40| Flashing lights and gunshots

Victor sat in his office listening to Vincent talk about how excited he was to be having a child. He had seen a part of his brother that he hadn't seen in years, hope shone brightly in his green eyes and Victor couldn't be happier. For the first time in years, he had also felt something more like there was hope and he knew a lot of it had to do with what Grace said last night.

"If you have a son will he also be in the mafia?" Owen asked as he sat next to Vincent on the couch.

"Vincent's son will have a choice if he wants this life or not," Victor answered

"Unless your sister doesn't bare Victor a son," Vincent added

"How do you even join the mafia?" Owen asked

"I believe that is a question that will lead to my divorce if I answer it" Victor laughed, with the right training Owen would make a great asset to the business but he knew Grace would never approve.

"The man has only recently discovered he has a personality Owen, don't mess with that" Vincent joked "Speaking of babies, when will you and Grace be having one?"

"As soon as possible I hope," Victor said with a smile

It was a weird thing for Vincent seeing his brother happy, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Victor like this, he was human for the first time in years.

"The sooner the better" Vincent returned his brother's smile

"Perhaps before the baby is born we should take a trip to Italy like old times," Victor said remembering their family vacations

"We can make a tradition out of it" Vincent agreed

"I've never been to Italy," Owen said suddenly excited

"Well then all the more reason" Victor nodded

"The women there are gorgeous" Vincent smiled looking at Owen

"Sì" Victor agreed "I've had my fair sh-..."

"Victor!" Debbie shouted interrupting what Victor was about to say as she ran into his office, she had tears streaming down her cheeks. All three men stood looking at her.

"Debbie, what happened?" Vincent asked pulling her into a hug as she sobbed. Victor looked around waiting for Grace to follow her in, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest when he didn't see her, worry immediately taking up residence in his chest.

"Where is Grace?" He asked looking at Debbie, his body tense waiting for her to answer

"He took her" Debbie sobbed pulling away from Victor

"Who?" He asked as his blood ran cold

"Frank" Debbie cried, "He said to tell you to meet him at the Harbor, warehouse one at seven and to come alone"

Victor let out a frustrated growl, the thought of having Grace alone with that man made his blood boil. He left his office running down the stairs. There was a closet next to the front door that was a secret entryway into his weapons room.

"Victor wait" Vincent called running after his brother "It's obviously a trap," he said as Victor entered the security code into the keypad on the wall.

"I know," Victor said, his voice laced with venom as he stepped into the cold room, that had walls lined with guns. Any weapon you could think of would be stored in this room. Victor grabbed a duffle bag and started filling it with guns. "Get every man out and ready" He ordered

"Victor just stop for a second and think," Vincent said quickly

"What is there to think about Vincent? He has Grace" Victor said as he packed weapons into the bag

"It's a trap, you can't go in there" Vincent urged

"She is my wife!" Victor snapped "What am I supposed to do?"

"Let's just think of a plan," Vincent said "We have eight hours"

"Here's the plan, I am going to get my wife back and I'm going to kill Frank Brennan, now do as I say and get me the men!" He shouted, anger radiating from every pulse of his body.

Vincent left the room while Victor packed, he knew he couldn't let his brother go into this blindly so instead of doing as he was asked, he gathered a few men, including Malcolm and Jacob who were beyond themselves with fear of what their boss might have planned for them. Vincent briefed the men and began working on a plan.

Grace sat in the corner of one of the cold floors of the empty warehouse, she knew Victor would come but she feared what might happen if he did. She watched as Frank paced back and forth mumbling to himself.

"Why are you doing this Frank?" She asked as tears slid down her cheeks.

She watched as he turned walking up to her "Shut up!" He snapped pulling his hand back and hitting her in the face. Grace held back a cry as she tasted blood in her mouth.

"Have you thought this through? Victor will be here soon and he will kill you" She said through the pain in her mouth

"I said shut up!" Frank roared hitting her again, this time she fell to her side, "This is all your fault" He snapped kicking her in the ribs. Grace cried out as her breath hitched with each blow. When Frank finally stopped she tried to work out what time it was, it had felt like hours, and now that she lay on the cold floor, her body aching with every breath she took, her face stung from the multiple time Frank had hit her. Blood was all she could taste in her mouth but whether that was from her nose or inside of her mouth, she wasn't sure.

"Where is he?" Frank muttered looking at his watch

"He won't come," Grace said with a weak breath

"You don't listen do you!" Frank snapped punching her already swollen face causing Grace to cry out.

"If you value your life it'll be wise to get your hands off of my wife," Victor said walking into the warehouse. He looked at Grace laying in the corner of the room, her face bloody and beaten fueling his anger. Grace looked at him but could barely make out his figure from her blurred vision, she could hardly hear what was being said either, unconsciousness pulled at her and it took a physical effort to stay awake.

"I knew you would come," Frank said standing up from his position

"What do you want?" Victor asked controlling the urge to pull out his gun and shoot him

"Your word," Frank said, he pulled Grace up by the hair making her cry out in pain, her cries each twisting around Victor's heart as he watched Frank hold a gun to Grace's bloody temple, "I will kill her if you don't protect me from Demani"

Victor almost laughed out loud, "Okay, let her go and all the protection you'll ever need is yours"

"I'm not stupid, you'll shoot me the moment I let her go" Frank shook his head

"Of course not" Victor smirked, luckily for him, he had actually stopped to listen to Vincent's plan before he came in here guns blazing. With a quick flip of his wrist, he signaled Christoff to turn off the electricity and suddenly the room was dark.

"What's happening?" Frank called in a nervous voice but Victor was silent. He learned from a young age how to move without being heard and most importantly how to use his other senses when he wasn't able to see. He could hear Grace's breathing, it was short and hollow and closer to her breathing he could hear Frank's which was fast and nervous. He took out his gun while the rest of the men entered the room, loud enough for Frank to hear. Pushing Grace from his side she fell to the floor gasping from the pain of the fall, she let out a scream the moment Frank's gun went off aiming in front of him. She couldn't see anything and the room erupted with gunshots. The only light coming from the flashing guns. She got onto her hands and knees crawling around, the guns shots ringing loudly in her ears. Victor looked for her between the flashes of light but couldn't find her as she crawled along the floor looking for an exit. Her hand came into contact with warm liquid and it didn't take her long to figure out what that liquid was. She felt along further until her hand reached a gun, she took it feeling it around to make sure she was holding it the right way. With the flashes of light, she tried to see where she was and what she needed to do to get out of there and then she spotted him.