Page 132 of Unlock My Heart

Angelo stabs me in the chest with his finger. “Act like the fucking boss and fix this before I’m sworn in. Oh, and you owe me a new vehicle.”

I curse under my breath.

“Al, get in the panic room,” Angelo orders our sister before he’s on the phone, and I get on the phone, ordering a lockdown for Sienna.

“Can’t believe I only clipped that fucker!” Al exclaims.

“Did you give her a gun?” I cast a judgmental glare at my brother.

He bristles. “You’re questioning my child-rearing style after being away for nearly ten years?”

“I’m not a fucking child!” Al stops her foot.

“Get in the panic room,” both Angelo and I say at the same time.

“You know what’s worse than one controlling Calvani brother? Two!” Flipping her braid, she stomps her cowboy boots down the hall.

“Wear that home at your own risk; you know Nola doesn’t like country music,” Angelo calls after her.

“I don’t even know who you fucking are,” I mutter to my brother.

A small grin stretches his typically stern face as he slaps my back. “Kill Kirksey. That’s what you fucking need to know.”

With pleasure.

Just as soon as I flush out the rat who snitched about this meeting.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Sienna

The present

“Don’t look at me like that,” I tell Lacey, who’s about as happy as I am being stuck inside the panic room. It’s as if she knows we’re in here because I tipped off Kirksey. “My kidnapping was the last straw,” I defend myself to a dog. “The family chose their side; I chose mine.”

Lacey remains unconvinced, and I continue, “I’m no longer a pawn on the Calvani game board; I’ve become the knight. I think it’s the knight? Or maybe a king? Look, I don’t know much about chess, but you get my point.”

She appears as confused as I am about the rules of chess, plopping down beside me as I weave a new pattern with my bobbins. My school project is on hold; I’ve decided to take a shot with my New York contact while I have the chance.

Lacey huffs, and I didn’t realize a dog could do that.

“No, I’m not worried about Fabien. Despite his Shakespearean declarations, he will always choose the family first. Remember that.”

I wish I had remembered that when I was riding the man’s face this morning. With a huff of my own, I place my bobbins down. The last thing I need is to get distracted from my lacemaking or my plan for revenge.

That annoying little voice says, You’re not distracted; you’re worried about him.

“Shut up,” I grumble, and Lacey looks at me.

“Not you.” My head falls back on the couch. Maybe Maks is right: I do need to have this checked out.

“Mrs. Calvani.” A voice comes over the intercom, one that doesn’t belong to Fabien.

Feeling something dangerously close to regret, I rise and grab the phone receiver. “Yes?”

“The threat’s been cleared, but Mr. Calvani has asked that you remain in the panic room until he returns.”

I suppress a sigh of relief.