My Best Friend’s Dad

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

J enna

Maybe it was a bad dream or something else, but something woke me up in the middle of the night. For a moment, I felt incredibly disoriented before I realized I was still safely tucked in Vincenzo’s bed.

And I was all alone. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen and when I pressed my hand to his pillow, the fabric was cold. He hadn’t been here for a while.

Where had he gone?

A pang of worry shot through me. I sat straight up, the cool sheets sliding off my skin as my heart pounded in my chest. My mind raced with thoughts of where he could be, and I chewed my lip.

What if something happened?

The rational side of me told me I should stay in bed, that I shouldn’t go and look for him and that I should just wait for him to come back, but my curiosity got the better of me like it always did.

I slipped out of bed, grabbing one of Vincenzo’s shirts and buttoning it up. The fabric was soft against my skin, and I pulled it up to my nose, noticing that his scent clung to it. It was a small comfort, but it did nothing to quell my anxiety.

Where could he be?

I tiptoed out of the room and down the hallway, my footsteps barely making a sound. The house was eerily quiet, and it made me feel on edge. Thinking he might be in his office, I made my way there first.

The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open, stepping into the room. The desk was cluttered with papers, maps, and files. There was a half full coffee cup, but when I reached out and touched it, I realized that it had gone cold too. If Vincenzo had been here, it had been a while ago.

I hesitated for a moment, feeling like an intruder, but then I steeled myself and put on a brave front.

If Vincenzo wasn’t going to fill me in on what was happening, I’d find out for myself.

I started rifling through the documents, scanning them for anything related to his old boss Carlo Ricci because that was a name I remembered him mentioning. One file caught my eye—detailed logs of Ricci’s operations. As I read through the documents, my heart pounded with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

The logs outlined shipments of weapons, coded messages, and payments that linked Ricci to arms deals with North Korea. There were also emails between Ricci and an unknown contact within the FBI, discussing how they were framing Vincenzo to make it look like he was the mastermind behind these operations.

The implications were staggering. Ricci was not only involved in arms trafficking, but he was also manipulating the FBI to eliminate Vincenzo as a threat. I felt a surge of panic.

What had I gotten myself into?

I needed air. I fled the office and started to head toward the front door, but then I heard voices coming from the basement. I stopped, pressing my ear to the door. Vincenzo’s voice rang from down below and I chewed my lip, listening for a second before I heard Tony’s voice, and then a third.

What was going on down there?

I jumped when the sound of a fist smacking flesh echoed from the basement and I covered my mouth, swallowing back a cry of shock.

Oh, fuck…

I needed to get out of here. Holding my breath and making as little noise as possible, I grabbed my keys, slipped out of the house, and made my way to my car.

The night was dark and silent, the kind of quiet that felt oppressive and incredibly dangerous. I fumbled with my keys, my hands trembling as I tried to unlock the door.

Come on. You can do this…

I froze when I heard a boot scuff against the driveway behind me.

Suddenly, I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder. Panic surged through me, and I spun around, lashing out with my keys like they were a weapon. My attacker grunted as I raked the keys across his face, but he didn’t let go. I kicked and punched, fighting with every ounce of strength I had. My heart pounded in my ears, making it hard to hear, but I didn’t stop fighting.

I wasn’t going to be a victim.

“Let go of me!” I screamed, aiming another kick at his shin. The man cursed and stumbled backwards, giving me a brief moment to run. I bolted toward Vincenzo’s house, but another figure appeared from the shadows, blocking my path. I swung my fists wildly, connecting with flesh, but it wasn’t enough.

A second attacker grabbed my arms from behind, and I struggled fiercely, twisting and turning, trying to break free. My breaths came in ragged gasps, desperation fueling my every move. But the man was too strong, and despite my best efforts, I felt myself being overpowered.

So I tried harder.

“Get off me!” I yelled, managing to land a kick to his knee. He grunted in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench free and make a run for it once more.

I didn’t get far. The first attacker grabbed me again, this time more forcefully. I felt a sharp pain in my side as he twisted my arm behind my back, making me cry out. Before I could react, a hood was slipped over my head, and my whole world was plunged into darkness.

“No! Let me go!” I shouted, thrashing wildly. I couldn’t see anything, but I kept fighting, my movements frantic and desperate. I felt a blow to the back of my head, and pain exploded and made stars dance behind my eyes. My knees buckled, and I tried to stay on my feet, but I felt dizzy and my head hurt something fierce.

“Stop struggling,” a voice growled, but I ignored it, my survival instincts kicking in. Someone dragged me along, and the back of my heels scraped against the ground. I kicked out again, but another blow to the back of my head made me quiet down.

“Please,” I whimpered, my voice breaking. “Don’t do this. Just let me go.”

They didn’t.

The two men worked together to shove me into a trunk. I fought them every step of the way even though my head was reeling. I tried to scream, but the tight space and the hood over my head made it almost impossible.

Panic clawed at my throat as I kicked and punched at the unyielding walls of the trunk, but nothing I did made any difference.

Just as I started to lose hope, I felt another sharp pain at the back of my head as someone punched me for a third time. The world tilted and teetered off balance as my eyes rolled back in my head.

The last thing I heard before everything went black was the sound of the car engine roaring to life.

I woke up with a splitting headache, my vision blurry, and my body aching all over. My hands were tied behind my back, and my feet were bound to the legs of a chair. The air was cold and musty, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light.

As my vision cleared, I saw a man sitting in front of me, casually leaning back in his chair with an air of sinister intent.

He didn’t have to introduce himself. I already knew who he was.

It was Carlo Ricci.

I had never seen his face, but there was no mistaking the ruthless gleam in his eyes and the cold, calculating expression on his face. This man was dangerous even to a man like Vincenzo and now he had me.

I swallowed hard and tried to size him up.

Ricci was a tall man with dark hair slicked back, his features sharp and angular. He wore an expensive suit that seemed out of place in the grimy surroundings of the room he held me captive in. His dark eyes watched me intently, a predatory smile playing on his lips.

“Well, well,” Ricci said, his voice smooth and mocking. “Look who decided to join us. Feeling a bit under the weather, are we?”

I glared at him, trying to mask my fear with defiance. He couldn’t know I was terrified. I had to be strong, if not for me, for Vincenzo.

“Who are you? What do you want?” I grimaced, deciding to play dumb.

Ricci chuckled, shaking his head.

“We’re going to have a chat. I know exactly who you are, Jenna, so we can skip the whole ‘who are you’ and ‘what do you want’ part.” He leaned forward, his smile widening. “Now, let’s get to the point. What’s your involvement with Vincenzo?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m no one important. He’s just my neighbor. I hardly even know him.”

Ricci’s smile turned cold, and he pulled out his phone, dialing a number.

“You see, Jenna, I don’t believe you. Let’s see if Vincenzo feels the same way.”

He put the phone to his ear, his cold gaze never leaving mine.

I held my breath as he waited for the call to connect. When he finally spoke, his tone was dripping with amusement. “Vincenzo, I have something you might be interested in. Or rather, someone.” He paused for a moment, staring at me with a wicked grin, and then said, “Jenna Michaels.”

I couldn’t hear Vincenzo’s response, but Ricci’s smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

“Ah, I see. So, she does mean something to you.” He looked at me, his smile turning into a smirk. “You really should have been more honest with me, Jenna.”

My heart sank as I realized the jig was up. Ricci now knew that I was someone important to Vincenzo, and that put me in even greater danger. I opened my mouth to say something, but Ricci shook his head.

“I’d like to see you try,” he snarled into the phone.

Without another word, Ricci ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, his dangerous gaze never wavering from mine.

“You see, Jenna, it’s always better to tell the truth. But now that I know how valuable you are, we can have a more… productive conversation.”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. “What do you want from me?”

“It’s simple,” Ricci said, leaning back in his chair. “I want to know everything you know about Vincenzo’s plans. And if you don’t cooperate, well, let’s just say there are many ways that I can employ to make you talk.”

I felt a surge of fear, but I knew I had to stay strong. I couldn’t give Ricci what he wanted, no matter the cost.

I just hoped that Vincenzo would find me before it was too late.