Chapter 4 - The Price of Loving Adrien Russo
Three weeks passed.
No black sedan came.
No money appeared.
Adrien respected her decision.
That somehow hurt more.
Then Toby disappeared.
Helena arrived at his apartment and found the door open.
“Toby?”
Nothing.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
“Helena Jenkins?”
Her blood went cold.
“Where is my brother?”
A man laughed.
“You should ask your boyfriend.”
The call ended.
Helena dialed Adrien.
He answered on the first ring.
“Helena?”
“Toby's gone.”
Silence.
Then Adrien became terrifyingly calm.
“Where are you?”
“At his apartment.”
“Lock the door.”
“Adrien—”
“I'm coming.”
Nine minutes later, he walked through the door with Mateo.
Helena shoved the phone toward him.
“They took him because of you.”
Adrien didn't defend himself.
“Yes.”
The answer stopped her.
His jaw tightened.
“And I'm bringing him home.”
Mateo examined Toby's laptop.
“They'll want an exchange.”
“For what?” Helena asked.
Adrien already knew.
“Hayes.”
Helena stared.
Adrien explained.
“Hayes agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. His testimony connects the Bellinis to the attack.”
The phone rang again.
Adrien answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Hayes for the kid.”
Adrien's face didn't move.
“Proof Toby's alive.”
A video arrived.
Toby sat tied to a chair inside an empty warehouse.
He looked frightened but unharmed.
“Helena,” he said into the camera, “don't give them what they want.”
The recording ended.
Helena began shaking.
Adrien took her hands.
“Look at me.”
It was the same command she'd given him on the dining table months ago.
“You're going to get him back?”
“Yes.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
But Adrien did something Helena didn't expect.
He called federal authorities.
Mateo stared at him.
“Boss?”
“No more private wars.”
“You sure?”
Adrien looked at Helena.
“Yes.”
The exchange was arranged at an abandoned shipping facility.
Adrien wore a wire.
Federal agents surrounded the area unseen.
Helena wasn't supposed to be there.
She came anyway.
The Bellini leader appeared with Toby.
“Russo!”
Adrien walked forward alone.
“Release him.”
“Hayes first.”
“No.”
A gun was pressed against Toby's shoulder.
Helena's heart stopped.
Adrien remained calm.
“You hurt that kid, you lose the only leverage keeping you out of prison.”
The Bellini leader hesitated.
That was enough.
Agents moved.
Shouts filled the warehouse.
Within seconds, Toby broke free and ran.
“Helena!”
She caught him.
“Toby!”
He buried his face against her shoulder.
Adrien remained across the warehouse, watching until he knew Toby was safe.
Only then did his knees buckle.
Helena saw blood spreading beneath his jacket.
“Adrien!”
She ran.
He looked down almost irritably.
“Apparently I got shot.”
“Again?”
“Bad habit.”
She pressed both hands against the wound.
“Stay awake.”
He smiled weakly.
“You always say that.”
“And you never listen.”
His hand covered hers.
“Helena?”
“What?”
“If I survive this…”
“You will.”
“I want out.”
She stared at him.
“Out of what?”
“All of it.”
His eyes started closing.
“The money. The syndicate. The life my father left me.”
“Adrien.”
“I finally found something I want more.”
His eyes closed.
“Adrien!”
May you like
For the second time in her life, Helena Jenkins found herself trying to keep Adrien Russo alive.
This time, she wasn't doing it for money.
