Page 196 of Bitter Poetry

All four doors fly open, and men surge out.

At the front is Jero, his face a stone mask.

I’ve got nothing. No weapons. I won’t take on four of Ettore’s men—I doubt I could take on Jero right now.

“You fucked up, mate,” he says stalking me down.

The last thing I see is his fist coming for my face before the lights go out.

CHAPTER 58

CARMELA

Idon’t remember much of the drive. My mind lurches between hysterical and zombie.

The last view of Christian fighting those men and another vehicle pulling in before we swung into the traffic is like a brain fever.

Vince doesn’t say much.

I think he’s in shock, too.

As we pull into the back of Peppermint Moon, and the guy at the door does a double-take when he sees me, the enormity of what has happened hits me all over again.

There’s a long, dark corridor.

Lots of soldiers with guns.

I’m in Dante’s arms, sobbing.

Leon is there, too. He curses and rakes a hand through his hair as he talks to Vince.

“They took Christian,” I say between sobs. The words stuttered over gasped breaths.

“I know,” Dante says.

How does he know? What does that mean?

Vince leaves. Dante carries me to a windowless business office. Leon follows us in and closes the door after barking orders at someone outside.

“I need to know,” he says to Dante.

“Christ, would you give it a moment here?” Dante snaps back.

“I’ll tell you anything. Anything that will help. Please. You need to get Christian. Someone took him in a car.”

“We’ll get to that,” Dante says. “But first, tell us what happened. What were you doing in the city? Did someone take you… Was it Cherry?”

Cherry?

Oh God. They can’t believe that… “It wasn’t Cherry.” My eyes dart between the two men, taking in the stark lines of Dante’s face and the cold desolation on Leon’s.

Cherry likes him.

They think Cherry had something to do with this, and it’s all my fault.

“She didn’t know.” I shake my head frantically. “I used my phone to record the keypad. I asked her to come up so I could… But she didn’t know… I used her… Please tell me you haven’t hurt her? I was going back to Ettore… I-I was going to kill him.”

Leon inhales sharply, strides for the door, and rips it open. He barks at someone on the other side before slamming it shut… then punches the door.