Page 89 of Choices

My phone rings and at the same time a text message comes in. I see Johnson's name flash on the screen while an alert from Hannah's security system pops up just after. I growl. Today's been shit and it's been far too long since I've seen my girl. One of our vans got stopped by the FBI, a buyer backed out last minute and we're no closer on shutting Vitale's operation down than we were before. All I want to do is sink into Hannah and forget my life in her warm pussy and sweet curves. Then I want to spend the night wrapped in her arms. I used to run this shit to keep everyone safe and provided for, but Hannah and her kids have become my home. And I'm starting to think it's time to retire.

"Johnson." I growl in greeting.

"Boss. It's not good. I think Vitale's got Hannah."

I shoot to my feet as red tinges my vision. I look briefly at the other notification. It's from the cameras inside Hannah's house, but the door was unlocked, and Santiago was there.

I start forging out the door before I'm really even conscious of where I'm going. Matty, who was in the office with me, is tight on my heels. Seeing his worried face I put Johnson on speaker.

"Explain." I growl again, not trusting the fear I feel clogging my throat. Lord only knows what that sick fucker would do to her.

"I responded to a 'shots fired' call in her neighborhood. Santiago was shot twice in the chest." There's a dark chuckle on the line and I wish I could reach through the phone and strangle him. "Sick fucker pluggedhis wounds himself with her tampons and was dragging himself through the street. He took two down, but I had to force him into the ambulance."

In an instant my heart cleaves in two for my friend. I can't imagine the pain and panic he must have gone through to have gotten shot and watched his woman abducted.

"They sedated him and sent him to Virginia Hospital Center."

I look up and see Matty's face drained of color, both hands gripping his hair in panic. In an instant he spirals, pacing tight circles and muttering to himself.

My phone vibrates and I see an unknown number calling. Vitale.

"Get me all addresses owned by a Vitale. He's calling now, I'm assuming for a ransom."

"On it boss. I'll be in touch."

I click over to Vitale's name. I don't have time to deal with Matty.

"This is Garcia."

"Rico." An older man with a slight Italian accent drawls out, much slower than I would have liked. I can see the smug grin on his fat, greasy face.

"I have someone here who would like to speak to you..."

There's a strained silence before I hear flesh hitting flesh and an involuntary cry from Hannah's mouth. I look to Matty, wishing like hell I could protect him from this while the grip on my phone gets so tight it creaks in protest. Matty's eyes are wide, his mouth open and tears streak down his face. He looks like a terrified child, not the thirty-year-old man he was a minute ago.

“Normally, I would tell you that if you touch a single hair on her body, I will kill you. However, you just touched her. You’re alreadya dead man.” I growl into the phone, dying to wrap my arms around his thick neck and squeeze the life out of him.

“We will meet to discuss the terms of her return to you. Come to my house in one hour. Alone.”

“Don’t do it Rico! He’ll kill you! I’m fine!” Hannah shouts, only to receive another backhand across the face. I wince at the sound.

“One hour.” I say, before hanging up.

I slam my phone on the nearest table and curse. "Fuck!"

I give myself that tiny outburst before I shove my emotions aside and get to work.

I take one look at how lost Matty is before slapping him, hard, across the face. He shakes his head slightly, his unfocused gaze finally focused but confused.

"I need you to get the kids from school and take them to the farm. Nothing can happen to those kids, and if they know about Hannah, they know about them. If shit goes south, you'll need Diego and Lauren to help them. Tell them they're having a sleepover. Then get to the hospital to be there for Santiago when he gets out of surgery." I spit off instructions as a text from Johnson comes in with several addresses listed. Vitale said home, so I copy that one and plug it into my GPS, heading for the garage.

Matty doesn't follow.

"But I don't want to." His voice is small and insecure. "I want Hannah. I want to go to my girl. I have to see if she's okay."

I grab him by the shoulders and give him a little shake. "Matthew, you have to put that aside and do what's right. Those kids need to be safe, and they need to not know their mother is in danger. Santiago needs to be updated when he wakes, or he'll tear that hospital apart.If Vitale kills both of us, I need you two to protect those kids." He still seems unconvinced. "What would Hannah want you to do?"

That seems to do the trick. He steels his spine, squares his shoulders, and grabs his keys from the hook. He doesn't have car seats, but fuck it, I trust him to be safe.

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