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After facials, manicures, pedicures and one hell of a massage that worked wonders on my sore muscles, I walked out feeling like a new woman.
We finished the day with shopping at one of the largest malls in Boston. I tried to refuse when Arianna wanted to spend thousands of dollars on clothes for me, but she wouldn’t let it go. She dragged me into all the designer stores telling me to ignore the price tags. And I did, only because I didn’t want to vomit on the shiny marble floor.
The hours flew by. Arianna and I were both loaded down with bags along with James and Mark by the time she was satisfied we had done enough damage. It had already turned dark outside. I wondered what Luca was doing.
“This is crazy.” I shook my head at the amount of money in clothes we were carrying.
“You needed more clothes,” she said.
“Maybe. But I don’t need these clothes. Or this much.”
“Sweetheart, you are married to Luca now. You are going to need to look the part.”
“Ok. I get what you’re saying.” I’d have to have to find a balance between maintaining who I was and the image I was expected to acquire.
We headed for the elevators that would take us down to the parking garage, where our driver waited with the SUV.
My body felt beyond tired. The massage from earlier helped, but we‘d been shopping for almost five hours and I was running on multiple nights of little sleep. Every part of me hurt. I thought about the tub in Luca’s bathroom and almost whimpered. I wonder if I could get in a hot bath before he gets home? Knowing it would probably be late before he got in.
We exited the elevators, walking towards where the SUV was parked. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up.
As we approached the vehicle the driver didn’t get out, instead his reflection remained motionless in the rearview mirror. He looked to be comfortably asleep. The little voice in my head screamed. I failed to believe that one of the Russo’s men would fall asleep on the job.
Something is wrong.I opened my mouth to voice the concern but clamped it shut again.
Surely, if something felt wrong the men would sense it too.
I heard Mark grumble and power forward. Suddenly the air turned cold, sending a chill up my spine. James remained by our side but Mark was now approaching the drivers window.
A man jumped from the front of the vehicle and shot Mark point blank in the head just as he reached the driver’s window.
BANG!
Brain matter and blood painted the side of the SUV. Adrenaline pulsed through my body hard enough to make my fingertips sizzle with energy.
Arianna screamed bloody murder, the sound echoing off the concrete walls, the shrill of it pierced my eardrums. James drew his gun and returned fire. Shots spiraled in our direction.
BANG! BANG! BANG! I flinched at every shot.
“Get back to the elevators!” James yelled, his face set hard with determination. He didn’t look so young anymore.
I dropped my bags and clamped down on Arianna’s wrist, dragging her back to the elevators. My heart raced out of control as the adrenaline pushed me forward. Arianna sobbed as I nearly pulled her off her feet.
I slammed into the wall next to the elevator at full speed and pressed the ‘up’ arrow with enough force to break my finger or smash the button to pieces.
Shots continued to fire behind me. I turned just in time to see James take a hit to the chest as he walked backwards trying to get to us. He fell like a stone, dead before he hit the floor. The large man who’d jumped from his hiding place surged forward, coming for us.
Arianna cried hysterically while frantically trying to get her fingers working enough to make a phone call.
Desperate, I pressed the button in rapid succession. He was getting closer. Come on! Come on! Panic stung my body like a thousand bees. My breath turned ragged.
It’s not going to open.
Snatching up Arianna’s wrist again I took off running. The sound of Arianna’s phone clattering to the floor made my heart sink. My eyes searched desperately for a way out. There had to be stairs nearby, or if we could just make it to the exit we would be ok. I hope.
Heavy feet pounded the floor behind us, and they were gaining. Fear sent electricity up my spine. My hand tightened on Arianna’s wrist.
Out of nowhere another figure launched out from the shadows, reaching with strong arms. I didn’t even have a chance to slow. I hit a hard wall of muscle, knocking the wind out of me. Heavy arms encompassed my upper body, we were pressed chest to chest.
