He raised an arm to one of the men behind him. The man walked out of the room and returned a short while later with Ella, bound and gagged. My first instinct was to rush over to her, but Conan elbowed me in the back, sending me to the floor. I lay looking up at Ella as I struggled to catch my breath.
Ella’s eyes were bloodshot. She had tears of fear running down her cheeks. She was trying to speak but the gag in her mouth prevented her from doing so. The physical pain I felt while trying to catch the wind that got knocked out of me paled in comparison to the pain I felt for Ella right then.
“You son of a bitch! You better pray that she’s not hurt, or I’ll . . .”
“You’ll what? You’re not in the position to make any threats here, Joe. I hold all the cards. If you behave, I might not kill your little whore. That’s up to you. Now, bring me the money or you’ll never see her again.”
Chapter Thirteen
ELEANORA
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Joe. I watched on, helplessly, as the brute elbowed him in the back. I saw Joe struggling for air and my body ached. I tried to yell out, but the gag kept me silent. When one of Abriana’s men yanked me out of the van, I was sure that it was all over. I saw my life flash before my eyes. I saw the faces of my parents, smiling and laughing as I starred in my first school play. I saw my mother’s horror as I crashed my first bicycle, sprawled on the sidewalk, blood streaming from my knee. I saw Bria and I sneaking out at night, doing what rebellious teenage girls do. I saw Joe, as he kissed me for the first time. I felt his touch as he made love to me, his soft whispers in my ear. We were finally together, living our new life in America, the excitement of new opportunities before us. This couldn’t be the end! Surely life wasn’t that cruel.
I watched as Joe walked over to the trunk of the car and retrieved a large black bag. The brute beside him took it and handed it to one of the men. He opened it and rummaged through the contents. Satisfied with his loot, he nodded to the brute, who turned back to Joe and knocked him out, cold. I tried to scream but it was no use.
Enrico dragged me back to the van and closed the door. A lifetime passed while I lay there, crying, heartbroken. When I was sure Joe had to be dead, the doors opened and Joe was thrown into the back of the van, next to me. He was lying so still I feared he was dead. Blood was trickling from a large wound at the back of his head. I nudged him with my shoulder. He didn’t move. I nudged him again. He moaned but didn’t open his eyes.
He was alive! Oh, thank you, God! The van was moving at a pace, throwing Joe and I from one side to the other. A whack against the side of the van brought Joe back to consciousness.
I nudged him with my shoulder and made the loudest noise I could manage with the gag in my mouth. Oh, thank God. He looked around at first, seemingly unaware of where he was. When he saw me, he snapped into first gear and rolled over to face me.
“Ella, my love! Are you okay?” Let me get that gag out of your mouth, my gorgeous. What have those bastards done to you?” He pulled the gag out of my mouth. Then, he kissed me, careful not to hurt my busted lip.
“Joe! I thought you’d never find me. I’m fine. It’s Abriana, Joe. Abriana took me, she . . .”
“I know, my love. She has no idea that we know it was her. The men are following us at a distance. As soon as she makes an appearance, they’ll grab her. I’m so sorry, my gorgeous. Are you hurt?”
I was so happy to see Joe that I’d forgotten about the pain. “I’m okay, Joe. Don’t worry about me. I’m worried about Abriana’s gorilla, Enrico, though. I hit out his two front teeth, and now, he’s out to get his pound of flesh.”
“It’s okay, babe. The gang is gonna kick her vicious ass to the curb. And I can’t wait.”
“I hope so, my love. I hope so.”
“Darling, why didn’t you tell me you’re pregnant?”
I watched as her eyes stared deeply into mine.
“Pregnant? Are you sure?” Her response confused me somewhat.
“You mean you don't know? But how is that even possible?” Surely that’s not something a woman forgot.
“I took the test, but they grabbed me before I had a chance to check the results.” Her face turned from confusion to joy. “Really? I’m pregnant. We’re gonna have a baby?”
“We will if I can get us out of here. You take it easy, Ella. Keep out of harm’s way.”
That would explain the nausea. I guess the lasagna was good after all. Sorry, Mama.
JOE
My beautiful Ella was being very brave, but I could see that she was in pain. She had a welt on her left cheek, and her lip was swollen. A faint bruise was developing around her left eye, a real shiner in the making. I couldn’t stand it when men hit women. It was the most cowardly act any man could perform. This Enrico dog was going to rue the day he laid eyes on Ella.
The van came to an abrupt stop, sending Ella and I sliding
