Acquisition (13 page)

“I have my sources. Shall we meet, Mr. Rinaldi? I don’t think you can afford to reject my offer of…help.”

“I’d love to meet with you,” said Luka through clenched teeth. “I’m sure we have a lot to discuss, Senator.”

“I’m sure we do. Bring your brothers along, and we’ll see what we can figure out to get your son back where he belongs.”

As Luka firmed up the time with him, Abby listened carefully. She wanted to make sure she knew where the meeting time and place was, in case Luka tried to keep her from attending. He wasn’t going to be able to, but if he tried, she was going to sneak in instead.

Surprisingly, since he hung up, he sent her a significant look. “We’ll be in a meeting with the senator this evening. I’m optimistic it will bring Lucas home quickly.”

Abby’s stomach churned. “He’s the one who took Lucas, isn’t he?”

Luka traded a look with his brothers before shrugging. “I don’t know, but I think it makes sense—especially since no one else outside our circle knows our boy is missing. Our people have been discreet to avoid giving anyone else leverage.”

“Has he hurt him?” She knew he didn’t know either, but the words wouldn’t stay unuttered. “Is Lucas gone forever?”

Luka’s grim expression was at odds with his words. “On the contrary, I fully expect Adams to be able to help Lucas find his way back home.”

After her moment of insecurity, Abby was also optimistic that Lucas would be soon be home, because there was no advantage to harming him if he was being used to manipulate the Rinaldis. It seemed likely her baby would be back in her arms soon, but at what cost? What would Adams demand in return for giving back their baby?

It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, they would pay it. There was no other alternative.

“No way in hell,” announced Abby. She stood blocking the door with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at her husband and his two brothers, who flanked him. “You’re not leaving me out of this, and I’m not staying here while you handle it. I’m coming along in case we get Lucas back tonight.”

Luka scowled at her. “What we’re doing tonight is dangerous. You’re not going.”

She glared just as ferociously. “I am.”

Dominic was glaring at her too, though Roman looked sympathetic.

“You can’t keep me out of this. It isn’t right, and it isn’t fair.”

Dominic let out a harsh laugh. “And you’re the queen of fair, are you? Who kept Lucas hidden from Luka to start with?”

She scowled at him, not wanting to waste the energy or the time, but growing sick of his crap. “You know why I left, and why I thought I was doing the right thing. To put it bluntly, it’s not your business, Dominic. It’s between myself and Luka. And either way, what happened in the past has nothing to do with what happens right now. And what happens is I’m coming with you.”

Dominic let out a harsh exhalation before looking at Lucas. “Deal with her.”

Lucas approached her, trying to take her hands. She started fighting him until she realized what he was saying. “If you’re coming along, you need some protection. Come with me.”

Not entirely sure she could trust Luka, she followed him hesitantly into his home office, aware of Dominic cursing a blue streak behind them and Roman murmuring something in a more reasonable-sounding tone. She blocked out the other two and focused on Luka as he led her inside and closed the door. She hesitated near the doorway, arms crossed over her chest again. “I meant what I said. I’m going with you, and if you try to keep me here, I’ll just find a way out to follow you.”

Luka rolled his eyes. “Not if I tied you to the bed or something. But I’m not going to do that.”

“You’d better not.” She muttered the words under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear.

Luka turned away from her, going to enter the bookshelves. She watched with surprise as he partially pulled out a book, which triggered the bookshelf to open. Behind it was a built-in gun safe nestled into the wall. She thought it was a gun safe anyway, judging by the size. He tapped in a long code, at least eight digits, before the door hummed for a moment and hissed open slowly.

Lucas stepped inside, and she got closer, but not close enough to be locked in there if he decided to keep her home in such a vile way. From what she could observe from her vantage point, there were several guns inside, along with what looked to be a stack of cash and another shelf full of manila envelopes. She wondered what they all were, but didn’t have time to focus on the puzzle right then. The envelopes probably contained new identities or something that would allow the triplets to start over in new lives, should the urgent need arise.

Luka exited a moment later, closing the door behind him with the same code. It hissed closed with a solid clicking sound, and then he closed the bookshelf and pushed the book back into place. When he turned to her, he was holding a tiny pistol. It was larger than a derringer, but certainly not a standard-issue handgun. She eyed it skeptically as he held it out to her.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Put it somewhere on your body, hopefully somewhere unobtrusive. I’d suggest tucked into your bra, or perhaps in your panties. Somewhere they aren’t as likely to find it if they search us. I don’t want you going in there without any way to protect yourself.”

She hesitated for a moment before taking the small gun. “Would this actually do any damage to anyone?”

He gave her a small smile. “It fires three .22-caliber bullets. It’s not much, but it might be enough to get you out of a bad situation. I can’t just let you go in there unprotected. Now let me show you how to use it.”

She watched carefully as he quickly, but methodically, led her through how to fire the pistol, including how to secure the safety and remove it easily. He had her go through the steps three times before he loaded the pistol with three bullets he took from his pocket. She assumed he had grabbed them from the safe, since it didn’t make sense for him to carry around .22-caliber bullets everywhere he went.

After she had slipped the gun into her bra, finding it cold and uncomfortable, she turned to face him. “Is it obvious?”

He shook his head. “Not really, and it certainly won’t be once you put on a hoodie. Don’t take it off when we get there, no matter how hot you get. Okay?”

She nodded her understanding as she followed him out of the home office. At the door, she shrugged on a hoodie as she flicked glances at his brothers before looking back at him. “What about you three? Are you armed?”

Luka nodded just once. “We have to be. It’s expected. They won’t let us keep the guns though.” He sounded remarkably unconcerned about that.

She walked behind Luka out of the house, while Roman and then Dominic brought up the rear. They chose a black SUV one of the security people had brought around, and she climbed into the backseat with Luka, leaving Roman and Dominic to take the front and debate about who would drive.

There was no argument though, and Dominic settled behind the wheel. It made perfect sense, since he was a control freak. Or at least that was her assessment, which could be skewed because he’d been a complete and total jerk to her since she had returned, so there was no affection between them, and she wasn’t inclined to gloss over his negative side.

Her thoughts fled from Dominic, and his need for control, as they grew closer to the mansion where Senator Randall Adams lived. He’d called it the house on the phone, but it was certainly more than a house. It was about four regular-sized houses crammed into one. She was unsurprised by his wealthy home, figuring since he was a politician, he would live lavishly.

Luka parked in front of the marble stairs leading up to the entryway, and the four of them got out. The doors opened as they approached, and she was startled to see six men in dark suits staring at them, forming a half-circle around the doorway from the inside, allowing just enough room for all four of them to step inside and close the door, but not letting them go any farther.

“What’s all this?” asked Dominic. “The senator invited us.”

“We have to search you first,” said one of the large, intimidating men. His suit stretched over his bulky frame in a way that suggested it barely fit. Judging from the quality of the fabric, it had little to do with buying an ill-fitting suit, and probably far more to do with either him voluntarily choosing to showcase his muscular body, or the tailor simply lacking the right skills to disguise it. He was an impressive, and terrifying, sight.

Dominic, Roman, and Luka submitted to pat-downs from various goons around them. They were each relieved of the weapon they had carried inside in a special holster that fit under their suit jackets to disguise the bulge of a weapon.

She gritted her teeth when the hulking behemoth turned to her, his expression impassive. At least he didn’t draw it out or make it creepily sexual as he patted her down. He used the back of his hand to check between her legs, but didn’t creep higher than a couple of inches below her labia. He was equally cursory in his exam of her breasts.

She held her breath the whole time he patted her breasts, exhaling with relief when he didn’t detect the tiny pistol nestled between her swollen breasts. She should’ve pumped before they left, but she hadn’t had the time. Perhaps her swollen breasts had helped hide the gun, so it might have been a good thing despite her discomfort.

With a nod, the main goon gestured for them to follow him as he walked through the mansion. He led the procession with the four of them following behind in double file, flanked by the other five guards. It was a nerve-racking walk, and she was beginning to think the length of the house would never end when they finally came to a set of ornate French doors.

The head goon tapped on it, waited a moment, and opened the door for them. “Go in. The senator is waiting for you.”

Dominic nodded to indicate he’d heard, but he made no comment. She followed suit, as did his brothers, and the four of them stepped into Adams’ den. Her stomach twisted and jerked with nausea, along with a strong hint of anticipation. Finally, she might be getting her baby back, and soon.

They approached the desk, and there were three chairs placed in front of it. She didn’t bother to take one, standing behind Luka instead and putting her hand on his shoulder
.
The senator was seated behind his desk, and he looked like a distinguished and honorable man. His hair was fluffy white as expected at his age of mid-sixties, and the lines around his eyes appeared to be from frequent smiles. She knew looks could be deceptive though, and she didn’t buy the kindhearted older man charade.

“It must be so distressing to know your son is beyond your reach, subject to the whims of whoever holds him captive.” The words should have been sympathetic, but there was a disquieting undertone, one full of dark glee.

“Why have you brought us here?” asked Dominic.

His brusque tone made it clear he didn’t trust Adams. If she had thought the other man genuinely wanted to help them, she would have tried to smooth it over with a more diplomatic tone, but she was just as convinced as Luka and his brothers that the senator was directly involved in kidnapping Lucas. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to throw herself across the desk and claw at his eyes as she demanded to know her son’s location.

“I want to see you reunited with the child.” His gaze flicked briefly to Abby before returning to Dominic, as though Luka and Roman didn’t exist. “I think I know a way to make that happen.”

“How?” asked Luka, seeming to be at the very end of his reserves of control. “If you know where our son is, tell us now.”

She was a little startled to be included in the statement, though she shouldn’t be since he’d allowed her to come along. She held her breath as she awaited Adams’ response.

“I think it’s possible I can help you reunite. I might know something. Or maybe nothing. It really depends on what kind of deal we can work out here.”

“What do you want?” demanded Roman.

“Once upon a time, I would have been content with a cut of your empire.” His chair squeaked when he leaned back in it to put his feet up on the desk. He looked relaxed, as though he had nothing at stake in the conversation. “That was before you murdered my son, of course.”

“What do you want now?” asked Dominic in an ice-cold voice.

“It’s all in here, fellas.” He slid a manila folder across the desk to them. Luka was the one to open it, handing copies to his brothers before they started to read.

It didn’t take Dominic very long before he exploded with, “Fuck that.”

“What is it?” asked Abby as she leaned over Luka’s shoulder, trying to get close enough to read the small font.

“These are simply official statements and confessions from the Rinaldi brothers detailing their criminal ties and mafia involvement. Of course, the admissions don’t detail everything.” The old man winked at her, as though they shared a private joke. “I want some left to salvage, you know.”

Her mouth fell open. “What do you expect them to do?”

He shrugged. “I’m expecting them to sign the papers, and then I’ll call my good friend, the police commissioner, to come arrest them. He’s been investigating the Rinaldi family for months, and he’ll be glad to have the confessions. I was slightly troubled when he refused to manufacture evidence against them. I guess there are still some men who can’t be corrupted.” He sounded mournful about that. “It’s only a matter of time until your illegal endeavors leak out, and this will make it easier for everyone.”

“What do you gain from this?” asked Dominic. His posture and tone betrayed nothing about how he felt or what he thought.

“That’s simple enough, son. After you sign those papers, we’re going to go through and figure out all the levels of your empire. You show me the weak spots, and where to strike to take over with a minimal amount of fuss. I get the money, you get jail, and the girl gets the baby.”

“I’m not signing that,” said Dominic.

“Where is Lucas?” asked Abby at the same time.

The senator ignored Dominic’s statement to focus on her question. “He’s somewhere safe. For now. Of course, you know how life is. That could change in the blink of an eye. It would be a terrible tragedy for a young mother like you to lose her baby.”

She started to throw herself across the desk at him, grunting when Luka intercepted her. She fought for a moment before relaxing slightly when Luka pressed his hand to her chest to hold her back. She wasn’t certain if it was a deliberate reminder of what was in her bra, or if he had simply been trying to get her to calm down. Either way, it reminded her of the gun, and she decided there was a better way.

As the men debated and discussed the details of Adams’ raw deal, she began to pace around. At first, the senator watched her with suspicion, but soon focused his attention on the triplets as Abby walked while muttering under her breath, pausing occasionally to pull her hair and wail softly.

It wasn’t all an act, and she was perilously close to falling apart. Knowing that this vile scum across the desk knew where her son was and was willing to hurt Lucas to acquire the Rinaldis’ crime empire was almost more than she could bear. If she’d been a confident shot, she probably would have taken out the gun and fired at him from across the room. Since she wasn’t very experienced with weapons, having only fired a handgun a couple of times in her life when Luka took her on a date to the shooting range when they first got together, and not knowing the full range of the tiny pistol, she couldn’t risk it.