“She’s right here. What’s wrong?”
Mam glanced over her shoulder at me. “Put whoever it is on speaker,” she suggested.
After I hit the button, Mam called, “I’m up to my elbow in Shepherd’s pie filling. What do you need?”
“Caterina’s been kidnapped.”
At my gasp of horror, Mam whirled around. “Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What happened?”
“Some of her father’s men took her from the street outsideAlainn.”
While I’m sure Mam was wondering like me what Caterina was doing at the strip club the boys owned, she didn’t utter it. Instead, she asked, “What’s being done to get her back?”
“We’re enroute to Little Italy where her last location showed up.”
My heart twisted with emotions. Worry for Caterina’s safety. Fear for my brothers’ safety. Rage at her father for doing such a thing.
And then my mind went to Rafe, sending an ache through my chest. I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling at this moment. More than anything, I wished I could be there to comfort him.
Mam made the sign of the cross. “Promise me you boys will be careful.”
“We will.”
“How’s Callum holding up?”
A pause came on the line. “Not well.”
“Oh merciful heavens,” she murmured.
“For your safety, we want you to go to the main house. There will be more protection there.”
Mam nodded at the phone. “We will. Right now.”
Unable to keep my worry for Rafe hidden any longer, I asked, “What about the Nerettis?”
“They’re on their way in from New York.”
God, what Rafe must be feeling at this moment. He and his brothers loved Caterina so deeply. There wasn’t anything in the world they wouldn’t do for her.
Panic ricocheted through me at the thought of the men I loved most in the world being in danger. It wasn’t like I didn’t live with the feeling each and every day. It was just horrifically amplified in that moment. “Be careful, Kellan. All of you,” I said.
“We will. Listen, I have to go. Get to the house, and we’ll call as soon as we have Caterina.”
And then he hung up. Tears welled in Mam’s eyes as she wrung her hands. “Poor girl. Even after her bastard father tried to kill Callum, I never dared to think he was as evil as your Da to hurt his own flesh.”
“I didn’t either,” I replied in a whisper.
“Come on. We have to go.”
As Mam turned off the oven and stove, I grabbed Murphy, and then we bolted for the backdoor. Nolan stood waiting for us with his gun drawn. “Mr. Kavanaugh just alerted me I’m to take you to the Beacon Hill home.”
Mam nodded. “That’s right.”
After we started down the backstairs, Nolan followed behind us. He helped us into the car before hopping in the front seat. It was a quick walk to the house and an even faster drive.
Once Nolan had ushered us in the backdoor, he went to meet up with the other bodyguards patrolling the house. Mam and I then spent a good half hour praying while pacing the kitchen.
I prayed for Caterina.