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He calls me but I reject the call. I can’t take it. I’m too scared. I fire off another text.
Teagan: They’re in the house. I’m hiding, Elio. Please, I can’t take the call. They may find me.
This time, he responds by text, and I’m relieved.
Elio: I’m on my way. I promise you,mia amata, I’m coming. They’re not going to hurt you.
I pray that he’s right. I hope he gets here in time.
“She’s got to be here somewhere. Where the fuck is she, Stefano?” the man growls. “She should be here.”
Shadows pass the closet, and I release a ragged breath as I press against the wall, the towels and bed linen either side of me. God, I can’t believe this is happening. I knew those assholes saw me that day, but why have they left it until now to do something about it?
They’re in the bedroom. If they don’t find me, are they going to leave? If they do, how will Elio know who they are? I gingerly reach for the handle of the door, my hands shaking, my heart racing, but I power through and open the door slightly. I pull up my cell’s camera feature and start to snap picture after picture, making sure I get both men, their faces visible, so I can show Elio. So he’ll know who killed me if the men do get to me.
I don’t know where I’ve managed to get this strength from, but I have, and I’m determined not to die. I’m not going to allow another man to hurt me, to use violence against me. It’s not happening again. No way. I won’t be a victim anymore.
I quickly close the door and press close to the corner, hoping that if the men leave and just quickly open the door, they won’t see me.
A cell rings, and I drop to the floor, pushing myself under the shelf. I press close against the wall and wait.
“Yeah?” the man says as he answers the call. “What do you mean he’s on his way back? What the fuck, Alb? I thought you said the cameras were off, that you had set them up so he wouldn’t know?”
Oh God, there’s even more than just the two men in the house. Someone’s helping them.
“Fuck,” he snarls. “We’ve gotta go. Elio’s on his way back. I don’t know if he knows we're here or not, but I’d rather not be here when he gets back.”
I hear their heavy footsteps as they run from my bedroom, their shoes slamming against the floor as they do. I don’t dare breathe, scared that they could return.
My heart is hammering against my chest. I stay tucked up against the wall, pressed as much as I can into a ball. It reminds me so much of how things were when I was in the Dirty Demons clubhouse, in the basement.
The memories hit and they hit hard. I’m a quivering mess as I silently weep into my knees, praying the men don’t find me.
TWENTY-SIX
ELIO
“Lorenzo,” I say as we leave the restaurant. I’m on edge. I fucking hate being away from Teagan, and with no one at the house with her, I’m even more tense. Thankfully, she’s messaged and let me know she’s okay and going to sleep. The sooner I get these meetings done today, the better.
“Where’s Alberto?” The fucker has been AWOL since the meeting at the restaurant last week. He’s not been in contact with anyone, which has caused a lot of suspicion.
“Boss, no one has seen him,” he tells me through clenched teeth. “Mattia said he stopped by his house this morning, but no one was there.”
That’s a huge fucking red flag. Alberto has a wife who’s just given birth. They have kept the baby home, and Alberto has been the only one to leave the house. He’s not let anyone visit either. The women have been wanting to meet the baby and visit with his wife, Rosa, but all communication has been stopped. The lives of our soldiers are something we don’t get into. It doesn’t mean the men don’t talk about it.
“I’ll call Rocco,” I say, reaching for my cell. “He’ll either pay Alberto a visit or send Andrea to do so.” Andrea is Rocco’s consigliere. He’s his right-hand man, the one who will give Roc advice if my brother ever asked for it.
As I go to my brother’s number, Mattia’s number comes on screen as my cell rings. “Yeah?”
“Boss,” he says, his voice tight. “Diego Snr is gone. He’s given me the slip. He’s been acting shifty all morning, calling someone regularly.” I grit my teeth. What the fuck is going on? Lorenzo’s cell rings, and I watch as he steps out of the vehicle to take the call.
“I couldn’t get close enough to find out what has been said, but it seems as though he’s been planning something. The fucker must have known I was watching him. He went into a store downtown and hasn’t come out. I checked it out and the asshole was gone,” Mattia explains.
We should have taken them out, should have made sure they were all dealt with. Now I need to know where both Diego and Alberto are. Fuck, I want to know where all those fuckers are.
“Mattia, find him. With Alberto gone too, it’s all starting to seem as though something’s going down.”
I hear his harsh intake of breath. “I’m on it, boss. Edoardo is watching Santino, and Niccolò is on Pitero. I’m not sure who’s watching Lino and Stefano. But I’m sure the men will help if we call on them.”
