AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We have to get out of here,” I whispered. “There are other men in the house. Jacob’s men. Jacob came to steal your father’s gold.”
“Jacob,” she muttered, sounding stunned. She pushed me away. Her eyes went wide. “In the house?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Oh God,” she gasped. “Marco’s gone out. He went out. I lied. Told him I was going to see friends, but I stayed at home. He’s gone. And they shot Nicky! They killed him. What are we going to do?”
Her voice had risen in her panic, and she started hyperventilating.
I held her. Hushed her. “Where’s your mom? And Amara?”
“Out. Gone out.” She wept.
“We’ll get out,” I whispered. “We’ll run to the back door. Can you do that?”
“We can’t,” she moaned. “We have a centralised security system. They will have locked everything down. We won’t be able to get out.”
“Crap!”
“There’s a safe room,” she whispered, still weeping. “One upstairs. One downstairs. But it’s… It’s…” Her face crumpled as she realised the safe rooms were no use. Not if Jacob was behind this.
I hugged her, stroked her hair. “We’ll hide. Where’s your phone? Have you got it?”
She shook her head.
I ran to the creep, who was still unconscious. Checked his pockets, all the while terrified he might wake up and grab me.
Chiara grabbed the golf club from where I’d dropped it, and stood over him, looking like she would beat his brains in if he tried anything.
I could have cried for joy when I found his phone in his jeans pocket. I unlocked it with his fingerprint and dialled Marco, whose number Chiara had memorised.
The phone rang and rang. Marco did not answer.
Chapter 40
MARCO
I walked into Bordello, hoping the familiar dimly lit ambience would instantly soothe my agitated mind like it had used to in the past.
Bordello had always been a sanctuary for me, but I had not been here ever since Beth had come to live with me.
The music thumped through the air as I settled into a sleek leather booth, my eyes going to the stage where the glittering, barely-clad dancers gracefully moved to the rhythm.
Sandro joined me, a smirk on his face as he took a sip of his Scotch.
“Marco. Back to old haunts, I see. No dear sweet Beth with you tonight?” Sandro’s voice was filled with amusement. He slid my drink to me.
I could have punched the smug look off his face. The sound of her name on his lips made me want to strangle him.
Sandro had called me a few times these past couple of weeks. I’d told him brusquely I was too busy for him. Now he seemed keen to make me pay for it.
“Screw you, Sandro.”
Sandro laughed. “Ah, women. Can’t live with em. Can’t live without em. Consider yourself lucky to be free again.”
I scowled. “Who says I’m free?”
“Your mother, for one, who’s called me twice, telling me I need to arrange a double date. You and Maya. Me and whoever.”
