Chapter 77

Lucky – a few hours earlier

I have no reason to doubt that Nico is still in New York. I on the other hand have managed to get out. Nobody battered an eye lid when I got dressed into my black faux leather pants, black knee high boots and my favorite Chanel black jumper. Too much black? Maybe but you know I am the fiancée of a mafia Don, and it is appropriate.

The guards tried to argue with me that I shouldn’t leave the property. That they had strict instructions for not letting me off the grounds, however, I did remind them that it is not long until I am the Queen and not just the Mafia’s Arranged Princess Bride. There wasn’t a whole lot they could say to that. There was a lot of mumbling, and my mother was almost in hysterics.

My father gave me that look, the one he has often given me as I grew up when I was about to do something I knew I should not have been doing. As for Nico’s parents, they tried to convince me how disobedient I was being to Nico by dismissing everything he had told me.

Disobedient, what a word in today’s arena of independent women, of course his mother could never possibly understand the difference between herself and I. With sad eyes I left her sitting on the sofa next to my mother and her fingers interlaced.

In the blacked-out Range Rover Sport, I have my driver up front as we pull out of the massive Atlanta estate, twenty large oaks line the lengthy drive that takes us away from the property to the large iron gates. In the back with me, because I am not that stupid, I do have my detail. His name is Odeon, and he is built like a Navy SEAL as you would expect. Odeon does not say a lot, yet I can detect that he is not happy for me to be driving away from the Santangelo residence.

“Did you arrive safely, are you at the meeting place?” I wait for Mia to respond; she should hopefully have arrived since I bought her a first class ticket to fly straight to Atlanta last night. I have organized for us to meet away from the property in the shopping district.

“I’m here in the coffee shop you said to meet. Listen, Lucky is this such a good idea. I mean you could be being followed by that woman, or worse someone she has hired.”

“You worry to much bestie; just sit tight I have finally managed to get out. We are on the way and have left the grounds.”

“Perfect, I will see you in twenty minutes,” she says. It doesn’t even cross my mind how Mia would even know that the residence is twenty minutes from the property. Everyone uses Google maps right to find out how far somewhere is.

And sure enough twenty minutes later, the Range comes to a smooth stop. “We are at your destination Miss Gianluca. Would you like to get out now or wait?” My driver speaks to me with his eyes on me through the rearview mirror.

“She will wait, give me a few minutes,” Odeon says. It’s the first thing I’ve heard him say since getting in the vehicle. He’s dressed in black cargo pants, a tight fitting, black T-shirt that show all the ripples in his arms and veins that stand out. God only knows how he’d look when he is pumping iron in the gym.

I sigh exasperated as he hops out of the vehicle with his firearm hooked in the back of his cargo’s and does a sweep of the area. What does he even think he is looking for or who? It’s not like he will even know if someone dangerous is out to get me. We all remember what happened in New York don’t we? Still, he has a job to do and who am I to stand in his way. I respect that he has to do what he has to do.

“All clear, out you get,” he extends his hand for me to grab and helps me out of the vehicle, then escorts me to the coffee shop and stands guard outside. A couple of passing people do a double take. Well, it isn’t everyday a glamorous woman pulls up to this part of town, with a hefty bodyguard packing a firearm.

He talks into a band around his wrist, “Princess going inside.” I roll my eyebrows and open the café door and enter. Sitting at a table by the entrance is Mia looking as beautiful as ever.

“Hi babes, it is so good to see you. Don’t you want to sit in a corner somewhere cozier?” I ask as I place my Dior bag on the small, round coffee table.

“Nah, here is fine. I hope you don’t mind but I have a friend here in Atlanta and I mentioned I was coming. She’s going to meet us here.”

I am a bit perturbed since I wanted to spend quality time with Mia. My phone makes a beep, I take it out of the bag and notice that the battery icon is flashing. Damn, I forgot to charge it before I left. Shit. What if Nico tries to get hold of me? He’s going to worry and come back on the next flight and all for nothing. It makes me feel like a prize fool that my husband will be having heart palpitations at not being able to get hold of me. Worse, when he calls Tony, he will find out that I have left the property.

There isn’t anything I can do about it right now. “Everything okay?” Mia asks noticing my perplexed look on my face.

“Yes, my battery has just died, and Nico will be trying to get hold of me.”

She lets out a low whistle. “Somebody isn’t going to be best pleased; I am surprised you took the chance. You just never know who you are meeting with do you?”

What? She’s behaving so weird and what is that even supposed to mean. Jeez, I am meeting with my best friend. Her eyes seem cold, intense. I brush it off maybe she had a Vodka or two on the flight over.

“Anyway, let’s order coffee I could do with a caffeine fix, what do you want, Mia? A pumpkin latte or a caramel mocha?” I know these are her all-time favorite drinks.

“Pumpkin spice latte would be good, thanks Lucky. Listen I just need to make a call and let my friend know we are here. What’s with the detail outside?”

“Oh, Odeon you mean? I figured I should have someone with me, just to be on the safe side not that I think having a coffee with my best friend is dangerous business.” I chuckle, she doesn’t. Fuck, Mia is acting so weird right now.

“Go get the coffees and I’ll call my friend. I think you’re gonna really like her. She’s heard of the Santangelo family, apparently, she has done her research on Nico.”

I feel my mouth gaping, okay I need to be reasonable and chill out. Everyone knows about the Santangelo family, they aren’t exactly small business and well Nico does get a lot of attention on social media, despite all his efforts to be private. Yet, something sits in the pit of my stomach that makes me feel uneasy.

In all the time I have been in the arranged engagement with Nico, Mia has never once mentioned a friend in Atlanta, and we have known each other for several years. Nor has she ever talked about anyone knowing a lot about the Santangelo family or Nico. Something doesn’t sit right.

I take a look through the glass window to make sure that Odeon is in place. He is in sight looking intimidating. Relieved I go and place the coffee order at the wood bar/counter and leave a false name, Alexa for the barista.

Sitting back down, there is a noise of crashing out the front, as I take a look, I can see that a large Hummer has driven into the back of my Range. Odeon takes a double take to make sure I am safe inside the café then heads to the vehicle. No doubt to make sure everything is okay with the driver and find out what the hell is going on. His hand is at his firearm.

“Shit, what the fuck?” I say as a woman enters the café. She has ice blonde hair, the most striking blue eyes I have ever seen. Her black jacket sits at her narrow hips, her legs clad in skintight black jeans. On her feet she wears what appear to be black combat boots.

“Let’s go,” she says - I can’t place the accent. Mia stands and grabs me by the arm.

“What the hell is going on, what are you doing, Mia?” My heart begins to race as I feel something slide into the vein on my hand, then blackness overcomes me.