“Chiara is mine. You don’t deserve her. You never did!” Cane yelled as his body shook, but not his steady hand that held the gun still pointed at Robert.
“Put down your weapon. Police.” The door burst open, the sound of a gun went off, and a feeling of instant pain hit Robert directly in the chest.
As he grabbed his chest, he looked up and saw Angelo Gessati, along with four other men, and the police.
There was a scuffle, and a second shot went off, as the police and Angelo took Cane down. Angelo then walked closer to Robert. They locked gazes.
“Why? Why did you do this? What the hell is wrong with you?” Angelo asked Cane, as the police handcuffed him.
But the men had tackled him to the ground, as he resisted arrest again. Cane was handcuffed as they exited the room.
“The paramedics are on their way, sir.”
Robert slumped to the floor.
“Robert.”
He opened his eyes and saw Angelo.
“Why?” Robert asked.
“This wasn’t my fault. This isn’t what I wanted. He went crazy. He’s obsessed with Chiara. Her pictures were all over his apartment. He lost it, and that’s why I came here to see you. Just lie still, Robert. The ambulance is on its way.”
Robert felt the tears reach his eyes. Thoughts of Patricia filled his mind. He would be with her again. That was all he ever wanted. To make her happy.
“Is he okay? Where was he shot?” someone asked.
“In the chest, Al. Call Cash and Zane. Have them bring Chiara to the hospital. Have them meet us there, and I’ll explain everything.”
Epilogue
Chiara was trying to understand the story this man Angelo was explaining to the detectives, to Cash, her, and Zane, as well as to Flynn and Jett. Zane and Cash’s friends along with their security team had figured out where Cane was headed and who had originally set up the hit. As he explained about wanting to hurt Robert, her father, and about taking back what belonged to him, the man kept looking at her. Each time he did, he had tears in his eyes, and he looked nervous.
Despite her father’s treatment of her, she was still concerned and was waiting to see him. He had been asking for her and for Angelo, but first the police and everyone wanted to know why this had happened.
“It was not my intention to hurt anyone physically. Cane was hired by my lawyer, Benson Fortworth,” Angelo stated then nodded toward the man standing beside him with a firm, pompous expression. To Chiara he appeared to believe he was invincible.
“Cane lost his mind. He obviously became obsessed with Chiara,” Fortworth stated in his defense.
“How do you know this?” Zane asked.
“There were pictures of Chiara all over his apartment. He had items of hers. It appeared he had also been in her apartment numerous times,” Al informed them.
One look at Zane and Cash and she saw their anger. She gripped their hands. They looked at her.
“Go on,” she said.
“I wanted to get back what was owed to me. Robert had taken away everything I loved and worked for.” Angelo began to tell them all about Italy, about Patricia, and about how Robert had double-crossed him and gotten him locked up for crimes he didn’t commit.
“I had been waiting for twenty-five years to get back at him, and to see your mother again. She is what kept me holding on. I loved her.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to say too much. I think that Robert will want to tell you the truth now. He knows that if he doesn’t, I will.”
“Then let’s go in there. I want to know what this is all about,” Chiara said.
“Will you allow us time alone with Robert?” he asked the detectives.