She nods. “Sure. I won’t tell a soul.”
“I need your advice. You know Cyan and the guys better than I do.” I tell her everything about Ethan, including Olivia handing me the phone. I leave out the details of Leo’s death, but Gracie’s no fool. She knows Cyan’s reputation. The waiter returns with our food, giving us a moment to pause.
“Look,” Gracie says, “Cyan might be angry, but you’re right. You need to tell him but first tell him why. Then tell him how.”
“The cart before the horse?”
She chuckles. “Exactly. Because when a guy’s all fired up, reason goes out the window.” Then she sobers. “Cyan’s not blameless. You have every right to be cautious after how it all started between you two.” Evie laughs at her screen, bright and infectious. Gracie turns toward her. Watching them together, it’s obvious Thomas made a mistake. Lucilla’s chaos will never outshine Gracie’s quiet strength, and from what I’ve seen, he knows it. The only question is, will he ever make it right before it’s too late?
After lunch, we head toward the elevators. Evie is begging to see my office, and who could say no? Johnny, Gracie, Evie, and I step inside, and I press the button for my floor just as the doors begin to close.
“Hold the doors,” someone calls out. I press the button, stopping them at the last second as Simon’s assistant slips through. “Thanks.” She stands in the corner, near the buttons, close to Gracie and Evie.
“You’re welcome, Olivia.”
Evie’s muffled voice filters through her stuffed hippo, Mimi, as she chats with Johnny. But I’m only half-listening; my mind’s on tonight. In the conversation I must have with Cyan. My stomach drops as the elevator jolts hard.
Fifty-Six
“I’ll walk into the darkness willingly, even if saving them means losing myself.” Aria Boschett.
Evie screams. My heart slams against my ribs as I’m flung to the side, into Johnny. The elevator jerks to a sudden stop. Across from me, Olivia, Simon’s assistant, reaches for Evie. She lifts her up, pulling her tight against her chest. Something dark flashes in her hand—a gun—my breath freezes. I can’t speak, can’t move. Olivia turns in a single, terrifying motion and presses the weapon into Gracie’s side. Terror explodes through me. She squeezes the trigger. The gunshot cracks in the confined space. Gracie’s body jolts backward, slamming into the back panel. Her head hits the metal railing with a sickening thud. Before Gracie collapses in a heap. Johnny’s gun is out, and he’s aiming it right at Olivia. A scream rips straight from my soul. Evie wails, her eyes wide with horror. Olivia clutches her tighter, using her as a human shield. The gun shifts to Evie’s temple. I’m gripped with pure terror as my world narrows to this metal box and the little girl screaming inside it. Gracie isn’t moving.No. No, no, no. Please not Gracie.
“Drop it, or I’ll kill her!” Olivia shouts. Johnny doesn’t move, indecision written across his face. “Listen, Johnny boy.” She shifts Evie slightly, lining the child’s head up with Johnny’s barrel. “Let me make this clear. I’m not bluffing.”
The corner of her lips curves upwards. “Are you willing to gamble with Evie’s life?” She taps the trigger squeezing only a little and my heart stops. “Besides,” she adds, “Gracie is bleeding out. Someone should put pressure on that wound. Whether she lives or dies, that’s your decision, Johnny.”Move, Aria. Fucking move.
“J–John... Johnny, put the gun down,” I choke out, forcing my tongue to work.
“You should listen to Aria, Johnny boy,” Olivia mocks, caressing the side of the gun against Evie’s head. Tears pour down Evie’s cheeks. Olivia screams at the top of her voice. “Someone tell this brat to shut up, or I’ll silence her, and you won’t like how.” She pushes the cold steel harder against Evie’s temple, and Johnny’s face goes pale.
“Don’t shoot anyone else,” he says, his hands rising. His voice is strained with fury. “I’m going to set the gun down. Slowly.”
I want to reach out to Evie to comfort her; her face is red and blotchy with panic. My chest squeezes just looking at her. “Sweet Evie,” I say carefully. Evie’s small features are wrenching in despair as she looks at Gracie. “Evie, honey, Gracie’s going to be okay, I promise.” Evie looks my way, her eyes meeting mine, wild with terror. “Auntie Aria needs you to be brave right now. Can you do that for me?” Evie gives a slight nod as her crying dulls to hiccupping sobs. “Good girl. That helps Gracie.”
I look at Johnny every second stretching like hours as he crouches. “Hurry, Johnny,” Olivia chuckles. “Left hand up, palm toward me! Place the gun down. Slowly. Both hands up as you rise.” Johnny does exactly that. “Kick it over,” she commands. He nudges the gun across the floor. It stops near her feet.
Olivia crouches, her gun still aimed. She places Evie down, keeping an arm locked around her as she grabs Johnny’s weapon.She straightens.
“What do you want?” Johnny growls, his voice vibrating with rage. I’m now seeing the mobster he hid behind that boyish smile of his.
Olivia grins. “Lorenzo sent me to collect Aria.” The laughter that spills from her is cold and unhinged. She turns the service key and presses the button for the parking garage. Chills run down my spine.
“No, take me instead,” Johnny says.
“Sorry, Johnny boy. She’s the assignment.” Olivia jerks her chin toward me. “You can thank Cyan for that. Thought he could walk into places he didn’t belong.”
The elevator dings. “Here’s how this goes, Aria. There’s a car waiting. You’ll get in the back seat. Then I’ll leave with little Evie. Johnny, you’ll stay.”
Johnny steps in front of me. “No.”
Olivia sighs, clearly annoyed. “I hate repeating myself.” She makes a clicking noise with her tongue. “Tsk tsk... Gracie is going to die?” she sings in a creepy, sing-song voice, aiming her gun at Gracie’s head.
A sob catches in my throat. “No!” I rush out. My eyes fall on Gracie; she’s so still, so pale. The pool of blood around her is expanding, blooming across the elevator floor like a grotesque flower. Panic claws at my throat. This can’t be real.I need to calm down.If I scream, it won’t help; it will only give Olivia more reason to snap. I might lose her, my new sister. I need to stay focused. Forcing myself to look closer, desperate for a sign, for anything. There—Gracie’s chest, it moves. Barely, but she’s breathing. She’s alive. Thank goodness, that’s all that matters. But not for long if she doesn’t get the help she needs. I have to keep calm and do what Olivia says. That is the only way to save Gracie. “I’ll go with you.” I stare at Olivia, wishing that looks could kill. Gracie’s my anchor. She needs me now. I have to try and save her.
“Aria?” Johnny’s arm flies up, blocking me. He can’t stop this. It is our chance to save Gracie. Someone needs to stop the bleeding.
“Johnny, Gracie needs help. I’ll be fine. You heard her. I’m the job. She won’t hurt me.” I glance at Olivia; the woman I want to bury six feet deep. “We go together,” I say, my tone cold. I’m not leaving her to kill Johnny the second I walk out.
