Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I can’t think about it.
“Can’t get her fucking guard,” Mario mutters. “Jesus.”
Santo’s jaw tightens. I know he wants to go out to search for her. He doesn’t like sitting around waiting, making phone calls. He likes to see things for himself, to control the outcome.
I text her again.
And again.
And again.
“Take me with you,” I whisper to Santo. “Take me with you to find them.”
He turns furious, cold eyes to mine. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“I know Marialena,” I tell him. “I know how to find her. I know where she’d hide.”
My phone buzzes. I lift it up to see one text from Marialena. My heart thunders.
“She texted me!” I scream, my voice shaky but loud enough to catch everyone’s attention.
I hit the text.
Marialena: Rosa. Help.
I fall to the chair, my knees giving way.
Me: Where are you? Are you okay? Marialena, where are you?
No response.
“No answer. She isn’t answering,” I say, as a panicked well of fear presses on my throat. I can’t breathe. “She won’t answer.”
“Track her phone,” Tavi shouts. And this is why the man’s Underboss. He keeps his head when the shit hits the fan. “If she texted, she’s got it. She’s got her phone. Someone check her goddamn phone.”
Santo’s already got it pulled up on his.
“Tracking’s off.” He swivels to Vittoria. “You said she was outside?”
Gun at the ready, Santo yanks the front door open and races out.
I follow, determined, and the others come with me.
“We’ll scour the grounds,” Santo says. “No one could’ve taken her without our knowledge. They’re here, somewhere on the grounds. Fuckers must’ve kept someone hidden where we didn’t see. Came out when we left.”
His phone rings. Mario.
“Yeah? Fuck.”
My brothers and cousins pour out of the house.
“What is it?” Tavi asks Santo.
Santo shakes his head. “Mario says the surveillance cameras were off.”
“Fuck,” Tavi says. “How the fuck did that happen?”
By the grim look on Santo’s face, I suspect he knows more than he’s letting on right now.
I text Marialena again for the hell of it, when it suddenly dawns on me that I don’t hear the dogs. Goddamn it.
“Santo, the dogs. Where are the dogs?”
He doesn’t answer but paces past the fence. I lean against the cold metal of the chain-link and listen. The dogs are always here, but if they’re not here…
Romeo steps in front of me. His deep barrel of a voice resonates over the grounds as he calls the dogs.
Everyone goes quiet. Far in the distance we hear the rough rasp of a dog’s growl.
“By the wall,” I whisper. “By the wall?”
I run faster than anyone else. My daughter. My sister… my sister and daughter are in danger. My heart beats so fast I’m nauseous. My shoe, my stupid designer shoe, catches on a rock, and I start to go sprawling. But I don’t fall. Santo runs beside me, and he catches me before I crash.
“You okay?” he asks gruffly.
I nod, shaking, and for half a second I wish he’d swing me up in those big arms of his and take me with him. But I’m not a wilting wallflower. I’m not now and never have been.
I kick off my shoes, begin to slide, then lean into the steep descent of the hill to get to our favorite spot. My spot and Santo’s.
Marialena’s protecting Natalia with her body, pressing her up against the wall in front of them. A man I don’t recognize holds a leash with the dogs only inches from the girls. They’re salivating, chomping, and Natalia screams.
I don’t think. I grab my heel and whip it as hard as I can at the dogs. I miss by a yard, but Santo’s faster than I am. With a roar that makes my hair stand on edge, he orders the dogs to stand down and launches himself at the man.
A solid slam of Santo’s fist connects to his jaw. It snaps back and he howls as Santo sweeps his leg and sends him hurtling forward. I knew Santo was ruthless, but I’ve never seen him fight like this.
There’s a blast of a gun and screams. Someone tackles me to the ground and pins me. I claw at him, but he doesn’t move. “Stay down,” he orders. Dirt blurs my vision. “Get him!” yells the man above me.
I shove him off. “Stay fucking there!” Dario growls at me. He reaches for my arm, but I pull away. Santo.
No.
No.
Santo lies slumped over. The dogs lick his pale, lifeless face as my brothers and cousins swarm like a pack of rabid beasts.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Rosa
Time moves slower when you’re pacing at death’s door.
Breath grows shallow when you’re breathing your last.
Hope begins to flicker as the evening vigil wanes.
Romeo let me and Mama go with them to the hospital. Several others—namely the Montavio cousins and our newest recruit, Dario—stay behind to secure our hostage and check on Marialena.