Summer Kisses (208 page)

Carlo slapped a fist on the table. “Well, I got no choice now. I’m gonna have to deal with Sandro.” He jerked up the phone once again. “All right, Sandro, where do you want to meet? And who are you bringing?”

Angie looked at his watch impatiently. He’d been gone way too long.

“Okay, Dave and Marisa and nobody else. I’m bringing Angie and Massimo and your wife and son . . . what do you mean, you’re gonna bring someone else, then? I got you outnumbered? All right then. One more man. What’s his name?”

“No!” Nia flew up off the cot after Giovanni as he stripped Daniele away from her. Her cry woke her son and the boy promptly started screaming. “Don’t take my son!”

Massimo knocked her back down. The brushed steel on the gun gleamed under the artificial lights as he pointed it in her face. The door shut behind Giovanni. Daniele’s screams faded as Giovanni walked away.

Rage shook through every muscle in Nia’s body. Yet the deadly looking gun in her face kept her from any rash moves. “What are you doing with my son? Tell Giovanni to bring him back!”

“
Cara
, you are in no position to be giving orders.”

“Hurt him, and I’ll kill you.” Her chest heaved and her voice shook, but a calmness descended upon her.

Massimo smiled at that. “You make big threats with my Beretta shoved in your face.”

“You don’t have the balls to shoot me.” With a quick move, she knocked the gun aside and rolled off the cot. She sprang to her feet, preparing to battle.

Fury in his face, Massimo rammed his fist against her jaw, his hand still wrapped around the black grip of his weapon. Pain exploded in her head, forcing her to stumble backward. She landed against the wall, and worked hard to keep her footing.

He didn’t shoot her, but that was little consolation with her jaw throbbing like electric volts were arcing through it. She tasted blood in her mouth, felt it dribbling past her lips.

Massimo advanced upon her. She knew she’d have to take him out fast. Her strength would never last against his. She blinked, trying to clear the pain away, but he was too fast.

He pinned her body against the wall, the cold barrel of his gun stroking against her throbbing face. “You will see soon,
cara
, just what kind of balls I do have.” With his free hand, he grabbed her right breast.

Her legs nearly gave way. She locked her knees to keep herself upright. Any weakness on her part would add to his power.

She glared. He was too close for her to knee in the groin or stomp his foot. She’d have to wait to make her move. “Show me your balls and you’ll wish you hadn’t,” she ground out, imagining squeezing, biting, twisting . . .

He took advantage of her helplessness. Keeping her pinned against the wall with his body and the Beretta pressed just under her ear, he used his free hand to explore her body. Her flesh shrank away from his touch. A loud roaring swelled inside her head. She closed her eyes, striving for calm. If she couldn’t stay calm, she might miss her chance.

She looked for the peaceful place deep inside, as Sandro had taught her with meditation practice. She’d gotten used to using meditation to settle her nerves before a game. It didn’t take long for her body to respond. Her breaths came deeper. Her heartbeat slowed.

Massimo grinned. “This is more like it. You must like the rough stuff. We will get along just fine.”

Like hell. Her heart speeded again; she concentrated on breathing to slow it once more.

His hand freely roamed over her body. He cupped between her legs, rubbing a finger against her crotch. The seam on her pants pressed against her flesh.

She concentrated on breathing.

When his intimate touch brought no response from her, he studied her face with narrowed eyes. “Where are you going,
cara
? You are not here with me, are you? You think I desire to make love with a cold fish?”

Make love? She nearly gagged at the thought.

She was distracted soon enough when he slid a hand inside her collar and ripped her shirt open. Buttons clattered onto the concrete floor. He jerked her ruined shirt off her body, then yanked off her bra. Her exposed flesh quivered, yet other than that involuntary action, she showed no response.

He lowered his head and took a breast in his mouth. He suckled hard, his teeth bruising her flesh. She gasped with pain. Breathing no longer helped.

She exploded into action.

Curving her hands into claws, she grabbed his head and thrust her thumbs into his eyes. She dug deep. He screamed with pain and stumbled away from her, giving her room to operate.

Grabbing his injured eyes with his left hand, he swung the gun in her direction with his right. Knowing he was still blinded, she rushed him, grabbed his wrist and twisted her body until her back was to him. She slammed his hand against her knee, forcing him to lose the Beretta. It clattered to the floor and she kicked it aside. It skittered into the small office bathroom.

He grabbed her hair forcing her head back. She swung her fist downward and into his crotch. That loosened his grip enough for her to swing her elbow up and backward to ram into his cheek. He let her go and bent double with the pain.

She didn’t have enough time to search for the weapon. He was hurt, but not down for the count. Quickly she looked for another weapon, knowing even with him injured, she was no match in brawn.

Of course, Angie had removed anything that could remotely be used for a weapon. Except the boom box on the floor and the small, skinny television sitting on the desk. Quickly, she darted past Massimo and hefted the television set into her hands. She brought it down across his neck.

He collapsed, falling to the ground. She sidestepped and lunged for the door, but he grabbed her leg as he fell. His hand was like a vise and she couldn’t free herself. She fell with him.

Throwing the television to one side, she saved herself from a hard crash. The television landed with an explosion. She covered her face.

Massimo pulled himself over her body and reached for her neck. She squirmed and fought, the cold concrete floor rough against her bare back.

He reached her neck, and squeezed. “You bitch,” he muttered.

He was weak, but she was weaker. She couldn’t break free from his grasp. She clawed for his eyes, but he stayed out of her reach. She struggled for air, but black swirled behind her eyelids. Oh, God, she couldn’t pass out. Would he stop choking her and let her live, or would he continue until she was dead?

Her limbs grew heavy and her struggles ineffective. Still holding her throat, he dragged her up onto the cot. She was nearly unconscious when he released her, her strength gone. She couldn’t fight against him as he pulled leather strips from his pocket and tied her hands together. It was all she could do to suck air past her bruised, aching throat. Roughly, he jerked her arms overhead and she felt him tie the strip to the leg of the cot, rendering her almost useless.

She still had her legs. Forcing air into her lungs, she bucked, trying to shove him back enough so she could get in a good kick. A good thrusting kick with her heel to the right spot on his solar plexus and hopefully he would pass out. Or be incapacitated enough so she could free herself and escape.

She couldn’t buck him off. He lay over her, mashing her with his weight, as his hands reached between them to fumble with the fastener on her pants. Knowing he intended to strip her, she rolled from side to side, trying desperately to knock him off. Her struggles were useless. He jerked her slacks and underwear off in spite of her best efforts. She lay naked beneath him.

Not satisfied to have her simply naked, he pulled more leather strips from his pocket and using his body weight to hold her in place, he forced her legs wide and strapped each ankle to the cot frame. He tied her so tightly, she could feel the leather cutting off her circulation.

Now, she was spread open and naked before him, and there was nothing she could do. She had made every effort to escape. And she had lost.

She focused on her breathing again, determined to retreat inside herself. If he was going to rape her, he was only getting her body. Her spirit, her soul, would be in a safe place deep inside her, where he could not reach.

She was nearly shaken from her calm breathing when he unzipped his slacks and his engorged erection sprang free. Her stomach flipped over.

Quickly, she closed her eyes and counted her breath.

He covered her body, pressing against her.

She didn’t react.

Apparently not liking her non-response, he pulled back and looked at her. “Oh, no,
cara
, you are not disappearing on me again. Come back.” He yanked her hair. Still no response.

He kissed her swollen tender lips, bit her breasts, roughly fingered her.

Still no response.

“You and your damned heathen tricks,” he swore angrily.

Amazingly, she felt him growing soft against her.

He put his mouth next to her ear and roughly told her, “If you do not come back to me, I will bring your son in here and hurt him. Perhaps I will break both his little arms while you are watching.”

A gasp of air filled her lungs. “No! You son of a bitch, don’t you dare hurt my son.”

He smiled evilly as she lost all calm and frantically struggled against the leather bindings. “That’s better,” he said triumphantly, his erection swollen and throbbing again.

She fought like a wild woman as he covered her body once again. If he wanted her to fight him, then by God she would fight him if it would keep her son safe.

Oh, God, God, please help me,
she prayed, knowing her strength was almost depleted.

His stiffened penis probed between her thighs. She squeezed every muscle she had against his invasion.

The office door flew open and Nia realized there truly was a God who heard and answered prayers.

Angie came in like an avenging angel.

“Thank you,” she whispered as Angie ripped Massimo off her and threw him to the floor.

Massimo came up raging mad and ready to fight. Angie had his gun drawn and was ready for Carlo’s son.

“You fat bastard, who the hell do you think you–”

“I am in charge of the prisoners.” Angie cut him off. “We are exchanging them in a few short hours. She must not be hurt.”

“You are too stupid if you think for a minute we’re going to let them live. There’s no harm in having fun with her before she dies–”

Angie kept his gun trained on Massimo. “You are the stupid one! They are not to die. They are too famous. And they have all of your father’s money. Every last penny. You will be begging on the streets—worth nothing—no apartment, no car, no girls, no restaurants, no respect.”

The bruise she’d given him on his cheek was the only splotch of color as the blood faded from Massimo’s face. He zipped his pants. “There’s no way to get it back?”

“Not without Sandro, and even then, I’m not certain he doesn’t have something else planned. We must walk very carefully now to get out of this unharmed. Your father is looking for you. And Luigi. Did you find him?”

“No, not yet,” Massimo said sulkily.

“Someone had to give Sandro the password for him to get to the money. Luigi is missing. Perhaps you should have been searching for him more diligently instead of concentrating on your fun.”

Massimo flushed. “You think Luigi is trying to take over the family?”

Angie shrugged. “Seems likely. You should go to your father so you can get caught up on the plan before we leave.”

“Where are we going?”

“Upstate New York. It will be a long drive.”

Massimo nodded and approached Nia.

“Don’t touch her again,” Angie warned.

“Just a simple goodbye, Angie.” Massimo held out his hands. He turned to Nia. “One day,
cara
. One day you will be mine.”

She wanted to spit at him, but she was too tired and weak to make the effort. She closed her eyes and ignored him instead. To be ignored seemed to bother him more than anything else, anyway. She had proof, as if she needed more, when he slammed the office door on his way out.

When she opened her eyes again, Angie had slid his revolver into his shoulder holster and was removing his jacket. He knelt beside her and covered her nakedness before untying the binds that held her. “I’m sorry,
Bella
, I should have let you go.”

“Let me go now.”

Angie shook his head. “It is too late now. A time has already been set for an exchange. You will see your husband again tonight.”

Nia didn’t trust they would let her live. “Please, Angie. Let me go anyway.”

“I can’t. If we have nothing to trade, we will go to jail.”

“Don’t you deserve jail, after what you’ve done to my family?”

“Maybe I do, Nia. But I’m an old man. I don’t want to spend my last years locked in prison.” He went to the small bathroom, wet a cloth and brought it back for her. “Your poor face has taken a beating.”

She took the cloth from him, hardly aware of the pain in her face. “And what about what Massimo said, that Carlo will kill us anyway.”

“You will not be harmed. Your friend from the FBI will be there, too.”

“Dave?” She wiped the blood away from her lips, knowing between Mikey and Massimo, it would be a while before her face looked normal again.

Angie nodded.

“Your men have shot at Dave before. Why would I believe you don’t plan to kill us all?”

“You have my word, Nia. I will take care of you. You are innocent in all this.”

She frowned. “Sandro is innocent in all this, too. Why are you after him?” When Angie didn’t answer right away, Nia pressed him. “Why do you want Sandro?”

Angie sighed. “Carlo was using the restaurant to launder money–”

“No,” Nia protested as Angie repeated Carlo’s words. “Sandro would never allow it,” she insisted.

“He had no choice,
Bella
. Actually it started several years ago . . .” And as Angie untied Nia’s restraints, he told her about the World Cup and how Sandro, along with others, had been forced to throw the championship game for the sake of lining Carlo’s and other Mafia families’ purses.