Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Look at him,” McAllister’s voice echoes through the abandoned warehouse. “He thinks he’s so tough. But we’ll break him soon enough.”
The goons surround me, taunting me with cruel words and delivering brutal blows to my already injured body. I fight against my restraints, desperately trying to loosen the rope at my wrists.
I spit blood onto the concrete floor. “Fuck all of you!”
Bianchi laughs, a crackling old man laugh that sends shivers down my spine. “You’ll regret those words, Falcon. You see, I have a special plan for you. And my lovely granddaughter is going to watch.”
Fueled by a surge of adrenaline, I fight against my restraints, determined to free myself and protect Savannah. But the pain is almost too much to bear.
A goon is just about to land another blow when McAllister stops him.
“Wait,” he says. “She’s here. And she’s not alone.”
28
SAVANNAH
I drive the Nissan Leaf to a small abandoned warehouse outside of Austin. In the darkness, it stands solitary in a stretch of arid land against the dusty trails that characterize the outskirts of the city. The paint peels on its exterior, and there’s nothing around it.
The perfect place to hold someone captive.
Horrific images of what they’ve done to Falcon fly through my mind. I can’t help but think about what my grandfather did to Vinnie. Will he do the same to Falcon?
Or—oh my God—something even worse?
Falcon isn’t family. Maybe he has something even worse in mind. Torture…or worse.
My stomach twists into knots.
My brother sits beside me in the passenger seat, quiet and stern. He knows. He knows more than I do of what Falcon is up against inside this place.
And he hasn’t enlightened me.
I pull into a parking spot, away from the other vehicles that are there, but close enough to the entrance that we can reach the car in a hurry. Vinnie and I leave the car and walk toward the front doors, which, oddly, are ajar.
They want me to come in. This is an invitation.
Vinnie shoves me behind him and takes the lead, opening the door slowly. The rusty hinges groan, announcing our arrival.
He walks inside ahead of me. When I follow, I inhale. The air is heavy with scents of mildew and dust. I expect rats to scutter by my feet, maybe stray cats as well.
I try to catch my breath, grasping Vinnie’s hand, when a large man in black emerges from the shadows.
“Who are you?” Vinnie demands.
“Who the fuck are you?” the man hurls back.
“I’m Vincent Gallo, Junior,” he says, his voice large and commanding. “I’m here to see my grandfather, Mario Bianchi.”
The man’s jaw drops.
“Where’s Falcon?” I demand. “What have you done with him?”
But the man pays no attention to me. He’s focused on Vinnie. “What the fuck?”
“Get my grandfather out here now,” Vinnie says through clenched teeth.
“No can do, you lying asshole.” He grabs Vinnie and frisks him, taking his gun.
Then he stalks toward me.
“Don’t you fucking touch her,” Vinnie says. “She’s Savannah Gallo, my sister, and my family and the McAllisters will kill you if you lay a hand on her.”
“She carrying?” he asks.
Vinnie scoffs. “A woman? Carrying? What do you think?”
The man cocks his head.
My pistol is strapped to my shoulder, hidden beneath a large black hoodie. It burns against my flesh as my heart thuds, but I keep my countenance calm.
Please don’t take my gun. Please don’t take my gun.
“Wait here,” he says, and he walks through the first room of the warehouse and disappears behind a door.
Falcon. Falcon is behind that door.
“Thank God he—”
Vinnie grabs me, puts his finger to his mouth, indicating me to be quiet. Then he points.
I got it. It’s probably bugged, and they can hear everything we say.
No need to let them know I’m armed.
He took Vinnie’s gun. It’s now on me to protect us. To protect Falcon.
As fear grips my heart, my brother’s presence soothes me.
But only a little.
My palms are slick with sweat, and a shiver races down my spine, yet there's a fierce fire kindling within me, burning brighter with the acute awareness that I must shield both Falcon and Vinnie from harm. Each thud of my racing heartbeat echoes a solemn vow to stand as their guardian, to face whoever’s in that next room head-on.
Is my father there?
My grandfather?
Miles?
Most likely all three, along with Miles’s father, Declan McAllister.
Despite the trembling in my limbs, a steely resolve anchors me. I am the barricade against the storm, the unwavering protector. It can only be me, because I’m the only one who’s armed.
It's a heavy responsibility, the weight of Falcon’s safety on my shoulders, but it's one I bear with grim determination. I am frightened, yes—profoundly so—but I can’t let the fear paralyze me. I can’t let the fear define me.
Instead, I’ll use it to sharpen my focus.
It’s all I can do, because there is no other choice.