“No, he’ll kill me if I put you in danger. It’s bad enough I caught you outside the house in the first place. What were you two idiots thinking?”
Maybe divide and conquer, with a bit of switcheroo sprinkled on top?
“Besides, if I showed you the secret back door, I’d have to kill you. Or someone would, because I’m sure Don Conti doesn’t want that information out. Now, let’s repeat this again, what are you going to do while I rescue Mario?”
I tried one more time to get him to see reason. “Go with you in case someone’s injured.”
“No. Jesus. What part of Mario will kill me did you miss?”
“You tried to kill him. It’s only fair he has a shot.”
“I did not try to kill him. If I had, he’d be dead.”
“You’re so full of yourself.”
“For good reason. Which is why you need to stay right here and let the professional handle it. An amateur might get your husband killed. Is that what you want?”
Jerk. Why did he have to rub that in my face?
“Fine. Go.”
“And you’re going to do what while I’m gone?”
“Stay here with the boat.” I eyed it as it wobbled on its quicksand-esque perch.
“I have the keys, you know.”
There went that plan.
“A little tip, I know people think I’m just another pretty face, but you shouldn’t underestimate me.”
“You’re not pretty.”
Ringo laughed as he slipped into an ominous dark crack near the back. His parting words echoed in the space long after he’d disappeared. “Good thing I can tell you two apart because you sounded just like your sister.”
The rising water lifted the boat from its mooring and caused it to drift from the tiny beach. The light streaming from the entrance grew faint.
I perched on top of a dry pile of rocks, worrying about the tide. Was the water level going to get much higher? This was far beyond my comfort zone. And being left all alone without someone to rely on played tricks on my mind. I jumped at yet another strange noise.
Was that rocks falling?
It couldn’t be. It wasn’t nearly loud enough. But the slight clatter of noise that barely surpassed the roar of the surf outside had me searching the shadows at the end of the cave. I made myself smaller, wishing for the millionth time that Ringo hadn’t abandoned me here. But if he hadn’t, no one would be on their way to rescue my husband, would they?
The wait was maddening. No wonder my grandfather had married three times. No woman in their right mind wanted to stay married to a man who put themselves in such danger. And Jaja was only an accountant.
How could I do this? Moreover, why would I do this to myself?
Safe, sensible Allie Jacobs would never want a life like this. Last night’s insanity slapped me in the face. I’d been stupid giving Mario my heart like that. It made me do dumb things like switch clothes with my sister, steal the keys for the sedan, and plot an escape plan…from mobsters no less?
And then what? Somehow sneak into a fortress I had no clue how to find, in a foreign country, and free my husband without getting hurt?
Ringo was right. I was an amateur.
Another scrape of rock and a distinct crunch, crunch of footsteps, had me twisting around to discover the source. Sound echoed off the walls of the cave, making locating the source confusing. At first, it seemed to come from the mouth of the cave, but it also sounded near the rear of the cave. I stared at the darkness for longer than I should have.
“Mostri le mani.”
Shit. I did a quick translation. Hands, demonstrate… damn it. Show your hands. A flashback of one horrible high school party and the stupid FBI agents who’d crashed it flitted through my mind.
