“I interned for Foster’s. I spent endlesshours with these statues. I met him. We talked about the statues’significance.”
“Put it down.” Mr. Not Important screamsat me.
“Fine, I will.” I hit the head of statueagainst the pedestal, and it pops off with no effort at all. There’s an earshattering noise that rips through the room and the glass in a cabinet shattersbehind me. The noise makes me scream and I jump. My heart jumps, trying to makeits escape, and my breath comes out shallow. I put a hand on my stomach, tryingto keep my insides, well, on the inside. “You shot at me.” I look at theheadless statue, barely managing to hold it; my hands are shaking so bad.
“A warning.”
A warning, that’s it? “It’s fake, you bigugly jerk.” And I chuck the statue at him. He doesn’t react, and the statuehits him in the head. He tries to say something and then collapses backwards,hitting the floor with a thud. I cup my hands over my mouth to muffle myscream. Rafe stares, dumbfounded over him. I run over, looking down at him.“Did I kill him?” My voice cracks. I don’t like the ugly jerk, but I don’t wanthim to be dead. Well maybe, but not really.
“No, just knocked him out. Nice aim.”
“Uh—thanks, I guess. I played softball asa kid.” There’s a loud thud and then the door bursts open. Cole, Luke, andKeaton come barreling through the door.
“Kate,” Cole screams, running to me. Hecrushes me to him. “Oh thank god.”
I let out a sob of relief, tucking myselfinto Cole. “I’m okay.” I breathe.
“Come on, we are getting out of here.”
“Wait.” Rafe grabs Cole’s arm. “Please,wait.”
“We heard gunshots.” Luke looks down atMelvin.
“Kate threw a statue at him.”
“You did?” Cole lets go of me slightly sohe can look at me.
“Yeah, he’s a jerk.”
“The gun?” Luke asks again.
“Mel, fired a warning shot at her.” Rafestates.
Cole’s grip tightens around me, and hestarts to drag me out of the room.
“Please.” Rafe holds his hands up.Walking over to a picture on the wall. “Here, Kate.” He slides the picture,lights flicker illuminating the real Peace statue, behind a pane of glass.
“Oh.” The real thing. I’m drawn to it,but Cole won’t let me go. “Please,” I plead with him. He still doesn’t let go,but walks me over to the glass. “It’s so beautiful. I never thought I would seethem again. I cried for days after Foster sold them.”
“Let me make amends. My grandfathermentioned you when he gave us these statues. He called you ‘I’angelo custode’:the angel caretaker. He told us that if we cared for these statues the way youdid, then honor would be ours.” Rafe waves a hand sadly at Mr. Not Important.“All Mel knows is that they are sacred, to do all in his power to protect it.Please,” he points to the chairs. “Sit, let me make amends.”
I look at Cole and see he has nointentions of doing any such thing. “Cole, please, let’s listen.”
“No, Kate, they kidnapped you. He told mehe would, and he did.”
“Rafe did?”
“No, that man.” He points to Mr. NotImportant, who’s still out cold on the floor.
“It wasn’t so bad. I’m okay.” I lower mygaze, a bit chagrined. “I was pretty drunk when I left the gala and I tried tosteal a teacup.”
“You were drunk?” Cole tips my chin soI’m looking at him.
I nod. “Yeah, I had shots with Kit andCoop and a couple glasses of wine and, oh um, some champagne.”
Cole smiles, caressing my face. “I’msurprised you’re awake.”
“Kate, knows my grandfather, VincenzoMezzo. Please Cole,” Rafe is pleading with him, using my nickname for him.“Let’s put an end to this once and for all.”
