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“Do you still think you can escape?” Paolo straightens up and chuckles, but the look in his eyes turns cold and threatening. “Don’t even try to do something stupid. We’ve already killed your aunt, your grandfather, and your mom. Do you think I’m gonna hesitate before pulling the trigger?”
But I can barely hear his last sentence over the growing heartbeat in my ears, my vision getting blurry—but not from fear this time. I just can’t believe it. Is this asshole proud of his family’s cruelty? Is hebraggingabout killing my family? The thought sends a wave of fury so strong that it overtakes my survival instincts.
I tighten my fists and sharply turn around, shoving him away from me. “So you’re pleased with yourself, aren’t you? You think it’s so cool to kill two innocent women and an old man who had no way to protect himself? You burn our houses, torture our people, and now you want to kidnap me because it’s such a noble thing to do, huh? Well, I’m not gonna let you do this.”
I take a deep breath to scream—but the click of a hammer stops me. Without blinking, Paolo presses his gun to my temple and steps forward, forcing me to press myself back into the sink. He doesn’t look cold and unaffected anymore—he looks so damn furious that I feel a wave of terror freeze my muscles.
It’s then that the realization finally sinks in—Paolo will actually kill me if I go against him.
“No one in your family is innocent,” he says in a low voice, pressing the gun deeper into my skin. “Now, are you coming with me, or are you staying here and waiting for a coroner to deal with you?”
Well, I don’t really have a choice, but do I ever?
After I slowly nod and promise him that I’ll behave, Paolo finally hides his gun in his inner pocket, orders me to go with him, and we leave the bathroom as if nothing happened. The airport worker announces through the speakers that boarding for the flight to Barcelona ends in five minutes—and for some reason, it’s then that I feel the first urge to cry. I swallow it, of course—I’m not gonna show this bastard my weakness—but the deep ache of sorrow in my chest persists.
Will I ever get the taste of freedom?
Paolo doesn’t hold my arm anymore, but his pure presence is powerful enough to keep me close to him. I only stare in front of me, holding my head high, and follow the directions to the parking lot. Is he gonna drive me away and keep me as his hostage? I purse my lips and step into the elevator with him. Well, I spent all my life in prison—it won’t be long till I find a way to escape.
“Shit.”
Huh? I turn to Paolo just in time to see him put his phone back into his pocket. He doesn’t look happy, and it makes my heart bloom with hope. Is someone coming after me? As soon as the elevator doors open, Paolo nudges me to go out and adds grimly, “Hurry up.”
Oh, there’s definitely something wrong.
As I look around me, hoping to see the familiar white SUV, Paolo guides me through the parking lot, taking me farther and farther away from crowded places. Soon, we reach the level with just a few empty cars, and Paolo grabs my arm again and picks up his pace.
“What’s wrong?” I ask just to distract his attention while my gaze darts over the parking lot.
“Nothing. Just keep—”
“Jacinta!”
My heart leaps up to my throat when I hear Rafael’s voice, and I immediately turn in his direction while my feet automatically follow Paolo. I notice them just a second later, two familiar figures running toward me from the stairs, and my whole body jumps up in excitement. I force Paolo to stop as I turn my body toward them, trying to get closer.
“Rafael! I’m here, help me, please—”
A gunshot cuts me off. Another one. And another.
Like in slow motion, I see Santiago’s head snap to the side with a burst of blood and Rafael’s shoulder twist back before the last bullet hits him right in the forehead and sends him backward. The thunder of gunshots is ringing in my ears as I watch my bodyguards fall in a heap like two dolls with the remnants of batteries quivering in their bodies. Trickles of their blood mix together, flowing over the concrete floor, and when my gaze lingers on it I feel a sour taste of vomit in my mouth.
It can’t be. It can’t.It can’t.
“Keep going.” Paolo sharply tugs me after him—and the next moment, he catches my shoulder as I sway on my feet from the force of his pull. “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
I hear Paolo’s voice as if it’s coming from a distance, but I can’t say anything. I can’t force myself to move, speak, or even simply turn away from the bloody scene before me. These are men that I’ve known since I was a child—and now they are just a heap of limbs and blood.
Even though I’ve always known that Dad handles dangerous business, I’ve never actuallywitnessedit. I know there are fights and murders involved, but he’s never allowed me to be a true part of the Mafia world, shielding me from the horrors of his daily life. Both Dad and Grandpa let me read about heroes, villains, and the violence that always follows them—but I could never imagine how terrifying it is to see a murderin real life.
Would Paolo kill me just as easily?
My knees suddenly feel weak, and I hear more voices, but they’re too quiet and indistinct to recognize. I feel myself moving, my feet touching the ground, but my mind can’t process it. My vision is still blurry, and I can only recognize the concrete floor under my feet until, suddenly, a car door appears in my field of vision.
Someone forces me inside the car, and I mindlessly follow their hands while the voices around me grow louder. “Thomas, lock the door. Omero, hurry up!”
The scratch of tires against the ground finally snaps me out of my stupor, and I realize that I’m looking at my own wrists tied with a rope. Shit. I blink to clear my vision, raise my head, and my gaze immediately lands on the windshield. I see the rows of cars that we quickly leave behind. We’re driving away from the parking lot—but no, wait, what about Rafael and Santiago?
“We can’t leave them there!” I quickly turn to look back—but I stop before my gaze reaches the rear windshield when I see the person next to me.
