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I wander into a kitchen and look around. There are voices nearby, so I hurry to the open door across the room and step inside a garage.
Two cars are parked inside, and I rush around, searching for the keys. I find a button and hit it, and the garage door starts to open.
For a moment, I’m a deer caught in a headlight, and for some reason, Luigi’s face is what I picture, but it’s gone quickly as I shake myself back to reality. I see there’s a gate blocking my exit. I search around the garage with desperation before I find a clicker.
I press the button and almost whoop when the gate starts swinging open. I hear voices behind me, so I sprint, running out of the property into the street. I look up and down the road.
This isn’t East Harlem. this looks more like Central Park West. I see we’re not far from Central Park, and as I hear shouting behind me, I start sprinting.
I ignore the people staring at me as though I am mad, but I don’t have time to worry about my appearance. I run into the park; at the very least, I should be able to find a place to hide.
I don’t stop. I run onto a trail and deep into a thicket of trees.
I don’t even look back because I don’t need to. I know I’m being followed.
Chapter 26 - Luigi
I park outside the bistro because I know it’s the last place anyone will look for me. I dial Ana’s number and a Mexican voice answers.
“Looking for your girlfriend?” he laughs. “You’ll never find her.”
I put him on speakerphone and track the phone. “You scared of me?”
“Hardly. You’re a little boy playing an adult. Your efforts are futile.” Mateo hangs up, and I bang my steering wheel. I nearly jump out of my skin when the passenger door opens, and Natalia slides in. “She’s in Central Park West. Let’s go.”
She takes out a handgun and cocks it, looking at me as I stare at her. “Did you hear me? Get to Central Park West entrance, as close as we can get without crossing the Mexican’s path. Drive!”
I hit the gas and start driving. “How do you know this?”
“I’ve been tracking Anastasia since she made friends with Juanita Catalan. I knew it was dangerous, and she’d need help.”
“Why didn’t you help at the auction?” I ask.
She shrugs, zipping up her leather jacket. “You had it sorted. I don’t play my cards until I absolutely have to.”
“Ana’s phone is only traceable by me. How are you tracking her?” I ask.
Natalia stares ahead. “I had her microchipped at her last flu shot.”
“What the fuck are you?” I ask, shocked. “A Russian spy?”
“I’m Ivan’s cousin, and I love my niece dearly. I love her more than life itself. Which is why you’re not going to tell anyone about this, so if anything ever happens again, we can find her and save her.” She smiles, and I take out my phone to send Alessandro a voice note.
“Alessandro, Ana is in Central Park. She entered from the west side but could be anywhere.” I send the voice note and look at Natalia. “How can I not tell Ana you’re tracking her?”
“Because I’m going to tell Ivan to spare your life,” she smiles, but there’s a coldness in her eyes. “Drive faster.”
I focus on the road, zipping through traffic at breakneck speed and almost causing several accidents. Natalia takes out a handheld device and checks it. “She’s moving fast, running. We can hit the entrance at the corner of W Fifty-Ninth Street and Seventh Avenue.”
I breathe hard as I move. “She’s probably being chased, which is why she’s running.”
“Well, we’ll have to get to her first,” Natalia says as we drive.
We don’t speak much for the rest of the ride. I get a notification with a voice note from Alessandro, “Luigi, that better not be the sound of a car I hear. You had better be sending me this message from my house. I swear…”
I turn my phone off and toss it to the side.
“Your boss sounds pissed.”
