Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 126682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“How noble of you,” I say with sarcasm.
“Now you’re going to give me that password.” His smile turns cold. Dangerous. “And then you’re going to tell me where you hid my wife.” He takes two steps toward me. “I heard they gave you a nickname, Lady Luck. You know what that means. You’re one of us now. You’re no longer an innocent pawn or collateral damage. You’re not an untouchable wife.”
I throw an accusation at him. “That didn’t stop you before.”
“Ah, you mean the attack in the church.” He flashes a row of unnaturally white teeth. “Back then, you fell into the collateral damage category. Now, the same rules that apply to us men apply to you. You took something from me, and you’ll pay the price. You’ll get the same punishment I reserve for men. Unlike a child, you’re not innocent. You knew exactly what you were doing when you took Elena and my unborn baby from me. Do you have any idea the hell I went through?”
“You should’ve thought about that before you left bruises on her body.”
“My relationship with my wife isn’t your business.” He smirks. “But don’t worry. When my men are through with you, you’ll have much worse bruises. If you give me what I want without playing games, I’ll end you quickly when they’re done. Or we can film the orgy and send it to Sav. What do you say?”
I want to spit in his face. “I told you I’d give it to you.”
“Such a courageous martyr. It’s amazing what women will do to protect their children. I hope my Elena will love our baby just as much.”
“Go to hell,” I bite out.
“Oh, and just in case you wondered, we’re not changing locations. I’m counting on Livy to tell your husband where we are. That’s the only reason I let her go.” He walks to a crate and kicks off the lid, revealing a dozen grenades sitting like eggs between the dividers. “And when he comes for you, I’ll be ready.”
Chapter
Thirty-Nine
Saverio
* * *
The man who almost puked makes a point of not looking at the entrails on the floor of the motel room when he asks, “Cleanup?”
Dante shakes his head. “It’s Raphael’s mess. Leave it.”
I remove my blood-soaked gloves and dump them in the plastic bag the man produces.
“I’ll take care of the street cameras,” Dante says.
Since Giorgio died, Dante took over the task.
“What about the door?” the man asks.
Dante’s tone is flat. “Leave it like that.”
This way, someone will find the body before the cleaning lady comes in tomorrow morning. That’s to say if they employ cleaning staff. It doesn’t look like it.
Dante dismisses the guard with a nod. When the man is gone, he says, “It’s a fucking dead end—literally.”
“We’ll find Raphael.” We have to. I clench and flex my fingers. “Let’s go.”
We can check the video from the street camera in the car to save time. I want to already be on the road by the time we have a new lead. There’s not a second to waste.
Urgency drives my steps. If I let it, fear will destroy my ability to think logically, to strategize, so I push it down and keep on moving.
My phone vibrates in my pocket when I exit onto the walkway.
It’s Nicole.
I tense.
The old man and his woman are still at it, fucking like bunnies.
I swipe the button and speak when I’m out of earshot, not that the couple will hear me through their noisy humping and moans.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Dante, who’s one step ahead, stops to look at me over his shoulder.
Nicole sucks in an audible breath. “Sav.”
The way she says my name—sounding uncertain and as scared as fuck—has the hair stand on end in my nape.
“What the fuck is wrong?” I repeat.
“Anya got a call.”
My spine goes rigid.
Hold on. Why isn’t Anya calling me herself? A terrifying feeling sweeps through me, leaving me weak in its wake.
I press the speaker button and hold the phone between us for Dante to hear. I have a feeling I won’t have time to repeat the message.
My voice rasps, my control about to snap. “Where’s my wife, Nicole? Put her on the phone. Now.”
“You need to listen to me.” Nicole adds with emphasis, “Calmly.”
“What’s going on? Spit it out, for God’s sake.”
“Raphael took Claire,” Nicole says.
Dante stills.
Mary just told me, but who told Anya? Morelli himself? And if it was him, there’s only one reason why he’d make that call.
Static noise rings in my ears and reverberates in my skull. I clench the phone hard. “Tell me Morelli didn’t convince my wife to meet him somewhere.”
“Anya and Livy left to get Claire back. I’m dropping you a pin with the location as we speak.”
My limp and aching knee forgotten, I cross the parking lot with long, frenetic strides. “How long ago?”