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“An hour, maybe two.”
Fuck.
“Any idea where we are?”
“No. They covered my eyes in the van.”
Anger rippled through me but I managed to croak out, “Jay? Bella?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Did they take your cell phone?”
“Yeah. Yours too. And your weapons. Then they brought us here. I think it’s a warehouse.”
“Okay, okay.” I forced myself to sit up, shuffling backward until the wall came up behind me.
“Tristan?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m scared.”
My heart cracked. They knew, Nicco and Antonio knew there was a threat but to come into Marchetti territory, to Michele’s home, and attack…
It was a declaration of war.
“Come here.” I reached blindly for her, following her small whimpers. Alessia found my hand, threading her fingers with mine, and I managed through gritted teeth, to pull her into my side. “We’ll figure this out,” I said.
“You need medical attention. Your shoulder—”
“It’ll be okay.” It hurt like a bitch but I was pretty sure it was a clean shot. In and out. So long as I didn’t catch an infection, I’d live.
“What are we going to do?” Alessia whispered. “What if Bella and Uncle Michele are…” A pained sob caught in her throat and I pulled her closer, dropping a kiss to her head. “We’ll figure it out, I promise.”
But it was one promise I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep.
Footsteps sounded out beyond the wall, heavy boots. Two men. Maybe three. Alessia went stiff in my arms, her breathing shallow, fear radiating from her.
“Don’t say anything, okay?” I whispered. “Let me do the talking.”
A door creaked open, light streaming into what I now realized was a small room, nothing distinguishing about it.
“Ah, the Marchetti princess in the flesh. It is a pleasure, truly.”
Alessia trembled beside me and I ran a soothing hand up and down her spine.
I’m here, and I will not let anything hurt you.
“And you must be the guard dog. Jay Toretti.”
One of the man’s seconds leaned in and whispered something to him. His eyes flared in recognition and then quickly guttered.
“Tristan Capizola, what an interesting turn of events.” He stroked his proud jaw. “Sorry for the… theatrics. But Niccolò has refused to parley with us for some time so we had no choice but to force his hand.”
“W-what do you want?” Alessia asked.
“Ahhh, such a young innocent girl to be caught up in this dark, dangerous world.” The man’s—who I assumed was Jericho Mahoney—gaze hardened. “Let’s hope your brother and his men come to their senses.”
