“Why? I’ll come for you. This isn’t over until I have Lorenzo begging for mercy and you on your back like the filthy whore you are. I’ll show you what a real man can do.”
I roll my eyes. Allegra looks at Toni and then at me, before bursting out in laughter. “You couldn’t show a blow-up doll a good time, Giani, but that’s beside the point. I’ll answer your question. I want them to spare you, so you live to see everything you own taken from you. With the help of Gisto, who it seems has grown tired of your bullshit, I now own everything: your businesses, houses, yacht…all of it is mine.”
He balls his fists. “You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not. If you’d have spent even half the time tending to business and family the way you did this trite abduction, you’d still have a life to live here. But you didn’t, and now it’s all gone.”
I can see his massive hulk vibrating with anger. The cold fury Allegra possessed when she first walked in has now transformed into an evil grin. Just her facial expression is enough to twist the knife in Giani’s gut.
The air changes in an instant and I know what’s about to happen. My dads would say I’m stupid for putting myself in harm’s way, but when I see Giani shift almost imperceptibly, my instincts take over and I dive toward Allegra. Our bodies slam together as the deafening thunder of Giani’s gun going off, booms through the room.
We’re on the floor, and my ears are ringing. I feel hands grab my shoulders and lift me off her. For a moment, I’m scared it’s Giani, but the overwhelming odour of Toni’s cologne settles my nerves.
Stumbling back, I take in the scene. Giani is on his knees, clutching his shoulder. Red liquid seeps through his fingers. Toni is hauling Allegra up, patting down every inch of her body, looking for a gunshot wound. She swats his hands away and pushes past him until she’s in front of me. Her hands roam frantically over my body. “Are you hurt?” she asks urgently.
I feel sore but nothing hurts badly. “I’m fine.”
Cars skid to a halt outside and multiple doors open and close. Allegra pulls me into her body and holds me. Noise erupts all around us as men pile in. They’re all dressed in fine Italian suits.
“Get him up,” the older of the men barks. Toni reaches for Giani and pulls him up to his feet.
“Let’s go,” Allegra whispers in my ear. “You don’t want to see this.”
No, I don’t. Giani is an animal, but does that mean he deserves to die?
“Allegra, what would you like us to do?” another man asks.
She shakes her head as she moves us towards the door. “That’s not my decision. You know I cannot pass judgement fairly. I’ll accept whatever punishment you see fit, Nico. Goodnight.”
Tucked into Allegra’s body, I let her lead me to her car. Toni follows moments later. We slip inside without a word. Up to this point, Allegra has looked in complete control. That is, until she meets my eyes in the back of the car and she breaks. She sobs as her hands reach for my face.
Toni drives without a backward glance. The only thing I can do is fold myself into her body. She hauls me onto her lap and buries her face in my neck.
“I’m okay,” I repeat into her ear, but it’s like she can’t accept it. Her fingers grip me harder, as though she expects me to vanish.
“I’m sorry—so sorry, Bonnie,” she cries.
Stroking her hair, I kiss the top of her head. Toni pulls the car around the back of the villa. “We’re home,” he says.
I look out the window and see my parents running towards the car. Allegra sucks in a breath and breaks away from me. She wipes her eyes and I see the mask slip back on.
“Go to them,” she says, but I don’t want to move. “Go, Bonnie.” Her voice is strong and commanding once again.
The car door is ripped open, and I have little choice but to get out. My dads envelop me in their arms. Kelley and Pete aren’t far behind. I’m passed between the group as they cry and hold me tightly. I try to look back at Allegra, but she’s gone. A flash of platinum hair entering the house is all I have left of her.
“Come on, pumpkin. Let’s get you inside.”
I’m chauffeured into the kitchen. Lorenzo stands waiting, his eyes wide with alarm, and I know he wants to hug me. I reach out my arm and pull him in. I feel a connection to him I wasn’t aware had been missing.
I know everyone in the room loves me and wants to make sure I’m okay, but the only thing I want to do is leave all of them and find Allegra. A sense of urgency rises in me. The threat of the Arello family is gone, and therefore, my need to be in Sicily is now gone, too. I can go home. I can go back to my life—a life without Allegra.
30
Allegra
Myhandsareshakingviolently as I crash through the door to my bedroom. The bravado I had used to get Bonnie back has evaporated. I feel raw. Donna Malgeri is gone. If ever I needed a wake-up call to finally push me into doing the right thing for myself, it was Bonnie being taken from me.
I was in control, as usual, until I spotted her in that room, her face bruised and her hair dishevelled. I was confident Giani wouldn’t hurt her until he had an audience, but I could have been so wrong and she would have suffered if that had been the case. And it’s all for nothing. None of this is worth Bonnie getting hurt. Egos and power plays are not important enough to pay the steep price. I thought being a Ferrante was worth the pain and sacrifice, but now I know it’s not. I’ve proved myself to everyone, time and time again. I can stop now.
