Page 37 of Fatal Fantasy

“Three million? That’s all I’m worth?” I joke, but Tyson’s body hardens, not enjoying my humor, while Jasper chuckles behind me.

“There is triple that amount in an offshore bank account with your alias’ name on it, don’t you dare test me, baby girl,” he says fiercely, and I feel my cheeks blush at the fact that all the money he set aside for us is in my name, even though he had no clue if I was innocent or guilty the moment he showed up in California.

“You always believed in me.” I kiss his neck, trailing my tongue along his collarbone, and he twists until we’re face-to-face.

“Always have, always will, Stellina.”

“What happens now?” Jasper interrupts our moment with a very valid question, and I hold my breath, waiting for an answer that only Tyson can provide.

“Now we run.”

SEVENTEEN

TYSON

The last time those three words were spoken aloud, chaos followed, leaving us in complete disarray as we were forced apart.

This time, we have the upper hand, a plan that’s solid, and the means to disappear for good, Carter being the last to escape from a Family that represents her name, but cast her into exile.

“Pack everything,” I say, shutting my laptop as the encryption system finishes, and the ransom email is scheduled to be delivered eight hours from now.

That gives us a head start, before the demands are even made, to get as close to the border as we possibly can.

Once we reach Canada’s line in the pavement, we’ll hand over three carefully made passports that allow us to access their country, before we eventually switch between three different identities I bought from a guy who owed the Masseria’s a handful of favors.

We’ll go through a carousel of names, but by the time we cross coasts, we become the printed names on our documents, leaving the Masseria’s – and Cassini’s – behind for good.

It’s the fresh start we dreamed of six months ago, coming to fruition a little later than expected, along with a bit of extra baggage and trauma that has to be worked through.

There’s no two people in this world greater than Carter and Massi, though, and I’m more than thrilled to be leaving behind the tragic lives we were forced to live until recently.

We’re breaking free, using this as a start of something new, and the countdown has hit zero, forcing us to move as fast as possible.

“Like now? This is when we start running?” Carter asks, an alarmed look on her face as she watches Massi move around the room, her nails gripping the sheets while she stays put in the middle of the mattress.

“Yes, baby girl. We’re at least fifteen hours away from the border, and by the time the ransom email is sent, we’ll be halfway there. All you have to do is get in that car with us,” I say, holding her hand out to mine, hoping she takes it, cementing her commitment to the plan I’ve curated.

“You won’t make me drive, right?”

“Absolutely fucking not, Principessina!” Massi shrieks, a horrified look on his face as she sighs dramatically, an inside moment happening between them that I’m not privy to.

“Okay, that’s a bit mean. I almost crashed your car one time.” She places a hand on her hip, the sass at an all time high while Massi narrows his eyes, a playful smile erupting across his face.

“One time was enough,” he says sternly, but immediately breaks into a fit of laughter, a moment of genuine love happening right before my eyes, even if it’s coming at the worst time.

“You challenged me to take that corner at eighty, Jasper! Anything the speedometer said after that was only your doing,” she defends, but I put an end to their bickering, reminding them that we’re on a tight schedule.

“Pack! We’ll have plenty of time for arguing once we’re countries away from here, lounging on a beach for the rest of our days!” I shout over their voices, and they both jump to attention, moving with purpose as we scrub ourselves from this tiny motel room.

Keeping the two of them on track is like containing two little kids, but once we’re on the road, Carter immediately sprawls out in the backseat, falling into a sleep she so desperately needs.

At the same time, I take the opportunity to fill Massi in on the rest of my plan, receiving little to no push back as he listens, accepts, and leans into the fact that I’m in control of our escape.

“And you’re sure this is going to work?” He questions, the cracks in his voice ever-present as I highlight not only the highs, but the lows that accompany the real dangers of this mission.

“No, not in the fucking slightest. But if anyone tries to hurt her, take her, or … worse, I have a third option, a fail safe that we only trigger in the most dire of circumstances.”

“Enlighten me,” he rushes to say, his fear at an all-time high, but Massi needs things in small doses, especially considering the magnitude of this little operation I’ve concocted.