HER ATTRACTION

SIX: THE KIDNAP

Throughout the get-together party, Isabella was not herself. She was thinking about the phone call with her brother. Even when they ate a late-night dinner after the party, she barely touched her food.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Adrian asked at the table.

She looked at him and looked at the whole family, then she smiled. "I am fine, Adrian."

Adrian pushed on. "But, you don't seem fine. I asked you if you would be able to come..."

Isabella had wanted to snap at him had his mom not stepped in.

"Adrian, leave the poor girl alone, I'm sure she is still shocked by the earlier incident. At least, we ain't meeting Isabella for the first time. We all know that she is fun to be with, right?"

"But, she denied ever being in shock," Adrian started to mutter.

"Adrian," his mom cautioned. "Can't you see it from her point of view? She had promised you already and wouldn't want to go back on that. Cut Isabella some slack."

Isabella looked at the woman and nodded a thank you. Mrs. Hart smiled at her.

"I want to make an announcement..." Chris said cheerfully.

"You want to break a news instead," Salome, Chris' wife corrected gently.

Everyone at the table looked at them eagerly, except Isabella who was there in body but not fully there.

"News, announcements, they are all the same. I'm just too happy to say anything right," Chris cooed.

"That means it's good news," Mrs. Hart said with a smile.

"Yes, of course. We are expecting a beautiful baby!" Chris said happily.

Mrs. Hart grasped. "Oh, my goodness! That's great news."

"Congratulations bro," Simon said and shook his brother's hand.

"Thank you," Chris replied, looking proud.

Angela went and hugged Salome. "You did it, girl," she said.

Salome beamed with smiles and thanked her. Even Isabella was shaken by the news. She smiled at Salome reached out and held her hand.

"Congrats."

"Thank you."

"Is that why you are glowing so much?" Isabella asked.

"Am I? A baby comes with joy," Salome replied.

Everyone congratulated the expecting parents. After all congratulations and all, Mr. Hart stood up and proposed a toast. They toast to long life, to the new parents and love and togetherness.

A few minutes later, Adrian and Isabella set out to go. Mr & Mrs. Hart bade them farewell.

"Please take care of Isabella!" Mrs. Hart called out.

"I will," Adrian said with indifference.

Isabella knew he wasn't alright, he was mad at her for looking all somber at the party and the dinner. He didn't open the door for her to go in and she didn't even wait for him to open the door for her. She went into the car and waited for him to finish whatever he was doing. When he finally got in, he didn't say a word to her until they drove a few miles away from his family home.

"You ruined the party," he said his eyes still focused on the road.

"Oh, please, spare me that."

"Spare you that?"

"Yes, please. Like I had everyone's happiness in my hands?!"

"That's not the point, I asked if you could make it there and you said yes! I asked if you were alright!"

"Don't yell at me, don't freaking yell at me," Isabella cautioned.

"I'm not yelling at you, I'm just..."

"Well, you don't have to be anything. You were so insensitive to notice that I was alright until you came back to pick me up the second time!"

Adrian looked like he was hit by a sudden reality. "What do you mean? Bella are you okay? Did you get a threat message? Was anyone hiding in your closet or bathroom? Talk to me."

Isabella eyed him. "So much for being caring."

"Bella, talk to me."

"I'm going back to Italy."

"What?" Adrian stared at her.

"Watch the road so you won't get us killed.

"No, not that, repeat what you said before that."

She looked at him. "I said, I'm afraid I would be going back to Italy."

Adriana's tank indicated that it was almost empty and he just stared at the icon.

Riccardo walked down the lonely road. He had slept the whole day in that shack at the old train station and he still felt like he had been thrown down a ten-story building. His side still hurt, but he would have to manage until he gets back to Italy and treats it for infection, as long as it wasn't bleeding anymore. He had no place in mind, he was just waiting to get lucky. If he could see any car approaching, he could steal the car and use the navigator to find his way to anywhere he could get to call his dad. His dad would figure it out from there. But he had walked for God knows how long and not a single car was in sight.

He wondered if it was too late or if the road was just an abandoned one, but he kept walking, he would surely find a place, a car, or a house. He needed to find his way out of America that night or at least get to his dad so he could plan his return back home. At last, he finally saw a headlight from afar, he rejoiced within him. He quickened his step and took out his revolver from his hoodie pocket. But to his disappointment, the car rounded a corner ahead and he almost ran mad. He started running for the car.

"Goddamn those bastards," he cussed while he chased the car.

Adrian drove to the fuel station to get some fuel for his tank. He was devastated by the news Isabella broke to him and was even more devastated by the conversation that had followed. It had kept replaying in his head.

"Why? You have not gone there all your life."

Isabella had chuckled. "Are you kidding me? That's my home."

"I know. I mean, you've never been there, how are you going to cope?"

"I have brothers there. I have a family there, my father is there. I have not seen him for like five years or so."

"You sound like you are glad to go."

"I'm glad that I am finally going home, I'm just not happy that it is so sudden and I won't be coming back to America anymore."

That had hit him like a bomb. "What? Why?"

"Leonardo said America is no longer safe for me and anything Leonardo says stands."

"Bullshit! You are no longer a kid, you are all grown now. They can't keep treating you like a baby."

"But I'm their baby sister."

"Bella, I don't get you. Are you happy about this or not?"

Isabella had begun to chuckle and it had grown into laughter, she had laughed until he had seen tears in her eyes.

When she had spoken, her voice had been cracked with tears. "Do you think that I didn't kick against this? I have a life that I'm living out here in America, I have a great job that pays me well, even though my family sends me an allowance every month. I have friends I have known here all my life. I have you... Going to Italy is not the problem, after all, I need to see my home and my family once in a while, but going back there to stay forever, because my brother thinks... Oh, s**t. " She had paused for a while and had cupped her face with her hands. "I will have to start afresh again," she mumbled.

"Bella, I can help you. You can sue him for infringement of your rights. I will represent you, even dad would be ready to help you."

Isabella had shaken her head and had taken down her hands from her face. "You think I have not thought about that? I called aunt Bianca and told her about this, but she said I can't."

"Why? I'm ready to fight with everything I have."

"You can't fight my family." She had looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because my family doesn't fight legally, they fight bloody. That's what aunt Bianca said."

He kicked his foot on the tire three times in exasperation as he recalled it all. He needed alcohol in his system. Isabella had been the only woman he had loved and the only one he had planned to love, but now it seems she was fading away. He bent down and looked inside the car. She was relaxing on the seat, looking out of the window at the other side.

"Bella, I will go get some things from the store."

"Alright," Isabella said slowly.

He reached inside the car and took his wallet and headed towards the grocery store in the station.

Riccardo was in time to see the man going towards the store. He had run with his whole strength and thanked his stars that it was not another road, after all, it was just a fuel station, and the car was parked. It was perfect. He was certain the man did not take his keys. He started walking out of his hiding place, making sure there was no one looking at him. He walked stealthily towards the car and looked at the door of the shop, which was a glass door. The man was already paying for the items he bought.

He picked up a race and ran to the car. That was when the man was coming out. The man saw him, but he quickly went into the car and was surprised to see a woman in there.

"Hey!" the man yelled. "That's my car!"

The woman, who didn't seem to know what was happening, started to speak and turn. "You are back so early." She gasped when she saw that it wasn't her partner and gasped even louder with wide eyes when she recognized him.

He recognized her too. She was the angel he had set his eyes on in the morning.

"You?!" they chorused.

"Hey!" Adrian kept yelling and running to the car.

Isabella looked around and saw her boyfriend running towards the car. "Who are you? What are you doing?"

He ignited the car. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

"Let me out!" Isabella yelled.

Adrian had gotten to the car and pulled on the handle. Riccardo looked at Isabella. "I'm sorry, it's too late for that." He stepped on the accelerator and the car shot off. Adrian took quick steps back so that the tires wouldn't run on his feet and he fell on his butt.

"What?! Let me out!" Isabella yelled and looked behind her and saw Adrian running after the car. But run as he could, he could never catch up with a speeding car.