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“I know you will hate what I’m about to say, but I have to. Sabina is the daughter and sister of two mob bosses. The Santoro family will not just sit back quietly while you remove her from her life to never be heard of again.”
“Who said that was my intention?”
“Um, you did when you told Marco that she would be going home with you when you find her.”
“Edric, I will only say this once because I trust you more than anyone else. I know what I am doing, and do not ever question me again. I will handle Marco and Lucas.”
“Understood. I’ll keep you posted.”
I knew his concern came from a good place, but he didn’t have to worry. I fucking hate Marco with everything I have in me. He’s an evil man, and I know he’s in deep, and his motivation for finding his daughter is to benefit only himself. So yes, it may have begun as me testing the waters concerning Marco and his intentions, but now I’ve changed my mind.
I never trusted Marco Santoro, but I worked with him years ago when he got into a situation he should have never been in. After that, our paths never crossed again until today. I neveravenged my sister’s death because I had no proof of their family involvement. Some conspiracy theories fed the rumors for years but always came up empty. Someone is always connected to someone else in life, and you never know when those lines intersect. It was the day I visited my sister and met Sabina. Marielle befriended her from the beginning, and from my sister’s diaries, they were close until her death. The few journals I found were filled with the typical writings of young girls, but something always stood out in the last entry my sister wrote.
I regret lying to my dad, and if Bourne ever finds out, I know he will be very disappointed, but I have to help her. She’s my friend. Sabina plans to run away from school and not go on the ski trip her Papa urged her to take after changing his first answer from a no to a yes. In his last letter, he told her she couldn’t come home and wanted her to go to Switzerland. She cried on my shoulder for hours, telling me how much she missed her mother and brother. Her father would be out of the country on business and would never know that she didn’t go on her trip, and that’s when I offered to go in her place. I loved to ski and always went any chance I could, so what’s one more time? It will be so much fun; my best friend can see her mother while I'm skiing.
He had to have something to do with the bombing, but why his daughter? It’s the known code that women are never to be harmed, no matter what. I’m going to find out the truth and help Sabina. From what I know of Lucas, he’s not blind to his father and must already suspect something is off with the story he’s feeding him.
From the first moment I met Sabina Santoro, I felt something come alive in my heart, and I ignored it because of circumstances. It wasn’t the right time back then, and I knew I had no choice but to move forward and place her in a compartment no one else knew existed. However, it’s differentnow, and I believe she’s back in my life for a reason. I will find, protect, and convince Sabina that she no longer has to live and run in a constant state of fear.
She’s in danger because of her family, and Marco is at the heart of it. Once I prove it, there will be not a single place he can hide from me. I’m willing to do anything it takes to keep her safe, and if that means keeping her all to myself, then I’ll take my chances with whatever consequences follow.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sabina
After spending the last two days in bed and hiding from the outside world and my father, I powered up my burner phone and called Pierre. He was relieved when he heard my voice, and then Lucy got on the phone to scold me for not keeping in touch like I was supposed to. I gave my apologies, but what else could I say? I wasn’t ready.
I never expected my repressed memories to come flooding back all at once. To relive my mother’s gruesome murder and know it was at my father's hands paralyzed me. I was in an impossible situation and didn’t know who to trust besides my two best friends. I could not contact Lucas without the call being traced back to my hidden location. I graduated from college and ran like a scared fugitive on a wanted list. This scenario is not what I pictured for my life. Yet, I have to stay calm or be as good as dead.
Pierre told me he’s been monitoring my father and reached out to locators all around Europe, never believing I would try to return to the United States. He bought me some time hacking into street cameras and instructing me to use a disguise. I never believed it would work, but I was willing to try anything to get as far as possible from my father. I knew I could only be in one place for a few days before moving again. Pierre manipulated my father’s search parties and marked me in the center of London where they could track me. I would be long gone by the time they arrived and onto my next destination.
I was worried his shell game would not work, but he told me it would and just stay the course until we could all be together again. They tracked me to Heathrow but didn’t know they were following a few of my doppelgangers posing as me and using my mother’s name. I was not too fond of the idea when Lucy suggested it, but my father believed I was weak and a useless female, so I played the part. This wasn’t the first time I tried to evade my father, but I hoped it would be my last. Thinking about my past, I began to cry and sank to the floor, gripping my knees.
“I’m telling you, Sabina, our plan will work. We have the same hair color and almost the same length. If I wear flats, we are practically the same height. All we have to do is wear the same outfit and board the train together but at different entrances. Once I’m in my seat, you step off the train and board the other to see your mother. It’s a perfect plan, I promise you.”
“Oh, Marielle, but it wasn’t. My father made sure of it.” I continued to cry, and then his haunting words came back to me on the night he murdered my mother.Yes, the lamb that survived the slaughter.
And just as I remembered my mother’s murder, another blocked memory found its way to the forefront of my memory. “Oh, my God, my beautiful friend,” I whispered as all my memories came rushing back and hitting me straight throughmy heart. “You bastard! You killed my best friend. She was on that train because of me, and you killed her. Why did you hate me so much? And when you found out I didn’t die after all of your planning, you waited like the monster and killed my mother instead because she fought your attempts to sell me to Andreas.” I was crying uncontrollably and continued screaming at the top of my lungs.
“How could I repress Marielle’s murder and my mother’s for this long without ever realizing who was responsible?” I felt so sick that I practically crawled to the bathroom, just making the toilet. My stomach dry heaved at all the tormented memories I was reliving. I must have fallen asleep on the floor because I woke up to the new alarm I had set on my watch.
It was time to leave. I splashed cold water on my face and secured my wig. I checked my appearance and did one final check to ensure I had everything. I opened the music box to hear the sweet-sounding melody before closing it and placing it back in my backpack. I kissed the small wallet-sized photo I always carried and prayed on it. “Please, Mama, watch over and protect me. I miss you.” I wiped a few more tears and left for the airport.
My flight out of Gatwick was problem-free using the false documents I acquired off the dark web. It cost me a small fortune, but it was worth it if my father didn’t find me. I only had a small duffel, so I had no luggage to claim. I walked through the airport, keeping my eyes on the exits but still over my shoulder. I had to keep my guard up and head down until I was on the road again to my next destination. Pierre and Lucy would help me once I was there, and then I would have time to sort this mess out.
My father is pure evil. I will never understand how my beautiful mother could marry a monster like him. She was light with a kind soul until it all was gone when he murdered her. Her blood has covered his hands for years, and he will die once Lucaslearns the truth. My brother was always my protector; I hope he will be again. I need to stay alive long enough to get to Lucas. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed my mind to stop remembering my past. I should have waited for Lucas to return, but I had to leave and not look back. The seatbelt light had turned on, and the captain announced we were about to land in the next few minutes.
I gripped my fingers to calm my hands down. I drank too much coffee when I should have taken something to help me relax, but I didn’t because I needed to stay alert. There’s danger all around me, and I can’t trust anyone. It didn’t take long to deplane, and by the time I was through customs, I gripped the strap to my bag a little tighter and made my way downstairs to the waiting drivers picking up their passengers. Pierre had arranged transportation, and all I had to do was meet the driver, and then I would be home free. I re-read the text message Lucy had sent me describing the driver. I spotted him quickly, but the only thing that seemed off was there was another name listed. Another passenger? How could that be? “Breathe; it’s going to be fine,” I thought as I approached him.
“Hi, are you Felipe?” I asked. He stopped flipping through his paperwork and told me he was. He confirmed who I was and reached for my bag. I held onto my bag and told him I had it.
“So, can we leave?” I asked.
“I’m afraid not, and I’m waiting on one passenger who will be here shortly.”
“No, this is not acceptable. I have somewhere I need to be, and I need to leave now!” I shouted louder than intended, causing people around me to stare.
“I apologize, madam; he should be here in five minutes. I can assure you he’s in the airport and on his way.”
