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“It’s a mess.”
“You could say that?”
A loud knock makes us jump and Cesare growls through the door, “What’s taking you so long?”
I sigh and stare at my friend with a dull resignation.
“I should go.”
Clarice glances at the door and lowers her voice.
“I can help you escape them all if you like.”
“How?”
There is no way we could even take two steps before Matteo’s soldiers bring me back and Clarice nods toward the open window.
“We’re on the ground floor. I’m guessing this leads to an alley. Why don’t we give it a try?”
“And then what?”
She giggles with excitement. “We catch a cab and head for my father’s apartment.”
“Is he there?” I’m doubtful, because Clarice’s father would be on the phone to mine the minute he set eyes on me.
“No, he’s out of town and I came here for the weekend. I used his ticket to the gala to have some fun, which is a very good job, because now I can save you.”
A second is all it takes for me to make my decision and I jump up and whisper, “Let’s give it a try, at least.”
As we jump onto the bench and bend over the sill, I can see she was right. There is a short drop, to an alley to the side of the building.
We waste no time and tumble headfirst through the window, trying to suppress the giggles that remind me of similar escapades in our past.
As we drop to the ground, she grasps my hand, and we tear off toward the rear of the building and quickly flag down a passing cab. The driver rolls his eyes as we spill giggling inside and huffs, “Where to, ladies?”
As Clarice rattles off the address, I sink back in my seat and close my eyes, my heart thumping with adrenalin as I struggle to come to terms with everything that’s happened.
At least I got away, that’s something at least and as the cab flies through the city, I take a moment’s satisfaction imagining the anger on Matteo’s face when he realizes his bird has flown the cage.
CHAPTER21
MATTEO
“Where the fuck is she?”
I hiss as Cesare heads to my side alone and looking so worried I can tell something has happened.
As he fills me in, my anger increases and he’s just lucky we’re in public right now because I’m itching to empty my gun into his head.
“Search this fucking place.” I growl at my soldiers before I storm to the restroom and fling open the door, the squeals of the women inside merely background noise to the rage that’s making my head pound.
I race across to the open window and peer at the street outside and say through gritted teeth. “Cover the entire area. Crack open heads and waste souls until you discover where she went.”
Cesare starts issuing instructions into his phone like bullets and I spin on my heels and head outside, passing through the crowds like a hot knife in butter, focusing on nothing but my need to find my wife.
As we hurry from the building, I race down the steps toward my waiting car and as the door closes behind me, something catches my attention from the corner of my eye that chills my blood.
Mario and Jefferson are deep in a discussion on the sidewalk and don’t appear to have seen me. Almost immediately, Jefferson steps into a car that pulls up and Mario heads back up the steps toward the gala.
