Page 52

“Based on the satellite footage in the area, no one has been in or out of the house since she left,” Noemi said as we exited her Porsche Cayenne.

We’d been in Florida for two days now, trying to find leads on where Chandler could have been with Noemi’s mother and my baby girl.

When we got a hit from tracking Gia’s phone, we knew she’d finally turned it on.

What shocked us all was when the dumb bitch called me, allowing Noemi to find her exact location even faster.

Walking past her brothers and cousin, we made our way onto the porch of a nice-sized, two-story house.

It was secluded entirely by trees that looked to have been here for centuries.

My best guess was that whoever built this house wanted it to be out of sight from passing travelers.

Taking a deep breath, I prayed that my daughter was okay.

Not only my baby but Noemi’s mother as well.

“What about the bitch in the trunk?” Luca asked as Rosier picked the lock on the door. “You want us to leave her there?”

“Now, what fun would that be?” I called out over my shoulder. “Grab the bitch and bring her inside.”

Hearing the lock on the door click, we all removed our guns from our waists and eased our way inside. I frowned instantly at the filth that met us. The house was a basic family home, but it looked as if they had been partying, as if they weren’t living on borrowed time.

“Where do you want us to sit her?” Luca asked as he came into the house with a defeated-looking Gia. He was eager to spread out with everyone else to canvas the home. “We killing her now or what?”

Before I could answer, a loud thud came from the basement, followed by terrified screams. Bypassing everyone, I ran toward the kitchen, where I knew the entrance was located, and flew down the stairs as if my legs were wings. The sight before me damn near brought me to my knees.

“Get away from me!” Gianna cried as she tried to fight Jules off, as he did his best to remove her cuffs. “My daddy will kill you all!”

“Daddy’s here, baby girl!” I rushed over. Her eyes darted toward me at the sound of my voice. “Daddy is right here, Gi Baby.”

Weeping more now that she’d seen my presence, she reached for me right as Jules got her cuffs loose.

Jumping into my arms, I held her tightly as she cried her little heart out.

My baby was bruised, dirty, and smaller than she was when she was taken.

Yet, the most important thing to me was that she was alive.

“I missed you so much, Daddy.” She locked onto my neck tightly as she sobbed. From the corner of my eye, I could see the guys and Noemi tending to their mother. “I don’t want to be with Mommy anymore.”

“You never have to be,” I assured her as I kissed all over her face. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Wait!” She stopped me as I headed toward the basement stairs. “Where is Noemi? We have to get Mama Ros outta here too!” She looked around until her eyes landed on my girl. “Noemi!”

Wiggling from my arms, she jumped down and ran over to Noemi, slower than usual.

My heart was bursting as I watched them hug and kiss all over each other.

Seeing Noemi’s mother’s love for my baby as well had me thanking God that my baby girl was sheltered even while being mistreated.

However, a slight pain in my heart was present as Gianna struggled to move her limbs.

The more I witnessed her and Noemi’s mother struggle to hold themselves upright, the more enraged I became.

A few people had signed their death certificates fucking with mine.

Knowing I would be handling that very soon, I shook off the intense need to see bloodshed and stood to greet my future mother-in-law.

"I wish it were under better circumstances, but it’s nice to see you again.” I walked over and pulled Ma Ros into a hug. She looked so weak and tired but still beautiful. “It’s almost silly to ask, but how are you?”

She gave me a small smile and patted my cheeks.

“I’ve had better days, son. I’m happy to see all of you, though.

” She looked around at us all, and our eyes welled with tears at seeing her battered and bruised in the manner she was.

“I know you all have things to handle, but Gianna and I need to get out of here. She needs a doctor to check her out because the only thing they’ve fed her these last few days was Benadryl. ”

Hearing how they’ve been treating my daughter confirmed my observation of her lack of control. I looked over, and the way Noemi was clutching and rocking my daughter, I knew she felt the same way I did about needing to see bloodshed.

“I have a place in the city that’s closer than the compound,” Rosier stated through his clenched jaw. He pulled out his phone as he made eye contact with me. “I will have our doctor meet us there?—”

“Aye, Gia! Whose car is that out there? Who the fuck are you?!” We all jerked our heads upward as the voice boomed from above us. “Get the fuck away from my girl!”

“Looks like we have company…” Jules grinned as he leaned against the wall. “I can’t wait to meet the man who thought it was a good idea to help snatch up my mama.”

Before we could make a move toward the stairs, Luca and Trench were escorting Gia and her nigga Lew down them. Once his face came into view and his eyes met our smiles, they widened, damn near bulging from their sockets. Gia’s crying fell on deaf ears and soon would be silenced permanently.

“Well, hello, Lew.” I stuffed my hands in my joggers and walked over to him. I was itching to put them on him, but I wouldn’t do that with my child present—she had seen enough. “Long time no see, my boy. You’ve had me looking for you for a few weeks now.”

“Skip, please…” Gia began to beg as Luca held onto her arm. “I’m sorry for everything. Just let me go, baby, and you will never see me again.”

“Baby?” Noemi scoffed from behind me. “I got your muthaf?—”

“Daddy… Mommy said that they were going to call you for money and that she was going to laugh when they blew your brains out. She said she was gonna do the same to me or sell me to some bad men,” Gianna spoke up, causing Noemi to gasp.

My eyes never left Gia, who appeared to be shocked at what her daughter was saying.

“She said she didn’t want me and was going to make a new baby.

I cried for you and Mi, Daddy, and all she did was hit me and tell me to shut up.

When Ma Ros held me and took up for me, she slapped her and said mean things about Noemi too. She bad, Daddy. She not sorry at all.”

The room fell silent outside of Lew’s heavy-ass breathing. Footsteps could be heard from beside me before Ma Ros came into view and walked over toward Gia. Although weak, the slap she connected to Gia’s cheek was so powerful that we all heard her neck crack.

“That’s for putting your hands on that little girl!

” She spat angrily before smirking. “You remember that ditch I was telling you about? I changed my mind. I hope your final resting place is way worse.” She grinned menacingly as Gia’s tears continued to flow.

Glancing over her shoulder, she looked back at her boys.

“Y’all, come on and take me somewhere so I can shower.

Also, I need to have a word with the masseuse who let Chandler into the spa to take me. ”

“Mama, you know that girl is already dead,” Jules chimed in as he walked over and helped her toward the stairs. “I hope you’re not too fond of your son-in-law because he’s on his way out too.”

“See, we’re not even the ones y’all need to be taking your anger out on. We didn’t have anything to do with the old broad getting snatched.” Lew huffed as he looked between Rosier and me. “He’s the one who was behind all of this. I just wanted some money.”

“Noemi, take my baby outside,” I called out to my girl. She was still holding onto my daughter. Looking from her to Gianna, I knew they were both hesitant about leaving me. “I’ll be right up… I promise.”

Sighing heavily, she nodded and tried walking past me. Grabbing her arm, I dropped a kiss on her lips before kissing Gianna’s forehead. I stepped back and watched as they ascended the stairs, taking my heart with them.

“Skip! Baby?—”

“Shut the fuck up, Gia!” Lew snapped as he snatched from Trench. “Call that nigga baby again and see what I do.”

“You ain’t gone do shit, nigga!” she yelled, charging toward him. “You’ve been fucking bitches in this house while I’ve been down here acting like a fucking caretaker! This is your fuckin’ fault.”

Having heard enough, I raised my gun, shooting them both in the foot. While Lew hopped around, howling and holding his foot, Gia dropped to the ground.

“Ah fuck!” he bellowed as his foot bled out quickly. “What the fuck, man?”

“While I wish I were able to sit around and torture you both, I need to go check on my daughter and mother-in-law.” Gia paused her wailing and frowned in disgust at my words.

“Before I go… I just want to say… you both are getting off easy. What I really wanted to do was hang you both upside down until you died from the blood rushing to your head, but my boy here has other plans.” Just then, Luca reentered the basement with two big cages.

“I wish I could stick around for the action, but hopefully, your suffering will be as great as I imagine.”

Setting the cages on the floor, Luca stepped back and opened them, releasing two of the deadliest rodents known to men: the African crested rat.

We watched as they scoured the floor. Rosier told me the lethal rats typically did not attack humans, but they were big eaters and were extremely poisonous.

As soon as the two maned rats realized the only food source down here was Lew and Gia, it was a wrap for them.