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Gia
Sonny had no idea I snuck out of the house until I was on the highway, on my way to check out the new construction site. I had to see the property for myself. It was Sonny’s turn to babysit me, poor guy. He had no social life because of me. Men like Sonny did what they were told. They were good at following orders. Too bad he underestimated me.
When Angelo wasn’t around, he had Sonny or one of his father’s men take their shift. I was almost never alone. Someone was always lurking in the shadows wherever I went. I hated the feeling of being watched. Angelo said it beat the alternative. He feared someone would take me as collateral for something he’d done in the past. All he would tell me was that blood paid for blood, and it would be his they take not mine.
I turned off the deserted highway, greeted with nothing but pine trees as far as I could see. I’d landed smack dab in the middle of one of those towns you had to close one eye to see on a map. Even Google wasn’t sure of the exact location. I had GPS coordinates, which I’d plugged into my phone, following the prompts until I reached a long dirt driveway, buried deep in the woods.
A chill ran down my spine the further I drove. My car just fit down the narrow path, leaving me little room for error. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles burned, all while my heart beat out of my chest.
What was I thinking by coming here in the dark?
Once I reached a black Cadillac Escalade that was parked in the middle of the road, I stopped and got out of my car. It wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done. A gnawing in the pit of my stomach told me to run, but I ignored it. I turned off the engine and locked the door. Not a soul was in sight, yet there was an abandoned car on the lot my company was about to own.
Using the flashlight app on my phone, I navigated the dirt path. I looked inside the Cadillac in front of me, almost relieved to find no one. I ran my hand over the hood, surprised to feel the heat from its recent use.
Walk away, stupid. Turn around.
I ignored all the warning signs because I had to find out why the site was so important to the Morelli family. Why did my father need me to sign off on the transaction? A smart person would have gotten back in their car and drove the hell home. But I was starting to lose my nerve the more Angelo hid from me.
He was never like that with me. I was always included in his business. Until I wasn’t. And that left a gaping hole in my chest. I missed being the Bonnie to his Clyde. I missed being us. So, if putting myself in danger was the only way to get Angelo’s attention, I had no problem making a statement.
Gravel and dirt crunched beneath my sneakers, the combination of it making it harder to walk without tripping over my feet. I had trouble seeing the further I walked, the moonlight fading, hidden by the thick canopy overhead. It wasn’t until I heard male voices that I stopped dead in my tracks.
Hiding behind a tree, I looked around at my surroundings and waited for someone to speak again. There was a muffled sound I couldn’t make out. They were far enough away from me I was confident I could creep closer to listen to their conversation.
I took my time, careful not to make a sound, and inched closer. First, I saw a black Mercedes with tinted windows, followed by six men. All I could make out was the silhouette of their bodies until I stepped into the clearing.
Angelo and his brothers were lined up, each of them directly in front of three men who had their hands bound behind their backs. The light from the SUV illuminated each of their faces, giving me a better view of the ditch the men were standing in front of.
“Any last words?” Angelo pointed a gun at the man in front of him along with his brothers.
The men didn’t answer. They kept their eyes to the ground and waited for their imminent deaths. I covered my mouth with my hand, the other limp at my side with the phone clutched between my fingers. My eyes widened in shock of what I was about to witness. Even though I knew Angelo killed men for a living, I had no idea it was a regular occurrence. I thought he mostly collected money and tortured people on occasion.
I let out an accidental scream as the man I loved sunk a bullet into another man’s skull.
Pop, pop, pop.
Like a domino effect, all three men fell backward and into the pit.
Frozen in place, the tears streamed down my cheeks, each sob that ripped from my throat more painful than the last.
Angelo turned to look in my direction, as did his brothers. I turned on my heel to run, but before I could, strong hands wrapped around my middle. Sonny lifted me up and pressed my back into his chest. I knew his musky smell anywhere.
He covered my mouth with his hand and whispered, “Be quiet if you know what’s good for you. You’re going to get me whacked for the shit you pulled back at the house.”
I thrashed and screamed, the sound muffled the harder Sonny squeezed the life from my body. He dragged me over to where Angelo stood with his brothers.
“Gia?” Angelo scratched the stubble on his chin with the tip of his gun, confused. He narrowed his eyes at Sonny, his face twisted in anger. “You were supposed to watch her. Why the fuck is she here?”
“Sorry, Lo,” Sonny choked out. “She jumped out the bathroom window. I had to track her car to find her.”
“Track my car? What do you mean you tracked my car?” I tried to wiggle free from his grasp, but my attempts were pointless. He was too big and muscular for me to escape. “Put me the fuck down, Sonny!”
Sonny waited until Angelo told him to do so before he set me down on the ground. My thighs were like putty from all the adrenaline that coursed through my veins.
“This is bad for business,” Pete said to Angelo, his gun pointed in my direction. “Shut your girl up before I do it for you.”
“What, are you going to kill me, Pete?” I threw my arms out at my sides, so angry I couldn’t have cared less what he did to
