The Billionaire’s Pawn

STRIKER

“Are you gonna tell me what this trip is all about?” I felt she would not stop until she got the answer.

“Once we’re in the jet.”

“Last night, you told me you would tell me in the morning.”

“I know what I said, London.”

She stopped when she noticed I wasn’t in a mood anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed talking to her. And I set aside my anger toward her because I had to end a threat to her family. That was why I stayed at home for a night. I wanted to make sure we were on our way to Italy before she figured out about our father’s involvement with the two most prominent crime families in Italy.

We made it to the private airport. Reed stopped the car in the hangar. Moses’ car instantly came to view while Briggs appeared from the jet, gesturing us to go up as he climbed down to help Reed for our suitcases from the trunk.

“I got it.” I picked up London’s small duffel before she could pull it out. “Do you have anything else left in the car?”

“No.” I could hear the anger in her voice in just one word. She was still upset with me. I got that. But she didn’t know what I had sacrificed for her family, and she had no idea how many lives were at stake for this trip.

London climbed up, and I followed suit. Moses was giving a hundred bucks to Linden, which confused me, but London seemed unaware of what was going on as she kissed Moses’ cheek.

“How are you doing, Mr. Braddson?”

“I’m your father-in-law, London. You are my daughter now. Call me pa.”

“Pa, it is.” She gave me a small smile to my father.

“What was that?” I hugged Moses.

“I’ll keep the change, sir.”

“That’s for the gelato later, Linden,” my father said with amusement.

“Aren’t you going to tell me?”

“I told him you stayed at home last night, hence the not answering my call and why you two were late,” Linden answered me instead.

“So you betted on us?” I looked at both of them. “And you thought we made up and lived happily ever after. Unbelievable. I stayed last night because I have to pack some clothes, and then we can come here together. That would save time.”

“Yet, you’re still late. And you don’t have to be so defensive, Striker. We’re just guessing-”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“You mean betting.”

“Well, I won a hundred bucks.” Linden chuckled.

“The change is mine,” I said before I walked through the aisle.

London was already in her seat as I put her hand carry on the divan. I took a seat across from her, gazing behind the window.

“We’ll talk to Pa once the jet takes off.”

“Okay.” She barely gave me her attention, which somehow hurt my feelings.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Linden came over with open arms and a smile on his face.

“I thought you didn’t wanna talk to me,” she said flatly, standing up to hug him.

“Even if we haven’t talked for weeks, you will always have a place in my heart. You are family, sweetheart.”

“Good to know.” She returned to her seat to buckle her seatbelt as the captain announced we were about to fly.

Linden left and went behind to be with Reed.

A few minutes passed, and London hadn’t moved or looked at me.

“He always asked me about you,” I said to ease the tension between us.

“I care about him and can’t compete against you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s your brother, and I’m the adopted-no. I’m the homeless one. Linden was the shelter.”

“He never, and I never think you are the homeless. You are a part of the family.”

“I don’t feel like it anymore after what I’ve done.” Sadness crept into her voice and glimmered in her eyes.

Before I could reply, the seatbelt sign was off, and Moses called my name. “Can you two come over here?”

We went to him. He was working on the laptop with an untouched whiskey glass on the table. I let London sit across from my father and went to her side.

“Are you okay, London?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Did Dad talk to you?” I asked my father.

“If yelling at me the entire call is talking, then yes.”

“That’s what caused us to come late.”

“I told him nothing to worry about, but he never listened.” He then went his full attention back to my wife. “I know you’ve been thinking, what’s this flight all about.”

“Yes, sir. Pa. I guess Cade didn’t want to tell me. But we’re going to Italy, right?”

“Striker made a deal with your father to buy LH at a reasonable price. In return, I will help him settle his dispute with someone.”

“Dispute? Someone? Who?”

“Five years ago, he met a woman, Gianna.”

“Your brother’s mother,” I added.

“Come again?” Her eyes widened as she bounced her gaze between us. “Brother? I have a brother? How did I not know about him?”

“You had a brother,” I rephrased.

“What happened?” she asked immediately, blinking the sadness away.

“They fell in love. Your father wasn’t aware of her clan. She wanted out of the family business. Long story short, she got pregnant and hid it from her family. She died of childbirth.”

“Oh, God.” She covered her mouth with her hands in shock. There, I saw the pain in her eyes. “And the baby?”

Dad shook his head. “He died just an hour after he was born.”

“Ohmigod. Why haven’t I heard of it? That’s awful.” She wallowed. “That’s terrible. I can’t believe my father never told me about this.”

“I guess we all have our own way of showing our love to our children. I’m not a good father or a son, London. Your father didn’t tell you this because he didn’t want you to look at him differently.”

“Like how?”

“He went to great lengths to protect you from this mess because this isn’t just a mess. It’s a blood feud.”

“Please, just tell me already. I’m a grown woman. I always felt like I was always in the dark my entire life. I deserve to know if I am in great danger.”

“You already are. The family of the woman who died has been taunting your father. Linus even involved my son in his quest to end this. It was to tie Striker in marriage.”

“How did Cade fit into all of this?”

“Because I know the only person who can help him.”

“I’m still confused.”

“Conti crime family. The woman is Conti.”

“Crime? Crime family,” she muttered, then she looked at me. I could see her mind reeling with so many questions. “Crime? Like criminal, illegal, mob?”

“Conti is mafia, Vanderford,” I answered.

She looked at me as if I had just said something funny. She then covered her mouth as she laughed. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, I’ve heard of them, but that doesn’t mean they exist. Are they really killers?”

“Among other things. Embezzlement, illegal drugs, extortion. And that’s we are going,” I answered.

Her laugh dried. Her face was ashen when she realized we were not messing with her. “We are going to meet a criminal? Why would we do that? And then what? They kill us too?”

“To help your father. Your life is at stake too, London.”

“Why didn’t he just end this?”

“He’s been doing that for years, paying them money, but still, they’re asking for more, or they will start by killing you.”

“Pa.” I groaned as I squeezed my eyes shut at my father’s blunt reply. My jaw ticked to see her look so terrified.

My father looked at me. “She wants an answer. And she needs to know the truth because her father isn’t capable of giving it to her.”

“Will you stop treating me like a delicate doll? I can handle the truth, Stiker.” She put on a brave face even if she was terrified.

“I didn’t say you are a delicate doll. I just want you to absorb this information slowly. I’ve faced violence and deaths, but when my father told me about this, it took me a while to wrap it around my head.”

“I’m fine,” she replied stubbornly. “Now, my life is in danger because of a woman.”

“She’s the daughter of the head of a crime family. The sister of the man who ordered to kidnap you.”

“W-what? What do you mean?” The color drained from her face. London looked like she was about to collapse.

“Pa, please?”

“H-He kidnapped me? The guy. Ivy.”

“No, Vanderford. Ivy is just a small fish in the ocean.”

“Ivy. They killed him, didn’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, God.” She grabbed the glass of whiskey of my father. She gulped it empty and grimaced as she put the glass back. “They asked for payment. Why haven’t they stopped?”

“Blood for blood. They believe that your father killed a family member-a woman, by choosing the baby over the mother. Since your father has lots of money, they demand more.”

“I think Conti enjoyed much with your father’s money and only waiting for him to make a wrong move,” I told her.

“They got twenty million. What else do they want? My father’s life? My life?”

“Your father is selfish,” I said bluntly.

“I’m aware of that.” She glared at me. “He chose his money over me. And now I understand why he sold me to you because he wants to live and let me die.”

“You’re not gonna die, honey. As long as I’m alive, no one will touch you. Do you understand?” Moses put his hand over London’s, assuring her.

“Pa, how do you know that?” Every time she called my father pa, a part of me rejoiced.

“Because I will protect you like how I protect my son.”

“Yet you’re going to take us there. For what? For an exchange?”

“Don’t worry. You’re not collateral. They won’t touch you. And your father is on the way there too.”

“How does it work anyway?”

“Siciliano’s daughter is married to Conti’s son, the underboss. Siciliano owed me his life when I saved him long ago.”

So this was the real story he’d been keeping from me.

“I had no idea he was groomed to be a crime lord. Siciliano is more powerful than Conti. You see, the family had been rivals since the first generation, but because of the star-crossed marriage between their sons, they ceased killing both families, but still, the tension is just a matter of a spark to start the fire again.”

“They’re gonna kill each other if one of the family members makes a slight wrong move,” I told London.

“Your father came to me asking for my help, but I didn’t know him, so I declined. Now, you are married to my son. See his point?”

“And you are willing to help my father because of me.”

“Yes.”

“Why did he have to involve you both? Why doesn’t he surrender himself and admit his mistake? Or asks help from the authority.”

“Authority won’t help when it comes to crime families because they are violent. They never play by the rules. Listen to me, London. I’ve made many mistakes throughout my life, and one thing I regret the most is my son abandoning him. Every time I watched him hug another father from afar, it broke me into pieces. I love my son more than anything this world can offer. When your father tried to kill me, somehow, he helped me see and hold my son again.” I couldn’t believe Moses knew all along.

“He did what now?” As her eyes grew bigger, she placed a hand on her chest.

“He paid someone to sabotage my jet, spied on my company, and used my son as leverage. I get it he was desperate because the Conti was close to getting what they wanted.”

“Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I feel awful. And here you are, helping my father and me. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t want you to regret not doing something to save your father. I can feel that he loves despite being who he is.”

“He’s an asshole.” I chuckled.

“I’m going to help him because I gave my son my word, London.”