Stephanie slowly backs away from the door. “What did he say?” she asks, her eyes never leaving the gun at his side.
“I think he said, ‘Where am I going?’” I dip my head in a whisper. “Benny’s grandmother only speaks Sicilian. I’m trying to learn.”
“Girl, that’s cute.”
“It is, but now’s not the time. I’ll tell you once we get out of here.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Ms. Caselli,” the man says in English. The color of his tone is questionably cheerful.
“Caselli?” Stephanie mumbles through her teeth, taking another step back with me.
I give her a look.
Mafia boss, remember?
The wrinkle lines across her forehead ease.
Ooh, bitch. This is an enemy?
I force a swallow.
Mhm.
Stephanie and I are no strangers to violence. We fought in an alley or two growing up and even had a few run-ins with dickheads who brought knives and guns to the party. We aren’t foolish enough to rush anybody with a gun head-on. Not any man, or this one who looks like he missed a few showers and will dance to his reflection in a window.
His beady eyes skid from Stephanie to me. “Come with me.”
“So you can kill me somewhere else? No thanks. Do it here,” I challenge. I might kill us all with the gas tightening my belly, but I play it cool.
Stephanie’s head whips toward me. “I’m not trying to die anywhere.”
“And you won’t.” I force tears to fall and wrap her in a bear hug. “My Shayla!”
“Bitch, what are you doing?” Her voice is low in my ear.
“Calling support,” I whisper, fingers moving across the phone I hold behind her back. “Don’t let him see.”
“Lord, why?” she wails. Her nails dig into my dress to hold me tighter.
The stranger’s voice explodes. “Come now, Caselli.”
The sun spills over the screen, lighting up with my commands. “I need more time,” I say, low enough for Stephanie to hear.
Sweat trickles over my brow like I’m defusing a bomb with three seconds left. When Benny showed me how to use the app “just in case,” I never imagined I’d use it today.
“No!” Stephanie screams from her belly with her finger raised. If we weren’t facing death, I’d shed actual tears for her Charlotte York impression. She’d kill for me and wouldn’t think twice if someone dared to leave me at the altar.
“Got it!” I whisper-yell and tuck my phone into the back of her sundress. “Go stand in the corner, just in case.”
“Just in case what?” Stephanie barks.
“Shh! Benny didn’t update the software to make you a friendly.” I slowly back away from her with my hands raised.
“My God.” She crosses herself before scurrying to the gate in her sandals. Her ass is in the air to protect her vital organs.
Drones fly in the distance, too quiet for this dead man walking to notice behind him.
He licks his cracked lips. “I might take you for myself before I turn you in. What do you say, bitch?”
