Page 89 of The Hidden Heir

Oh, I can hear him, I reply. Pretend I’m already asleep. I’m locking the door.

Luca’s voice rises again, like thunder trapped between the brick walls of the mansion. My stomach tightens as I lock the door and fill a duffel bag with a handful of clothes and essentials for my boy and me. I’ll get more stuff once we’re out of here.

I don’t want Michael raised in this life. I don’t want to live constantly looking over my shoulder, worried someone is going to kill me or my stepfather will try to take my son away from me. This isn’t the life I imagined for myself.

My heart bleeds when I take my phone out again and call Caroline.

“Valentina,” she picks up with a worried voice. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Not really,” I say. “I need your help.”

“What happened?”

“Can you get me out of here?”

The longest pause follows. I listen to the argument still unfolding downstairs. It’s a miracle Michael didn’t wake up from all the ruckus. My stepsister is the only one I can call to help me with this. Victor would find a way to convince me to stay, but I don’t think I can stay anymore.

I have another baby coming. My children deserve peace and safety.

I’ll get out of Illinois altogether, if I have to.

“Are you sure about this, Valentina?” Caroline asks.

“Yes. I can’t stay here anymore; it’s not safe.”

“Okay, I think I can help, but I can’t get you out of the mansion itself. Can you make it out to the southeast corner? North Sheridan?”

“I can. I just need about an hour before it’s quiet enough for me to move,” I reply. “I know the guards’ movements. I’ll just wait for Victor to leave and for Luca to… I don’t know, brood in silence.”

“Have you spoken to him at all today?”

“No. We had a huge fight yesterday, and I was hoping we’d maybe talk about it today, but by the sound of it…”

“Right. No, I get it,” she says, and I hear the sadness in her tone.

I gaze out the window, the night sprawling lazily over the neighborhood with its elegant houses and lush greenery and sloping roofs reflecting the moonlight. Stars twinkle over the horizon, out of the moon’s reach. My heart beats a little louder at the thought of leaving this place behind.

But enough people have died on my account, and Luca isn’t slowing down. My presence has caused nothing but strife. Maybe if I remove myself from the equation, everyone will get the closest thing there is to peace.

“Give me an hour?”

“Let’s make it midnight,” she says. “I’m guessing your security detail changes every twelve hours.”

“That’s right.”

“Midnight and noon. That’s the usual system.”

“Yes.”

Caroline takes a deep breath, and I hear the sharp exhale over the phone. “Alright. Then wait until three minutes to midnight. That’s when the guys meet up and do the shift change. They’ll be briefly distracted. What about cameras? Motion sensors?”

“I know which way to go and how to avoid them,” I reply. “I’ve been here long enough to figure it out. I was just hoping I wouldn’t have to do this.”

“I get it. But don’t worry; I’m here. I couldn’t protect you before, but I can try to do better now. Silence your phone, but keep it on. Watch for my texts. And I’ll see you at midnight at the corner of North Sheridan.”

“Thank you, Caroline.”

“Don’t sweat it.”