Page 141

My fingers tremble, but I do it. His eyes are glassy, rolled back, but enough of his face registers.

The phone unlocks. Bea scrolls quickly. She angles it toward me.

A single message glows on the screen, sent just an hour ago.

“The Tavano brothers Vieri and Riccardo are with us now. Bring the girl to us. We end it tonight and we take our rightfully earned loot.”

Below it, a red pin blinks on a Google Map. Coordinates, no name.

“What does this even mean?” Bea whispers, her voice cracking.

I stare at the time again. 10:42 PM. It’s just after midnight now.

He was coming to take me.

“Can you drive?” I ask her.

She exhales sharply. “Technically yes.”

I grab her hand. “That’s good enough. Come with me. He came in the car, we can use it.”

We run to the door still in our nightdresses and we slide on shoes as I grab our coats.

Bea yanks the keys from me as we reach the steps. “You’re telling me what the hell’s going on once we’re in the car. I swear, I want a rundown, Lune. I’m not driving blind into hell.”

My heart is pounding in my chest. I am not certain either. I am running on pure instinct and adrenaline.

****

Bea leans on the horn once. The Tavano mansion gates remain shut.

A few trips back and forth allowed me to memorize the route to the mansion.

Then, a figure emerges from the shadows near the guardhouse, walking with a slow, suspicious stride. He’s tall, built like a wall, and the scowl on his face is anything but welcoming.

“Turn around,” he barks, already reaching for something at his side. “You’ve got five seconds.”

I open the passenger door and step out before Bea can stop me. My voice comes out steadier than I feel. “Tell the brothers that Lunetta says she knows something about Vieri.”

His frown deepens. “You can tell me.”

“No,” I say, lifting my chin. “I’ll only speak to them. Directly.”

He studies me for a long second, then mutters into his earpiece. There’s silence. Then a short, sharp nod.

The gates creak open. Bea drives through slowly, jaw tight, knuckles pale against the wheel. We barely make it halfway up the gravel driveway before the front doors burst open.

Three men charge out.

“Lunetta!” Enzo’s voice cracks through the night. He reaches me first, arms wrapping around me so tight I forget how to breathe for a second.

“What’s wrong? Why are you here? Is that blood?”

I forgot that my face is busted.

I pull back just enough to speak. “Vieri—he’s in danger.” I dig into my coat pocket, hand him the phone. “This text… it was sent an hour ago.”

Enzo reads it fast, face hardening. He passes it to Omero, who tilts the screen toward Alfio.