Neal.The moment that I hung up with James, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. One thing was for sure though, I needed to speak with Beck and find out exactly who this person was and what they looked like. The only problem was that Becca had no interest in really speaking to me about anything unless I came forward and told her what I had been up to.Taking a deep breath, I mustered up the courage to get up from where I had currently been sitting and make my way out into the main part of the living room. The moment that I walked down the hallway, I felt my pulse racing, my heart beating rapidly out of my chest as I turned the corner and saw Becca in the kitchen, currently unpacking whatever it was that she had purchased during the day.There was a determination and frustration in the way that she moved as she slammed things down onto the counter and let out a heavy sigh. I instantly regretted my decision to try to come and speak to her, but before I could turn and go
Becca.With Neal finally telling me what exactly was wrong with him, I found myself at a loss for words when I realized that the danger I had once been in was no longer over. In fact, it had only died down for a short time. And now, with the rising slowly coming, I knew that the inevitable would eventually happen.Standing in the kitchen, staring out the window over the lush blue ocean with white capping waves that came upon the shore as soon as it had hit the sandbar, I tried to let my mind work over everything that he had told me. How was it that after so much hard work and trying to start over, my life once again was slowly starting to spin out of control?Was it so hard for a girl like me to simply ask for peace? To be able to raise her children as she saw fit, without having people constantly trying to interfere? Not to mention, I had just gotten my father here and his wife, and with them coming here, it was supposed to be an amazing time, not full of chaotic hell that se
James.By the time Neal got back to me on what needed to be done, it was already 24 hours later. I had been nothing, but a panicked mess through all of it, and when he informed me that he didn't find anything on the car, but they had had a conversation with Becca about some of the stuff that was going on, I knew without a doubt that she was more than likely losing her mind.Or at least that was what I was assuming.She wasn't built for the life that we lived. She wasn't built to go through this chaos, and time and time again, she was brought into it because of me, because of the choices that I made when I was younger.Neal had gone into town and looked around at different shops to pull footage, and while he was able to see the man, neither he nor I recognized him. He looked like a local, but yet, some of the local people who had been there for years had never seen the man before.I was worried. Worried this could potentially be someone that could cause damage to her to me
James.I wasn't really sure what to expect when my uncle told me that he wanted me to come to this family gathering where they were going to have food and drinks and reminisce on certain things before he made his big announcement. But I can tell you right now, the last thing I expected was for there to be a turnout the size that there was.At least 100 people were present. Even several people my uncle did business with were here.This wasn't something that typically happened in our world, and in fact, I had never been or heard of an attendance like this. Perhaps it was only a few people that he did business with, yet, my uncle meandered around the room in his designer three-piece suit, looking absolutely spiffy as hell. I couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.The man was a mystery I was still trying to figure out."It's going to be a grand announcement. Are you ready, cousin?" Ronaldo said as he stepped up next to me. I wasn't quite sure what he was referring to, b
Becca.Two days. Neal had had two days to figure out exactly what was going on, and now that it had been two days, I was sick and tired of being cooped up in the house. I wanted to be able to go out and take care of a few things that were absolutely necessary, like going to a cafe, going to the store, silly things like that. But even though two days had passed, Neal was still persistent that I stay at the property and not leave unless absolutely necessary.And by absolutely necessary, he meant with him, with me.I was tired of living like this, and honestly, all I wanted to do was to be able to have the freedom that I had when I first moved to New Zealand. As more and more time went by, I became pretty adamant that I was overthinking things, and Neal was being too overly cautious about something that wasn't even anything to begin with.He always thought that someone was following me, that something was going on. He had no single clue what was going on. The guy that had met m
Becca.In absolute disbelief, my reaction time slowed considerably. The moment that I saw the gun. I froze in fear, and as he moved towards me, I panicked. I should have listened to Allegra and Neal. I should never have gone out on my own, but part of me didn't want to believe that there was actually somebody out there trying to come after me."What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" I breathed out as my back came in contact with the side of my car."Look, you seem like a nice lady, but I need something, and you're the collateral that's going to get it for me."Collateral. How was I supposed to be collateral? "I can't help you. I'm nobody. Please just let me go." My begging was useless. Staring at the sinister grin upon his face, I knew there was no way in hell he was going to allow me to go. Whatever he needed me for, he was willing to have somebody else in this parking lot see him point a gun at me just to ensure that he could get it.This situation between us
Neal.The moment that I came home and saw that Becca wasn't there, I freaked out. A million and one things ran through my mind, and the one thing that stuck out the most was the fact that she was out there having left the house, even though Allegra and I both told her not to, and now she was in danger.I should have known that she wouldn't have sat home willingly. Two days was all that she allowed, and I had stupidly agreed to it as if that was going to be enough time to do what needed to be done.Looking at her right now in front of me alive was a relief I hadn't expected to feel. However, knowing that she came close to death because of people I had pissed off killed me. I had never thought my past would come back to find me, but I should have. The moment that my sister, and I came out of hiding and killed Sergei I should have known.Yet, I was foolish. "Look, it's complicated...." My comment wasn't one that she wanted, and as I tried to find the words to explain to her
James.The moment that Neal called me and informed me of what happened to Becca, I had about lost my mind. While I was sitting there shaking hands with people trying to get them to help me figure out who was after Becca, she had been attacked by people that Neal and Allegra had issues with.I knew who they were. Xavier was the youngest of three brothers, a pain in the ass that I had run across more than once in the business world. He was ruthless when he wanted something and a bit of a playboy who loved to show off his money.Patrick, the middle child, died when he was younger, and I didn't know back then that Neil was the one who had killed him. But after he explained it to me that situation kind of made sense, why they'd also be pisssed off at not only what he did, but what his father did too.The oldest brother, though, he was the one you had to worry about. Andre was a man who didn't find remorse in anything that he did. He didn't care if he hurt you, he didn't car