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It felt like forever, but I guessed it was perhaps twenty minutes. Riccardo got into the van without returning and the man who held me unfastened my handcuffs and gag and shoved me onto the ground. I hit it hard, my knees smarting, and went still. Blood trickled from my knee and soaked into the dirt.
The van disappeared down the hill, but I barely heard it. Lucien knelt beside me and smoothed my hair, his mouth murmuring unintelligibly against the top of my head. His hands traced over my skinned knee and I heard him distantly apologizing over and over.
Then he lifted me and carried me away in the safety of his arms.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
LUCIEN
I put her in the passenger side and buckled her in. She was quiet, watching me with owlish eyes as I wrapped her in a soft blanket. Her lashes fluttered and closed when I kissed her forehead. We were both in shock. There was something so violent and unsettling about having her ripped from me. I had no words.
We didn’t speak until we got back to the safehouse.
Enza and Iris cried when I lifted her from the car. They hugged her before the boys spilled from the door. Marco clung to her like he was never going to let go and Hugo sobbed although I wasn’t sure how much he understood. All he knew was that his mother had been taken away and now she was home.
“Let me take the boys and get them some food,” Enza said, hefting a twin on each hip. “Iris, can you make something for Olivia to eat?”
Iris nodded, but her eyes were on me, awaiting my orders. I beckoned her over and she leaned in.
“Are you aware of what’s going on?” I asked.
Her eyes widened. “Cosimo told Enza and I a little the other day.”
“Get your family ready to leave the city,” I said quietly. “The outfit is about to fall. Unless you and Duran want to live under the rule of one of my father’s men, you need to flee. Take your children and go.”
Her face was white, but she held it together. Iris had always been strong and right now I appreciated that.
“Tell Enza to do the same,” I said. “And call Duran and Cosimo to the safehouse. We all have panic plans for our assets should something like this happen. Call your accountants and have your money secured into the offshore accounts.”
She nodded, blinking rapidly. “I understand.”
“Protect yourselves,” I said. “I have a place for my family to flee. Don’t come looking for us until I reach out to you.”
She nodded again. I could tell she was too shocked to come up with an answer, but that was fine. All she needed to do was act quickly.
I glanced up, watching Enza usher the boys and Olivia into the house. “Viktor Borisyuk has offered a place in Georgia for your family.”
“Good,” she whispered. “Alright…let me go call Duran.”
I left her in the yard, fingers trembling around her phone, and strode into the house. Olivia stood in the hall with her arms wrapped around her skimpy, white dress, the blanket hanging from her arms. Blood and dirt stained her knees. I scooped her up and carried her into the primary bedroom at the far end of the house.
She sniffled, releasing the blanket, as I set her on the sink.
“Lucien, what’s happening?” she whispered. “Just tell me. Now.”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Right now, nothing was more important than keeping my cool and being an anchor for my family.
“We have to leave, baby,” I said. “Riccardo Mezzasalma has men, he has soldiers. He was the one who cut off the supply of guns. This plan has been in motion far longer than I realized.”
Her jaw trembled. “Where? Where will we go?”
“Viktor offered us the use of a safehouse on a private island in Greece,” I said. “Cosimo and Enza will come with us in a few days.”
“Viktor…you mean, Sienna’s Viktor?” she said. “Your cousin’s husband. I thought there was a falling out or something.”
“We had an alliance with him and he chose to break it to cut contact with us, per his wife’s wishes,” I said. “And…that’s not all Sienna’s fault. I used her as a pawn in my game for power and I regret that. But time seems to have healed some of those wounds because when I reached out to Viktor, he offered his help with Sienna’s blessing.”
She swallowed hard. Her knuckles went white as she gripped the countertop.
