33-1
“It was Luciano who hit her with the cat,” Roger says, rather than leave the announcement to me.
“Are you fucking serious?” Her scream echoes through the dining room. We already had an audience. What’s more attention on ms? “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“One thing at a time. We don’t know if he took her.” Or what he hopes to get out of this can’t imagine it wasn’t him. Especially if he confronted the girls earlier today. If one of them had inkime bout that, and I’d known he was in the area, I could’ve been on alert. I could’ve stopped this from happening.
“I have the signal from her phone.” Roger shows the the screen, where a blinking blue dot tells me she’s moving
Dad, please, find her. Please get her back!” Tatiana is weeping as wrap any arm around her shoulders and walk her out of the dining room with Roger on our heels. A snap of my fingers and theatr of guards waiting under the awning in front of the restaurant jump to attention, Damn it, it never urred to me to have any in the back. I wan’t thinking. Why wasn’t I thinking? I’ll never forgive myself-
Stop it Focus. She needs you.
“Take Tatiana home,” I tell them, raising my <b>voice </b>to be heard over the storm. “Then wait for further instructions.”
Roger heads for the second car and is already behind the wheel before 1 join him. The tires squeal across the pavement before <b>I’ve </b>closed the door.
<b>“</b><b>We </b>can’t afford to chase them down,” Roger says as he speeds through the lot before bursting out onto the ess road running behind the restaurant, “He might try to outrun us.
He doesn’t have to say anything more. I’m <b>as </b><b>aware </b>of how this could end up as he is, already ying out every possibility in my racing mind.
“That doesn’t mean you need to drive like an old woman. Move “Luciano–it it is Luciano–is already miles ahead of us. What he drives them both off a bridge? Or deliberately m into the concrete wall of an overpass at top speed? The way Tatiana described him, he’spletely unpredictable.
I should have tried harder. Should <b>have </b>stopped at nothing before finding him.
“Where the fuck has he been?” 1 demand, punching the <b>door</b>.
“For all we know, he could’ve been living out of his car all this time.” He nces my way before weaving around a line of cars traveling too slowly. “You did everything you could.”
That doesn’t matter. “It wasn’t enough.”
And I will never forgive myself if my failure <b>means </b>losing her forever.
CATERINA
“You’re safe now. You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore.
All I can do is groan. My head is so <b>heavy</b>, just like my eyelids. I cant open them. I’m so tired, and it feels like I’m still dreaming even though I know I’m awake. Stupid pain meds always mess me up like this
Wait. No. I’m not taking them anymore.
The voicees back, weaving its way through my foggy brain. “I know you didn’t want to listen to me. That’s why I had to do this. You let me no choice, but it’s for your own good. You’ll see.”
If I didn’t <b>know </b>better, I would swear it was Luciano talking. I must still be dreaming or caught between a dream and reality.
It’s storming outside, and the sound of thunder and fat raindrops batting the windows makes me want <b>to </b>go back to sleep.
331
“Gianni” I whisper while I cut into a ball. I want him close to me I want to sleep safe and warm in his arms while a storm
“You never have to be afraid of him again. I don’t care how long it takes. You’re going to forget nni Rossetil ever existed.
Walt
I’m not in Gianni’s bed.
And I am not dreaming.
That really is Luciano murmuring close to where I lie
1 force air into my nostrils. My mind is on the fringes of panic. Instead of the familiar, spicy scent of Gianni’s skin on the sheets. it’s wood I smell. Lots of wood, like I’m in a room filled with it. Or made of it. The mattress under me has springs that poke into my hip and shoulder.
Lightning shes bright enough that I see it from behind my closed eyelids, and it’s followed by a p of thunder that shakes the room. Lean’t pretend to be asleep, not with Luciano so close. And I know he’s close. I smell his acrid sweat, the way I did outside the store and in the bathroom, where he knocked me out Kidnapped me.
I should’ve taken him more seriously. <b>Why </b>did I think I <b>was </b>doing him <b>a </b>favor by letting him live?
“What…what’s going <b>on</b>?” 1 force my heavy eyelids open. My vision is blurry, and it takes me a moment to fully see the Bat once my eyes focus, 1 find him sitting in an armchair beside the bed. His intense stare makes my skin crawlStay calm Reason with him.“Is this your parents‘ cabin?”
A soft smile touches his lips. It’s obscene looking. “I knew you would remember.”
“Is this where you’ve been living?” There are dirty clothes in oneer, and faint food smellse through the open bedroom <b>door</b>, giving me my answer.
<b>“</b>I’ve been here a few days.”
“But why?”
“Ineeded somewhere to go.”
“Don’t you have a ce?”
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to talk about you? When he leans in, I have to force myself not to recoil in disgust. This is not the Luciano I used to know, who would spend longer in the bathroom getting ready to go out than I would Even though he only worked at a gym, there was never a hair out of ce and no stubble on his cheeks. He was clean and mostly respectful. This version of him looks like he just crawled out of a sewer and smells about as good, too.
“Okay, let’s talk about me then.” I have to get out of here. At least I know where we are, can’t get the keys to his car
but that o
it doesn’t do me any good if I
Through the frantic thoughts bouncing around my head, I try <b>to </b>zero in on theyout of the cabin in my memory. Down the stairs, front door straight ahead. Maybe he left the keys by the door if they’re not on him right now. Can I get him to take me down to the kitchen so I <b>can </b>get a look?
I got you away from him. Finally. You’re safe now. He’ll never find you here.”
Gentle Becareful <b>Who </b>told you I was in danger<b>?</b>”
His eyes darken, and his voice slides into a growl “Somebody who would know.”
What does that mean? “Luciano, I’m fine.”
He grits his teeth. “You were groomed, you mean.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
3311
“Ilonow about everything,” he growls. “I know it was Cmi who called me that night at the clubs. Did he force you? Jest to make
“Na. He never forced me.”
“Right, because he got in your head. He didn’t have to.” He snickers in the way that says he thinks he knows better. “I used to think you were small.”
Even if I want tough, I need to be gentle. “I’m sorry, but whoever you got your information from, they’re wrong Whatever is between us is between us, and it’s what I want. I really am sorry if Llorts you-
“Hurts me?” Icringe at the way he jumps out of his chair, his fist balled up tight. His expression is crazed “How could you let somebody like him touch you? How could you let him fuck you? Do you know what he does? Do you know how he made all that money he has? Do you even know the type of person be ly? The monster you’ve been sleeping with?”
It takes all my determination to not back down from his temper. One of us has to stay calm. “Yes I do”
“Are you sure of that? Or <b>do </b>you only know what he wants you to low
“I know plenty.” It isn’t easy keeping my voice neutral. Just like it’s not easy to keep from shaking when I see eye. The one that tells me he’s capable of doing anything that will keep me where he wants me
that look in his
“Do you know he’s a fucking murderer, Caterina?” He sneers. “Ion’t believe you let a filthy fucking murderer inside you? I know I wasn’t the best boyfriend and made mistakes, but I never killed anyone.”
“It’s okay, Luciano. Everything is going to be okay.”
His head snaps back from the shock of my words, his eyes bulging so much it <b>looks </b>like they’re going to <b>fall </b>out of his head. “It’s not okay. Nothing is okay. How can you sit there and act like anything about him is sane? Do you think the things he’s doing are okay? What the fuck did he do to you?
My defenses are up. I can’t bite my tongue on this one.
“Ican
tell you one thing he never did to me,” 1 blurt out because I’m sick of his sanctimonious attitude. It’s probably a bad move, but something has to snap him back to <b>reality</b>. “He’s never tried to run me down in the street. <b>He’s </b>never tried to kill me.”
“How do you know about that?”
“Why would I have brought it up today, outside the store? I know exactly what you did. You’re alive right now because I told Gianni not to kill you because I didn’t <b>want </b>you to die for making a mistake.”
Immediately, I regret what I’ve said. I know it the second his featurs soften, and he releases a long sigh, with his head tipping to the side. “I knew it.”
His reaction sends fear skittering up my spine. “<b>What </b>did you know?”
“We’re not over. We will never be over.” A sh of lightning illuminates his Lace. The circles under his wide, crazy eyes look darker. “You covered for me. You protected me.”
<b>“</b><b>You </b>don’t know what you’re talking about, Luciano. I’m sorry, but you don’L‘
He’s faster than I recall. Before I know it, he’s on top of me, taking my wrists in his hands when I beat at him with my fists.” This is what’s meant to be.” He forces my arms apart and pius myrists to the bed.
“No! No<b>, </b>no, don’t do this!” I’m a wild animal, bucking and kicking, twisting from side to side because I need to get him off me. I have to. This has to stop.
But no, he wedges his knee between mine and forces my legs apart“Don’t <b>make </b><b>me </b>hurt you,” he says in a strained voice. “You mean so much to me. I didn’t mean to do it. I wanted to scare you, that’s all ”
This is <b>going </b>to break me. This is where I shatter into pieces so tiny that no one will ever put them back together,
His sweat drips onto my cheek, and I scream in horror. This is happening, no matter how hard I tight. <ol><li>t. He’s <b>too </b>strong. “Please, </li></ol>
331
don’t!” I can hardly hear my pleas over the constant rumble of thunder shaking the cabin. The storms at its peak, adding to the blood–curdling nightmare I can’t wake up from.
“Stop… fighting”
I won’t. I can’t “No!”
“Get your fucking hands off her!”
Luciano freezes, and so do I for a heartbeat before I crane my neck see who’s standing in the doorway
A sh of lightning reveals a soaked, very enraged Ganni. He’s a lion ready to strike. Nothing has ever looked better
A second sh reveals the gun in his hand, aimed right at Luciano Get Off Her
Luciano pushes up onto his knees. I can’t see his face, but he’s going to break my wrists if he squeezes any tighter. “You. This is all your fault. You destroyed her.”
“Luciano “My throat’s so tight I can hardly whisper. “Listen to him.”
331
don’t!” I can hardly hear my pleas over the constant rumble of thunder shaking the cabin. The storm is at its peak, adding to the blood–curdling nightmare I can’t wake up from.
“Stop… fighting”
I won’t. I <b>can’t </b>“No<b>!</b>”
“Get your fucking hands off her!”
Luciano freezes, and so do I for a heartbeat before I crane my neck to see who’s standing in the doorway.
A sh of lightning <b>reveals </b><b>a </b>soaked, very enraged Gianni. He’s a lion ready to strike. Nothing has ever looked better.
A second sh reveals the gun in his hand, aimed right at Luciano Get. Off. Her.”
Luciano pushes up onto his knees. I can’t see his face, but he’s going to break my wrists if he squeezes any tighter. “You. This is all your fault. You destroyed her.”
“Luciano.” My throat’s so tight I can hardly whisper. “Listen to him.”