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I dig my heels in to stop when I see Antonio and Francesca huddled in the stairwell. “What are you guys doing here?” I wrap Francesca into a hug. By how she tenses, I can tell it surprises her. I’m not a very touchy-feely person.
“We were using the bathroom,” Antonio explains as I release Francesca and give him a hug next. “When we heard gunshots. We hid in here.”
“I’ve been too scared to leave,” Francesca whispers.
“I said we should go back out and help people, but Francesca stopped me.” Antonio shoots her a look. Francesca grows red, ducking her head.
“Hey, don’t blame her. It was a smart move, staying in here. But now, we need to keep moving. Is there another way out of here?”
“What about Mom?” Francesca asks.
Antonio jerks forward. “And Cecilia?”
“They’re ok, last I saw. Emilia as well.” They collectively let out a breath. “But now, we need to get out of here. We need to call the police.” I look through the door’s window and see Marco on his knees, a gun pressed to his head by one of Viktor’s men. Viktor has a red welt on his face, presumably from where Marco hit him. I wince when Viktor kicks Marco in the face.
Without even thinking, I run out of the stairwell and shout, “Stop!”
Viktor’s head whips around toward me. “Ah, Gemma. There you are. You didn’t run.” His eyes narrow. “You really should have run.”
“Stop hurting him.” Emilia will be so upset her husband is getting the shit beat out of him. She’s still stuck inside the ballroom, so I need to be the one to do it.
“Gemma don’t,” Marco groans, his left eye swelling.
“You see, Gemma.” Viktor takes a step toward me. “I’ll let you in a little secret. You’re the reason I’m here today.”
My heart drops straight to my stomach. “What?”
“I’m here for you. So, that’s why you really should have run.” He starts walking toward me like he has all the time in the world.
I run back inside the stairwell, slamming the door behind me. “We need to move,” I tell my siblings.
“Down there.” Antonio points to the set of stairs leading to the basement level.
“It’s as good idea as any.” I motion them forward. Antonio takes the lead with me taking the back and Francesca and Mia in the middle. Our footsteps are loud on the stairs. It won’t be hard for Viktor to figure out which direction we’re going.
We reach the bottom and are confronted by a long white hallway leading to a bright red exit sign is at the end.
“Let’s go,” I say, nudging Francesca forward.
The stairwell door opens up overhead. “You can’t escape me forever, Gemma,” Viktor calls out.
“Why did he say your name?” Antonio asks, not looking back.
“I don’t know. He wants me for some reason.” All three of them whip their heads back at me, eyes wide. “Keep going. I don’t know why. He just said he came here for me.”
“Who is he?” Mia whispers.
“A bad man. That’s all I know.”
We reach the exit door, and Antonio pushes on it, but it doesn’t budge. “It won’t open. Why won’t it open?” He tries pushing harder, but even with me joining in, the door doesn’t open.
“It must be locked.” I look back down the hallway. Viktor is taking his sweet time coming for me. Clearly, he’s the kind of man who believes he has all the time in the world, and that’s dangerous. “We need to hide somewhere.” There are multiple doors along the side of the hallway. I choose the first one that opens, pushing everyone inside. It’s a small broom closet full of cleaning supplies. I slam the lock down, hoping it will be enough to keep Viktor out but knowing it probably won’t. It’s a tight fit, but we all manage, clinging to each other. Viktor’s footsteps are loud as he finally enters the hallway.
“Where did you go, Gemma?” he asks in a sing-song way. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Not a fucking chance.
Mia whimpers, stuffing her face in my chest. Francesca is as still as stone, and Antonio is trying to look brave and failing. He’s supposed to be a future mob boss, but he’s only fourteen, still just a kid.
