Page 121 of Red Retaliation

My eyes dart to the door, speculating whether I can launch myself through it and away from my insane brother. We’re speeding out of London, but if I can throw myself out, I’ll take the risk of injury. Warning Red is all I can focus on. “You used our father as a scapegoat!” I yell.

“Papà deserves nothing less, the useless cunt! It’s time to make way for fresh blood -me!” Matteo’s mirth evaporates. “The business is mine, so I’m taking it. And you...” His finger points in my face, “will learn for once in your pathetic existence that it’s time you behaved like a proper, traditional woman.”

Clocking the brick-headed man’s eyes finally move to my hand as it inches towards the door handle, I freeze, so disgusted I could happily run a knife between Matteo’s ribs. That’s something I never thought I’d consider, but now I am.

I cannot believe this. Neither can I take on board that the one person out of everyone in this whole situation is the one who I’ve only recentlyrealized is true.Red.

I only hope I haven’t discovered he’s my soulmate too late. “If you think I’d betray Red by running everything he does and says back to you, then...”

“Still getting the wrong end of the stick, sister? No, no, the work planned for you is different.” My brother slaps the driver’s shoulder.

Unwilling to question what he means, I’m wracking my brains for possibilities when the driver glances behind to grin at me. All color drains from me as I recognize him.

Luca. Luca Bristoni - Maria’s fiancé.

“The thing is, Arianna, we need to up our numbers of undiluted blood. Too many old families like ours have diluted the gene pool, and that must be rectified. We know Luca is promised to Maria, but let’s face it, although she’s obedient, you have more favorablephysicalqualities to be first choice for a shared bloodline. Maria will serve as a backup.”

The shock plastered over my face as I realize what he’s saying, combined with me lurching from the back seat is enough for Matteo to give the signal to the brick-headed goon.

The last thing my screaming brain remembers, aside from that my own brother intends to use me as a broodmare to produce Luca Bristoni’s offspring, is my nose imploding from a slab-sized fist.

Tumbling into the footwell, my world a sea of swirling pain, my horror fades to black.

CHAPTER

88

Red

“IT’S SOMEWHERE ALONG HERE,” Cal shouts from the back of the double-cab van.

I scour the road, my knuckles white. It’s a good job Oscar is driving as I don’t think I could keep my foot straight on the accelerator. My whole body throbs with adrenaline and rage.

I pull my hands through my hair, determined not to throw myself from the van and sprint along the path until I find Arianna. “Where’s the signal now?” I bark, grateful I followed my instinct to install a tracking app on the phone I handed to Arianna.

That it was initially installed on there to keep tabs on her in the event she took it upon herself to attempt another escape is irrelevant. After last night and this morning, I don’t believe it’s necessary, but it’s doing a far more important job now.

Little did I know then that Arianna would end up not wanting to escape, and me never wanting her to leave my side.

Life works in mysterious ways.

But now, with the wisp of a different facet to my life on the horizon,thishappens.

My fingernails dig into my palms. Arianna disappearing the first time and being attacked by that Farrow bastard was bad enough, but for her to be snatched from under my nose is worse.

Even more hideous is that this second disappearance - one Arianna hasn’t chosen of her own volition - could be to finish what was started.

My theory that Joe Farrow was working for Bristoni slides back intomy mind. Maybe he was working for GalvatoreandBristoni?

But would Emiliano Galvatore seriously order the rape of his own daughter?

The thought of anything close to that succeeding this time around congeals in my veins, but I’m no use to Arianna if I lose the plot. To keep my brain from melting, I glance over my shoulder at Del and frown, seeing him busy with his phone. “Who are you texting?”

Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Del’s eyes dart to mine. “I was checking the local news to see if anything’s been mentioned.”

Liam snorts. “They’re hardly likely to announce on the local radio that the new wife of a local gangster gets in the wrong car after a hoax bomb threat, are they!”

“It’s here! Righthere!” Cal interrupts.