Page 126 of Unravel Me

Then he slips past me and sprints down the stairs.

I rush to the window, and a moment later I see his Jeep tearing out of the driveway with its tires screaming against the pavement.

Shaking all over, I return to the room, expecting Silvio to still be there.

He isn't.

I run downstairs.

"Silvio?!"

I search every room in the house, but no one's there. Not Renato. Not Emilio. Not Tony.

"What the hell is going on?!" I shout, nearly out of my mind as I race from room to room.

The house seems empty.

Silent.

There's nobody here.

But why? What happened?

Panic closes around my throat.

I grab my phone and, with trembling fingers, send a single text to Alex.

"Take Tommy NOW and go straight to Bay's. Don't leave his side until I text you that it's safe."

My hands are shaking so badly I can barely shove the phone back into my pocket.

At that exact moment, I hear a quiet throat clear behind me.

I turn around.

Every drop of blood drains from my face.

Rocco Ferro is standing behind me.

CHAPTER 25: MAURO

2 years ago

I'm sitting at the table during another damn Ferro family dinner. My brothers are all here, along with Anzo and his weirdo of a husband, Moon. I stare down at my phone screen, looking at a photo of a tiny child cradled in Jared's arms.

Every now and then, I still torture myself by checking his Instagram. I don't do it nearly as often as I used to because I took Ennio's words to heart, but no matter how hard I try, after a week without looking, sooner or later I always give in and click, willingly feeding myself another dose of pain.

I notice the comment with the most likes, posted by the verified account of Mark Ferguson. He left a heart emoji and wrote, My sweetest family… Naturally, his comment has racked up a record number of likes.

I grit my teeth and set my phone aside, lifting my eyes only to meet Rocco's gaze. I realize he must've seen what was on my screen because I'd been holding my phone at just the right angle for him to recognize Jared's distinctively long blond hair.

He lets out a disgusting cackle.

"So you're still hung up on that little snack? How many years has it been now, four? I have to admit, I miss him too, and… I heard they've been having some serious problems."

Ennio shoots Rocco a warning look.

"Drop it. Nothing was ever proven in court."