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For a second, I freeze with shock and fear, then I scramble for my phone in my bag and quickly dial Valentino. He doesn’t pickup. He told me he would be busy today, and answering his phone is probably the last of his worries.
The next thing I hear is a loud crash as something slams into the car from my side. I fall forward, hitting my head against something hard as the car spirals out of control. A shrill scream fills the vehicle, and only when my throat hurts do I realize it’s from me. There’s another loud crash, and that is the last thing I hear before darkness swallows me whole.
Chapter Forty-Seven
VALENTINO
“The appointment is made,” Roberto says.
I nod. “Good.”
It’s time to bury the hatchet with Sal. To meet him face to face and tell him how pointless it will be to go after Franco or my wife because the land that he believes still belongs to my wife is already mine. He believed that because I deliberately kept my outright ownership of Terra De Barbieri a secret known only to Franco, his son, and I. I made that into a condition of our deal because I didn’t want Francesca to find out the real reason I married her. I wanted her to believe I married her for the land. I knew she hated me and everything I stood for so it was the only way I knew to make her mine.
But now that she’s pregnant with the little bean it’s time to tell her the truth. The thought of my pregnant wife brings a foolish smile to my lips, but I quickly push her out of my mind so I can concentrate on the task at hand.
“This will work,” Roberto says. “But I must say, neutralizing Sal will mean our last obstacle will be gone. I’ll miss having an enemy.”
“There’ll be more,” I assure him. “Make no mistakes. We can never be without enemies, so you can’t relax. That’s when you get attacked the most.”
Roberto is about to respond when the door flies open, and Vance hurries in, looking like a madman.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“We should go now, Boss,” he says urgently. “La Signore Barone has just been in a fatal road accident. She has been rushed to the hospital. I have the address.”
I don’t respond immediately because I’m too stunned. I blink at Vance, trying to understand what he’s saying.
“We have to go,” he repeats.
“Boss!” he yells, breaking me out of my daze.
I rush to my feet and run after him, sweat breaking from my skin. “Is she all right?”
“I believe her injuries are not significant.”
“Who found her? Where was she going? Who was the fucking driver?”
“Romero was the driver, Boss.” We rush into a waiting car. My door is barely closed when Vance steps on the gas and the car screeches away.
“But it wasn’t his fault. It was an attack,” Vance says.
“I want to hear the whole truth later, but for now, keep your foot on the fucking gas and take me to my wife.”
Francesca has been taken to a hospital that I am a patron of, so as soon as I rush in, they know exactly why I am there. A doctor appears before me.
“Mr. Barone, you don’t have to worry?—”
“Get this moron out of my face. My wife has had a fucking accident, and this imbecile tells me not to worry. Get him out of my face.”
His eyes fill with fear as he is pushed away and another doctor quickly appears. Thankfully chooses to stay mute. Heleads me up the first flight of steps and into a room where Francesca is lying on the bed. She looks frail and weak. I run to her, only breathing in relief when I see the steady rise and fall of her chest.
“Oh, thank God.” I kiss her forehead and entwine my fingers with her small ones.
Calmer, I turn to the doctor who stands at the door, an unsure expression on his face.
“Why is she unconscious?”
“She’s not unconscious,” the doctor says. “She’s asleep. I gave her a heavy dose of sedatives because she was in pain.”