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“Luca, we can’t land. There’s another helicopter on the roof,” she says, her voice trembling.
“Shit,” Luca’s deep voice crackles through the speaker. “It’s gotta be Vincenzo. Where are you now?”
I lean in. “We’re circling Manhattan. The pilot’s trying to find a safe landing spot.”
“Listen carefully,” Luca says, his tone urgent. “We’re not far away now, so land somewhere else. Anywhere away from your building and get the pilot to turn the radios into incognito mode. When you touch down, stay put. Let us know where you are, and we’ll come and get you.”
Amelia nods, even though Luca can’t see her. “Okay. What about Vincenzo?”
“Don’t worry about him,” Luca growls. “We’ll get you and West somewhere safe first. Then we’ll deal with that bastard. Permanently.”
The call ends, and Amelia looks at me, her eyes wide with fear. I squeeze her hand to reassure her.
“Jack,” I call out. “Find us the nearest safe landing spot. Now. And keep the location off the airwaves.”
“Yes, sir,” comes the response. “There’s a cleared area near the East River. I can put us down there in two minutes, or would you prefer a rooftop?”
“East River is fine,” I reply.
“Yes, sir.”
I pull out my phone, my fingers flying over the screen as I dial Callum’s number. The helicopter’s blades whir loudly above us, but I can still hear the ring on the other end.
“Boss?” Callum’s voice comes through, clear and alert despite the late hour.
“Callum, I need you to bring a car to the East River, now,” I say, my voice tight with urgency. “We can’t land at the penthouse. There’s a complication.”
Amelia’s eyes are on me, her hand gripping mine tighter.
“Understood, sir,” Callum replies without hesitation. “Where exactly on the East River?”
I glance at the pilot, who holds up three fingers. “We’ll be touching down in about three minutes. I’ll send you our exact location once we land.”
“I’m on my way,” Callum says. “I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
I end the call and turn to Amelia, whose face is pale in the dim light of the helicopter. “Callum’s coming with a car. We’ll be okay.”
She nods, but I can see the fear in her eyes. “Shouldn’t we wait for Luca?”
I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “I don’t want to sit here, waiting for Vincenzo to shoot you. I’d prefer to get you home.”
Amelia leans into my touch, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again, there’s a spark of determination there. “You’re right. I trust you.”
The helicopter begins its descent, the lights of the city growing closer. I can see the dark blue ribbon of the East River below us, a strip of emptiness between the sea of buildings.
“Brace yourselves,” the pilot calls back. “We’re coming in for a bumpy landing.”
Amelia’s pulse races where our hands are joined.
As we descend, the city grows larger beneath us.
My blood roars.
The helicopter touches down with a much gentler bump than I braced myself for. Minutes later, the rotors slow to a stop.
“We’re here,” I say, already reaching for my phone to text Luca and Callum about our location and our plans. “Now we wait.”
I help Amelia out of the helicopter, my eyes scanning the darkened area around us. The East River laps gently, but my heart pounds in my chest as we wait, every second feeling like an eternity.