Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 16236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
“Gross,” I said. “Vinnie, we—”
He nodded. “I’m on it. I’ve got some contacts. If she’s alive, we’ll find her.”
“And do what?” Elio asked.
“We don’t hurt innocent young women,” Vinnie answered.
Elio looked at me, and I nodded. “Okay. That’s the secret I found. It’s enough to get him off my back.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“If not, I will go public with it,” Elio said. “I think he’ll know that.”
“We’ll handle him,” Vinnie said.
“I need to handle it. He needs to know I brought this to your attention.”
Vinnie raised his brows. “How well has it worked in the past when you’ve tried to negotiate with him?”
“I can do this.”
“But you don’t have to,” I said. “We’re here for you now.”
Vinnie nodded. “This is big. I’m going to bring the Marchesis in. You two are going to sit tight at Tony’s house and wait for further instructions.”
“No, I need to be part of this.”
“Look at me.” When Elio did, I continued. “Do you really? Does it matter as long as you’re free? As long as we’re together?”
10
ELIO
Did it matter? I clearly saw care and concern in Tony’s eyes. Relief filled me. He cared about me, he’d brought me to the one safe haven he knew, and now his family was behind me. They might be criminals, but I could already tell they were nothing like my father. “No, it doesn’t matter. Not at all.”
Now I just had to trust Vinnie and the Marchesis to take care of my father.
A woman stopped by to stitch up Tony’s arm. I hoped she was actually a licensed medical professional, but I didn’t ask questions. I just held Tony’s hand while she did her work.
We tried to sleep, but neither of us had much success. Tony’s window units couldn’t keep up with the heat. Between that and my nerves, I didn’t want to eat breakfast despite being hungry. I was tired and stressed, and I kept snapping at Tony for being gruff and demanding. We paced the apartment, on edge, as we waited for any word from Vinnie.
Just after dark, the doorbell rang, making us both jump.
“Stay there,” Tony ordered. He pulled out his gun and moved slowly toward the door.
We’d been expecting a phone call, not a visitor. My instincts told me to flee, but I held my ground. I wasn’t going anywhere without Tony. I was in this with him all the way, so instead of running, I moved closer.
Tony motioned for me to back up, but I ignored him. When he looked through the peephole, color drained from his face. He took a step back and looked at me with terror in his eyes.
“Who is it?”
“Lucien.” He glanced back and forth between me and the door.
“He knows we’re here,” I said.
Lucien knocked again.
“You can’t keep him waiting.”
“I love you,” Tony said. My heart nearly stopped. I’d known how he felt, but I hadn’t realized how badly I needed to hear the words again. He turned back to the door, undid the locks, and opened it.
Without a word, Lucien stepped inside, followed by Vinnie and a man I recognized from photos on the wall in Tony’s house. He had to be one of the Trevisanis.
“Hello, sir.” Tony addressed Lucien. “I’m honored by your visit. How can I help you?”
Lucien glared at him for several seconds before he spoke. “I’ve just spent a very unpleasant evening with Giacomo Barruchi. I understand I have you to thank for that.”
I stepped up beside Tony. “I’m the one to blame. I refused to return to my family. Did my father accept that I had him trapped?”
Tony’s eyes were wide as he stared at me. He was clearly stunned I had dared to speak.
“We’ve not been introduced,” Lucien said.
Tony seemed to wake from a trance. “Mr. Marchesi, this is Elio Barruchi. Elio, this is Mr. Lucien Marchesi.”
I bowed my head briefly, then found the courage to meet Lucien’s gaze. “I provided excellent blackmail material in exchange for being allowed to stay here.”
“Yes, you did, and if all you wanted was some time away from your family, perhaps it would’ve been enough.”
“I will expose him if he comes for me. I hope he knows that.”
“No, you will not,” Lucien’s words were like ice. “That is my call. You work for me now.”
Anger flared in me. I wanted to argue, but instead, I lowered my eyes. “Yes, sir.”
I could see Tony’s shoulders relax when I acquiesced.
“The intriguing secret you provided was enough to get your father to back off for now. I assure you, he understood the gravity of the situation, but I wanted more than a temporary reprieve. I wanted his word he would take no revenge for this, make no attempt to come for you if this issue ceased to be relevant.”
I wanted to protest. How could something like that not be relevant? I managed to keep my mouth shut.