Read Online ROUGH RIDER by Nikki Wild - Free Book Online

we were alone. I gave her a pass this time, because I knew she was really worried about our only daughter.
    Our only stubborn, bullheaded, strong-willed, rebellious daughter, that is. This wasn’t the first time she’d given me a headache, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last.
    Maria poured herself a glass of red wine, taking a sip and slamming the glass back onto our imported Italian marble countertop. I flinched when I saw a chip of it break off.
    There goes another grand , I thought. But what did she care? She didn’t have to do a thing for the money, she just took and took and took, while I put my ass on the line everyday for this family.
    “Yeah, I saw the video,” Maria whined. “She kicked those goomba’s asses, but she’s still missing, Leo!” Her voice was grating on my last nerve, but I took a deep breath and patted her shaking hand.
    “Everything’s going to be alright, Maria. She’ll be found,” I said. Maria and I had been together over twenty-five years and we’d weathered some serious storms. I had every confidence we’d find our daughter safe and sound. Because nobody fucked with a Loprinzi. Everyone in the state of New York knew better than to lay a finger on my daughter.
    “You have to find her yourself, Leo! Get out there now - I know you have connections. But I want you to find her yourself before anyone else does! You have to protect our baby, Leo!” she pulled her hand away from mine, running it through her hair, her eyes full of worry. She shook her head, staring off into the distance, and then shuddering with fear. “ You ,” Leo, she said pointing her long, perfectly manicured finger at my chest. “You have to find her before someone else gets to her. Who knows what the cops will do to her? Or those other bikers? Leo, go now, please!”
    “Alright, Maria, alright, I’ll go,” I relented. “I’ll do this myself. I’ll take Rizzo with me.”
    “I don’t care who you take, just make sure our Gabriella gets back here safe!” she demanded.
    “Okay, Maria, okay,” I said, walking out of the kitchen and pulling out my phone.
    The first person I called was my mistress, Adriana.
    “I can’t make it tonight, babe,” I said. She whined in protest, and I rolled my eyes. For fuck’s sake.
    “But Leo, we have tickets to a Broadway show tonight!”
    “I know, I know,” I muttered. “We’ll go another time. Something’s come up. Family stuff,” I replied.
    “It’s always your fuckin’ family, Leo,” she whined. “I’ll go with my girlfriend.”
    “Look, I’ll make it up to you,” I promised, making a mental note to buy her a piece of jewelry tomorrow to shut her up.
    She hung up on me.
    Fucking women , I thought. You can’t live with them, you can’t live without them. Fuggedabout tryin’ to make them happy. It ain’t happening.
    I dialed my phone again. I’d deal with Adriana later.
    Rizzo answered on the first ring, as always.
    “What’s up, Boss?” he asked, his voice full of enthusiasm.
    “I need you. Now,” I demanded.
    “What’s going on?” he asked.
    “It’s Gabriella. She’s missing. It’s all over the news. I need to find her right away.”
    “I saw that. I’m on my way, Boss,” he promised, his voice clipped and precise, like a perfect soldier.
    He hung up without a word and ten minutes later he was at my door, ready to do anything I asked, to lay his life on the line, if necessary.
    “Where are we headed?” he asked, as he opened the door of my Lincoln for me.
    “Gabriella’s apartment.”

15

Dante
    T he fucking mob . Of course she was tied up with the fucking mob. A girl like her? Talking about her daddy all the time?
    For fuck’s sake, I’d gotten myself into some shit before but this was serious. Hopefully, her dad was a low man on the totem pole and this wouldn’t be as serious as it could be.
    I didn’t stop to ask questions. As soon as I saw her face on that TV screen, I pulled her out of the diner and put her on the back