AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We thought we could protect her. That she’d be safe enough with us.” I shake my head. “Obviously that wasn’t the case.”
“I’m coming over. I’ll change the flight I booked for the end of the month, and I’ll be with you tomorrow. Hopefully, you’ll have gotten her back by then.” A sob comes down the line. “My sweet lil’ sis doesn’t deserve this. She wouldn’t hurt a fly…”
“I know. Alessio and I are going out of our minds.” I chew my lip, debating with myself whether to say anything. Fuck it, Camila needs some reassurance. “He’s following a lead. A good one. There’s every chance he’ll find Sefi asap.”
“I hope to God you are right.” Silence. Followed by more sobs. “I can’t talk right now. I’ll message you when I’ve changed my flight.”
“You can stay here in our guest room as planned. I’m sure Sefi will want you close by when she gets home.”
I inject as much optimism into my words as I can. It sounds fake to my ears, but with any luck not to Camila’s.
We disconnect and I go through to the kitchen to make myself a cup of herbal tea. There’s an unwashed coffee mug in the sink. Sefi’s. Simply seeing it there brings tears to my eyes. I’m a grown man but I’m not ashamed to cry. Even though I was at boarding school in the UK where they tried to instill a British stiff upper lip in me, I resisted. I’m Italian and proud of it, proud to show my emotions.
Bawling like a baby, I take my tea back to the living room. It will probably be several hours before Alessio gets back. I switch on the TV, and stare at the screen. It’s impossible to focus, I’m too fucking worried. I leave the set on for company, but it could be broadcasting in Arabic as far as I’m concerned.
I think about my parents and how upset they were earlier. Jesus, I hope I have good news for them soon.
With a growl, I grab my telefonino. I shrug on my coat and head for the door. I’ll ask around the neighborhood. Someone might have seen something. It won’t hurt and at least I’ll feel as if I’m doing something other than sitting at home and waiting.* * *I roll over in bed sometime in the early hours of the next morning. The space where Alessio sleeps is still empty, and there’s a Sefi shaped hole in my heart. I check my Rolex. Three a.m. I’ve barely slept since crawling under the duvet… I walked around the neighborhood for hours, asking at all the bars and coffee shops still open if anyone had seen her. To no avail. Eventually I gave up and returned to the apartment. I can’t stop thinking about how scared she must be. What have they done with her? If they’ve harmed one hair on her beautiful head… I clench my fists, unable to finish the thought.
My ears pick up the sound of the front door clicking open. Alessio. He creeps into our bedroom. “I’m awake,” I murmur. “Tell me everything.”
I switch on the bedside light and the mattress dips as he sits next to me. “Koffler managed to bring Giorgio in for questioning. I grilled him for ages, but he’s denying any involvement.”
Shit.
“How long can you hold him for?”
“Twenty-four hours. If the Public Prosecutor agrees, we can keep the shithead for up to four days without charging him.” Alessio releases an impatient snort. “All being well, he’ll crack before then. Tell us where they are holding our beautiful angel.”
“I fucking hope so.” I pause for a beat. “I got hold of Camila. She’s changing her flight and hopes to be here tomorrow.”
I feel him stiffen. “I wish I could be certain of finding Sefi before then.”
“You are doing everything you can. We can’t ask for more than that.”
He goes to use the bathroom, strips down to his briefs, and climbs into bed. We wrap our arms around each other. “I miss her,” he sighs.
I sigh back at him. “Me too. I didn’t realize how much I loved her until this happened. My bad. I took her for granted.”
“As did I…”
We lie spooned together, our tears awash, our hearts broken. There’s no question of making love without Sefi. For better or worse, the dynamics have changed between Alessio and me. We are no longer a two. With Sefi we are a three.Chapter Twenty-NineSefiI blink my eyes open. Where the hell am I? My head is throbbing and every muscle in my body aches. Totally disorientated, I try to focus… but I’m too dizzy.
It’s dark in here. I can’t see anything… just darkness. Help! I attempt to shout the word, but all that comes out of my mouth is a muffled sound.
Oh, my God, I’m gagged.
