Page 74 of His Kidnapped Queen
“Aw, come on, Luca. It’s not his fault. I asked him out to party. We’re celebrating?—”
I can’t stop myself. I turn around and punch my brother in the throat.
He sputters and claws at his neck, the wind knocked out of him. As he gasps and doubles over, I slam Alfonso against the wall again.
“I’ll get over there right now.”
“No you fucking won’t. You’re done. Get out of my sight.”
“Wait, boss, you don’t meand-done,”he stutters, panicked.
“Did I stutter? Get the fuck out of my face.” I let him go and he goes boneless and nearly falls on the floor. He’s not stupid enough to keep questioning me, thank god, and he just leaves.
I don’t know what I would have done if he’d stayed. I might have killed him.
And it’s not really him I want to kill. It’s Nico. My baby brother.
He stares at me with glazed eyes and I rub a hand across my face.
“What are youdoing, Nico?” I ask, more exasperated than angry at this point.
“I’m just having a little fun.Dad.”
I shake my head. “If I was your dad, maybe you would have turned out to be…somebody.”
“I’m somebody. I’m Nico Rossi.”
“Yeah, and that’s all you’ve got going for you. Aren’t you embarrassed? Traipsing around like this, diving into coke and pussy like it’s all meant for your entertainment?”
He smirks. “Isn’t it?”
I snort. “You’re resting on your laurels, Nico. And you always have. There’s going to be a time where someone who isn’t afraid of your last name pops you. And I won’t be there.”
“Sure you will,” he says easily, as if he doesn’t believe me. “You’re my big brother. You’ll always protect me.”
I grit my teeth but at the end of the day, he’s right. I will be there. I will protect him.
“If you or any of your boys flake on me again, I’ll take it out on your ass,” I tell him, pointing in his face. “And you’re right, I will protect you. But nobody’s going to protect you from me.”
Nico goes a little pale. I breathe out a long breath through my nostrils, walking out of the VIP area and into the alley. I have to get back to Sophia, make sure she’s not alone too long.
I kick at his car again as I go past it. It’s about as useless as anything I’ve done tonight. I feel defeated by Nico’s behavior. I always thought he would grow up, but…
It’s starting to seem like that’s a pipe dream.
I speed toward the cottage, taking the freeway, but it’s only a few miles before I notice a black Jeep behind me, switching lanes when I do…
I’m not being tailed. There’s no way.
I narrow my eyes, putting my car in a higher gear and speeding up, going around a semi in a quick move. The Jeep follows, nearly toppling over as it changes lanes.
Fuck me.I am being followed.
It doesn’t seem like the feds, because usually they stay a few car lengths behind. Plus, they wouldn’t be driving a jeep. It’d be some unmarked sedan.
If it were the cops they would have already pulled me over for a broken taillight or some other bullshit reason. The charges never stick, but they don’t mind me bribing them all the same.
I take the next exit, speeding through the streets in fourth gear, not bothering to slow down for red lights or left turns. I squeal into an alley, making a u-turn so that I see the Jeep drive past me. In the passenger seat is a man wearing a mask over the lower part of his face.
