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Before Marco can give an answer, a shout comes from across the room. Another one of Salvatore’s men has spotted us.
“Uh-oh,” Viktor says. “Time to go.” He looks at Marco. “What will it be, big guy? We all know you have the most power in this room, next to Antonio. You can get them out of the city.”
Marco stares hard at Cecilia before nodding. “Fine. Let’s go. Viktor, cause a distraction.”
Viktor rubs his hands together as a dark grin spreads across his face. “Gladly.”
He runs over to Salvatore’s man and punches him in the face. Everyone in the lobby turns to look at them instead of Theo and me.
“We have to hurry,” Marco says, leading us outside to his rental car. “I can’t believe this,” he growls once we’re in the car, and he’s driving. Cecilia and I are in the backseat. Nothing will separate us again. “What were you two thinking?”
“We’re in love,” Cecilia says. “And you know it wasn’t right for Antonio to marry me to Salvatore. You know that, Marco.”
His grip on the wheel tightens. “Fine. I agree. When Emilia told me …” He shakes his head. “I’m not sure what Antonio wasthinking. He’s still young and learning how to lead. But instead of coming to me for help, he wanted to do it on his own. Look where it got him. His own sister going against him.”
“Please tell me this won’t ruin your alliance with him?” Cecilia asks, leaning forward.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Marco responds. “But it would take a lot to ruin my alliance with Antonio. I would never abandon Emilia’s family. And that includes you, Cecilia.”
“Thank you,” she breathes out. “Marco, thank you so much.”
“So, what was your plan? To wing it?”
I clear my throat. “We had a plan, but then Salvatore moved the wedding up to today. It ruined everything. I had to think spur of the moment.”
Marco meets my eyes in the rearview mirror. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Theo. Because it isn’t just Salvatore’s men you need to worry about. It’s Antonio’s, too. He won’t be happy about this.”
“We’ll come to that if we have to,” I say.
I really hope it never does.
Marco drives us to a private airplane strip. “You can use my private plane,” he explains, getting out of the car. “My pilot is always ready to go at a moment’s notice. I have a place in Italy you can use for the time being. Antonio doesn’t know about it.”
“Did Salvatore know?” I ask.
“Salvatore was a powerful man in his own right,” Marco explains, walking us over to his plane. “But even he had limits. He might have known about my private properties. He might not. But this is the safest place I can think of to send you guys on such short notice.”
“Antonio will question you,” I say. “What are planning on telling him?”
Marco runs a hand over his neck. “I plan on telling him the truth. That I helped out one of my sisters.” He gives Cecilia awarm smile. “That’s what Emilia would want, so that’s what I want, too.”
Cecilia hugs him. “Thank you, Marco.”
He doesn’t say anything as he steps back. “But Antonio will probably find out where you’re staying sooner or later. I won’t be able to keep him from looking into it. So, my advice, stay there for a few days, then move on. I’ll wire you some money.”
“I hired someone to make fake IDs for us, but I didn’t get the chance to grab them,” I say.
Marco places a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll get them for you and send them your way. But right now, you need to go.”
Cecilia and I hurry onto the plane.
After Marco talks to the pilot, he leaves, and the two of us set off into the sky.
Ceciliaand I don’t relax until we make it to Italy, and even then, it takes us getting to Marco’s getaway house before we fully calm down.
The house, unsurprisingly, is beautiful. It’s a cross between modern and classic Italian style, overlooking the ocean.
Cecilia doesn’t stop walking until she reaches the bedroom and falls onto the bed. “What did we just do?”
