Cruel Betrayals (Savannah Sharks Hockey and Mafia #3)

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

ALEXANDRA

Giuseppe barges through the doorway, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. His eyes are hollow with large bags underneath, and his face is pale.

Maybe he didn’t sleep last night.

There was so much commotion when he came back that it woke me up. Men were yelling and arguing and several things broke, but no one came down this hallway. Not even Emily.

Giuseppe paces around my room, stopping to mutter to himself for a moment before resuming his pacing.

I scoot closer to the corner, trying to get as small as I can.

He looks unstable. Almost as if he’s been drinking all night. His head snaps in my direction, drilling me with his hard gaze.

“Maybe I should kill you right here and right now. Francesca did kill my queen. It would be an eye for an eye, so to speak.”

I don’t dare speak, for fear that he will crack under the madness and actually shoot me right here.

He continues to pace, and mumbles, “I’m losing this war. How does he always get the upper hand? I can’t lose. Not after everything I’ve been through. Not after losing Elizabeth.”

He’s going to wear his shoes thin, walking back and forth and turning around that fast.

Every once in a while, he turns his enraged glare on me. I feel helpless and hopeless, like I’m just waiting for my execution. I discreetly rub my stomach and pray that something will take his attention away from me and my inevitable death.

“Arturo will pay.” He rambles on, leaving me confused.

What did Arturo do last night? Based on Giuseppe’s anger, I’d guess he didn’t drink the wine. I can only hope that Arturo is alive.

Joseph would be here shooting every one of them if they murdered his father, whether he had a chance of surviving the attack or not. That much I know.

I also know that Francesca, Rhett, Spencer, and Gage will be right behind him, followed by Anthony Fanucci and his son, AJ.

Hell will rain down on Giuseppe Rossi and everyone he associates with if they kill either Arturo or Joseph.

It will be the beginning of the end for one of the families. An all out war until one family ceases to exist.

Footsteps echo down the hallway, getting closer to my room before Vincent appears in the doorway.

“Sir, a package was just delivered from your nephew in New York. It looks important.”

Giuseppe Rossi pulls his phone out and glances at the screen before shoving it back inside his pocket. “He can’t call or message to warn me? Where is it?”

Vincent glances at me before saying, “It’s in the foyer on the table. There’s another matter we need to discuss, but in private. It’s regarding the research you sent me after.”

The two men walk out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

Was this done on purpose? Are they testing me? Baiting me? So they have a reason to shoot me?

I can’t escape even if I wanted to. I overheard Emily talking about the cameras in the hallway. Someone will be alerted the second I step out of the room. Not to mention having to run past them in the foyer to get to my car.

They probably moved my car by now. There’s no way they left it parked out front this whole time.

I lay back down on the mattress, laying on my side so I can watch the door. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of just laying here.

Yelling and screaming comes from the foyer. Their loud voices drift down the hallway. Whatever was in the package can’t be good because Giuseppe Rossi is swearing up a storm.

My heart races as I picture him marching down the hallway to my room with a murderous glare on his face and his pistol in his hand.

The walls to my room rattle like an explosion just went off. All yelling ceases for a moment before the house rattles again.

What the hell is going on? It sounds like a war zone.

Something slams into the wall in front of me a second before someone runs into my room. I yelp out in surprise.

It’s just Emily, calm down.

She has a wild look in her eyes, like she can’t believe what is happening. She closes the bedroom door behind her and drags the table in front of the door. She pushes it for good measure.

I sit up and lean against the wall. “Emily, what’s going on? It sounds like we are under attack.”

“We are!” She yells as she spins around and leans against the desk. “This isn’t the morning wake up call I dreamed of. Your saviors have arrived, and they are fucking psycho.”

“Huh?” She isn’t making any sense. “Who are my saviors?”

“It’s Joseph Marino and his men. They have fucking missiles, and they are shooting them out of the back of their trucks. They are going to destroy the house. The other side of the house is completely gone.”

My heart leaps out of my chest.

Do they know I’m here?

Did something happen to Arturo, and that’s why they are blowing up the house?

Emily continues. “I can’t believe they are destroying the entire fucking house! I’m not going to have a job when they are done. If Giuseppe doesn’t kill them, he will have no choice but to move away. It’s all turning to rubble.”

There are no complaints from me. The further away from Savannah Rossi is, the less chaotic my life will be.

If I make it out of here in one piece.

The walls rattle as an explosion sounds nearby. It’s getting closer.

Emily paces in the same spot Giuseppe was pacing in earlier. “We’re sitting ducks here, but we can’t leave. It’s not safe.”

I don’t know why I feel propelled to help her, but I say, “You can leave. You can sneak out the back. I’ll stay here.”

“I can’t leave you. If Mr. Rossi sees me fleeing, he will put a bullet between my eyes. I just need to wait it out.” She walks over to the chair and sits down. Her leg bounces as she glances all around the room.

I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes. It’s quiet. The yelling and the explosions have stopped.

“I think it’s over.” I whisper to Emily.

“Let’s give it a few minutes just to be sure, and then I’ll go check on everyone.”

“Yeah, that might be wise in case the house is unstable.”

Emily and I sit in silence as we listen for any noise to clue us in on the damage. To pass the time, I count my breaths.

In.

Out.

One breath.

In.

Out.

Two breaths.

Over and over I breathe in and out and add another number until my eyes grow heavy and my stomach growls. I haven’t had any food today. I know it’s not healthy for me or the baby, but I can’t exactly demand food when I’m being held hostage.

Please let Joseph come and get me. Please let me make it home safe. Please let my baby be safe.

I close my eyes and continue to pray to get out of here.

All of a sudden, the lock on the door explodes a second before the door swings open.

I’m going to die. I’ll never get to see my child grow up. I’ll never get to tell Joseph that I’m sorry and I love him.

I stare at Emily, waiting for something, anything, to happen.

She shrugs as she gets up and peeks into the hallway. Two gunshots ricochet off the metal door a second before Emily groans and falls to the floor.

Blood drips down her face, coating her hair before pooling on the floor.

If the shooter is anyone other than a Marino or a friend of a Marino, then I might as well prepare to meet God.

Footsteps get louder, mimicking my racing heart until they stop right outside the door.

“Alexandra? It’s me, Gage. I’m coming in.” Gage yells from the hallway a second before he steps into the doorway.

He barely fits through the door. How have I never noticed how buff he is?

He scans the room, keeping his gun pointed in front of him, and when he sees I’m alone, he makes his way over to me. “Are you hurt? Can you walk?”

“No. Yes.”

He raises an eyebrow, causing me to smile for the first time in days.

“No, I’m not hurt, and yes, I can walk, but slowly because I feel extremely weak.” Probably from the lack of food.

His face scrunches up as he thinks. “I’m going to pick you up. Wrap your legs around my waist.”

“What?” Is he serious? He does know I’m pregnant, right?

He repositions himself so he is facing the doorway, keeping his gun at the ready in case someone sneaks up on us. “I can’t carry you with both of my arms and protect us at the same time.”

He does make sense, but I still say, “Isn’t that a bit inappropriate, given my situation?”

He glances at me with a raised eyebrow and cocks his head slightly. “What situation? You being pregnant? Or you being Joseph’s woman?”

My heart flutters at hearing him declare I’m Joseph’s woman. I’ve wanted to be his for so long. “Uh, both.”

Gage glances at his watch and sighs. “I need an arm free in order to hold my gun and protect us, and this is the best way I can think of getting you out of here as fast as I can. Do you have a better idea?”

“Um, let me walk?”

“The building is crumbling all around us. It’s not safe. We need to run and you can’t. I promise I will be a gentleman the entire time.”

I hesitate. What if Joseph sees and gets the wrong idea? It’s not like it would be the first time he jumped to conclusions.

Gage huffs. “Or I can give you a piggyback ride. Your choice.”

I’m grateful he came to save me, and I know I’m just wasting time. If Joseph wants to get upset about this, then that’s his problem.

“Fine, but you better not get hard.”

His eyes widen at my statement. “Come on, let’s go.”

I walk over to him and let him pick me up. My legs wrap around his waist, squeezing tightly.

“I need you to press your body against mine and rest your head on my shoulder. I need to be able to see as much as I can and move my arm as needed.”

I do as he says, and he immediately heads back into the hallway, turning away from the foyer.

“Wait.” I say, stopping him in his tracks. “We need to go to the room next to mine. There’s something I need in there. A lot I need, actually.”

He starts to protest, but turns around and heads to the interrogation room. As soon as he clears the room, I unlatch my legs and walk over to where the duffle bags of money are. My bag of stuff is still on top, so I throw it in one of the money bags and carry them over to where Gage is still waiting.

“What is that?”

“My money and personal belongings.”

He lifts both bags and drapes one over each shoulder before turning toward me. “Alright back on.”

“Are you sure you can carry all of that and me?”

“That’s kind of insulting, you know.”

I stutter. “I-I-I didn’t mean it like that, Gage. I just meant the bags are a lot of weight and then, if you add my weight on top, it’s a lot for you to carry.”

“Come on.” He gestures for me to get closer. “Trust me. I’ve got your back.”

I reluctantly let him lift me back up. He stumbles for a second before regaining his balance. With a quick adjustment to the bags of money, he heads back into the hallway.

One of Rossi’s men appears in the doorway to the foyer.

“Gage behind us.” I yell out.

He spins around and fires off several rounds, hitting the man in his chest every time. The quick spin and the lack of food on my stomach causes me to become dizzy. The hallway spins and my stomach lurches.

Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up. Please, God, don’t let me throw up.

When he gets to the end of the hallway, he pushes on the door, but it won’t budge. He even tries to kick it, but it stays closed.

“Son of a bitch.” He mutters before turning around and racing toward the foyer.

The front door is splintered, and the wall is crumbled. Bloodied bodies litter the foyer and are half covered in debris.

He kicks some concrete and stone out of the way, clearing a path to the front door. “We’re going out front.”

He slowly walks through the hole where the front door used to be. I watch his back, making sure no one sneaks up and surprises us.

“What about my car?” I ask when we are on the front lawn.

“Where was it?” Gage asks as he spins around.

“I parked it right here.”

“Well, I would assume that it’s gone. Don’t worry, we can get you a new one. There wasn’t anything important inside your car, was there?”

Just some ultrasounds.

“Nothing that can’t be replaced.”

Gage nods and jogs down the long driveway to the busted up gate, stepping over and around dead bodies and debris.

“It’s a total bloodbath. How many guys are here with you?” I try to look for any movement, but come up short.

“Just me, Spencer, Rhett, and Joey.”

“It looks like a small army came through here.”

Explosions happened all over the place. Most of the house has collapsed, except for the front corner where I was.

They had to have known I was there, and that’s why it’s still standing.

When we make it through the gate, he helps me down before throwing the bags of cash in the backseat.

“Come on. I’ll help you up.”

With a little boost, I climb into the passenger seat and buckle my seat belt. He closes the door and jogs around to the driver’s side.

Grabbing his phone, he dials someone and puts the call on speakerphone.

“What’s going on, Gage? Did you get her out safely?”

It’s Spencer.

“Yeah, we’re in my truck.”

“Ten four. We’re on our way to you.”

Police sirens sound in the distance.

Gage glances toward the house. “Police are coming. We have to get out of here. We’ll meet at your apartment.”

He ends the call and drives off without his teammates.

“Don’t we need to wait for them?”

He shakes his head. “It’s better if we aren’t caught at the scene of the crime. Besides, they will only be a minute behind us.”

He cuts through several side streets before following close behind a moving truck. Several police cars race past us, heading toward the Rossi mansion.

When the police lights and sirens are no longer in view, Gage changes lanes and races to the apartment building.

He carries the bags upstairs and stops in front of Spencer’s apartment.

“I’d really just like to shower and eat.”

He looks unsure, but finally relents. “Alright, you can head there, and I’ll let Spencer know. I’ll send Savannah down there in a few minutes to check on you.”

I give him a hug, give him a chaste kiss on his cheek, and whisper, “Thanks for saving me.”

Grabbing the duffle bags from him, I spin around and head to my apartment. I close and lock my door behind me and head straight to the bathroom, dropping the bags off in my bedroom on the way. I throw my clothes in the trash can and turn the water as hot as it will go.

Stepping under the spray, I feel empty, almost as if my body is in shock. My stomach growls, propelling me to wash my hair and scrub my body quickly.

What am I going to eat when I am done with my shower?

I don’t feel up to cooking. I could order Chinese takeout or a large pizza with all the toppings. My stomach growls, making me laugh.

“Pizza it is.”

I quickly dry off and throw on some lounge pants and a large t-shirt.

As I am looking up the phone number for the nearest pizza place, a knock sounds on the door.

Looking through the peephole, I see Savannah holding a pizza box.

I open the door and say, “Oh my God, you read my mind. I’m starving.”

She laughs. “Can I come in?”

“Of course. You brought me food.”

I grab some plates and carry them over to the coffee table.

“The guys are de-briefing in my apartment and I couldn’t stand to hear the details of what happened. Plus, I figured you’d be hungry and could use some girl time. Francesca is on her way here with dessert.”

My eyes sting with tears. “You guys are amazing. Do you know that?”

“It’s the least we can do after everything you’ve been through. Now, let’s eat.”

I scarf down the first slice and reach for another when another knock sounds on the door.

“I’ll get it.” Savannah puts her pizza back on her plate and heads to the door. She looks through the peephole and says, “It’s Francesca.”

As soon as the door is opened, Francesca hands Savannah the bag full of dessert and pulls me into a hug.

“I’m so glad you are safe.”

I melt into her hug. It feels like a hug from a sister. One that I’ve never had. The warmth from her hug breaks my resolve. Tears stream down my face as all the worry and fear from the past couple of days come to the forefront of my mind.

“Part of me hates Joseph and never wants to see him again, but the other half is so damn grateful they came to get me today.”

Francesca leads me over to the couch and sits next to me. “You know I’ll never make excuses for my brother, but he was hurt and thought you betrayed us. He doesn’t like talking about his feelings, but I know he’s hurt after what our mother did. He was scared you were like her.”

“I guess I can understand that, but he wouldn’t let me explain.”

“He shuts people out and never lets them get close. It was easier for him to push you away instead of listening to reason.”

She picks a slice of pepperoni off my pizza and pops it into her mouth before continuing.

“Not that it’s an excuse, but these men that we are in love with are completely irrational and protective. Rhett killed my ex boyfriend Jax and part of me thinks he did it because he was jealous. Jax also tried to kill me and he kidnapped me, so Rhett was protecting me in his eyes.”

“And Jax tricked you and lied about his true identity.”

“Yeah, there’s that, too.”

I sigh and pick up my pizza. “This is exactly what I need. Comfort food in my apartment with the girls.”

“Here, here.” Savannah says.

“So, Savannah, how’s school going?” I ask, hoping to get the conversation off me and Joseph.

She smiles. “It’s almost over. I’m so close to graduating, but I’m still unsure about the future.”

Francesca asks, “Are you leaning toward opening your own business or working for an already established designer?”

She glances down at her plate. “I’m not sure. Spencer wants me to open my own boutique, where I can sell my own custom designs, but working for a designer is cheaper.”

As someone who wasn’t born into money, I can understand her hesitation. The start up cost is intimidating. “Putting the cost aside, what do you want more?”

She whispers, “My own boutique.”

“Then Francesca and I will help make that dream come true.”

Francesca’s face lights up. “Hell yeah, we will. And I demand a Savannah Whitlock original as my wedding dress.”

Savannah blushes. “I would love to do that for you. How are things progressing with the wedding and all that?”

Francesca grins. “We are still trying for a baby. I feel like this could be our lucky month.”

I suck a breath in through my teeth. “I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but while I was kidnapped, Giuseppe told me how Jax confirmed you are infertile. I just can’t stand the thought of you getting your hopes up just for every test to come back negative.”

Savannah gasps and presses her hand against her mouth.

Francesca looks confused.

I try to explain. “Giuseppe told me Jax told him you said you were infertile.”

She leans her head back and laughs.

“Jax kept going on and on about kids, and I sure as fuck didn’t want any, so I lied and said I was infertile because of an accident I had as a teenager. He believed me and never brought it up again.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s a relief.”

“Wow, I can’t believe he told his father that.”

Savannah nods and chimes in. “Well, they were and still are trying to tear down your family. I wonder if Giuseppe was one of the casualties this morning.”

“That’s a good question.”

Silence fills the air as the three of us wonder.

Was all of this done in vain?

Will I still have to look over my shoulder and worry about being kidnapped again?

Will my baby have to worry about losing both its mother and father?

Is it too late to escape this life?