Tears sting my eyes. "I don't know what to believe anymore. If Byron lied about this, what else has he lied about? Was my father really the monster who killed Bianca? Or is there more to the story?"
"I'm getting you out, but I need to know you're telling me the truth. That you didn't know what your father did." Lucrezia says, determination hardening her features.
I look directly into her eyes. "I swear on my father's grave, Lucrezia. I didn't know. And now I need to find out who he really was—and what really happened that night.
Lucrezia's eyes search mine for several heartbeats before her shoulders relax slightly.
"I believe you," she whispers, squeezing my hands. "But Damiano... he's not thinking clearly right now. When he gets like this he won't listen to anyone."
Relief floods through me, but panic follows quickly. "What are we going to do? He'll never?—"
"We need to leave," Lucrezia cuts me off, already pulling me to my feet. "Just until he cools down enough to actually hear you. Do you have somewhere we can go? Somewhere safe that no one knows about?"
I hesitate, my mind racing through possibilities. Byron knows all my usual hiding spots—except one.
"Scarlett," I say finally. "My best friend. Byron knows I've kept her in my life, but he doesn't know where she lives now. She changed apartments last month."
Lucrezia nods decisively. "That'll work. I've got my car parked behind the house. We'll need to abandon it somewhere and take a taxi the rest of the way. Alessio can track my car."
"Won't Damiano come after you when he finds out you helped me?"
A flash of fear crosses her face before determination takes its place. "I can handle my brother. But right now, we need to move. Samuel won't stay distracted for long."
She peeks out the door, then gestures for me to follow. We creep up the basement stairs, pausing at the top to listen for footsteps.
"If Daniel calls Samuel to check in, we'll have aboutthirty seconds to make it to the back door." Lucrezia whispers.
We dash through the darkened kitchen, past Ettore's spotless counters, and toward the service entrance. Lucrezia punches a code into the security panel, silencing the alarm before it can trigger.
"Go, go!" she hisses, pushing me through the door.
The night air hits my face as we race across the manicured lawn toward the garage's back entrance. Lucrezia's sleek black Audi sits waiting.
"Get in," she orders, sliding into the driver's seat.
I barely have time to close my door before she's speeding down the service road, headlights off, navigating purely by moonlight until we reach the main gate.
"Duck down," Lucrezia warns as she punches another code into a small remote. "The cameras will catch the car."
I slide down in my seat, heart thundering as the gates swing open and we slip into the night.
We abandon Lucrezia's Audi three blocks from a busy taxi stand, tucking the keys under the front seat.
"Daniel will find it within hours," she whispers as we walk away from the car. "But at least we'll have a head start."
My legs feel shaky beneath me as we approach the taxi stand. Every shadow looks like one of Damiano's men, every car that passes could be Byron's security detail. I keep my head down, hair falling forward to shield my face.
"Act normal," Lucrezia murmurs, looping her arm through mine like we're just two friends out for the night.
We slide into the first available taxi, and I give the driver an address four blocks from Scarlett's actual apartment.
"Are you okay?" I ask Lucrezia as the taxi pulls away, noticing her hands trembling in her lap.
"Damiano's going to kill me," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "I've never defied him like this."
"You can go back," I offer, though the thought of facing this alone terrifies me. "Tell them I forced you or?—"
"No." She shakes her head firmly. "I need answers too. And Damiano wasn't going to listen to either of us right now."
