CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

—Bella—

 

Jax and I had officially been re-married for two weeks, and it had been pure bliss. I was in his bed, and he was in my heart. I didn’t feel the need to be insolent any longer. I gave myself over to Jax, and I did so willingly without question before or guilt afterward. I found that I could be myself with him. He was so much gentler than he ever had been. I was his princess, and he was my prince. For a wedding present, he’d given me my father’s business to run. I couldn’t believe he trusted me enough to give that to me. He’d said I was the most business savvy woman he’d ever met, and he knew I could do the job. As soon as we decided it was time to go on with life outside of this bed I’d start running things, but for now, I liked being in Jax’s arms every minute of the day.

We had been in this bedroom for nearly two weeks. He worked from the bed most of the time and if someone needed his attention he’d pop out and find his way back to me as soon as he could which was usually only a few hours later. That gave me enough time to shower and visit with Alessandra. I’d realized yesterday that my period was late. I never had been late before, but I was now. I hadn’t told Jax yet. I had a romantic dinner planned, and I’d tell him then. Alessandra bought a pregnancy test for me while she was out at the store yesterday, and I hid it in my drawer when Jax was in the shower.

I’d never considered having a baby before Jax, but now… I couldn’t be more excited. The thought of a child that looked like him was the most beautiful thought. Our family would grow.

A kiss to my ear woke me. “Good morning.” I smiled into Jax’s warmth.

“Mhmm.” I moaned, and he continued kissing me.

“I have to admit, I really like waking up with you.”

“You make it sound so shameful,” he said jokingly.

“Seriously, it’s nice.” I rolled onto my back. His body quickly hovered over mine. “I love you.”

He watched me. “How much?”

I pursed my lips and let my eyes wander for a moment. “This much.” I held my thumb and index finger just an inch apart.

“God, you’re such a bad liar, you know that?” His head lowered and his lips caressed mine.

Jax made love to me all morning, touching me, loving me. I couldn’t get enough of his amazing touch. My life a year ago was good when everything was in its place, but this… here… now life was so much more than I ever could have hoped for.

I rolled off of Jax after another orgasm in attempt to catch my breath just before his phone rang. “Thank God that waited a few minutes, huh?” I laughed feeling his kisses on my nipple.

“I’ll deal with it.” He rolled off of me to the edge of the bed. “Yeah?” Silence. “What time is it?” Jax fumbled for his watch. “Okay, Mickie, I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“Don’t leave, it’s Saturday.” I pouted playfully.

He leaned down onto the bed pressing a kiss to my lips. “I wasn’t going to tell you until later… but, I have a surprise for you. Be ready by four.” His white teeth shined through his brilliant smile.

“A surprise? What should I wear?” I giggled. God, I was so happy.

“Alessandra will have all of the info when the time is right. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.”

“Wow, I’m really impressed that you went to all that trouble, Mr. Moretti.”

“Really? Why? Haven’t I spoiled you enough? Should I step up my game a bit, Mrs. Moretti?” He raised his brows.

I shook my head. “No, you’re wonderful.”

“Okay good, you had me worried.” He blew out a relieved, playful breath. “I have to go for a few hours, but I’ll be back soon.” He pressed a kiss to my lips once again.

Jax dressed and left before I’d gotten out of bed. The clock read 11:04 am, so I got up and showered.

By the time I was appropriate to leave the suite, the clock read 12:30 pm. I hopped down the stairs and headed to find Alessandra somewhere in the house. “Alessandra?” I was nervous about taking the test and thought I’d relax from the idea with a hot cup of tea.

Tony and Dominic were sitting at the dining room table playing cards and when they saw me the both quickly stood. “Bella, you okay?”

“I’m so much better than good.” I grinned as I continued searching for Alessandra.

I called her name a few more times and she peeked her head out of the laundry room carrying a large basket of clothing. “Isabella, is something the matter?” Her face wrinkled with worry.

I reached for the basket lifting it from her grip. “Jax said that you knew what I was supposed to dress in later?” I eyed her inquisitively.

She gave me a look that said she knew I was going to get this information from her. I wanted to laugh.

“I’m not saying a word,” she said pressing her lips closed tightly.

“Oh, I knew you wouldn’t tell me. Have you had a break today?”

“I don’t take breaks. Only an old woman would need a break and I am not old.” She winked.

“Of course, but I’d like you to sit for a while and have tea with me.”

“I suppose… it wouldn’t hurt.” She hesitated.

“No, of course not.” I poured two cups of hot tea. I’d found a comfort in tea that I hadn’t found with coffee, maybe it was that every time I drank it I was sharing the moment with Jax or Alessandra and it brought a sense of peace.

“You’re glowing.” She smiled

“No, I’m not.” My cheeks heated.

“You are, but you’re happy and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

I nodded. “I am happy, He’s… so. Ah, he’s so everything, Alessandra. I’ve never felt this way before.” Maybe I was glowing. Alessandra and I finished up our tea, and I washed the cups in the sink. I always tried to help whenever I could. I didn’t like seeing her work so hard. “Alessandra, what am I supposed to wear tonight?” She didn’t answer. I finished drying the dishes then turned seeing Mickie. “Hey, is Jax back already?” He’d been gone long enough I missed him much.

“I’m supposed to take you to see the boss.” He clasped his hands in front of him.

I looked down to my watch seeing it was only 2:00, and I wasn’t supposed to be ready till 4:00 pm. “Well—” I said leaning against the counter, “—I wasn’t supposed to be ready to go until four.” Mickie seemed nervous. I reached for my phone that I’d sat on the counter.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling my husband.” Mickie was acting strange.

“We really need to get going.”

“Let me get Tony.”

“He’s waiting downstairs with Dominic.”

“Okay, well… let me get my bag and we’ll go.”

He nodded

I left the kitchen with a feeling that something was off. Alessandra was safe in my suite putting clothes away, so I decided to lock the door. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but I did want to call Tony. “Hey,” he answered. “Where are you?”

“Mickie told us to meet you at the Delco’s restaurant.”

“Did you get that order from Jax directly or just Mickie?”

“Just Mickie, why?”

My heart beat hard with warning.

“He said you were downstairs waiting for us. I have a bad feeling, Tony,”

“Where is he?”

“Downstairs waiting for me.”

“Lock the door and get a gun, Bella.”

“Fuck!” I hissed into the phone. I followed Tony’s orders slipping into the closet to retrieve a gun from Jax’s stash. Alessandra quickly questioned what I was doing, but I silenced her with the wave of my hand.

“Dominic is trying to call the boss now, Bella. It’s going to voicemail.”

“Oh fuck,” I whispered as my eyes found Alessandra’s.

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in just a few minutes.  Can you stall him?”

“I don’t need to stall him. Just get here as fast as you can, and send Dominic to find Jax.”

“You’re our priority, Bella. I can’t do that.”

“If you don’t find my husband you’re gonna have a lot to answer for.” I disconnected the call.

“What’s going on?” Alessandra asked nervously.

I gripped her by the shoulders. “Listen to me. I want you to hide in this closet, and do not come out for any reason unless you hear it from me or Jax, do you understand?”

“Bella, are you in danger?”

“Yes, maybe, I don’t know and, if I don’t know that you’re safe, I won’t be able to make it better. I’ll be too worried about you.” I offered a smile to calm her.

She nodded and touched my cheek. “Okay, do what you must. I love you, Isabella.”

“And I love you.”

“Isabella—” she hesitated. I kept my attention focused on her as she held my hands. “—remember that you’re a strong woman. Forget all that stuff the men tell you about being weak.” She released my hand and waved it in front of us.

If Mickie was a trader I’d figure it out and hold him accountable. I grabbed my bag and headed for the bedroom door locking it behind me. I dialed Jax’s phone and was immediately sent to voicemail. Something wasn’t right, and I was going to get to the bottom of it. I descended the stairs and crossed the corridor.

“You ready?”

“Yes, oh could you grab my sunglasses from the kitchen counter please?”

“Sure.” He hesitated and wiped his brow.

I slipped the large metal gun out of my bag removed the safety and cocked it when his back was turned.

“What the fuck?”

“Funny, I was just going to ask the same.” I cocked my head to the right. “Put your guns on the bar slowly.”

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me, Bella?”

“Again, huh, it’s like you can read my mind, Mickie. It’s impressive. Now, do what the fuck you’re told.” Mickie slipped a gun from under his jacket and laid it on the bar top. “And the other.” I held the gun firm. Once he’d done as I’d asked, I spoke. “Sit down, Mickie.” He did, but again he was hesitant. “You lied to me. You said Tony was downstairs waiting for us, but in fact you sent him to Delco’s. Why is that?”

“You gonna shoot me?”

“That depends, Mickie, where’s my husband?”

“He’s waiting for you, Bella.”

“So when I call him he’ll answer his phone?” A gloss washed over Mickie’s eyes, I’d seen that look before. “I called him on my way down and his phone is going to voicemail. Now, if you don’t start talking I’m gonna put a bullet in your balls.”

“You don’t even know how to shoot a gun, Bella, put it down,” he laughed.

“Here’s the thing, you see, when I was growing up I got to go the shooting range…a lot.” I widened my eyes. “Yeah it was boring then, but turns out… it paid off.” I winked.

“Bullshit,”

“Honestly, Mickie you’re wearing on my patience. Tell me where the fuck Jax is or I’m gonna fucking hurt you. You have five seconds.” I drew in a breath. “One… Two… Three… Four… Five.” Aim and shoot. That’s what Tony and Sal had always said. I pointed the already cocked gun into the direction of Mickie’s balls deciding maybe that wasn’t such a great place to start. The gun fired hitting him in the left knee. He screamed so loud. “I’ll bet that shit burns, huh?”

“You fucking bitch!”

“I knew I never liked you.” I shook my head. “Eventually, I’ll run out of places to shoot you, Mickie, and I’ll have to blow your balls off. Center of gravity and all that.” I was so calm and it was eerie how comfortable I felt shooting a man. “Tell me where he is.”

“Fuck you!” I shrugged shooting his right knee. He screamed again.

“Where… is... Jax?” He didn’t answer from the place he’d crawled onto the floor.

“Bella!” Tony screamed from the front door. “What the fuck?” he yelled when he saw Mickie’s blood all over the floor. “Give me the gun, Bella.”

“Fuck you, Tony. You’re going to take my orders until my husband is found.

“I always knew you should have been a boy,” he laughed.

“Hold him down! I’ll go for the nuts next.”

“Holy fuck, Bella, stop! She’s fucking crazy!”

“Dude, you just now figuring that shit out, you’re kinda late to the party.” Tony laughed.

“I’m fucking made, you do this and it’s your death ticket,” Mickie told Tony.

“You have anything to do with my husband disappearing and they’ll never find your body. I’ll tell everyone you’re a rat. No one will fucking care who it was that killed you. Hold him down.” I ordered.

“Okay, okay!” he cried.

“What the fuck?” Dominic and Sal entered through the door.

Tony hushed them quickly.

“Where is he?” I demanded from Mickie.

“The docks.”

“Is he hurt?”

“I don’t know.” he shook his head.

“Where exactly can he be found?”

Mickie spilled everything he knew about Jax. He said that this was an inside job cashed out by Salvatore Casconi.

“What are you going to do with me?” That was a great question.

I approached Mickie with sympathy in my eyes, “You did really good giving up the info. I guess that really does make you a rat.” I placed the gun flush with his forehead and pulled the trigger. I felt absolutely no remorse whatsoever. I guess that made me a murderer. Blood sprayed all over the sofa and Tony. “Get this cleaned up. I need to get to Jax.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

I laughed manically looking Sal in the eyes. “Get a fucking sheet.” My face was flat and hardened. I slipped the gun into my pants and walked up the stairs to get Alessandra. I prepared her for the display that she’d walk in on. I left out the part where I was the one that killed Mickie. Sal was on the phone when we came back down. “Hang it up, now!” He quickly did, as I demanded. “You go telling someone he’s gone, what happens then?”

“Bella, you don’t get to call the shots,” Sal hissed.

“I do and I did.”

There’s protocol, Bella, the underboss and Jax’s people need to know what’s going on.”

“Fuck that, if we couldn’t trust Mickie, why think we could trust anyone else?”

“She’s got a point,” Dominic answered.

Sal drew in a deep breath running his hands through his hair. “Yeah, you’re right. If Casconi is the one that set this up, we need a plan.”

“Awesome, you sit here twiddling your thumbs thinking of a plan, and I’ll be rescuing Jax,” I sneered.

“Do you have any idea how ridiculous it is having a woman doing a man’s job?”

“If you would have been doing your job, this shit wouldn’t have happened.”

“Damn it!” Tony cursed as he re-entered the room. “I’m gonna have that guy’s brains in my hair forever… fuck!”

“Tony!” I nodded to Alessandra.

I left Alessandra in the house with Mickie’s body. I didn’t want to leave her like that, but I needed to find Jax.

We arrived at the dock where Mickie had said Jax was. There were two men standing outside smoking cigarettes.

“Do you know them?” I asked no one in particular.

The three guys shook their heads. No one knew who they were.

“I’ve never seen them before, probably some of Casconi’s crew.

“Obviously.” I rolled my eyes. I realized these guys took much longer to get the idea of things. “We need to figure out how many are inside.”

“I knew we shouldn’t have let her watch those action movies with us when she was growing up.” Tony laughed. He was the only one that seemed amused I was taking over.

“You take these two quietly, and the rest of us can sneak inside,” I ordered to Sal then to the others.

The area was quiet with no one in sight besides the two that were smoking. Dominic led the way crouching down as we approached the metal building.

We entered through a side door, each one of us carrying a gun. The building was a warehouse of some kind with only a few crates that I could see.

“This way.” Sal waved me to a flight of metal stairs. We ascended as quietly as we could, but caused an echo anyway. “Shh, there's one man inside,” Sal said crouched down under a window. “The boss is inside.”

“You see him? Is he alive?” He waved me to be quiet as he stood against a wall looking into the window. Without warning his gun fired, the sound muffled by the silencer attached to the muzzle.

“Come on.”

I stood and leaped over the threshold to see Jax in a chair bound and gagged. “Jax,” I hissed. My throat tightened. I felt as though a part of me had just died, and if Jax wasn’t okay…if he was dead, I would be dead, too.

“Jax.”

 

—Jax—

 

Leaving Bella behind was difficult. I knew I’d have to get back to the bullshit eventually, but for now, I wanted to be nowhere besides in my bed with my beautiful wife.

Mickie called requesting I meet him to handle some family shit. And since he wasn’t with me I decided on driving myself. Somethin’ I rarely did now that I was the boss. A lot of people wanted to see me dead, so I had to be careful not to get into a situation that would put the family in a vulnerable position.

My phone rang, and I reached into my suit jacket to retrieve it. “Yeah.”

“Boss, you almost here?”

“Yeah, and this better be good.”

“It is, boss, I promise.”

I arrived at the big metal warehouse we used for import business. I parked my car inside the large door and stepped out. Mickie was standing with a few other men I didn’t recognize. “What’s going on?” The other men didn’t even acknowledge me, and right away I knew something wasn’t right. “Mickie?” A gun was in my face before I had a chance to react. “What the fuck is this?”

“This? This is business, boss. There’re some people that want what you have and are willing to pay a pretty penny to have it.”

“You fucking sold me out? I took you under my wing when you were nothin’.”

“You see what I’m sayin’, this guy.” He waved the gun in front of my face.

“You don’t know shit. I’ve been doin’ deals and runnin’ shit behind your back for years.”

My gun was just inside of my jacket. If I could get to it, I would have a chance. “What do you want, Mickie?”

“Me? The Russians make sure I’m taken care of as long as I’m feeding them info.”

“This is the Russians?” I slid my hand inside my jacket. BANG. A shot to my arm, a burn, and then a piercing pain shot through me. “FUCK!”

Mickie laughed, “Hey, that hurt me more than it hurt you,” the other men laughed. “That wife of yours, mmm, when you’re dead I’m gonna hit that shit hard. I’m gonna put that smart ass mouth of hers to use.” Everyone laughed and suddenly the pain in my arm was dulled.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you, Mickie.”

“No, boss, I’m gonna kill you. Well, the Russians are gonna kill you while I’m fucking your wife.”

I sprinted forward. BANG! Another shot this time to my chest and I collapsed.

“Come on, let’s get him upstairs.”

My body was dragged across the warehouse then the stairs. Breathing was difficult and consciousness was a joke. I moved my arms searching for a gun or phone, feeling nothing. My body was cold and a gurgling noise came from my lungs.

“I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got a prize I’m going for. Don’t leave anything behind.” I heard Mickie’s voice.

I moved my legs and felt around on the floor for anything to kill these motherfuckers with.

“Orlov wanted to be here himself, but he’s a busy man now that he’s got all of your territories.”

Mickie hadn’t taken care of him? All these weeks he’d said he’d handled it. “Wait.” My vision was blurry. I focused as best as I could but nothing helped. I still couldn’t make the men out.

“Rest in peace,” the Russian accent laughed.

I took a long uncontrolled breath and sank into death’s wasteland.

 

—Bella—

 

I ran to Jax’s side seeing him lying on the floor and all color washed from his face after Sal had untied him from the chair. It shook me, I grabbed him feeling his lifeless body under my touch. “Jax!” I screamed, unable to hear my own voice. “Jax?” I shook him.

“Bella!” Tony ran to my side. “Stop!”

“Is he alive?” Tears poured down my face. “Is he alive?” I screamed again. “Jax, wake up, wake up, baby. I’m here, you’re gonna be okay.” I pressed my head against his chest listening for a breath or heartbeat. There was blood everywhere. But he couldn’t be dead. “Jax,” I shook him again, “you’re the first person I think about when I wake up. You promised you’d never leave me, so wake up!” I sobbed uncontrollably.

“Bella, stop!” Sal grabbed me from behind. “Bella, he’s gone, he’s gone.”

“NO!” I cried.”

“Fuck!”

“Who the fuck did this?”

All of their voices were mere echoes. I was lost inside of myself, and now I was covered in Jax’s blood.

“Get an ambulance. Get him to the hospital.”

“I already called Marco. He’s on the way.”

“Get someone here to help him,” I demanded.

“Wait!” Dominic hushed everyone. “Did you see that?”

“Did we see what?”

“The boss.” He dropped to his knees feeling Jax’s chest. “There,” he pressed his head to his chest, “he has a heartbeat and he’s barely breathing, but he is breathing.”

“Bubbles… there—his nose.” I pulled away from Sal hovering over Jax. He’s alive. Baby, stay with me.” I cried historically. Jax, don’t leave me, we are going to have a baby.

“The bullet pierced his lung. It’s collapsed.”

We counted every breath Jax had until Marco and another paramedic came to help us. Sal held me back while the people worked and put him into an ambulance.

“I’m going with him,” I fought against Sal, “I’m not leaving him.’’

***

We had been sitting in the hospital waiting room for ten hours. I hadn’t eaten or slept. I refused to move from my spot in the waiting room for fear I’d be gone when they came out of surgery. They said they would do everything they could but the odds were not in his favor. Tony and Sal hadn’t left my side. There were crews all over the place in and out of the hospital.

From what I’d heard from Tony, it was the Russians. They found out when I’d ordered Tony to have Sam brought to me. I was gonna put a bullet in his head like I had Mickie’s, but he didn’t do it. Mickie didn’t think we’d find him or maybe he thought they’d kill us first.

I sat here for the last ten hours planning their deaths, every dark and twisted one of their deaths. I’d write it down, but the feds could use that against me. Instead, I’d simply do it myself. I’d walk in and shoot them all.

“Mrs. Moretti?” I heard someone announce.

My weak body stood. “Yes!” Tony walked me into a small room. My body was ice cold and my heart beat hard and fast as I feared what he was going to say.

“Is he okay?”

His face was pale. He looked so much weaker than I felt.

“We did everything that we could Mrs. Moretti.” I collapsed. “He’s lost a lot of blood. We were able to retrieve the bullets from his lung and arm but the head trauma…he has severe swelling, and until that decreases we will be in the dark.”

“Is he going to live?”

“We have to take it hour by hour. Our hope is that he can make it through the first twenty-four hours, and if we get that far then the chances get better and better.”

“So there's a chance he could make it?” Tony asked.

“I’m going to be honest… I’m not sure how he’s still with us. He took a beating but he’s a fighter, so yes, I think there is a chance, however small, but yes.”

“Can I see him?” I needed to hold him.

“Yes, he’s in the ICU, but I need to warn you, he’s intubated. He has a breathing machine, that can be scary if you’re not expecting it.”

I wiped the tears from my face. “I need to see my husband.”

The doctor walked us into the ICU.

We approached the cold, dark room. Jax was in a hospital bed and sure enough, he had tubes in his mouth and IV’s in his arms. Tears welled in my eyes seeing him like that. I approached the bed afraid to touch him. I didn’t know if he’d make it, but I prayed that he would. I loved Jax Moretti.

Tony slipped inside of the room rounding the bed. “We’re gonna get them, Bells.”

“Tony, I want them all dead.” I paused. “Bring me, Orlov. I want to kill him myself, do you understand?”

He nodded “I understand where you’re comin’ from Bella, but you can’t do that. He wouldn’t want that.”

“Bring me Orlov, Tony.” I stood tall. I would kill him. I would make him pay.

“Bella.”

“He tried to kill my husband, Tony. Bring him to me.”

He drew in a deep breath watching Jax.

“If this was you, Jax would avenge you. I’d avenge you. We’re family, and we must protect our own. Bring him to me.”

Tony watched me for a long moment and without another word he walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To make them pay.”

I nodded.

Tony stood still for a moment, watching between Jax and I and then silently left the room.

I’d stay with Jax until he woke up, and I’d have revenge for him too. I sat down beside the bed and laid my head on his cold hand. I slipped into the darkness of sleep holding onto the love I never thought I’d have, and I’d do everything to hang on to that.