Proserpina, who had emerged from the kitchen, with a bowl of food in her hands, quickly shot her daughter, the only one who resembled her, a quelling look.
“Jamie! Don’t talk to our guests like that!”
And handing the bowl to Karina who had entered behind her, she glided over to Bianca and said,
“Come child, you can sit beside me.”
Bianca felt close to tears but Tara had come up beside her and sank onto a chair, reaching out to her comfortingly.
‘No Mamma. She can sit here, with Karina and me,” said the young woman.
Proserpina, who had been bending over her husband, serving him some food, looked up, her wide brown eyes puzzled. Then she nodded. Sitting beside the Don on a good day had a detrimental effect on one’s appetite. And this child was distraught! Proserpina’s place was always on the right-hand side of her husband. She would be under the Don’s silent scrutiny and it would make her feel horrible!
The Don’s sharp grey eyes, which reminded Bianca of glaciers, had been following the conversation. He looked at his daughter, the one who had been addressed as Jamie and smiled, transforming his hard, craggy handsome features instantaneously.
“Pumpkin,” he growled and the girl was in his arms, beaming as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
With a pang, Bianca thought of the days when her father had been alive.
She sighed.
Where was Anna? She feared for her sister’s life.
And what about her Masters?
They had called her, O’Grady’s voice thick as he growled,
“Don’t fear, lass. We’ll bring your little sister back.” And St Just had also come on the line , saying quietly,
‘Bianca, Pet, don’t worry. Just trust us, sugar.”
She bowed her head as the tears threatened to flow.
“Mumma,” cried someone and another beautiful young woman entered, her blonde hair piled in a fashionable topknot, dressed in a business suit. Her eyes flicked d down the table and landed on Bianca who squirmed. But the lovely woman, who was moving to the Don, smiled at her and said,
“Hi. I’m Ria. You must be Bianca.”
And then, she went on, dropping a kiss on her father’s cheek, a hand wrapped fondly around his shoulder, “Philippe says they’ve traced your sister.”
And then, breaking into a dimpled grin, she said
“Pappa’s men are out there; don’t worry. We’ll get your sister back home.”
Serena Kingston’s vehicle appeared before Louis Delano’s convoy, moving fast. The big man, Alexander Van Dyke, who was at the wheel of the Rubicon, grunted in annoyance,
‘”F*cking rain,” as the rain continued to come down in sheets, obscuring their vision for some time. St Just sat back, looking outwardly calm but his thoughts moved frantically.
Would they get there in time to save little Anna? It was getting clear that Joe Cahill was becoming increasingly desperate by the moment.
Although the rain was pounding down upon the ground, Cahill seemed to be fleeing from his pursuers, making a last-ditch attempt to fly out.
Joe Cahill had been driving to the little, disused airfield in the northern part of the town.
Would they get there on time to stop him from flying out? From all reports, Bianca’s sister had been with him when he took off abandoning his men to their fates as the SWAT teams closed in on his hideout.
The same thoughts raced through his head, over and over again.
O’Grady’s big hands were clenched and he looked like he was about to burst.
He wanted to be behind the wheel, to drive, but he knew it was impossible. Besides, the big Mafia Don who ruled over Thomas town, was driving expertly, but with caution, considering the slippery roads.
Serene’s Subaru took a turn and she yelled into her phone,
“Delano, airfield coming up!”
Joe Cahill ran forward to the waiting aircraft, although the rain was pouring down on him. With one hand, he dragged the young girl who moved slowly, trying her best to resist being hauled forward.
Infuriated, he whirled around and slapped her hard. Anna collapsed in a heap on the cold, wet tarmac and Cahill swore.
Even as his men jerked the young girl to her feet, there was the sound of approaching vehicles.
Cahill spun around.
The Mafia Don tossed his napkin onto the table and rose. His Woman looked up at him as he scowled at the phone which had begun to ring. Lucien Delano hated to be disturbed when he was at dinner but this time, he knew it was an emergency.
Handsome James looked at his Boss from his place at the other end of the table, where he sat, flanked by Jamie and Rudy.
“Mate?” he said in a low voice.
The Don looked up, his cold hard eyes jabbing at Bianca.
“My boys have got to the airfield.”
He said it in his cold and aloof voice as he turned and strode out.
Proserpina watched him go, anxiety in her eyes.
Lucien had not said the girl was alive, she reflected, chewing her lip.
Bianca looked confused but Ria Delano, was on her phone as she rose to follow her father.
She smiled encouragingly at Bianca but there was a strange look in her eyes as she rushed out after him, helping Schwartz as he joined them. The people left behind at the table watched them go, concern etched on their faces.
O’Grady was shouting as he saw that Cahill was on the airstrip, dragging what looked like a small heap as he tried to make it to the steps leading to the aircraft.
It dawned on him at the same time as Cahill realized the futility of his actions: there was no way he was going to be able to fly out of the place, not today, not in this torrential rain. As though he came to a decision, Cahill raised his hand, his gun in his hands, aiming it at the prone figure on the tarmac.
St Just and O’Grady bellowed simultaneously,
“NO!!! THE F*CKER IS GOING TO SHOOT HER! STOP HIM!”