Life of a Fool (London Brothers Book 2) (7 page)

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew,
Jason was calling my name, telling me to wake up.  “We need to leave.  Our car
will be here any minute to take us to the airport.”  His words only took a
second to sink in.  I bolted straight up and stared at his face.

“Oh, crap.  Yeah.  Okay.  Let me just throw on some clothes
and brush my teeth.”  I went to get up out of the bed but moved too quickly,
and the pain in my side reminded me that my broken ribs were not even close to
being healed.  My stomach felt nauseous and my head got a bit “swimmy,” sending
my ass back to the edge of the bed.  “Damn it,” I muttered.

“Stop.”  Jason wrapped his arms around me and kissed my
forehead as he pulled me to him.  I didn’t fight.  I couldn’t.  I was too
dizzy.  “You need to remember you’re injured and not move so fast.”  He paused.
“I’m so sorry, Legs.”  The grief in his voice was more than I could take.  I
needed space, so I forced myself to push him away.

“I’m okay.  Give me five minutes.”  Even with as much pain
as I was in, I stood and walked away toward the bathroom.  I stared down at the
floor, watching my feet to keep my head straight as I walked.  I didn’t want
his pity.  I wanted his help.  That was all.

Just as I reached the threshold of the bathroom door, Jason’s
arms gently circled my waist, stop-ping me. “Don’t you dare try that shit on
me.  I know you better than you know yourself.  I know when you’re in pain,
when you feel sick, even when you’re trying not to cry.  So don’t you dare
insult me by pretending.”  His body was stiff and full of tension even as he
tried to soften his words.  “It’s me, baby,” he whispered in my ear.  “Now tell
me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

I leaned my head back on his shoulder and sighed.  “I don’t
want pity, Jace.  Not from you, okay?” 

“Is that what you think?  Really?”  He slowly turned me to
face him, but I didn’t look into his eyes.  So he used one hand to tilt my chin
up, forcing me to look him in the eye.  “I feel guilty as hell.  I feel like I
failed you, Legs.  What you see or feel or hear from me is
not
pity.  It’s
remorse and pain.”

I didn’t believe him but chose not to fight about it at that
moment.  Instead, I gave Jason a small smile and leaned in for a hug.  “Thank
you.  I need to get dressed.”  I pulled back out of his grasp and watched as
his eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

“Ignoring me, huh?  Don’t believe me?”  His playful tone was
a mask.  He was pissed at me.

“Go away.  I need to change.”  I smiled bigger, hoping he’d
just let it go.

Jason stepped close, grabbed my face in his hands, and with
a set mouth and determined stare, said, “This conversation is not over.  Don’t
do this.  Don’t make up excuses to push me away.  I won’t let you.”  He kissed
the end of my nose and walked out of the bedroom.  He was infuriating at times,
but God did I love how he could read me, knew my heart like he knew his own. 

I stepped out of the bedroom, dressed in yoga pants and a
fitted, light pink tee shirt.  I’d put my hair up in a ponytail and had on a
baseball cap.  Not that it would keep Antonio from recognizing me, but I
figured it might help hide me from the other men watching us.  I’d packed a few
things into a small bag and decided to leave the rest.  There was no way we
could maneuver around Antonio’s antics with a suitcase full of clothes in tow. 
I held my tennis shoes in my hand and smiled shyly at both men, hoping one
would help me get them on and tie the shoelaces.  They looked at each other and
smiled.  “Um, can I get some help here, boys?”  They laughed.

“So, now we have to dress you too?  Woman, you are a useless
mess,” Craig joked, making me laugh. 

“Yes, but at least I’m not asking you to wipe my ass!  So be
grateful it’s just a little shoe tying.”  Craig barked out a hearty laugh, and
Jason scrunched his nose in disgust. 

“Woman!  Gross!”  Craig yelled.

“Craig, stop flirting with
my girl
and let’s get the
fuck out of here.  Legs, get your ass over here and I’ll help you.”  It had
been years since I’d heard Jason refer to me as
his girl
.  It reminded
me of better times, carefree times, and it felt nice.  I walked to him and sat
on the edge of the coffee table as he helped me slip on and tie my shoes. 
Craig winked at me, giving a little nod as if he was reading my mind and could
see the words rolling around in my head.  The ones that felt so good.  I don’t
think Jace even realized he’d said them.  “
His girl.
” It was accurate. 
We’d always had some sort of claim on each other, even if
best friend
was as far as it went. 

I stared at Jason as he tied both tennis shoes, but he never
looked up at me.  For the first time in years, I couldn’t read him and it
scared me.  He abruptly stood when he finished and offered his hand to me,
helping me stand.  “Ready?”

“Sure.”  Yes, no…hell, I didn’t know.  He started to walk
away, but I grabbed his arm.  “Are you okay?  You’re acting strange.”

He pulled his arm away from my grip and slung his backpack
over his shoulders, strapping it firmly in place.  “Yes.  Just anxious to get
you the hell out of Italy.”  I glared at him.  We both knew he was telling a
half-truth.  But I let it go.

“Okay, the car service just called.  They are at the front
entrance.  I figured we might as well go where we have an audience.  All the
other doors are way too secluded.”  Craig turned to me.  “Lori Ann, stay right
between us.”  Then he looked at Jason.  “Jace, you hold her hand or arm the
whole way out.  I’m keeping one hand free for my gun, if I need it.  Pay
attention and move quickly.  Legs, can you do that?”  Craig was pulling on a
cap and strapping his backpack to his back.

“Yes.”  I turned to Jason and fear gripped my chest. “Please,
don’t let go of my hand.”  His face softened, and my Jace was back.

“Never.”  He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles.  “Let’s
go home, babe.”

I felt like shit. 

I was tired, frustrated, mad, and just plain jealous.  And
Craig calling her “Legs” didn’t help rein in my temper.  He did it on purpose. 
He was trying to get my attention and get me riled up and prepared for a
fight…one that was inevitably outside our hotel room door.  It worked. 
Especially when Lori Ann asked me not to let go of her hand.  That alone told
me how scared she really was of getting snatched from us and taken back to The
Italian. 
Over my dead body.

“I think the elevator is too slow, too risky.  Anyone could
be waiting for us when the doors open.  We have to take the stairs.  Lori Ann,
are you going to be okay going down the three flights?  The door opens right in
the middle of the lobby, around the corner from the front desk, so at least
whatever is waiting for us will be within full view of anyone down there.”

“Yes.  I’ll force myself to be okay with the stairs.” 

I squeezed her hand and smiled at my brave girl. 

“All right.  Let’s go.  We sure as hell don’t want to be
late catching our plane.”  Craig opened the hotel door, gun in hand, and peeked
around but saw no one.  “I have no doubt the manager is watching the hallway
cameras,” he whispered.  “So we need to move fast.”

“Agreed,” I said. 

“Let’s go.  Lori Ann, stay close behind me.  Jace will be
behind you. The car is waiting at the front door.”

“Okay,” she whispered. 

I took a deep breath, and we all forged into the third-floor
hallway.  No one was around, at least no one we could see.  We quickly walked
the length of the hallway between our door and the one that led to the hidden stairway. 
Craig paused before opening it to turn and signal to Lori Ann and I to step
back and wait a few seconds.  I stepped in front of Lori Ann, pushing her back
against the wall, shielding her with my body, trying to protect her from anyone
coming out of the stairwell.  I eased my gun out of the holster on my belt,
then nodded to Craig.  In a flash, he jerked open the door, and all I could
hear was a male voice mutter a few words in Italian before he was silenced.  It
happened so fast.  My body slammed Lori Ann’s and my gun was raised toward the
doorway, ready to shoot.  I heard his voice before he peeked around the door. 
He knew better than to step out without me knowing it was him.

“Jace.” 

I lowered my gun halfway.

“Clear?” I questioned.

“Clear.”  He stepped into view, and I put my gun away.  When
I looked at Lori Ann, her face was pale and I was pretty sure she wasn’t
breathing.  It was either fear or the fact that I was crushing her, probably
hurting her ribs.  I took a step back.

“You okay?”  I asked her.

“Yes.”  She looked at Craig, tears forming in her eyes.  “Are
you okay?”  Her question was a sob.

He stepped up to her, and she reached out, hugging him
tightly.  No jealousy from me this time.  He deserved that hug.  “Hey, no
tears.  I’m good, I promise.  But we need to move.”  Craig looked at me over
Lori Ann’s shoulder.  “I just knocked him out.  He’ll eventually wake up and
come looking for us.  We need to tie him up.”

I was already unzipping my backpack.  “I’m on it.  I have
plastic cable ties.”

Craig let go of Lori Ann, stepping away to help me as I
said, “Legs, you need to step in here with us.  Let’s shut the door, get out of
the camera’s eye.  We still need to hurry.  If anyone at the front desk was
watching, which they probably were, they’re already mobilizing someone else
here to stop us.”

“Shit.  You’re right.”  Craig grumbled.

We secured the big guy’s hands behind his back and then
strapped a set of plastic ties to his ankles before hustling down the three
flights of stairs.  We stopped at the door, preparing ourselves for what was
outside.  On one hand, we didn’t want to go busting through the door, guns blazing
if there wasn’t a threat.  On the other, we knew we couldn’t open that door
unprepared.  After all, the chances of us just walking out of the lobby without
any resistance was pretty fucking slim, seeing as how there was already someone
posted to stop us upstairs.

“Ready for this?”  Craig asked, his gun still in his hand.

“Yeah.”  I pulled my weapon, held it tight in my right hand,
and held Lori Ann’s in my left.  I looked at her.  “Ready?  Don’t let go, and
move quickly.”

“I’m ready.” she said, but I could feel her whole body
shaking.

“Aim to maim, right?”  I laughed at Craig’s reference.  We’d
heard that a million times. It referred to shooting someone to render them
helpless rather than killing them.  Most of the time, it was a good strategy,
but sometimes not.  In this case, it was appropriate.  Dead bodies wouldn’t
help our cause of getting Lori Ann out of the country. 

“Right.”  I nodded and Craig carefully pushed the door open,
trying to get a peek out into the lobby.  We could hear men speaking to each
other in Italian, but couldn’t tell if they were a threat since we didn’t speak
the language.  I felt Lori Ann squeeze my hand, so I looked over to her.

“I speak Italian, you know.”  Her nervous smile and barely
spoken declaration sent a rush of relief through me. 

“We’re morons.  We forgot.”  I poked Craig in the shoulder,
and he rolled his eyes at our ridiculousness. 

Lori Ann stepped up closer to the crack in the door and
listened, closing her eyes to concentrate.  After a few seconds, her eyes
popped back open and her mouth fell.  “Shit.”

“What?”  Craig and I asked at the same time.

“There’s at least three of them talking about us. 
Apparently, they don’t know about the guy upstairs yet.  One asked if there had
been any movement or sign of the three Americans this morning.  I’m assuming it
was the manager that answered, saying ‘no, not yet.’  I recognize one voice. 
It’s Johnny.  He’s always been good to me, but his loyalty lies with Antonio.” 
Her words were barely audible as we stood there as silent as possible while she
continued to listen.  “Jace, I think they have weapons.  Johnny is saying I’m
not to be harmed, that Antonio didn’t want me getting caught in the crossfire. 
He said Antonio would kill any man that dare let a bullet get near me, but that
he didn’t care what happened to the two of you.” 

I saw fear and panic paralyze Lori Ann’s body, so I moved
closer to her and whispered, “Stop worrying about us.  We know what we’re
doing.  Remember?  We’re highly trained for shit like this and assholes like
him
.” 

“I know, but I’m scared.”

“Don’t.  Put it all aside for now.  We need you to be strong
and help us get out of here.”  I turned to Craig, “We gotta go before the car
service gives up on us and leaves.  That would be a major disaster.”

“I agree.  Everyone just stay close.  We’ll step out, guns
raised, and see what happens.”  Craig pushed Lori Ann back from the door.  She
gripped my hand, and the three of us stepped out into the hotel lobby.

I was scared shitless.

I didn’t tell Craig and Jason everything the men were
talking about.  It wasn’t important information as far as our escape was concerned. 
No, it was all about keeping me in one piece
until
they got me back to
our house.  My husband wanted to be the one to do all the bodily harm.  I could
hear the humor…the evilness in Johnny’s voice as he talked about it.  I felt
sick.  There was no way I was going back there.  I’d be dead by tomorrow if
they caught me.  No matter how our escape played out, I’d find a way for
Antonio to never get his hands on me again. 

We pushed through the door leading from the stairwell and
caught the three men by surprise.  None of them had their weapons drawn until
they saw Craig and Jason’s. 

“STOP!”  Craig yelled.  “Keep your weapons where they are.” 

We slowly backed toward the entrance.  I watched as my two
saviors held their guns steady on the three Italians, Johnny included.  The man
behind the front desk kept his eyes darting between us and the men. He made me
the most nervous.  No one made any sudden moves as we kept backing out of the
lobby.  But then Johnny spoke in his broken English saying, “You will come with
us, Miss.”