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She crumples into herself, cradling her head in her hands as an ear-piercing shriek emits from her lips; the gun falls to the floor, and I scramble away, sprinting for the door before she has a chance to recover.
I reach the door and glance over my shoulder, watching her writhe and cry out in agony; blood mats the back of her hair, stains her hands as she yanks them away, and I know there’s no time to do what I’m about to, but I can’t tear my thoughts from the flash drives on her table, the incriminating files. All that evidence.
Even if I make it out of here, what’re the chances of her still being around, of any of this being here, once I find Elia or a cop? She’s injured, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s incapacitated, and the doors against the far wall likely lead down halls I’m unfamiliar with.
Halls she probably knows like the back of her hand, if everything she’s said tonight is true.
Rushing over to the two sawhorses, I scoop as much material into my arms as possible, keeping an eye on my mother’s bloody form. I stuff multiple flash drives down the front of my dress, catching them in the cups of my strapless bra, then stuff papers into a green folder and tuck it under my arm, racing back to the door as she starts to stir.
My nails scrape against the metal door as my fingers fumble with the lock, unlatching it at the same time I’m grabbed from behind, a blunt object connecting with my skull, making me see stars.
* * *
Kieran
Elia stares at two of his goons, barking orders to secure the premises, attempting to console his sobbing wife as she fists his suit jacket in her hands, drenching his button-down with tears. Panic ebbs inside me, fear of being too late rising up like a tidal wave and pushing me ahead of Gia and Boyd.
“Where is she?” I snap, the snarl in my voice seeming to surprise the small, dainty Caroline. It hits me that this is the first time we're actually seeing each other in person, and the features she shares with her sister catch me off guard. That same golden hair raining from her head, the same cerulean eyes, though hers lack the same twinkle Juliet gets when she looks at me.
There’s no sharp intake of breath, no pupil dilation, no smattering of soft freckles across her nose or tiny half-crescent-shaped scar beneath her left eyelid from when she got into a bar fight on graduation night, and the other contender nearly stabbed her eye out with a straw.
None of that’s present here as I stare down at her sister, wishing selfishly that they could trade places. That Elia could fill my shoes, feel the desperation that accompanies helplessness and the fear of the unknown.
“I don’t know, but they couldn’t have just disappeared,” Elia says, his forearm flexing as he pulls his wife closer.
I wonder where their kids are for a moment before spotting thecapo’s father off to the side with a girl I recognize from The Bar, One of Juliet’s friends. She holds the newborn while Orlando Montalto holds the toddler, distracting them from the fact that their parents aren’t accessible.
A pang tears through my abdomen, and I clench my jaw until my head starts to throb. Pointing at Boyd, I tell him to head inside and scour every square inch of this godforsaken building; if what my father updated Gia and me on while we made our way over is true, the Catholic order in this town is about to have a hell of a reckoning.
One the various crime organizations they’ve stolen from and framed is gonna have a fantastic time fulfilling.
But none of that matters while Juliet’s in danger.
Turning from the little group we’ve gathered at the corner of the cathedral, I start toward the side, aiming to run the length of the perimeter. A small hand grips my bicep, halting me. Caroline peers up, worrying the light pink lipstick off her bottom lip with her teeth. “She’s with our mother.”
“I know. She’s in serious trouble. I’m not sure if you know what your mother’s been doing, but if you thought your father was a piece of shit, your mom takes the fucking cake.”
She pinches her eyes closed, sucking in a deep breath, and then pops them back open. “I didn’t want to say she couldn’t contact her, but there was something off about her coming back all of a sudden. Something didn’t feel right in my gut. I told her to stay away, but…”
The Queen of King’s Trace breaks off on a sob, fat tears streaming down her face. Elia’s hand slides up from around her waist and over her shoulders, tugging her into him. “She’s gonna be okay,mio amore.”
My head tilts at the backward Italian, but there’s no time to linger. “I’ve got to find her.”
“Last I saw, they turned right here, and I was right on their trail.” Elia shakes his head, fingers white-knuckling the fabric of his wife’s dress. “There’s no way they could have gotten far.”
Nodding, I start toward the back of the church again, this time flanked by Elia as he hands his wife off to a woman with brown skin, big black eyes, and hair coiled tighter than my heart.
Caroline clears her throat, clutching the other woman’s hands in her own. “You love her, don’t you?”
I can practically feel Elia’s eyebrows shoot up, can sense the tension settling thick in the air, but none of that matters right now. Meeting Caroline’s stoic, determined gaze, I give her a curt nod, not sure I should be telling anyone before I’ve even toldher, but unable to keep it a secret.
Because Christ, I fucking do. And I’ll burn the entire goddamn world to a crisp if I don’t get the chance to say it to her face.
A slow grin spreads along Caroline’s lips, and she points over my shoulder. “Go fucking get her, then.”
Chapter 27
Kieran
