“Gabby?” Dante says, but whatever he hears has his eyes darkening with anger. His footsteps are purposeful as he moves out of his office and out the backdoor. It takes us less than a minute until we’re climbing into his car.
He hits speakerphone, and my gut clenches. My hands ball into fists as I listen to the call.
“No,” Gabby screams her voice is hoarse. She sounds like she’s in pain
“Momma,” Anthony yells. The fear in his voice has my eyes closing as pain spreads across my chest.
They’ve got my boy.
I hear movement and a low grunt. My breath is taken from me as I hear Gabby’s pained cries. Over and over again they beat her, and I listen to every hit, every cry. I take it all in. My heart is pounding with anger, rage, and pain. God, Gabby… I can’t lose her. I can’t lose either of them.
“Tell that Italian bastard his time as boss is coming to an end, as is his whore of a wife’s.”
I freeze at the words, my gaze moving to Dante. This is about him and Makenna. This is those fuckers who have been after us. They’ve now gone after my family.
Dante drives like a mad man to my apartment.
I thought they were safe there. I thought they’d be protected there.
I was wrong.
I hear her cry out again and grit my teeth. Fuck. I can’t bear to hear the pained cries, along with those animals beating on her.
“You’re going to die,” she says, her voice low and groggy. She doesn’t sound like herself. But fuck I’m proud of her for telling those bastards that. “You’re going to die painfully.”
I crack my knuckles. Too fucking right they are. When I get my hands on them, I’m going to kill each and every fucking one of them.
Footsteps sound, and it’s as though those cunts are leaving. Soon, there’s nothing but silence.
“Gabby?” I say loudly, so that I can be heard. My voice is hoarse. Fuck. I can’t do this shit. I can't lose her. My heart feels as though it’s about to burst.
“Alessio,” Nikolai says. “We will find out who did this to your woman.”
“How?” I snarl at Dante. “How the fuck did they know about her?” I kept her hidden while she was in New York. Her and Anthony have been mostly at home. They’ve gone out a few times but not with me. How did these animals know she was mine?
Dante shakes his head. “We’ll find out. We’re going to find out who these fuckers are.”
“They are Russian,” Nikolai tells us. “From the East of the country. I can’t pinpoint who they are, but one sounds familiar. But I cannot be sure.”
I grit my teeth and nod, appreciating that he’s given us that information.
It takes us another ten minutes before we reach my apartment. I don’t wait for Dante to put the car in park; I’m already out of the car and sprinting toward the entrance. I take the stairs two at a time, noting that not only is Dante behind me, but also Nikolai.
“Boss,” I hear Angelo says. He’s a relatively new recruit. He’s good, and I like him. “I’ve called an ambulance. Roberto is with her.” His face is grim, but I don’t stop to chat. I need to get to Gabriella.
I rush into my apartment, the men crowding the entrance to Anthony’s room, I push past them, needing to see where my woman and son are.
I almost drop to my knees when I see her. She’s lying on the floor, and her blood coats the carpet, walls, and the bed. But it’s seeing Gabby that has me wanting to turn around and kill someone.
She’s lying there, her face battered and bruised, her leg twisted in an odd angle. I can’t breathe. I can’t fucking move. I’m stuck staring at the lifeless woman I love.
“She’s breathing,” I hear one of the men tell me. “She’s taken a beating, but she’s alive. She’s in need of medical treatment.”
A commotion sounds behind me, and then Dante’s at my side. “EMT’s are here, Ales. She’s going to be okay.”
I swallow hard. “Have you seen her?” I ask, wondering if he’s actually taken a look. I’m unable to take my eyes off her. It fucking kills me to see her like this.
“I did,” he growls. “We’re going to find out who did this, and then we’ll kill them.”