Giovanni POV:
If we hadn't come in armed to the teeth, we would be dead, we got wind of a new shipment of drugs, ones with his name on them. I hadn't even taken a moment to stop, we left that instant. I didn't stop to say goodbye to her, I was so thirsty for the end of this. I had run off into the night, leaving her unguarded and rushing off to some random warehouse hours away.
I had waited to see any movement, and with only minimal activity, my brain had started working again. It was hesitant to go in, so we waited, inching close, slowly watching them. They had many guns for those who were unsuspecting. Their movements were rehearsed, marching around like toy soldiers. I felt sure we were headed for a trap, what better way to know than to spring it?
Sure enough, one step too close, and they all started shooting in our direction, chasing us down with as much firepower as they had. Like I said, Luca and I came armed heavily ourselves, we threw what we had back at them as we made our way towards the cars with Arlo covering our retreat.
When we got back, I knew we had been played, the only prize we had we had left behind. No doubt she was in danger, but I trusted my men to defend her well as we made our way back. I drove as fast as my car would allow, not returning until late that morning, the house already deserted.
Confusion and fear made my head spin as I ran through the house, trying to find her. Did they fall back to the city? Did they take her somewhere else? There were no signs of struggle or conflict. I called her, but she wasn't picking up. Her phone rang and rang, taunting me with the horrible idea she had been taken or killed.
I got back into the car, racing back to the city, I forced myself to see her waiting for me in our kitchen, food cooking.
"I got bored," She'd tell me.
Instead, my fears were confirmed I sped past one of the cars off in the ditch. The tires squealed, and burnt rubber hung in the air as I got out and ran back to the black SUV, pulled off to the side of the road, the crunch of glass beneath my feet. I inspected the damage; it didn't seem as if the car had rolled over, both ends smashed in like it had been in a pileup. I looked inside the car, finding her purse, her phone ringing as I called it.
"AHHH," I shouted, slamming the back door and kicking my foot into the tire, yowling at my loss.
I growled, marching back up the hill towards my car. "He has her!" I told my men as they all stood there.
Luca chased after me as I headed back to my car, ready to drive straight up to Domenico's house and demand her back, I'd burn it down to get her. Whatever sinister thing he had done, he would get what he deserved.
"Gio, Gio," Luca grabbed onto me, but I kept walking back to my car. "Giovanni, for God's sake," He yanked me back and grabbed onto my arm tightly. "We cannot go into this blindly we've already done that once today, and it got us here, we need to be smart,"
"She's with him," I seethed.
"And we won't abandon her, but if you come for her now, you'll be killed. He wants you to come for her!" He repeated, I saw his desperation and calmed down.
"We need to stop and think for a moment," His voice calmed.
"What should we do?" I asked him.
"Wait for them to make a move, then we can find her," He sounded defeated, and I wanted to argue, I wanted to get her back in my arms right this moment, but he was right. I would be going to my death if I went to Domenico right now.
I swallowed my pride and got into my car, heading to the house, I would wait if only so I could live another day and get her home, then I'd never leave her side again.
We made our way back, and it seemed to drag on and on, the images of her with those brutes filling my head. I kept going, forcing myself to stay on the path home, I almost didn't notice the unmistakable beater cars known to Domenico's men off by the side of the road. It was off on a turn, but there it was, stationary at the stop sign.
I felt the breadcrumbs being laid out for me; I'd never hear the end of this from Luca.
I started heading back to the car, if this was a trap, she'd be smart enough to realize that, too. I couldn't explain it, but hope sprang in my heart. She'd be back with me soon. I had no way of knowing for sure, but all the same, I was sure.
I didn't even get to the house when I got a call from the police department.
"Detective Mosley," I sneered. "What do I owe this pleasure to?"
"I have something of yours here," He explained, his tone sounding as if he had drank pisswater.
"What?" I shot back, confused, and then my mind connected the dots. I hung up and turned onto the side street, taking me to the north side of the city, the cars behind me pulling u-turns to catch up.
If I had been using my brain, I would have found it funny the red lights I ran as I sped over to the police station. I parked illegally in front of the station and ran up the steps they can impound the damn thing for all I care.
I pulled open the door to the station if I were anybody else, they'd arrest me on the spot, blood splatter on my shirt, my hair a mess, and I looked drugged. In all honesty, I was, and my fix was sat by Detective Mosley wrapped in a blanket.
Teary-eyed, she ran from the desk, and I lunged forward as she entered my arms just as I needed, if it was a dream, I refused to wake up. Exultation washed over me, touched by the saint I worshiped. I grabbed her tightly, making sure this was real, her scent was here, and this wasn't some strung-out trip of my brain.
"Did they hurt you?" I asked her, not loosening my grip. She shook her head.
Pulling back, I saw scrapes on her face, and a bruise splashed over her collarbone. "I did get pretty banged up jumping out of the car, though," she sniffled, clinging onto me. I felt the fury return to me and then extinguished under the rain of her touch.
"I'm sorry. I should have realized you would have come for me yourself," She told me.
"What do you mean?" My jaw set.
"It appears a colleague of yours tricked Ms. Caputo into believing you were waiting for her back here in the city, and it was then her father attempted to get her to his house," Mosley stuck his dirty little nose in between us.
"Who?" I asked.
"He's already dead," She swallowed, no doubt she'd seen it. He would do that to scare her into coming with him.
"Do you need anything else from her?" I asked the detective.
He looked between us before shaking his head. "No, unfortunately, there's no evidence left to find, no body, no men to question, so she's free to go, and so is her father," He explained.
"There's a car on the side of the road that corroborates her story," I told him.
"I'll look into it," he gave me a nod of thanks before heading back into the precinct.
I took the blanket off of her, wrapping my coat around her instead and walking her back to the car Luca was waiting for us at the door she smiled brightly for him, and I noticed the sigh of relief my cousin gave. I wasn't the only one who had begun to think of her as family.
"Mosley?" I chuckled as we got into the car.
"It was a trap," she hastily told me. "I got away too easily, but there wasn't anything they could do when I got picked up by the cops," She shrugged.
I held her hand in mine, kissing her knuckles. "You're far smarter than I am,"
She let out a small breath of a snort, relaxing back in her chair. Her eyes stayed on me, and her hand was warm in mine. Today could have gone far worse if we hadn't gotten a hold of ourselves, we were so desperate for each other that I was beginning to think our plan to keep away from each other was becoming more of a complication than just giving in.