Elizabeth

22: Leaving

When we arrive at the gates of the airport, a customs agent comes to our plane. "The hell?" Dad scoffs. We've never run into this problem.

"What are they doing here?" Casso asks. With his words, Caterina wakes up and rubs her eyes.

"Daddy?" She asks. He pats her shoulder gently as he looks out of the window.

"Police," Santino says. We look out the window again. Now, police cars pull up to the gate. Officers get out.

"Call Dean. Tell him to turn around," Dad says. I pull out my phone to call Dean before it's too late.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asks me.

"Nothing. There's nothing to worry about," I whisper.

"We get out. They know who we are. They won't bother us," Zane suggests. "I'll clear things up with Elijah. It should all be ok."

Elijah and Zane get off the plane first. I watch the interaction while pacing around. When Zane waves us out, we go outside. Elizabeth grabs my hand. It steadies me more than it steadies her.

"Collins Ross?" Asks an officer. I can feel Elizabeth's hand tighten over my hand. She hadn't heard that name in seven months. "Wait! Stop right there! We are looking for a girl named Collins Ross."

"No one has that name," Mom stutters.

"Yeah, you're going to have to come in with me," says the officer. He grabs Elizabeth's arm gingerly. She yanks it away.

"No. That's not my name," she says in Spanish.

"You touch her, I dare you," I sneer.

"This is police business," is all he says. That makes my blood boil. "So, we'll grab her from you. Her father's been looking for you. And you're under arrest for kidnapping."

"What?!" Alina shouts. Elizabeth continues to hold my hand tightly until two officers pull me away from her and another pulls her. She screams.

"Romeo!"

"Elizabeth. Calm down," I say. I can see the tears already in her eyes.

"All a big misunderstanding. You must be new here. Do you remember who we are?" Dad tries.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm the new boss around here. What I say goes. And this..." he looks around. "Will not work."

"No. He didn't kidnap her," Mom tries.

"Alina," Dad reprimands.

"But—" I can only look at the officer forcefully tugging her away. The way that he touches her makes my blood boil.

"Romeo!" She cries out again. Now I can see her tears. I fight against the officers to reach her. "Stop! Ow! You're hurting me!" With that phrase, we all become angry. We try to fight against them.

Elizabeth

He tugs at my arms. I can see Romeo trying to get me, but the officer forces me to the police car. "Stop!" I cry. He shuts the door and locks it from inside. "No! Romeo!"

I am the first to leave the sight. I leave alone with two officers. One that stays in the car the entire time. "I'm glad you're ok, Collins. When I heard that he raped you, I was worried." I recognize that voice from anywhere.

"Master," I whisper. The man in the passenger seat turns around.

"You're safe now, Collins," is all he says. "Now I want you to do something for me," he whispers. He types in an address. "I'll let Romeo live," he says. He turns on his phone. There, the people who I call family are all kneeling in front of guns. Romeo is forced on the ground, back up. Someone steps on his back with a gun to his head. He doesn't move.

I turn away for a minute. I can't look.

Alina holds Caterina. An officer points a gun to them. I can see Casso screaming at the officer to point the gun away from his daughter. Elijah has blood dripping from his nose. Santino is knocked out. My family is being held at gunpoint.

"I'll do anything. Don't hurt them," I plead. "What do you want?" I cry out.

"I see you've gotten stronger with your words. I'm proud of you, babygirl," Master says.

"Don't hurt them," I cry.

"You should have thought of that before he got you fucking pregnant."

He keeps the phone screen in front of me. I can see the fear in their eyes. I can see the near defeat in Romeo's eyes. "What do you want?"

"I don't want you anymore. I just want you far away from Romeo. I want you to lose all contact with him. I think this punishment will be worse than I could give you," he says. He hands me a plane ticket. "Your plane leaves in twenty minutes. They won't leave without my phone call."

"What?" I ask through tears. "One-way ticket to Texas. I've got eyes constantly on Romeo. If I see that you try to find him, then I'll kill him right after I've killed the girl and his mother. Understand?" My heart begins to break.

"Please," I beg.

"Begging won't do it, baby," he whispers. "Five seconds."

The car stops. We are at the gate for a plane. "You get on that plane, you save them."

"Ok," I cry. "Please stop them now." He smirks and nods his head. With one call from the officer, I can see the guns being lifted from their heads. The officers begin to get back in their cars and soon, the camera is cut off.

"I'll watch you board the plane. And remember that I have power."

...

Romeo

When they leave, Nate quickly goes to his unconscious son. Casso scoops his daughter up in his arms quickly. Elijah goes to Alina. "Where's Dean?" I ask Zane.

"On his way."

"Not good enough. I need Bobby hunted down right now."

"Romeo."

"Now!" I grab my phone from my pocket and make a phone call. "Those weren't police officers. We have alliances with the police. I need the police on the line right now."

"Yeah," Zane says. I continue to pace around while making phone calls.

"We need to get her back," Alina gasps.

"She's fucking pregnant," is all I say as I wait for someone to pick up the phone. "My world is gone. My child is gone. I need them back right now."

-Everest-