I was beginning to think this was a hired gun and an interesting choice. No wonder my father was caught off guard.
I waited around the hospital until my father was stabilized. Poison. Another two minutes and it would have been too late. The choice of poison was fascinating, but from what the doctors mentioned, highly effective and almost impossible to pinpoint in an autopsy. The killer had been brazen coming in the middle of the day.
Unless it was known I’d be elsewhere.
I was in a foul mood but would enjoy explaining the gravity of the situation to Saltori once he was brought to me. Either hand over the assailant or lose his cash cow and almost daughter-in-law. I’d make certain he knew that I was capping off his business ventures, taking over his shares. He could willingly give them to me or I’d end his life. It was entirely his choice.
When my phone rang again, my instincts kicked into high gear. “What?”
“You’re not going to like it, boss,” Grinder stated.
“Just tell me. I’m not in any mood for bullshit.”
“Francesca disappeared. She told Rocco she was taking a shower then must have slipped out the window. No idea why the security system was off. She couldn’t have gone far on foot.”
“Get every man close by on the damn property! We have to find her. And Grinder, heads will roll for this.”
“I understand, boss.”
“Fuck!”
This couldn’t be happening. Why the hell had she run from me? She was afraid. Hell, I’d given her every reason to be. Losing my temper. Acting like a hothead. Jesus F. Christ. I had to get control or I’d lose…
Wow. My thoughts had completely shifted into caring far too much about her. She was my kryptonite, a weakness I couldn’t afford. I had to purge her from my system.
For now.
As if I could.
My thoughts drifted to what John Paul had told me. Had my father been in this same position, allowing his adoration of a woman to cloud his judgment?
I tossed the phone onto the seat and hit the accelerator. I was within two miles of Dominick’s house. I searched the curvy road as I approached, knowing she could be anywhere. She knew enough about the area that she’d stay hidden for as long as possible, seeking refuge only when she believed she was safe.
Safe.
Did that word exist any longer?
Swinging into the long driveway, I slowed down, studying the woods on either side. Luck might be the only way I found her. The trees were thick, the foliage dense. If she was a smart girl, she’d stay close to the driveway in order to keep her bearings. The entire property was surrounded by twenty acres of woods, the house and grounds literally carved out of the center.
She’d also have a long and lonely walk on the two-lane road in order to find civilization. Dominick had selected the property well for privacy, the estate sitting smack on the top of a hill. Ocean views hadn’t been on his list. Security had.
I shifted the gear to low, still scanning.
Searching.
My resolve kicked in or perhaps a moment of sheer desperation. Even if she did manage to get away, I would find her one way or the other. Fuck the odds.
After going about one mile, I could swear I noticed a flash of something white. I craned my neck, waiting until I noticed it again. A single blip. An offhanded chance. I’d left her with a simple dress to wear, a white dress. I stopped the car, killed the engine and jumped out, careful to jam the keys into my pocket. She was a little fighter, but she wasn’t getting away from me this time.
This meant there would be no trust.
I took off running, charging through the woods. Within seconds, I could see another flash of white. She must have heard me, a yelp floating in my direction. She was quick, having found what appeared to be tennis shoes.
But I was quicker.
I darted to the right.
“Francesca.” My voice boomed in the dense space.
“Get away from me! Let me go.” Francesca went down hard but immediately attempted to crawl away.
I scooped her into my arms as she continued to flail.
“Don’t, Michael. I can’t do this. I won’t do this. Get away from me!”
Fisting her hair, I yanked back her head until it was forced to rest on my shoulder. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Are you going to punish me now?” she hissed.
I threw my head back, looking at the sky. The woman hadn’t learned a thing. She was a damn brat and she was going to get herself killed. “Yeah, I think I just might.” I bent her over, yanking up her dress and immediately smacking her bottom.
“Stop! Jesus!”
“You can fight me all you want, but you’re not getting out of this.”
“You’re crazy!”
I smacked her hard and fast, moving from one side to the other. At this point, I wanted the fight out of her. She had to confide everything she knew. “We had a deal and you broke the terms.”