“I’m going to kill you and your men,” I swear, sounding just like a blockbuster action hero without the special effects.
Andretti laughs. “Good. You get right on that. In the meantime, I’m going to tell you what is really going to happen.” He pauses, looking around at the apartment as if seeing it for the first time. “Crowded here,” he observes.
“I guess I don’t pay her enough to get a real apartment,” Harlan jokes.
Sofia digs her fingernails into my shoulder, not amused. I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that they’re going to kill us, or that they insist on insulting us beforehand. Either way, I’m going to make them pay.
“So, you followed in your brother’s footsteps,” Andretti muses. He’s talking through me now, as if I don’t even exist. “Well,you’re going to experience everything he did, in exactly the same way.”
“I told you not to talk to her,” I growl. There’s not a damn thing I can do about it, but I’m furious that he insists on trying to scare my girl. “You have to deal with me.”
“Yes,” Andretti says, taking a step closer. That’s as far as he can come without bumping into me. “I’m surprised you allowed yourself to be taken hostage twice.”
“It’s all part of my plan,” I respond.
“Interesting plan,” Andretti replies. “If you wanted to die, why not just let me finish you off the first time?”
“I’m trying to draw you out in the open,” I say, hoping to sew a seed of doubt in his mind.
“Clever,” he says, not taking the bait. “But I don’t believe you. I think you followed your prick over here, in the hopes of saving your little girlfriend. Lucky for me, I get to kill two birds with one stone.”
“I think it’ll take two stones, boss,” one of the henchmen says.
Carlo glares at him, obviously upset that his wit isn’t appreciated. He turns back to me, giving me a lazy smile. “I’m going to enjoy getting my revenge on you before I go after your father.”
“Why do you care so much?” I ask.
“Your stepmother’s family killed my brother,” Andretti responds.
“You’re still hung up on that?” I say, hoping to buy us some time.
Andretti snarls and punches me in the gut. It hurts like the devil, but I’m trying not to show it. My torso doubles down though, due to the strength of the blow. It’s not something I can control as the wind leaves my throat in a rush.
Sofia screams, wrapping her arms around me desperately. It seems like we might not make it out of this after all. I can’t continue my act of bravado if all they’re going to do is beat me to death. I realize that there might be something worse than being killed after all. What if this is just the beginning of a long and torturous experience? What if Andretti manages to do everything he plans? I suddenly find myself hoping that my father stays far away. At least then I wouldn’t drag the entire family down with me.
CHAPTER 38
SOFIA
The moment Carlo Andretti lands his punch, I feel something break loose within me. I’ve been walking on eggshells since Harlan trapped me in my home, but now it all seems pointless. They’re going to kill someone I really care about, not with guns or weapons, but with their bare fists. I can see it all playing out a moment before it happens.
Frankie doubles over. He’s not the kind of mafia strongman that Andretti’s goons are. He may or may not be intimately involved in his family’s business, but that doesn’t mean he’s a fighter. I know he’s doing his best, but I realize I have to chip in. I need to get past Andretti’s bodyguards to tackle Harlan and retrieve the gun.
As I’m considering all these things, an impatient part of my brain weighs in.You’re being ridiculous,it says.Do you think you’re some kind of ninja? How on earth are you going to stop this from happening when everyone in the room is ten times bigger than you are?
I shut that voice down as soon as it plays through its unhelpful rhetoric. I may not be a female action star, but I’m not goingto play the damsel in distress either. Now, I’m trapped behind Frankie. The way he’s bent over, he’s pushing me up against the wall. All I can do is grab his shoulders, as if I can comfort him through his pain. But Carlo Andretti doesn’t stop there.
I watch in horror as Andretti grabs Frankie by the shirt and hauls him to the center of the room. All three of the massive bodyguards Andretti brought with him start to pummel Frankie. There’s no way he can fight back.
The apartment is so small, it’s like a hurricane in my living room. Somebody pushes against the TV, and it crashes to the floor. Another person swings wildly and a lamp gets in their way. The light flickers off as the bulb breaks. It falls against the living room window, cracking the glass. I put my hands over my head to protect myself from the debris.
At the same time, Frankie cries out. I can see him try to struggle against Andretti’s men. He lands one punch in one guy’s stomach, but that’s about all he can manage.
They get him down on the floor and begin kicking him. Andretti shouts for them to get back so he can finish the job himself. I see an opening during the chaos and take my shot. I can’t jump into the ring with Frankie, but I can do the next best thing.
My sights are set on Harlan. He’s not participating in the beatdown, but instead, stands in the kitchen looking smug. He still has that bottle of orange juice in his hands, as if the whole thing is just an amusing show.
I climb over the mess in the living room, literally putting my hands on Andretti’s crew. Someone grabs my wrist, but I kick them in the shin. There’s a shout and the pressure against myarm is released. Andretti has time only to whip his head around before I’m past him and standing beside Harlan.
