Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
A month?
My God, so much can happen in a month. I know Vinnie doesn’t want to interact with me until after he’s taken care of everything with his family, but some small part of me was hoping he would follow his heart and come back to me. If only for a discreet tryst every now and then.
But a month? That’s so long.
“You there?” he asks.
“Yes.” I bite my lip, searching for the right thing to say. “I… I’ll miss you.”
He says nothing.
I understand. He thinks the phone call may be monitored.
“Is this a…work trip?” I ask.
His voice darkens. “It is.”
“Can you tell me where you’re going at least? I mean, I assume they have cell coverage there. We can still talk.”
He pauses before responding. “I’ll be very busy, Raven. And no, I can’t tell you where I’m going.”
The phone clicks off.
Sadness sweeps through me. It seems every time I interact with Vinnie, he breaks my heart a little bit more. He didn’t even say goodbye. Much less that he loves me. A lump begins to form in my throat, and I feel my bottom lip quiver.
But I swallow it back. I’m lucky to be alive, and I don’t have time to waste on sadness.
This is my life now. A big man with guns who follows me everywhere. A super security system at my home.
This is my life.
But it’s better than death.
22
VINNIE
I sit at the airport, getting ready to board my chartered flight to Bogotá.
My stomach feels sick, and I’m racking my brain to think of ways to get out of this when my phone rings.
“Is this Vincent Gallo?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“This is Officer Jett Davis with the Austin Police Department. I’m afraid I have some bad news about your mother.”
My heart drops into my gut.
My mother?
Did my Grandfather really take out his frustrations toward me on his own daughter?
Oh, God. Oh, God…
“Shit. What happened?”
“She’s had a heart attack. She’s been transferred to Austin General. How soon can you get there?”
I look at my watch. “I’m supposed to get on a flight in ten minutes. But don’t worry. Thank God I haven’t gotten on yet. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I leave my luggage and hurry out of the airport, flagging down the first cab I see. Fred and my car are long gone. I give the cab driver the address and tell him to hurry.
Not fucking fast enough.
The whole ride I’m wondering what happened. My grandfather was just making veiled threats about my mother. I’m sure he has access to drugs or something that could mimic the symptoms of a heart attack.
But is he truly heartless enough to murder his own daughter?
He had Giacomo Puzo killed. A father of two.
Is a mother of three so different?
God, she could be dead. And this taxi driver is going the damn speed limit.
Savannah will be devastated. Should I call her?
No, she’s probably already been contacted. And she doesn’t need to hear from me while I’m freaking out.
Out of my hands.
Everything in my goddamned life is out of my hands, it seems.
My grandfather holds all the cards.
And maybe he’s played the one I never thought he’d have the gall to do.
I jump out as soon as the cab comes to a stop in front of the hospital and run into the emergency room.
“Caroline Gallo?” I gasp out to the receptionist. “Heart attack.”
“Are you family?”
“I’m her son. Vincent Gallo Junior.”
“Of course, Mr. Gallo.” She flags an orderly. “Please find a doctor. We need an update on Caroline Gallo.”
“Yes. Of course. Have a seat, Mr. Gallo,” the orderly says.
“No. I’m not going to sit down. Take me to my mother.”
She gently wraps her hand around my arm, a sympathetic look on her face. “We have to check and see what’s going on first. You can’t just go running back—”
I break free of her arm and rush through the double doors.
The ER is busy tonight, and several people try to stop me, but I keep going. “Mom? Mom?”
Then I gasp.
Because behind curtain number three is…
My mother.
They’re using the fucking paddles on her.
“Oh my God, Mom!”
The doctor turns and glares at me. “Get him out of here!”
A large man in scrubs grabs my arms. “I’m sorry, sir. You can’t be in here.”
“That’s my mother.”
He guides me toward the doors back to the waiting room. “I assure you that we’re doing everything we can for her.”
“I want answers.” I grab him by the shoulders and shake him. “What the hell happened? Is she going to be all right?”
“The doctor will come talk to you as soon as he can.” The man wriggles out of my grasp. “But we can only do that if the area is clear. For now, we need you to wait out here.” He pushes me through the double doors.
I shrug free. “Keep your hands off me.”