Chapter 104

Nico

Time seems to stand still as I wait for the Hummer to stop and Lucky to get out. Finally, it has arrived and I can at least breathe. My ribs are hammering in my chest. Will Lucky blame me for all of this? Will she hold the kidnapping against me? Let’s face it, this is the second time my fiancée has been taken and why? All because of me being the head of our family. Being a Don is not good for relationships. Hence the reason I never entered into them before.

Having a woman permanently in your life is leaving you wide open for attack and that is exactly what I have done. As much as it pains me and cuts my heart into pieces, I think I have to do the right thing. It is her life that will always be at stake.

For me, fuck it, I know the odds. Every day is a risk. Waking up in the morning, getting ready for another day has its challenges, the biggest is not knowing who wants to take you out on that day.

The car stops, the driver gets out and makes his way to the back. Two guards also step out of the vehicle and go to the driver. Once they are all in position, the door opens.

Fuck, I am impatient to see her and hold her again. My legs begin to move as I walk towards the guards who are surrounding Lucky. Just witnessing this makes me realize it is not a life for one as bold and beautiful, as independent and carefree as Lucky Gianluca.

Whether has been born into the mafia world herself is of no interest to me. She can go any place in the world and be a free woman. She can experience love with another man, though that makes my gut churn and my heart squeeze. The mere thought of Lucky with another man does not sit well with me.

I see as she pushes her way through the intimidating guards, my own are flanking me with their weapons at the ready. We have all had a nasty shock. There is never a day that goes by that we won’t be fearing that Lucky will be taken again.

And kids. What about when we have children? That will put them in danger too. Am I willing to risk my own future children’s lives for this?

“Nico, oh my God, Nico,” she says as we meet again for the first time. It doesn’t sound like she wants to tear strips off me or is angry as an alley cat. Then I feel her in my arms as she throws herself against my chest.

“It is okay now, Lucky you are safe. You will always be safe,” I tell her reassuringly. Only, am I telling the truth or is it yet another lie? I have no idea what bastards want to see me six feet under. I’d shoot every last motherfucking one of them if I could and have it over my head until the day I die from natural causes, if it meant that my beautiful, fierce fiancée would be safe.

She begins to cry. “Let it out, Lucky. Let it out. I am sorry my darling Princess for everything you have been through. I want to keep you safe and protect you. We will fly to Atlanta and you can rest.”

“Don’t ever let me go, Nico,” she says with desperation in her voice.

“Never sweetheart. I will never let you go again. Come, we must get on the jet. We are too much in the open right now. It makes us vulnerable.”

She releases from my arms wrapped around her, holding her close to me. Lucky nods. “I understand.” It breaks my heart to see her vulnerable, dark circles under her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

This is not the look of Lucky Gianluca the strongest woman I know. And yet even though I know I should let her go, I simply can’t. She is the woman I love, my heart beats only for her. She owns my heart, my mind and my soul. Lucky gets me like nobody else does not even Dario or Tony.

Yet another issue I need to deal with when I get back to New York eventually, is Dario. It would appear he has gone walk-abouts and Tony has advised me that we still have no location on him. Something sits heavy in my gut about Dario and I don’t mean the drugs. Something a whole lot more sinister.

I take her hand and squeeze it as the detail form around us. Two in front, two following up behind and one either side of Lucky, the other on my left-hand side. Still, I do not feel safe. We know that anything can hit us from the air.

They move us along as I pick up the pace to reach the steps to the private jet. She is clutching my hand so tightly it feels as if the circulation is being cut off. The fear she must have felt makes me feel bad for her; there are no words to even describe how I feel at this moment.

“Why are we flying to Atlanta? Can we not go back home now Yelena is dead.”

And there we have it. I cannot tell her that in fact Yelena is still alive. She has made it through the explosion. Even though she will be taken by Aurora to a holding place we have in Atlanta, she is still alive and we cannot hold her forever. But she will pay a high price for taking the Lucky from me and keeping her captive.

The price is always high!