***ZANE’S POV***
Richard Antonov rushes out of the room at the explosion and from a clear distance, I could hear the blarring of gunshots.
London rushes towards me, Dante in his carrier.
“You need to get out of here now, London, there is no time to waste,” I blurt out.
“No, Zane. Not without you,” she cries out, helping to remove the chains off my hands but that happens to be impossible.
“We need the keys. Only Richie has it, you need to leave nowz” I let out, perspiration drizzling down my forehead.
In anger, she sneers at me as if I just said a bad joke.
“You shut up and let me help you out,” London bickere.
The gunshots become unbearable and they draw closer to us.
“We are going to die if it isn’t the Vincenzos coming to help us,” she grits out.
“It must be them, London. Only a Vincenzo will make such an entrance,” I assure her.
With tears in her eyes, she hugs me and I bury my face in her hair, inhaling what little fragrance she had in her body.
The doors open and London gasps turning around to see who it is.
“They are in here,” Rio’s familiar voice fills the room and turning around, my eyes stare at him grateful for some help.
“Two lovers waiting to die in one another’s arms,” he teases as he approaches me, testing the metal I am clinged to.
“I will blow it off with a gun, London take the baby and step outside, please,” he pleads uncorking his gun.
London does as she is asked and when the steps into the hallway of the dungeon, I focus my attention on Rio.
“I don’t want you to chop my hand off in case you miss your target on the metal,” I warn him.
He flashes me his annoying grin, point at an angle and fires.
The chain goes limp and I move my hand.
“Not so fast, Zane. I’ve still got another shot to perfect,” he teases, laughing gently.
Rio looks at me crazy eyes and as I roll my eyes at him, he fires off again.
I am free but my body hurts so badly.
“Thank you,” I mutter politely.
“Anytime, Zane. Let us go before that motherfucker escapes. Alex has got eyes on him,” he states rushing out.
Following him behind, I am surprised that the hallway is vacant, and then, it clicks at once what is missing.
“London? Where are you?” I ask frowning as I look around me.
Rio and I share the same perplexed look and I start to shiver with anger. He presses the device on his ear, speaking in to it directly.
“London is missing. She was asked to wait outside Zane’s dungeon while I blow the metals holding him, but she isn’t here,” Rio speaks.
Then, since he has two blue tooth devices in his ears, he passes me one, which I am grateful for.
“I still have an eyes on Richie, he doesn’t have London nor Dante with him. That means the criminal is still in there,” Alex says as her starts shooting.
“Don’t kill him, Alessandro, I need that motherfucker alive,” I grit out.
“Yes, boss,” he mocks salute as he keeps firing at men.
I start running when Don Russell’s voice fills my ears.
“I have gotten a lead, a goon has London and the baby, they are heading Northeast of the house. If you take the stairs, you will reach before I do and have a lead on blocking their exit,” he directs as he starts running.
Rio and I break into a run too and I know every second I waste is a potential reason enough to loss my wife and kid.
Fuck! They shouldn’t ever be dragged into mafia matters because I can’t help what will happen if they get at least a little scratch on them. Damn it, I will blame myself.
*
On the last stair, I rush through the corridor just in time to see a dark slimmed man walk out of the elevator, dragging behind London and a screaming Dante in his car seat.
I know London’s hand must hurt from carrying it for a while, but she is acting so brave looking after Dante that I fear my heart will shrink just watching that little interaction.
“Zane?” she calls out crying and the man shoots at me and I duck, escaping a bullet going through my head.
“He has a loaded weapon. He is a dangerous man,” I murmur to Rio and he nods his head.
“What do we do?” he questions, filling in his bullet bars as we wait.
“You are a dead piece of meat anyways, man. You shouldn’t have touched my family,” I swear out.
“But I am the one who holds the life of these precious souls now. Come out or I will shoot them to death now,” he threatens and I bolt upward, confronting him.
He fires his aim and Rio ditches me enough to get out of harm’s way.
London is screaming, and I know her throat is bound to hurt soon.
“Are you fucking stupid going out there like that? If I hadn’t pulled you out, you would be dead by now,” he spits out anger flaring in his eyes.
I see the pain there and I know I need a sensible plan if I want to save my wife and kid.
“I am right around the corner, Zane. Distract that motherfucker enough for me to get there. Ask your wife to duck and run while I shoot,” he says rushing towards us.
“Why don’t you face me, huh? Or are you scared I would beat your ass out?” I tease him, hoping he takes my bait and remove his attention from my wife.
“Start by throwing your guns away from you, Zane. That or I will shoot your wife’s leg,” he warns.
“Do as he says, I can see him now, but I need a clearer shot if I am going to shoot,” Russell says and I obey.