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“Paddy is on it,” Ryder relays. “He’s got his contact tracking her now. Once we figure out where she is, we’ll be on our way to meet you there.”
“I just can’t… I don’t… fuck!” I scream, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. “Fucking hell! I’m going to kill those spaghetti bastards!”
“Theo, we’re gonna get her back,” Ryder says, his voice bringing me out of my rage. “Don’t you worry. We’re going to get her back.”
“If they hurt her, or if they hurt the baby…”
“She’s strong, Theo. She can keep our baby safe. Our little girl is gonna be fine.”
“Girl?” I ask, voice cracking. “It’s a girl?”
“Yeah, didn’t Oli tell you? He went with her to the appointment. She’s havin’ a little girl, Theo. We’re gonna be dads to a little girl.”
Despite the chaos and uncertainty we’re facing, the one thing that grounds me in the moment is the knowledge that I’m having a daughter. It’s everything I never knew I wanted, and it makes me more determined than ever to face the oncoming storm to protect my family.
“Okay, Paddy is getting back to us now. The DeLuccis were spotted bringing her into La Lune, the old hotel on Ryker Street.”
“Got it,” I say, my eyes narrowing. “I’ll meet you guys there. I’m across town now, but I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
As I hang up, my mind starts racing, plans forming and being discarded as I stride toward my car, jumping inside and taking off immediately.
The traffic feels endless as I race across town, my hands drumming an anxious beat on the steering wheel to try to keep myself focused. Finally, the old hotel is within my sights. I spot several Callahan vehicles driving up, slipping around the corner where they won’t be spotted by a lookout. Following them, I park next to them in an empty parking lot a few streets over.
Oliver and Ryder are with them, emerging from the backseat together. Oliver has a chain wrapped around his fist and Ryder is holding a bat over his shoulder. I pull the gun out of the holster I always keep on my belt and join them, the three of us making our way through the back of the hotel together with more of our men behind us.
“You three, you go in front and scout and tell us how many DeLucci men we’re facing,” I say, ordering everyone around. “Oliver, you go with Paddy and Sean to the other side so we can hit them from both directions. Ryder, you and Gil are with me.”
Everyone nods, understanding their role in this raid.
My heart pounds in my chest as we navigate our way through the dimly lit hotel. The air is thick with tension, a musty smell lingering as we step past broken, boarded up windows and discarded relics of the past.
Several of my men come back, grim looks on their faces. “I think there’s at least a dozen men,” Doyle says. “Maybe more. That was all we managed to count.”
“We can take them,” I tell them, my tone sounding more confident than I feel inside. Motioning for the men to join me, we march forward, weapons in hand as we approach the outermost layer of DeLucci guards.
“Where is she?” I demand, voice low and dangerous.
The guard sneers, eyes flashing with malice. “The little bird we caught in our trap? Don’t worry, we’ll take real good care of her.”
Ryder steps forward, fists clenched. “Touch her and I swear I’ll?—”
But there’s no time for threats. Chaos erupts around us as Oliver advances from the other side with his men, herding DeLuccis toward us.
Weapons fly through the air, guns blasting left and right as my mind becomes consumed by the fear for Eva’s safety. We can’t lose her. Not now, not ever.
One of the DeLucci men swings at me, catching me off-guard with his cryptic remark. “You think you know who's really pulling the strings, Everhart? You have no idea.”
I furrow my brow at his remark but push past the confusion, smacking him across the face with the butt of my gun. Ryder gleefully blasts men left and right with his rifle, and finally, after what feels like an eternity, the Callahans emerge victorious.
Breathing heavily, I scan the hotel lobby. “Eva!” I call out. “Evangeline!”
“Theo!” she calls back, alerting me to her position. She’s just down the hall, and I rush toward it, heart pounding in anticipation.
Bursting into the ballroom, my eyes search frantically for Eva. And there she is, bound to a chair in the center of the room. Relief floods through me as I rush to her side, quickly cutting her restraints.
My voice is laced with concern as I pull her into my arms. “Are you okay?”
She nods, her eyes wide. “I am now,” she whispers, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “I was so scared that you would get hurt. I’m sorry that you had to come and save me.”
