Ryder turned into Matteo’s neighborhood. His stomach still wouldn’t settle. The fear, the anxiety, the anger, all warred within him. Good thing he hadn’t eaten much. He already wasted too many pain pills by puking them back up. He parked his car several streets away and popped a few more pills before getting out.

 

He pulled out his guns and climbed up the hill to his spot. This hill, he knew well. On many occasions, he perched up here, waiting to kill someone that Matteo had coming to the house. It was easier in some situations to do it that way. Invite them over for a meeting or to make a deal or whatever, then Ryder would pick them off from his hidden spot before they even reached the house.

 

That’s why Ryder was shocked to find no one on the hill when he reached the top. Was Matteo that big of an idiot? Or did he just underestimate Ryder that much? He didn’t stop to consider how easy it would be for Ryder to sit up here and take them all out one by one? After all the training Matteo paid for Ryder to get, after all the years of practice and being in awe of Ryder’s impeccable record. He didn’t think that maybe Ryder would use that against him? Or maybe he was just that cocky to think they’d be able to outsmart him or avoid being killed by him.

 

Ryder positioned himself at the top of the hill, lying on his stomach to take aim. From here, he could see the whole house, in all of its huge splendor. The grounds stretching out around it, the stables off to the side. He watched for a long time, hoping that Pia would come out just so he could see her. He thought he knew which windows were her bedroom, but wasn’t sure. Curtains covered most of the windows on the upper floor and from this distance, he couldn’t make out the differences in the fabric to be able to pick out her pink-flowered ones.

 

He forced his gaze from where he thought Pia’s room was and put his mind into hitman mode. He assessed the people he saw. Two guards at the back of the house and two at the front, all pacing to cover the grounds all around the house. He watched them for several minutes, until he felt sure he knew their paths.

 

He’d have to act fast. Once he shot the guards, everyone would be on alert. Then it was a matter of getting down the hill and over the fence so he could storm the mansion. Then straight to Pia. He could have her in his arms in minutes. His heart raced at the thought.

 

But his stomach tightened. What condition would he find her in? What if she wasn’t okay? What if she wasn’t alive? He’d take out everyone in the house if she was dead. Even the staff. He would be ruthless. No one would survive and live to tell the tale. He’d make sure anyone and everyone associated with Matteo paid for that association with their lives.

 

Even if she was alive, he’d still kill most of them. Maybe not the staff, though. They were innocent, after all. But Matteo’s guys would all be gone today. How sweet it would be if Solano were here already. Ryder pictured himself charging in, interrupting the wedding ceremony to kill Solano and Matteo, then scooping Pia into his arms. Hell, maybe he’d even have the preacher marry them if he would. Do it right then and there. Why not?

 

It was a great idea, but he had work to do first. A lot of blood had to be spilled before he could get to Pia. A lot more would have to spilled before they were safe. But there was no doubt about it. Ryder was going in there and coming out with all that was his. His woman and his child. And no one was going to stop him. Let them try. They’d face his gun if they did. He had no reason to hold back.

 

He decided on his kill order. If he waited until the farthest back guard was making his way toward the center of the house, killing him wouldn’t alert the front guards. And as long as he did it before the other back guard turned to begin pacing back, it wouldn’t alert him immediately, either.

 

He’d kill the farthest back guard, then the closest back guard. From there, it wouldn’t matter much which front guard he killed first. Either of them were too close to the house and someone inside would know when they were shot. They’d hear it and see them fall. But Ryder could kill all four of them in seconds if they didn’t start running. If they did, it might take a few minutes instead. Aiming was harder when you had a moving target, but unless they were skilled at outrunning a sniper, he would still get his shot in.

 

He took careful aim and waited, watching the guard through his rifle’s scope. When he had the perfect shot, aimed right over his head, he squeezed the trigger and saw the man fall. He quickly moved down to the next guard. He hadn’t seen anything. Before he could turn and see that his fellow guard was on the ground, he was also on the ground.

 

Ryder shifted his aim to the front guards now. They were conversing together. Maybe they’d heard the shots and were talking about it, decided who should go where to look. But they’d messed up. In the ten seconds they spent talking, they’d moved close together. Ryder almost laughed at how easy they’d made it for him.

 

He shot one of the front guards in the head, moved his aim ever so slightly, and shot the second before he even had time to realize what had happened and to react. All four of them were shot and dead in under thirty seconds. Ryder glanced at the bodies at the back of the house to make sure neither was moving. He’d never missed a killing shot before, but now was not the time to overestimate his own skill. But none of the four bodies were moving, so it looked like his perfect record held.

 

He could sit there longer and wait. Someone would come out of the house to see what was going on. Someone would try to get them medical attention, or at least check to see that they were dead. And eventually, someone would dispose of the bodies. He could take people out one by one as they left the house.

 

But now that his guards were dead, Matteo would know that Ryder was here. He would eventually remember the hill where he was now perched, and he might send someone to take him out. It was too risky to wait. And Ryder didn’t have the patience anyway. Every thought of Pia made his gut wrench in fear. He had to get to her and know she was okay. He had to get her out of here. There would be no waiting.

 

He got to his feet, slung his rifle over his shoulder from its strap, and looked around. When he saw no one, he took off, running fast down the hill. He reached the fence, tall and wooden, and leapt. He jumped just high enough for his fingers to close over the top, then he pulled himself up and over, landing hard on his feet on the ground.

 

He sprinted toward the house and toward Pia.

 

***

 

The doctor moved closer to Pia, the syringe in his hand like a knife, ready to stab her. She looked at the shining metal tip and all she could think was that if that got near her, it was done. Her baby was gone. It was over.

 

If she couldn’t convince him, her plan now was to delay and find a way to overtake him. She wasn’t stronger than him, but maybe she was smart enough, or fast enough, or wanted this baby enough, that she could find a way to sneak by or trick him. Was there any way she could get the syringe from him and stab him with it? Then maybe she could escape. They’d have to open the door to get the doctor out, right?

 

She stepped forward toward him, and that seemed to surprise him. His face changed and grew wary.

 

“Are you really going to drug me and force those pills down my throat while I’m unconscious?” she asked.

 

“You’ve given me no choice.”

 

“How much is my father paying you?”

 

“It’s not about the money.”

 

She put her hand on her hip. “It’s always about the money.”

 

“No. He’s doing me a favor.”

 

“And what’s that?”

 

“I’m not going to say.” His face was straight and he gave away no emotion.

 

“Is he going to kill someone for you?”

 

The doctor pulled together his eyebrows. “No.”

 

“Take care of someone in some other way, like have them beat up? Or is this more like you need something erased? Maybe a mistake on your doctor’s record or something?”

 

He shook his head. “I’m not going to say.”

 

“Well, you should know that my father lies. All the time. Whatever he said he’s going to do, he won’t. I hope you got at least half of your payment upfront, because he’s not going to pay you. Once it’s done, why should he? Once it’s done, it’s not like you can take it back or go to the police, right? No. He lied to you, got you to come and do this, and he’s going to give you nothing for it.”

 

“You shouldn’t assume you know anything about adult matters, little girl.”

 

Pia laughed. “You think I don’t know the inner workings of my father and his business? I’ve been watching and listening to him for years. I know a lot more than anyone likes to believe I know. More than my father thinks I know. And I can tell you this. I have friends and connections of my own. You think people won’t do things for the daughter of a mafia boss? They will.”

 

“What’s your point?” He started to look agitated. It was working. She just needed to push a little harder.

 

“Do you like being a doctor? I mean, you go to school for a lot of years to be one, don’t you? That can’t be cheap, and I wouldn’t imagine someone would do all that if it wasn’t something they loved. And you make your living as a doctor. So, if, say, one of my friends turned up with proof that you had done something unethical, which caused you to lose your license, that wouldn’t be a good thing for you, would it?”

 

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “That wouldn’t work. There is an entire board who has to decide to take someone’s license.”

 

“You do realize I have connections everywhere, right? And with a body like this, do you think it’s hard for me to get anyone to do what I want?”

 

Her bedroom door slammed opened behind her. Lu stood in the doorway, hands wrapped around a gun, pointed at her head. “Pia, what are you trying to pull? You know we can hear you, as well as see you, right?”

 

She shrugged. “You have kids. I’m sure you’d do anything to protect them if someone was threatening to kill them, wouldn’t you? This is the same thing. My father and this doctor want to kill my child. And I’m not going to let them.”

 

“Stop playing games. Take the pills,” Lu said.

 

“You’re going to shoot me if I don’t?”

 

“I’ll do whatever I have to,” Lu said.

 

She changed her tactic. There was no way she could trick the doctor or talk him into or out of anything if Lu was there with a gun. Time for the next plan.

 

“Lu,” she whimpered, acting like she was suddenly afraid. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you? And to my baby? There are two lives you’d be ending.”

 

“Take the pills, Pia.”

 

She made herself start to cry. Wasn’t hard to do these days. But she had to seem like she was giving in. This wouldn’t work if they didn’t believe her. “Please, Lu.”

 

He stepped closer, unwavering in his aim.

 

“Okay,” she sobbed. “Okay, I’ll do it, just stop pointing that gun at me!”

 

Lu didn’t drop the gun until she stepped forward and took the pills from the doctor.

 

“I have to get water,” she said and walked into the bathroom.

 

They came with her, watching. She turned on the bathroom faucet, cupped one hand like she was going to take a drink of the water, and threw the pills into the toilet.

 

“You’ll have to kill me before you make me take those! I will not kill my baby!”

 

“You’re a foolish and stupid girl,” the doctor said.

 

“And if that’s how you want it, then I will kill you,” Lu said.

 

Lu lifted the gun again and Pia heard a gunshot. At first, she was confused. Had he shot his gun? She didn’t feel hurt. But when she looked at Lu, he was just as confused.

 

Another shot was fired and she dashed over to the window. The two guards who walked out there, back and forth across the property, now lay dead on the ground. Blood pooled around them. Each had a perfect hole in his head.

 

Her heart leapt with joy. Which was strange since she was looking at two dead bodies. But she knew why this had happened. This could mean only one thing. Ryder was here. No one else had reason to kill the guards, and certainly no one else was as good of a shot as he was. He had come for her. Finally.

 

A grin of deep joy and peace spread across her face. He hadn’t taken off, hadn’t left her. His plan had just taken longer than she thought. But he was here now. He had come and he would take her away from here. Away from her father and these people trying to kill the baby and maybe her. And best of all, she wouldn’t have to marry Paolo now. She could be with Ryder and no one else. They could have the family she’d been dreaming of. She wanted to dance on the clouds and shout for joy. He had come. At last.

 

She was about to turn from the window, to run out the door, which she noticed Lu had not locked when he came in, but she saw something. Ryder was coming over the fence. He looked injured. Dirty, bloody, covered in bruises. But he looked better than ever. A warm glow ran through her body at the sight of him. No matter what was going on, she wanted him. Her body cared little about the danger. It knew that seeing him meant safety and strength and, at some point, as soon as they were alone, pleasure. She thought of that moment, of kissing him, of feeling him inside her, and she wanted to jump from the window right there and then. She didn’t care who was around or who was watching. She needed him and she would have him.

 

He was running toward the mansion. If she went to him, maybe that would make things easier. Easier or not, she had to get to him. Had to see him and feel him close. She turned, and Lu was watching out the window, too, shocked. It was just enough to distract him and kept his attention—and his gun—off her.

 

She blew by him, out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. Lu called out, “Hey!” But she kept running.

 

The door was unlocked as she thought. She chuckled to herself as she tore the door open and jumped into the hall. They weren’t as smart as they thought they were. Lu should have locked her in with them.

 

Pia didn’t stop to see who was in the hall outside her room or how many of them there were. She bolted to the stairs. She held on the handrail for support so she wouldn’t trip. The last thing she needed as she was trying to escape and save her baby’s life was to fall down the stairs. That might accomplish exactly what her father wanted.

 

But her feet were surer than she thought, even in her speed. She didn’t trip. She didn’t even stumble. Her bare feet hit the cold marble floor of the entry way.

 

She looked up, expecting to see Ryder coming through the front door, but what she saw made her freeze and turned her blood to ice. Her father stood there, in front of the door. And right beside him was Paolo Solano.

 

“There she is,” Matteo said. “Your bride.”

 

Paolo leered at her. “Perfect. I like it when they’re all scruffy.”

 

“She cleans up real nice, I assure you,” Matteo said.

 

“That’s okay.” Paolo winked at her. “I like a dirty girl.”

 

“You’ll just have to excuse us while we take care of a little problem,” Matteo said calmly. “Seems our house is under attack. Don’t worry, my Pia. You’re safe as can be.”

 

Pia didn’t trust him for a second. The way he was talking and looking at her meant something was up. He knew Ryder was here, clearly. He’d probably already sent people to go after him. Was that why he hadn’t come in the house yet? Or maybe he wasn’t planning to go through the front door.

 

Her father opened his arms to her. “Come here to Daddy. Are you feeling better? Everything go okay with the doctor, I trust?”

 

“Everything went as planned,” she said. Everything went as she planned. She stepped toward her father warily. She didn’t trust him, but Paolo didn’t know about the baby. He’d never tell him something like that and risk him not wanting to marry her. Matteo still wanted to get rid of her badly. This was all an act. If it was just an act, then he probably wouldn’t do anything to her in front of Paolo, like hurt her or say anything mean. He’d want to keep up the act and make them seem like the perfect father and daughter. Maybe he’d even convince Paolo that he loved his daughter, that she wanted to marry him, even. Wouldn’t that be something. How good of a liar and con artist was he?

 

Her father grinned at her and it seemed like a genuine smile, but she knew better. She walked to him slowly and put her arms lightly around his waist in a limp hug. She didn’t want to be any closer to him than she had to be. He hugged her back, kissing her forehead like it was old times. She wanted to cry. For that moment, it felt so good. Like he was her father again who loved her. But she knew it wasn’t real. She remembered in vivid detail how he’d treated her and the names he’d called her and how he’d tried to have her baby—and her if she didn’t go along with it—killed. How many times over her life had he played that same game? Had he ever really, truly loved her?

 

And then, she thought, Ryder is going to make such a fabulous father. He wouldn’t be capable of playing games and lying like that. Sure, he could lie when he needed to, but when it came to his own child, unless it was to keep him or her safe, like he’d done when he pretended to end things with her, then he wouldn’t treat them badly ever. Wouldn’t lie to them and make it seem like he loved them when he didn’t. He would just love them like a real parent should.

 

Paolo smiled at them. “I love to see a father and daughter who love each other. Someday, we will have a daughter, Pia, and I will love her like that.”

 

She smiled, but wanted to throw up. She’d never have his child. She might have a daughter of her own, but it would be Ryder’s daughter and he would hug her and love her and kiss her. He’d never turn on her like her father had. He’d cherish her forever. He was a real man. A good man. A man who’d killed and walked into the line of fire for them, for her and their baby. And that was before their child was even born. She loved him more than ever.