I’vebeenatVincenzo’shome in Italy for a week now. The walks on his expansive estate, with the sun and ocean air, have helped keep my panic at bay. They have also helped more of my memories come back of me as a young girl with myBabboandMamma.
I ignore the fact that my father is imprisoned by Vincenzo. The man being held in the basement is my blood, but he’s not myBabbo, and I have to separate the two, otherwise I’ll go mad.
Zeus is accompanying me on my walk today. At Vincenzo’s encouragement, we ventured farther today and are near the cliff’s edge.
“I never thanked you,” he says in his gruff voice.
“For what?” I look at him, shielding my eyes from the sun.
“For the role you played in getting the Chamber formed.”
I shake my head. “That was all Tommaso and the rest of you leaders.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Gina.”
I blush but nod. “Thank you. Is that why you’re here? Because if it is, that seems like a huge commitment as an ally. This is taking you from your own duties, being so far from your territory.”
The wind picks up as we follow the cliff’s edge, but we avoid going too close to it.
“Tommaso needed men he could trust who wouldn’t be known here. Both Tomas and I wanted him to know we’re all-in for this alliance. Plus, we’re firmly against trafficking. Both of us have lost loved ones to it.” He looks out over the water before turning back to me, his blue eyes hard. “So, we’re all-in to prevent it, especially if there’s a conspiracy and plan for it to happen in our home territories.”
“I’m sorry you lost loved ones to something like this.” Emotion is thick in my chest because my father has played a devil’s role in such things.
“There are better ways to make profits than that.” His crooked smile reminds me that he, like Tommaso, may have some morals that guide their actions, but they’re still criminals.
A shout shatters the peaceful, bright day; it’s behind us in the direction of the house, and the sound that follows makes me jump.Was that a gunshot?As I turn around to see, an explosion rocks the air. My mouth opens in shock, and I see in the distance there’s smoke and flames in the direction of Vincenzo’s house.
“Are we under attack?”
The sound of rapid gunfire starting up answers my question. Zeus and I are out in the open, but out of range at least.
“Go, Zeus,” I say.
His head snaps to me. “Like hell I’m leaving you.”
“They need you.”
But before he can answer, he grunts and stumbles forward. My breath snags as I see the back of his shirt has a hole ripped in it, and blood rapidly coats the fabric.
“Zeus,” I gasp, but he reacts quickly, spinning toward the cliff and shoving me behind him.
“It’s a diversion,” he grits, obviously in pain, and pulls out his gun.
My brain connects the dots: he’s been shot. But where had the shot come from? There’s no one on the cliff’s edge or out on the water.
Suddenly, like out of a supernatural horror movie, three men dressed in combat gear and automatic weapons rise up as if they’re levitating. I know they can’t be levitating, so there must be a ledge or something they were crouched down on the side of the cliff, and they’re now rising to stand.
But how had they gotten there? And why are they here?
I have no time to dwell on those unanswered questions as Zeus shoots at them. Blood explodes from one of the men’s necks, and he topples backward over the cliff. The other two roll onto the grass, but they don’t fire back.
“You’re an awful lot of trouble for a piece of ass.”
My head whips to the right, recognizing the man’s voice.
Arturo Altera comes into view, like he’s climbing stairs on the side of the cliff face. I had no idea there was an incline or stairs down to the water below. My heart stops, though, as another man comes into view behind him.
Stefano.
