Page 105 of Useless Love

“Arianna, why are you insulting your father’s brother?” Mother chimes in, moving closer to us as we’re standing in the living room.

“The man is doing a power play, isn't it obvious?’

She shakes her head and leaves, probably worried about stupid things. But she has the luxury of that. I, however, need to think of Uncle’s next move. Now that he knows we’re onto him, he may react impulsively. I really hope Jr. Gaudino is taking care of his father because we don’t need my uncle running to him.

CHAPTER 31 — LANDSLIDE

Arianna

After a quiet breakfast since our loudmouth Uncle is no longer around, Gaia texts me to let me know the SUV is pulling up to the highrise. Mother and I are going to meet her down there and take the car and some guards to the hospital to visit with Father. Gaia said she wants to change and then she’ll come to the hospital later with Nico and Victoria, who are in the penthouse.

As I ride the elevator to the ground floor with Mother, she adjusts her bun, looking worried. “I hope he shows some improvement today. He’s been in a coma for almost a week.”

“I know. He’ll survive. He’s strong.”

She gives me a weak smile, but I can tell she doesn’t have as much faith as I’m trying to have.

We reach the ground floor and the elevator doors open to a sea of chaos. Our guards are hiding behind furniture, shooting through the windows and men from the outside try to spray them with bullets. A guard pushes me and mother back in the elevator, shielding us, but I move around him, taking cover behind a table.

I’m not trying to be heroic and start shooting; I’m only trying to see outside. Our vehicle—the one Gaia is supposed to be in—is parked out front. I watch in horror as one of the enemy soldiers shoots our driver, pulls the body onto the street, then hops in. The car with Gaia in it peels away and my heart leaps into my throat.

My sister has been kidnapped!

I make my way back to the elevator as bullets continue to fly. Mother is doing the most useless thing imaginable and screaming.

“Quiet!” I yell at her.

“Where’s your sister?” she cries out.

“Someone took her but you have to stay calm. We’ll rescue her. Okay? Just take a breath.” My words are useless because she just starts screaming and crying again. The noise really isn’t helping me think. I’m panicked too and the blood in my ears is pounding with fear for my sister, but if we’re going to save her we need to not let fear take over.

As we ride the elevator back up to the penthouse, I take some slow, deep breaths. I have no doubt Uncle was behind this, the fucking bastard.

Mother’s phone rings but she’s too distraught to answer it. I take her by the shoulders and say firmly, “Take a breath and answer your phone! It could be important.”

Finally sniffing and trying to control herself, she answers the phone with a shaking hands. “Hello?...Yes…Really?” She looks at me. Despite her concerns about Gaia, I can see a bit of hope on her face. I know without asking that she just got good news about father.

“He’s awake,” she whispers, covering her mouth and crying happy tears.

Thank god! We need him.

I nod, feeling a weight lift from my chest. We’re going to get through this. “Take Nico and Victoria and go to Father,” I tell her.

“What about Gaia?” she asks.

“The soldiers will collect her. Don’t tell Father anything happened to her because he might keel over from worry.”

Mother nods as the elevator doors open. She rushes off to find my siblings and I pull out my phone. Thankfully, I put surveillance on Agostini’s whore last night. She will lead me right to him. If he kidnapped Gaia, she’ll be with him.

Once our soldiers inform me that the gunfight is over, I safely go downstairs with the rest of my family. Mother, Nico, and Victoria get in a car to the hospital, while I get in one to go to Agostini’s whore. Then I call Jr. Gaudino.

“Yeah?” he answers.

“Gaia was kidnapped.”

There’s a long pause, and then he has the balls to say, “I fucking trusted your men to keep her safe. Guess Bencivenga guards aren’t as good as everyone says.”

“Fuck you,” I spit. “It was a surprise attack. I think my Uncle did it, so I’m going to cut off the head of the snake.”

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