Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 282(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 282(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“Come any closer, and she’s dead.”
“Beat her like you beat your girlfriend, will you, tough guy?” I snap, then lower my voice. “Give me the flashbang.”
Allessio hands it to me. I pull the pin, aim, and then toss it against the wall. It bounces off the wall and into the refrigerator. Then I stalk along the wall, waiting for the bang. As soon as I hear it, I’m in, pistol raised. Vincenzo has dropped his gun, gasping as he brings his hands to his ears. There’s no hostage.
“Please,” he moans, peeling his eyes open and looking up at me, his eyes filling with tears.
“Is that what your lady said?” I snap. “Because it’s what mine probably said when you dragged her to that fucking farmhouse, you rat.”
“That wasn’t me. I swear, man. I had nothing to do—”
“Your Family. Your orders. If you want your last words to be a lie, that’s on you.”
“Fine, fine.” He’s panicking, dribbling. “I ordered them to take her, but I wasn’t going to hurt her.”
“You’ve already hurt her.”
He’s about to protest some more, but it’s hard to do that with a bullet in his head. He slumps back; smoke coils from the wound.
I turn away. “Clean this place up. I’ve got somewhere to be.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ELENA
Isit next to Aunt Rosa, holding her hands as she sleeps more peacefully than I’ve seen in weeks. We’re in the suburbs in the most prominent house in the neighborhood, with tall walls surrounding us and what feels like an army of Mafia men patrolling the grounds. Aunt Rosa has her doctor and her nurse here, too. For once, Giulia is getting some rest.
I talk quietly as she sleeps, mostly to distract my mind from what Dario might currently be going through. I’ve asked Maria, who came to the safe house with us, to tell me if there are any updates. So far, there’s nothing. I guess he’s still handling things in the city, or …
Not letting myself think about the or, I whisper, “He said that he loved me, Aunt Rosa. I don’t think he even realized he said it. It’s like it just came out, but maybe that means it’s more likely to be true, right? It’s as if he just said it without thinking, like a reflex. If you were awake, you’d hate me talking like this. You’d say something about him being wrong for me and him being bad. But I can’t see him as bad, not after I’ve seen the other parts of him—the pieces of his personality nobody else gets to see. He says I’ve changed him. He’s changed me, too.”
I cringe when a quiet knock comes at the door. As I stand, my heartbeat reminds me of somebody locked inside a coffin, beating at the lid, trying to get out. It’s a morbid thought, but I can’t shake it.
When I open the door and see the big smile on Maria’s face, I let out a trembling sob of pure joy. “He’s okay?” I whisper.
“He’s on his way,” Maria replies, hugging me. “He said you were the first person he wanted to see.”
“I’m so happy,” I exclaim. “We’ll be able to be together. For a little while.”
“For a little while,” Maria replies, ending the hug and frowning at me.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about Salvatore.”
Maria nods as if she’s relieved about that.
“Can I ask,” I go on, “what would happen if Dario were to go against his dad’s wishes and be with me anyway?”
“I can only go by Mafia precedent,” she murmurs as if she doesn’t want to answer.
“Go by that, then,” I say fiercely.
“Dario would be exiled from the Family. He’d lose any connection to the Family, both financially and otherwise. He’d lose his position. Without an heir, the Family would go into civil war. It might result in somebody else trying to take charge. It very well may be a death sentence for my husband.”
“Which is why Dario would never do that,” I say.
“I can’t see it,” Maria confirms. “I’m aware you think this makes my husband a hypocrite.”
“It might end my aunt’s life, too,” I reply, “if she knew I wanted to be with a criminal. She hates the idea. She hasn’t even met him, and she hates your son.”
Maria sighs. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I wish things were different.”
“Maybe Salvatore will let us be together. Maybe Aunt Rosa will see reason.”
Maria doesn’t look convinced but graces me with a “Possibly.”
Once she’s gone, I return to the chair next to Aunt Rosa’s bed. I take her hands again. “I know this won’t mean much to you, but Dario’s okay. He’s coming to be with me. He said I was the first person he wanted to see.”
Aunt Rosa blinks her eyes open. “It means something to hear you this happy.” She seems far more lucid than she has in weeks.