33-2


    He doesn’t listen to either of m, letting go of one of my wrists to reach for something at his side. All I catch from theer <b>of </b>my eye is the plint of steel before he touches the cold switchde to my throat, I can’t breathe Tran’t do anything but here helpless, afraid of what will happen next.


    “I’d rather see her dead than bet you put your hands on her again, he snarls at Gianl


    It all happens so fast. The boom of the gum as <b>it </b>goesult. The spray of warm blood across my face. The sudden release of my wrist He drops the de before falling onto his side<b>. </b>For a inmeti, I can’tprehend what has happened


    A scream rips from my throat There’s so much blood is blond.


    Gianni’s hands roam my body, touching my face, arms, and legs. All I can see is his face filling my vision. His hands cup my checks, and they’re warm, so won.


    “Are you okay? Did he hurt you at all?”


    He’s here. I’m sate. There’s so much blood, Luciano is dead, but I’m safe. My screams fade to gasps as I try to suck in enough air to clear my head. I’m okay. It’s over.


    There’s a dead body sprawled across my leg. Bile rises up my throat 1 startle when Rogeres in, but Gianni’s arms hold me in ce.


    “All clear,” he says, looking around the room. “Is she okay?”


    I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I <b>can </b>speak. All I can do is keep my eyes away from Luciano. He’s dead, and his blood is on my face. It mixes with the raindrops that soak nni and drip down onto me.


    Roger pulls out his phone and starts barking instructions while Gianni lifts me out of bed. “We need to <b>go</b>.”


    “But..


    He turns my face away from the bed and angles me toward the door “Now. We’re leaving I’m taking you home, and Roger will take care of this. We’ll make it <b>look </b>like a suicide.”


    I hear him, but nothing he’s saying sinks in. Like my subconscious doesn’t want to ept what’s happening


    <b>Gianni </b>guides me to the stairs, but my feet won’t take me down. I can’t move anymore. Lean hardly breathe, there’s no air in the room. Why am I so cold? My teeth are chattering


    I hardly notice him picking me up and carrying me down the stairs Only the rain pelting my face once we’re outside snaps me out of the worst of the shock. Lightning zigzags across the sky, and 1 bury my face against Gianni’s neck until we reach the car, where he lowers me into the passenger seat and buckles the seatbelt for me.


    The rain sounds like hundreds of little gunshots going off at once <b>as </b>it pounds against the root. I fight off the <b>urge </b>to cover my ears while Gianni gets behind the wheel and starts the engine.


    “Roger?” I murmur, looking back at the cabin. How many other cabins around theke are being used right now? Did anyone hear the shot? Maybe not over the thunder.


    “He’s staying behind. He’ll get a ride back with the cleanup <b>crew</b>.


    He pulls away, and soon we’re rolling down the muddy road. The lices send jets of water shooting up both sides of the car, and lightning highlights the dark, towering trees.


    Dead Dead. He’s dead.


    <b>Gianni </b>killed him


    nni saved me.


    “You’re safe now.” Gianni’s calm voice slices through the fog in my head, the way lightning slices through the sky. “I’m sorry,


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    little bird.


    erry I didn’t get there sonner


    I’m too exhausted to speak. All I see is the blood. It all happened so fast. One minute he was there, and the next, he was


    “I will never let anyone hurt you again.”


    I want to tell him I believe him but can’t make my mouth work.


    He was alive, and then he wasn’t.


    I must zone out for a while because, the next thing I know, the cars swinging through the front gate of thepound. We haven’t reached the courtyard yet when the front door flies open, and Tatiariaes running down the front steps in the rain.


    “Oh, my god!” She practically pulls me out of the car before squeezing me hard enough to make my ribs ache. “Thank God! Are you okay? Did he


    “Get her inside,” Gianni urges, before nudging us both toward the house.


    “She needs to get cleaned up


    He touches my shoulder, and I don’t know what makes me do it. The memory of the gunshot, or how easy it was for him <b>to </b>blow a man’s brains out. He didn’t even hesitate. How could be end someone’s life so easily? Whatever the reason, I flinch away from his hand and cling to Tatiana. His jaw works, but he doesn’t say a word.


    “I’ll take care of it.” She steers me toward her wing once we’re inside, and I’m d <b>to </b>let her take the lead. I can barely think, much less anything else. I’m numb. Why can’t I feel anything?


    Come on, sweetie. <b>You </b>need a shower, clean <b>pajamas</b>, and a few days in bed.” Tatiana’s voice is soothing. It brings tears to my <b>eyes</b>. At least something’s getting through to me.


    If she notices the blood on my face, she ignores it once we’re in the bathroom. She turns the shower on, and it doesn’t take long for steam to fill the space. I peel off my tom, soaked dress and let it fall in a sodden heap at my feet.


    She helps me under the water and closes the shower door while I tip my head back to let what’s left of Luciano’s blood run over my skin and down the drain. The longer I stand here, the clearer I can think. The worldes back to me.


    “You okay in there?” She pokes her head into the bathroom, and hits me that I have no idea how long I’ve been standing here.


    I’m okay.” I shampoo my hair, and she’s cleaned up my messy clothes by the time I’ve rinsed it out. It’s enough for her to be here with me. A reminder that I’m safe.


    “I’m just so d he found you so quickly.”


    “Me too,” I choke out. I’m halfway through scrubbing <b>my </b>arms–trying to keep from staring at my bruised wrists–by the time


    it sinks in.


    He knew where to find me. It didn’t even take long


    “<b>How </b>did he know where I was? Did he tell you?”


    “There was some kind of tracking app on your phone.


    “He was tracking my phone?”


    It should be thest thing on my mind, but it’s merely another brick on top of all the others. Once again, he’s invaded my privacy. I’m d to be out of that cabin and safe, but I’m not safe i can’t have a single second to myself. It wasn’t enough for him to watch me. He has to know where I am, literally at all times.


    What happens when he isn’t satisfied with that anymore? He might decide to keep me around the house instead. It’s not like he’s never threatened me with that before. Tying me to the bed and all. <b>What </b>if I’m the next person he kills? He threatened that once before. Alter witnessing the results first–hand, I have no doubt he’d kill me if he wanted to


    “He doesn’t trust me,” I whisper, trembling under the hot water


    “He doesn’t trust anybody,” she says with a sigh. Through the shower door, I see <b>she’s </b>finished changing into pajamas and is


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    now taking off her makeup at the sink


    *Why not?”


    “I think my mom really fucked him sap, and now he can’t trust any woman.” She shrugs at her reflection, “thave no idea how his brain works. I’d be too afraid to dive in.”


    She can feel that way, but I can’t. Our rtionship is different. I need to understand him.


    By the time I’ve finished rinsing off, there’s not a doubt in my mine. All my body wants is Gianni–thefort of his tooch, his strong arms wrapped around me. Nothing in the world can hurt me so long as I’m with him.


    Not quite Ime. There is something that could hurt me nni hanself. That’s the problem. The closer I get to him, the easier it is for him to cause me pain with his distrust and seTCLL


    He has no problem killing a man and walking away. His crew will clean it up, and it’ll seem like it never happened. Ishould be prateful, but deep down, it terrifies me. What kind of person am 1, keeping a secret like this? Knowing Luciano didn’tmit suicide, the way they’re going to make it look. His parents will carry that with them until the day they die.


    Is it better for them to know he lost his mind and was trying to rape me?


    This is the world Gianni inhabits. The world he wants me to be a part of How much worse is it going to get? How many secrets will keep before they rot me from the inside out? While I waste away, locked up because he’ll never trust me


    Topen the shower door and wrap a towell around myself before stepping out. “I need to leave.”


    Tatiana lowers the towel she’s drying her face with. “What do you mean? Don’t be cash. You’re still in shock.”


    “<b>Maybe </b>a little,” I admit, “but I have to do this. I can’t this can’t It’s too much. The pressure on my chest feels heavy again.


    “Where will you go?*


    “I don’t know. My dad’s, I guess.”


    “But why?”


    “Don’t make me exin, please.”


    “You can’te at me with an announcement like th


    <b>that </b>and expect me to let you go without asking you questions”


    I know she’s right, which is the only reason bother putting my feelings into words as I rush into her room barefoot and wrapped in a towel. It must’ve been instinct that made me keep my stuff on her side of the house instead of moving it into Gianni’s room. Like there was a part of me that always knew this wouldn’t work out and wanted to protect itself.


    “<b>I </b>can’t do this,” I whisper while pulling bags from the closet. I’monly revisiting the same situation I was in more than a week ago, packing in a hurry, ready to run. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over, even when the oue never changes.


    “Can’t do what?” She stands back and lets me p


    me park, at least, instead of getting in my <b>way</b>.


    “This. All of this. I won’t stay with a man who’d install a tracking app on my phone without my knowledge. What else has he done then I don’t know about?” I nce up from the drawer full of underwear I’m clearing out to find her face pinched in pain.” I’m sorry. I’m not trying to hurt you.”


    “You“re sorry?” Amanicugh escapes her. “I’m the one who should be sorry. Not you. I know I didn’t do anything wrong, but he’s still my dad.<b>” </b>


    “None of this is your responsibility.”


    I still feel like shit. Plus, I <b>was </b>the one who told you about the tracker ”


    **You told me the truth, and that’s probably more than I’ve gotten before now.” I can hardly think. I’m so angry and frustrated. How could he betray me like this?


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    “You’re not really going to your dad’s, are you? You know, if you show up like this, he’ll assume something’s wrong. He’s not going to let it go, and then you’ll have to exin everything to him


    L


    She’s right. One look, and he’ll know something is wrong. Then lock me away for who k hurt his little girl, <b>and </b>that would be without knowing the truth.


    i knows how long because somebody


    “1” figure it out.”


    “He’s going to expect an exnation. He’s a detective for a reason”


    “Then I won’t be upset. Simple.”


    Tatiana rolls her green eyes. “Then he’ll want to know why you’re there.”


    “Jesus. I’ll make something up. I’ll figure it out.”


    She sighs, her shoulders sinking “Was it Luciano who took you from the restaurant?


    I can’t <b>speak </b>over the lump in my throat, so I nod


    “Youe back here in shock, with blond all over you Her breath hitches. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”


    I don’t realize my legs have buckled beneath me until Tatiana’s arms circle my waist, holding me up. “I’m sorry. But I had to know. It’s true, isn’t it?” All I can do is nod because, of course, she knew with nobody having to say the words


    “Hearing it.” I whisper before choking up.


    “If your dad gets even a hint of there being something wrong with Luciano… and if Luciano goes missing officially… if his parents go to the police.”


    And I’m not <b>a </b>very good liar, at least not when living with the man, Telling a few libs over lunch is one thing, but being in the same house… It’s inevitable that I’ll let something slip.


    “Then I’ll go to <b>a </b>hotel.” I gently push her away and slip into a pairot leggings and a T–shirt chosen at random. Tonly know I need to get out of here before he talks me into staying


    “We’llgo to a hotel.”


    “No, you don’t-”


    <b>“</b>Shut up<b>. </b>


    Like I would leave you alone right now. That’s not what trends do. You’re in shock, and it something happened to you. No. I’m going ”


    Ishake my head. “I’m not trying to drag you into this.”


    “You’re not dragging me into shit. I love my dad<b>, </b>and I’m d he found you and brought you back, but he’s not my favorite person right now. He’s made some serious errorstely, not to mention he used me as leverage for a fucking business deal. Do you know how insulting that is? I’m not a fucking object to be bid on.”


    No, I can’t imagine, but I know what it feels like to be hurt by him,


    There is no talking her out of this. She grabs a bag from the closet and starts packing “Forget it. I’m going with you, so move


    your ass.


    Even though it’s painful to move my ass, I do it. I don’t want to do this. It hurts so much. <b>Like </b>I’m physically being torn in two But I refuse to live the rest of my life in a cage. If it means having my heart ripped out for the sake of protecting myself in the <b>future</b>, that’s the way it needs to be. And that’s what I tell myself as Tatiana and I sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, the storm still blowing hard, but not as brutally as before. We look over our shoulders as we run, bags in hand, before fleeing in my car like a couple of escaped convicts.


    That’s exactly how I feel. Like I just broke out of prison.


    A prison I walked into with my eyes wide open.