl on the way.” Amber smiled so brightly that Luciano couldn’t do anything but smile with her.

“A girl,” she cried.

“Si, cara.” With watery eyes, Luciano turned to the doctor. “But is she healthy?” Amber looked up at her worried husband and squeezed hand in reassurance.

After the doctor ran the roller ball sensor all over she declared that physically the baby was perfect. Luciano thanked the doctor then bent down to kiss his wife.

As Amber cleaned the gel off her belly, Luciano made a call. “Niko, I’m in. We’re going to need extra guns. No playing.”

Amber roared in laughter, her belly shaking. “I knew it.”

All Luciano could do was shrug. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt his princess.

The End

C.M. Steele

The Second Book in the Captive Series

Copyrighted ©2015 C.M. Steele

All rights reserved. Except for the use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means is prohibited without the express permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and settings are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, names, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.