Kieran’s face is grim, and I’m afraid to ask him what the hell his brother told him to put that look of murder on his face. Then it hits me who lives in that northern direction.
Our houses are south of here.“Parisi?”
“Their mansion is dust.” Kieran breathes heavily. “Balor hacked into his gate cameras and caught the car speeding away.”
“Who?” I stop. “No.”
“Yep. Koslov’s death squad.”
Lachlan is on his phone and signals to Kieran that he’s taking off that way. I have no love for Parisi, but my heart aches for anyone innocent inside that house. We know Isabella wasn’t. Was it a murder or a threat?
“This is how the Russians are handling Stasia’s disappearance?” I shudder. “Wiping us all off the face of the earth?”
Kieran becomes a different man in those few minutes, faced with this attack. “Koslov is neither crazy nor stupid. He hit Parisi for a reason.”
“They must have Stasia,” I mutter.
“Or dear-old Gabriel knows where she is.” Kieran mutters Gaelic curses under his breath.
Isabella rushes out of the courthouse a few seconds later with her bodyguards attempting to hold her back. She’s screaming. Christ almighty, poor girl. Her home is gone. WhereisGabe? Where is Maria, her mother? One of her guards must have gotten the same call we did. Her reaction means the news is grim either way.
Iciness crawls up my spine. We see her out of nowhere, and then, her home is torched?
There are no coincidences.
Kieran takes a step to intervene when the guards get rough with her. They’re trying to keep her safe. I see that as a protection specialist. To someone else, it looks harsh, the way they shove her into the limo. Her driver peels out of the spot, making an illegal-as-fuck three-point turn and speeds away.
What we feared is happening. The Russians started the war. With the Italians.
Kieran grabs Lachlan. “Find Gabe. Get him on the phone. Set up a meeting.”
I have one eye on my wife, who’s shaking. We need to get the fuck out of here, too. “For what, Kier?”
“I’m gonna make him an offer.” His voice gets low again. “For his daughter. I bet he needs money. I’m gonna buy her.” The man’s face is pure bloodlust. More than I’ve ever seen someone in his position. The emphasis:lust. He claps my arm, his eyes straying to the red rose pinned to my suit jacket. “Shite, Ewan. Go, go on your honeymoon. Riordan and I will work this out. Your home and your family will be protected, brother.”
Darcy and I have tickets to Hawaii for ten days. “I’m not leaving my daughter. I’m positive Darcy won’t leave her either. I’m here for you, Kier. Let me know what you need to make that deal happen. You can count on me.” I hug him and get into the Escalade.
Within a few seconds, we’re speeding away, Griffin and Connor in the front seat, both on their phones.
“Why was that so loud, Dada?” Sadie asks me in a small voice, and every time I hear her call me that, I feel weak in the knees.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. You’re safe. No one will ever hurt you.” I pull both Darcy and Sadie against me and whisper to my wife what Kieran told me earlier.
“I know,” Sadie says with quirky confidence.
Having a wife and daughter by my side should make me cautious, but I feel like a warrior.
I’ve been to hell and back, and somewhere in the middle, I met my soulmate.