Thudding footsteps of our pursuers are loud again or maybe that’s just the banging left in my ears by all the gunfire.
I help Chiara to her feet, checking her over for blood, praying she wasn’t hit.
The sound of the boat engine starting sounds like the most beautiful hymn behind us.And on the heels of it, Matteo appears out of the darkness in front of me.
We’re saved!I let go of Chiara to run to him.And he embraces me with his strong arms, his heartbeat as fast as mine, and the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.Gunshots are flying past us, but none near enough to hurt us.Because he’s here, he’s with me, he’ll keep us safe.
“Fuck, they’re getting away!”Another man shouts.“Get to the boat!”
A man grabs Chiara’s arm, one of our guards, I’m sure.But a second later she starts shouting, cursing, and kicking at him and I realize I’ve never seen him before either.He’s a tall, dark man, with black hair and probably even blacker eyes.But he can’t be.He’s with Matteo.And he’s just holding Chiara, a weird look on his face, almost as though he likes the angry fit she’s throwing to get away from him.
I look up into Matteo’s eyes.They’re as full of sunshine as ever.
“We have to get to the boat too,” I tell him.
He just looks at me for a few moments in silence.And then he shakes his head.
“No, it’s too late for that.”
And in the next few breaths I realize a few truths I should’ve known from the start.
No one is shooting at us.
Everyone is just shooting at the boat which is thankfully sailing away from the dock with my parents and Lidia on board.
Matteo and the man who has Chiara are not on our side.They’re with the men who attacked us.
Matteo has betrayed my family.
I want to scream as loud as Chiara is screaming at her captor.I want to scratch out his beautiful, sun fire eyes.I want him to hurt as much as I hurt.
But I can’t move.Because as soon as I do, all the dreams I had for us will be over.Will become nightmares instead.
And the worst part is.They already are.
Chapter50
MATTEO
After I pushedRafaelle in the direction of the terrace I just ran out of the room, not daring to look back, not daring to see if my ruse would work or not.
It hadn’t.
Not entirely, anyway.
Ferro was with the men at the gate waiting for me to let them in.Others came from the direction of the beach.Thirty in total.It was more than enough to overpower the squad of bodyguards Codelli had at the Hamptons house.We dealt with the ones that fought back in short order, Ferro swinging his tire iron like a sword.
I still say it’s a stupid weapon.But I can’t say it didn’t look formidable.Legends and myths are sometimes more important than actual deeds… especially for a guy trying to do what he’s trying to do—become the Capo dei Capi, the ruler of all.And I’m sure everyone will remember him swinging that tire iron tonight, blood dripping from it as he cut down his enemies.Both him and the tire iron were already covered in blood when they arrived.
It’s hanging by his side now, dripping into the grass, as Chiara screams at him.Two of his men are holding her, gritting their teeth to keep her from lashing at him.The fierceness on her face suggests she could kill him with her bare hands if she got the chance.And he’s just standing there, taking it.And smiling.
I’m only noticing all that, because I have trouble meeting Goldie’s eyes.
Such hope welled up in them when she saw me.Such happiness.Devotion.Even love.I don’t think anyone’s ever looked at me like that before.Not that I can remember anyway.
And it all turned to the darkest of darknesses as she realized I wasn’t there to help her.As she realized I was the one who brought this carnage to her doorstep.
But at least she’s mine now.
