Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 142640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
“Okay.” My heart races and this is it. The pivotal moment where I find out if my forward planning was worth it.
“I’ve got the house in view,” he says.
I close my eyes.
“Something’s already gone down here,” he says.
“What do you mean?”
“There are bodies everywhere. I’ll put you on speaker.”
Val’s and my eyes meet as my heart hammers hard in my chest, I hold my breath as I listen.
Are we too late?
The car door slams and I hear Leon walking. “Is she still alive?” he says. “What the hell has gone on here?”
“We just bagged Enrico,” a man’s voice replies.
My eyes widen…. Enrico?
What the fuck? I start the car.
No word if she’s alive.
“Pop the trunk,” Val growls.
“Not now.”
“Pop the fucking trunk,” he cries furiously and I know that he needs to do this now…while he still can.
I pop the trunk, he gets out and goes to the back, I hear two gunshots through the silencer.
He gets back into the car and slams the door hard.
“Now,” Leon whispers through the phone. “Get here now.”
Francesca
“Get her up,” Lombardi says.
Two men sit my chair up and the horrific scene comes into full view.
Enrico is disheveled and bleeding from a gunshot wound to his thigh, he’s been fighting, his hair is wild, his face banged up. He’s propped up against the wall with his hands tied in front of him.
“Time to pay,” Lombardi says.
Enrico glares at him, emotionless.
“You killed Lucky, my son. You wrote your own fate.” Lombardi paces back and forth as if he’s practiced this sermon many a time in his head. “And what would cause you the most pain, Enrico?” He runs his fingers through his stubble as if thinking. “Killing you quickly is not an option…you need to suffer the pain like I have.”
Enrico glares at him, remaining silent.
He gestures to me. “Watching your beloved sister be tortured to death…now, that would be something though.” He smiles. “Wouldn’t it?”
Dear God.
Enrico’s eyes meet mine and for the first time, I see fear. “Kill me. Take my life, she is a good person, she doesn’t deserve to die. I do.”
“No deal,” Lombardi growls.
The door opens and we all turn, startled.
“Leon.” Lombardi frowns. “What are you doing here?”
“Carlo sent me. There’s a car of men, three kilometers down the track. He wanted me to warn you.”
Lombardi’s eyes widen and he turns to the other three men in the cabin. “Go check it out.”
The men all leave and two minutes later, automatic gunfire rings out.
“What’s happening?” Lombardi whispers.
Leon puts a gun to Lombardi’s head and clicks the trigger back.
“What are you doing?” he cries.
The door bangs open and Giuliano appears, his eyes are dark and wild.
He’s here.
“Stop underestimating me.”
Lombardi’s face falls as he connects the dots.
“You’re not the only one who thought ahead. Do you really think I wouldn’t have a mole close to you?” Giuliano smiles as he raises his gun. “Your time has come.”
I close my eyes and a gunshot rings out, Lombardi falls to the floor. I open them to see Giuliano standing over him, he pulls the trigger again and again, and I screw up my face to block out the horror; I know that it was his life or mine but it’s so brutal and way too real.
Then I feel myself being untied and Giuliano takes his shirt off and ties it around my arm, he lifts me into his big strong arms. “Are you alright, baby?” he says softly.
I really don’t think I am but I nod through tears.
He’s alive.
“Come on, let’s get you to the hospital.” He begins to carry me to the door.
“What about me?” Enrico says.
Giuliano stops and glares at him. “You can rot in hell for all I care.”
Enrico’s eyes search his.
“Get him to the car,” Valentino growls, he wraps a cloth around his leg to act as a bandage to stop the bleeding.
Leon and Val lift Enrico and Giuliano carries me out to the waiting car and his step falters, what’s wrong? I glance up to see the trunk is open.
“Where is he?” Val snaps as he looks out into the forest. “He was fucking dead, I made sure of it.”
Giuliano looks around at the surrounding forest. “I don’t know.”
My face falls, there are bodies everywhere. The forest is eerily still and deathly quiet.
Giuliano carefully places me in and climbs into the back seat alongside of me. “Worry about him later, just get us to a hospital.”
The boys lift Enrico into the front seat and he winces. Giuliano reaches over and punches him in the back of the shoulder. “What the fuck where you thinking going in there alone? I should kill you myself for being so fucking stupid.”
Val starts it with an urgent rev of the engine and takes off fast. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
We drive up the track at speed and I can feel the panic coming out of Valentino as he looks around in the darkness.