“What are we going to do now?” Megumi asked quietly when three hours passed and there was still no sign of Victoria returning home.
Jake was stewing on the floor where he sat beside his desk. He had instructed his P. A. and secretary to channel all business calls to Pierce. The only phone call he wanted to receive now was from Emilio, telling him that he is sending Victoria back home to where she belonged.
After waiting a couple more minutes, he picked up his phone beside him and called Emilio.
“My friend!” Emilio answered cheerfully.
“Where is my daughter?”
“She’s on her way to meet me here in Italy where I’m going to kill her and cut her little body into small pieces and ship them back to you in America.”
Jake felt physically sick by the gruesome image that his former Italian pal had just painted. Losing Victoria to one of his enemies was his worst nightmare and it was already hap
They stopped in Alaska to refuel the helicopter before continuing their trip. Jake was restless the whole time and wished he had magical powers to transport him to Arlington within seconds.Four hours later, they landed on a deserted playground which was a short distance away from the gas station. It was already nighttime and Jake was exhausted.“There’s probably a motel nearby where they’re keeping her,” Shadow said as they approached the gas station.Adrian remained in the helicopter as per Jake’s instruction. The plan was to take off as soon as his boss returned with his abducted daughter.Shadow walked ahead of Jake, scanning the area with sharp eyes to make sure they weren’t being watched. To their dismay, the gas station was nothing more than an abandoned relic beside the road.“What the hell!” Jake snapped.“Your contact probably gave you the wrong coordinates,” said Shadow.<
Jake was pumped full of adrenaline as the jet landed in Maine. The Portland jetport was a short distance from the port where his daughter was about to be shipped to Italy.“Let me handle things from this point,” Shadow said. “I know Emilio’s men and I can spot them on the dock easily.”“So, what am I supposed to do now? Sit back and watch?”“Just stay out of the way as much as you can. We must keep a low profile and scan the place properly before making any move.”“Fine. Do your thing.”They rode a taxi to the largest seaport in Maine. Getting in was nearly impossible because they didn’t have the required IDs. Jake had to introduce himself to the security and tell them that he had an appointment with someone at the docks.“Your name seems to just open doors everywhere we go,” said Shadow as they were allowed in. “Must be nice.”Jake chuckle
When Jake reached the back of the truck, he began to drag out the crates of canned food stacked there. Ilya joined him while the others remained on standby with their weapons drawn in case of any unpleasant surprise.“Victoria, are you in there?” He asked desperately, hoping that he hadn’t imagined his daughter’s voice a few seconds ago. “Victoria?”“I’m here,” she answered.Jake had to pause for a few seconds to catch his breath. His daughter was still alive!With renewed energy, he began to rip through the crates like a possessed man. This time, Shadow joined him and Ilya.His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw his daughter tied to a crate like a helpless animal. She was still wearing her pink unicorn pyjamas which were now soiled. Her face was dirty and her hair was a tangled mess.“Victoria!” He sighed and crawled into the truck to untie her. She began to cry and imm
“Get dressed or I’ll drag you out naked!” Shadow barked at Emilio.“I don’t take orders from rats!” Emilio replied and spat on the floor with disgust.Yuri marched forward and slammed the butt of his rifle against Emilio’s head and shouted,” Get up and get dressed!”“You bastard!” He retorted, grabbing his bloody head and then he whistled.“Fucker,” Shadow muttered and rushed to the bed, grabbing Emilio and racing out of the room with him.As soon as they stepped into the corridor, two large black greyhounds appeared at the top of the stairs and raced towards them.“Attacco!” Emilio ordered them.Shadow pushed his former boss towards the dogs and he ducked just as one of them leapt into the air towards him. It landed behind him and he promptly lashed out his leg to kick it into Emilio’s room.He heard the girls screaming as soon as t
Darius and Vaughn were waiting for them as soon as they landed in Honolulu. Jake and Victoria followed them into the white Bentley which the bodyguards came with.The ride back home was a quiet one. Jake kept one arm around her to offer her comfort. He could tell that guilt was still eating her up inside.As soon as they arrived home, Megumi ran out of the house in a flowing chiffon gown with her untamed hair flapping around her face.“Victoria!” She screamed with joy and embraced her stepdaughter tightly.“I am so sorry,” Victoria whispered against Megumi’s neck as the woman cried. “I’ll never sneak out of school again, I promise.”“Oh… I was so scared,” Megumi wept. “I was so scared.”“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”Megumi broke the embrace and looked into her stepdaughter’s eyes. “It’s ok, my darling. You’re
“Be honest with me, Boris. What do you want to use this company for? Money laundering?”The Russian Don laughed. “What do you think?”“I don’t want to be a part of that. Send Irina here to continue with the registration and filing of the required documents. I don’t want Turner Group to be associated with any kind of illegal business.”“Stop talking like a saint. You and I know that you’re not.”“I never said I was. I’m just saying that I prefer to keep my business clean. You wanted your paper factory to be a subsidiary of my business but that’s not going to happen if you intend to use it for shady business.”“Listen, we had a deal. I have been playing my part, so you should play yours too and stop whining like a toddler.”“I’m not doing it.”“Don’t cross me, American. You know what I am capable of and don
The D-Day finally came and Jake along with his family and their 200 guests went aboard The Siren, a 1000-foot-long cruise ship that would be their party venue for the next 24 hours.“This is amazing!” Victoria squealed with utmost delight.She was dressed almost identically to Megumi who wore a shimmery pink floor-length gown with a thigh-high slit and thin straps. However, Victoria’s version was the same colour and fabric but with cap sleeves and without the slit.Jake and James wore bespoke formal suits that were tailored to perfection. They looked like fraternal twins born several decades apart.Their guests arrived promptly and began to climb unto the ship. Each of them felt extra special to be invited to such an exclusive party.On Meg’s insistence, Jake had permitted a handful of press people to attend the event but they were forbidden from taking pictures or filming a video. Only Jake’s appointed media
“What do you know about Sandra Barnes?” Jake asked Dono the next day after the party.“The name doesn’t ring a bell. Who is she?”“Some weirdo who found her way onto the ship and some noise about writing an expose editorial piece about me on The Daily Cable.”“And you’re bothered?”“Not exactly, but there was something about her confidence that tells me she has some solid backing to come after me like that.”“That’s how journalists roll. They’re all bark and no bite. She just wanted to rattle you and see what she can get out of you. I wouldn’t sweat it if I were you.”“Still… I want to know who she is and what her deal is.”“Fine. I’ll look her up and get back to you.”“Thanks.”He hung up and leaned back in his home office chair. He felt restless because his real