Chapter 7: Bound By Hatred: Chapter 6

I hated having to involve Aria in any of this, but she was my last option. The biggest problem was actually asking her. I didn’t trust the phones. I wouldn’t put it past our father to rig them so he could keep an eye and ear on me. I had to ask her in person but as a punishment for my misstep at the engagement party I hadn’t been allowed to see Aria since our family’s Christmas party. But after weeks of begging, Lily and I had finally managed to convince Father to let Lily and me fly to New York for Lily’s birthday in April.

Lily was practically bouncing with excitement during our flight. I was still surprised how quickly she’d recovered from the horrible events of last September. I really hoped she wouldn’t be set back by being back in New York. She’d been avoiding Matteo and Luca the last few times we’d seen them but this time we’d be staying at Luca’s penthouse, so there was no way she could do it.

The moment we walked into the waiting hall buzzing with voices, I wanted to groan. Matteo stood beside Aria and Luca. I should have realized he would come. He seemed determined to ignore my antipathy. Sometimes I almost considered to give up on running away and to try to come to terms with my marriage to Matteo, but then there were the moments when he gave me that cocky grin like now, and then I wanted to run away as fast as my feet could carry me because I actually wanted to kiss him, despite what I’d seen him do in September.

Lily kept close to me. It was the only sign that she hadn’t forgotten what had happened almost seven months ago. She didn’t take my hand like she might have done a couple of years ago but her arm brushed mine as we walked toward Luca, Matteo and Aria. “Are you okay?” I whispered.

She jumped, flushing. “Yeah.” She squared her shoulders. “I’m fine.” She almost managed to hide her nerves from me. Aria ran toward us when we’d almost reached them and threw her arms around both of us. “I missed you so much.”

“We missed you too,” I whispered, kissing her cheek.

Lily beamed at both of us.

Aria shook her head. “You’re as tall as me now. I still remember when you didn’t want to go anywhere without holding my hand.”

Lily groaned. “Don’t say anything like that when Romero is around. Where is he anyway?”

I rolled my eyes, and Aria laughed. “He’s probably at his apartment.” Lily must have managed to get over her anxiety around Romero at some point. Puppy love turned you blind.

“Come on,” Aria said. “Let’s go.”

As expected, Lily turned shy again the moment we stood in front of the guys. My protective side wanted to step in front of her and shield her from everything, but I knew she’d be embarrassed if I did something like that. My gaze found Matteo’s eyes; they were warm; they were a normal guy’s eyes, and for an instant I wanted to believe the lie he was so good at telling, but I forced myself to break our staring contest.

“The birthday girl,” Matteo said with a smile at Lily, arms crossed over his chest. He looked so approachable and harmless, and I knew he was doing it on purpose because of Lily. Despite my best intentions not to, I felt grateful, and at the same time couldn’t help but wonder how he could be so kind and funny one moment, when he was capable of the horrible things I’d seen in September.

“Not yet,” Lily said, biting her lip. “Unless you have an early present for me.” I almost exploded with relief. I’d worried Lily would be as nervous as last time when she’d see Matteo, but he was a master manipulator and had her wrapped around his finger again.

“I like the way you think,” Matteo said with a wink. He took her suitcase, then held out his arm for her to take. She glanced between Matteo and me. “Won’t you carry Gianna’s luggage?”

“Luca can take care of it,” Matteo said, eyes dancing with mirth as they settled on me. Why did he have to be so…tolerable? If I didn’t know it any better, I’d say he had a suspicion I was trying to figure out a way to run away from our impending marriage.

I narrowed my eyes at him before turning to Lily. “Go on.”

She linked arms with Matteo and they walked ahead. Luca took my suitcase without a word before following after his brother and my younger sister. I fell back with Aria. “Maybe Father should have married Lily off to Matteo instead of me,” I said, only half-joking. She seemed to have no trouble getting along with him.

“Matteo needs someone like you, someone who talks back to him. I don’t think she could handle him.”

I snorted. “But you think I can?”

Aria searched my face. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“Later,” I whispered, and she nodded with a glance toward Luca and Matteo.

***

I didn’t get the chance to talk to Aria until much later that day, and only because Luca and Matteo had business to conduct in their dance club ‘Sphere’. Romero was still there but Lily had convinced him to play Scrabble with her in the living room so he was occupied as I led Aria out onto the roof terrace despite the cold. Once we stood at the edge of the roof, she turned to me. “You’re up to something, aren’t you?”

I hesitated, suddenly feeling guilty for even considering to involve Aria. “I can’t do this, Aria. I want out. Out of this world. Out of my arranged marriage. Just out.”

Her face became still, blue eyes wide. “You want to run?”

The wind had picked up and tore at my hair, but I wasn’t certain if that was the only reason why I shivered. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” I said, though sometimes doubt kept me awake at night. This was a huge step. “Ever since the Bratva attacked the mansion and I saw what Matteo is capable of, I knew I had to run.”

“It’s not just Matteo, you know that, right? He isn’t any worse than any other Made Men.”

“That makes it even worse. I know that pretty much all the men in our world are capable of horrible things, and one day even Fabi will be, and I hate it, hate every second I’m trapped in this messed up world.”

“I thought you and Matteo were getting along better. You didn’t try to rip each other’s head off today.”

“He’s trying to manipulate me. Didn’t you see how easily he could make Lily forget her nervousness around him?”

Aria shrugged. “It could be worse. Most men wouldn’t have forgiven you for giving him such a hard time, but he really seems to like you.”

Did he? I was never sure with Matteo. He was too good at hiding his emotions, at choosing the mask he wanted to show to the world. “Are you on his side?” I asked with a bit more force than I’d intended.

“I’m not on his side. I’m just trying to show you an alternative to running away.”

Stunned, I said, “Why? You know I’ve never wanted this life. Why are you trying to make me stay?”

Aria glared, gripping my wrist. “Because I don’t want to lose you, Gianna!”

“You won’t lose me.”

“Yes, I will. Once you’ve run away, we can’t ever see each other again, maybe not even talk unless we figure out a way to do it without risking the mob tracing you.”

Of course, in the back of my mind, I’d known that would be the result of my escape, but I’d pushed it aside, not able to bear the thought. “I know,” I whispered. “You could come with me.”

Aria parted her lips in surprise and even before she spoke I knew her answer. “I can’t.”

I nodded, facing away from her and letting my gaze wander over New York. I blinked a few times. “Because you love Luca.”

She put her hand on mine. “Yes, but that’s not the only reason. I can’t leave Fabi and Lily behind either, and I’ve made peace with this life. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’m okay with it.”

Guilt crashed down on me. “Do you think I’m abandoning them if I leave?”

“They’ll understand. Not everyone is cut out for a life in this world. You’ve always wanted to live a normal life, and they’ll still have me. You have to think of yourself. I just want you to be happy.”

I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her hair. “I don’t think I can be happy here.”

“Because you don’t want to marry a killer, because you can’t live with what Matteo does.”

“No,” I said quietly. “Because I can see myself being okay with it.”

Aria drew back, pale brows drawn together. “What’s wrong with that?”

I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time because I had a feeling that Aria wouldn’t have asked that question before Luca. “Are you okay with what Luca does? Don’t you ever lie awake at night feeling guilty for being married to a man like him?”

“We come from a family of men like him.” She stepped back, her arms dropping to her sides. “Do you want me to feel guilty?”

“No. But normal people would feel guilty. Can’t you see how messed up we are? I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to spend my life with a man who carves up his enemies.”

Aria stared but didn’t say anything. She looked so horribly sad and hurt that I wanted to kick myself hard for ever opening my stupid mouth.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you feel bad. I just…” I trailed off, not sure how to explain my conflicted emotions to Aria. “I know I have to risk it. I have to try to get away from all this and live a life without all the violence and messed up morals. I’ll always regret it if I don’t.”

“You know you can’t ever come back. There’s no going back once you’ve run. Even if Matteo would forgive you for insulting him like that, the Outfit would be responsible for your punishment until your marriage. And running away from the mafia is betrayal.”

“I know.”

“The Outfit punishes betrayal with death. Because you aren’t a Made Men they might decide to go easy on you and throw you into one of their whore houses or marry you off to someone far worse than Matteo.”

“I know.”

Aria gripped my shoulders. “Do you really? Few people risk running from the mob and there’s a reason for it. Most people get caught.”

“Most people but not all of them.”

“Have you ever heard of someone who escaped the mob successfully?”

“No, but I doubt anyone would tell us about them. Neither Father, nor Matteo or Luca have any interest in putting ideas in our heads.”

Aria sighed. “You are really determined to go through with this.”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” she said. This was the perfect moment to ask her for help but I realized I couldn’t do it, couldn’t ask that of her.

Of course Aria being Aria didn’t need to be asked.

“You can’t do it alone. If you want any chance at succeeding you’ll need my help.”

I stared at my sister, my beautiful, brave sister. I’d often thought we were twins who’d been born apart by some cruel twist of fate. She was the one person I’d die for. And if she’d asked me to stay, told me she couldn’t live without me, I wouldn’t even have hesitated. I’d have stayed, would have married Matteo. For her. But Aria would never ask that of me. Aria was the one thing that reminded me that there was good in our world too, and I hoped she’d never let the darkness around us corrupt her. “No,” I said firmly. “I can do it on my own.”

But Aria ignored my comment.

“If I help you to run, I’ll betray the Cosa Nostra and by doing so my husband,” she said with a distant look in her eyes.

I shook my head. “You are right. And I can’t let you take that risk. I won’t let you risk it.”

She linked her fingers with mine. “No, I will help you. I’m your only choice. And if anyone can make it, then it’s you. You never wanted to be part of all this.”

“Aria, you said it yourself, what I’m doing is betrayal and the mob deals harshly with people who betray them. Luca isn’t the forgiving type.”

“Luca won’t hurt me.” There wasn’t the hint of doubt in her voice. Sadly, I didn’t share her conviction. I opened my mouth to object but she raised her hand.

“He won’t. If Salvatore Vitiello were still alive, things would be different. I’d have been under his jurisdiction, but Luca is Capo and he won’t punish me.”

How could she trust that cruel bastard like that? What must it be like to love someone so much that you would put your life in their hands without hesitation? “Maybe his men won’t leave him a choice. He’s a new Capo and if he looks weak, his men might revolt. Luca won’t risk his power, not even for you. The Familia comes first to Made Men.”

I was talking to a wall from the impact I was making on Aria. “Trust me,” she said simply.

“I trust you. It’s Luca whom I don’t trust.”

“And if you think about it, I wouldn’t really be betraying the Familia. You are still part of the Outfit until you marry Matteo. That means what I’m doing is a betrayal of the Outfit at most, but I’m not bound to them, so I can’t betray them.”

“Be that as it may. Luca might not see it that way. Even if you aren’t betraying the Familia, you’re still going behind Luca’s back. Not to mention that Matteo will probably move heaven and earth to find me.”

“True,” Aria said slowly. “He’ll hunt you.”

“He’ll eventually lose interest.”

Aria looked doubtful. “Perhaps. But I wouldn’t count on it. We have to make sure he can’t find you.”

Above us the sky was turning dark gray, the first signs of an impending rainstorm. If I were superstitious, I’d probably see it as a bad omen. “Aria, I shouldn’t have come to you with this. You can’t get involved.”

Aria rolled her eyes. It was such a me-thing to do that I couldn’t help but smile despite the severity of our conversation.

“Don’t try to talk me out of it. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t help you and you got caught,” she said firmly.

“And I will feel guilty if you get in trouble for helping me.”

“I’m helping you. End of story.”

“How can I ever make it up to you?”

“Just be happy, Gianna. Live the life you want, that’s all I want.”

That was to typically Aria. If anyone deserved a life outside of this fucked up world, it would be her. I pressed my lips together, fighting tears. “Shit.”

Aria smiled. “Come on. We need to figure out when and how to get you away.”

“I suppose it’s a bit too late to give it a try during this visit?” I forced a smile, wanting to get rid of the heavy feeling in my chest.

“Yeah. But you’ll definitely have to run when you are in New York. You’ll never escape from Father’s men.”

Sadly, she was right. Father didn’t let me out of sight for a second. He didn’t trust me. The only thing missing from my prison were leg irons. “But Romero is always around.”

Aria and I both glanced toward the living room where Lily was laughing at something Romero must have said. She looked so happy. “I think we can get him off our back,” Aria said.

“Next time Lily won’t be around to distract him. I don’t want her to know about this.”

Aria nodded. “I’ll figure something out. I tricked him once before. I can do it again. Luca trusts me. Romero doesn’t follow me as much as he did in the beginning.”

Guilt twisted my insides again but I ignored it. “I have to get a passport so I can leave the country. I’ll never be safe in the States.”

“You should go to Europe.”

“I’ve always wanted to visit Sicily,” I joked.

Aria cracked up. “Yeah, that sounds like a foolproof plan.”

“I need money. Maybe I can find out where Father keeps his stack of cash.”

“No, he’d notice. We’ll have to take Luca’s money. If we wait until the last minute before we take it, he won’t notice until it’s too late.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

Aria nodded but there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

“Maybe we can get money from somewhere else. I could ask one of the credit sharks for a loan. It’s not like I’ll be around for them to get it back,” I said quickly.

Aria shook her head at once. “All the credit sharks either belong to the Familia or to the Bratva. That would be the quickest way to get caught.”

“I know I can’t ask the Familia, but what about the Russian credit sharks? I don’t have to announce to them who I am. I could pretend I was some random girl with financial troubles.”

Aria seemed to consider that but then she shook her head. “It’s too risky. Those guys are dangerous.”

Memories I’d tried to bury resurfaced like a tidal wave. I’d been terrified when the Russians had attacked the mansion. I’d been sure we’d die a horrible death, sure we’d be raped and tortured. I really didn’t want anything to do with the Bratva ever again but Aria didn’t need to know how much the images of that day still bothered me. Most of the time I managed to lock them away, and once I was in Europe, away from the world, they’d hopefully disappear for good. “Aria, you are married to the man all those dangerous guys are scared of.”

“And you are engaged to the man who cuts those dangerous guys up,” she said. “But the Russians are worse than our men. They don’t have any honor.”

I wasn’t sure if that was possible, but I wasn’t in the mood for that argument. “Okay, so no loan sharks, but what about a forged passport? I’ll have to get that from somewhere. Is there anyone we could bribe?”

Another gust of wind tore at us, raising goose-bumps all over my body. Aria moved closer to me until we huddled together. “No one will go against Luca.”

“Except for us,” I said with a snort. “Tell me this isn’t crazy.”

“It’s crazy, but we’ll figure something out.” She paused, scrutinizing me.

I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

She smiled. “I have an idea. You know how people always say we look alike?”

“Not if you look closely. I’m a couple of inches taller than you and then there’s this.” I lifted a strand of my hair.

“Yeah, but if we dye your hair blond, nobody will doubt that you are me. Luca has a few forged passports with different names in the same place where he stashes the money, if we ever need to leave the country fast. You could use one of them.”

“Luca will be able to track them.”

“Yes, but you’ll already have landed in Europe by then. You can throw away the passport once you’re there and travel around without a passport until you figure out a way to get a new one. They don’t have border control in the EU, so you should be fine to cross over to other countries within Europe.”

Hope kindled in my body. “That could actually work.”

“It will.”

We stared at each other. “So I’m really running away,” I whispered.

“Yes,” Aria said quietly.

“When?”

“Next time you visit, so we have time to really think every detail of our plan through.”

I couldn’t believe I was really going to do this, but now I wouldn’t back out, even if part of me wondered if this was really what I wanted.

***

I was allowed to visit Aria again in May; pretending that I had finally come to terms with my marriage to Matteo had made my father more lenient with me.

Lying had once been hard for me but I was getting better at it.

I hugged Lily and Fabi before I left Chicago, knowing it might very well be the last time I saw them, but I didn’t allow myself to linger on that thought. It would make things only more difficult. If I started to cry, someone might get suspicious.

When I arrived in New York, Aria picked me up from the airport with a new bodyguard. There was something bittersweet about our reunion. The new guy gave me a quick nod after Aria and I had pulled apart. “Who is he?” I whispered.

“That’s Sandro. He’s one of Matteo’s men.” So Matteo had already chosen a bodyguard for me, for a future life as his wife, someone who would cage me in whenever Matteo wasn’t around to do it.

Once we were in the penthouse, my new bodyguard retreated to the kitchen under the pretense of giving us privacy. As if there was ever such a thing under his constant surveillance. Aria and I lingered near the sofa, out of earshot. “Does Luca still have Romero guard you all day?”

Aria shrugged. “I don’t mind having Romero around, especially when Luca is busy. Sandro has taken Cesare’s place mostly, but he’s never watched me before. ”

“You need to ask Luca to let you go to college or do something else before you go crazy over here. I want you to be happy too, Aria. I want to know that you’ll be okay once I’m gone.”

“Don’t worry. And the last few weeks I’ve been pretty busy planning your escape,” Aria said with a teasing smile but there was a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

We both glanced at Sandro who was making coffee. “Why is that Sandro guy really here?”

“Because of you.”

“Because I’m the troublemaker?”

“No,” Aria said with a laugh. “Because Matteo wants you to get to know the guy who’ll be your bodyguard once you move to New York.”

“Oh great, how thoughtful of him.” Again a decision about my life that no one had bothered to discuss with me. With a nod toward Sandro, I asked, “How are we going to get rid of him?”

“I have a plan.” Aria opened her bag and pointed at a small syringe. At my confused look, she explained, “I remembered how you’d told me that Luca found the tranquilizer he used on Lily in a drawer in the basement. Last time I was in the mansion, I sneaked down there and took what we needed.”

My eyes widened. “You are a genius, Aria.”

“Not really.”

Our eyes darted toward our bodyguard once more. He was busy with his phone. “How are we going to inject him the tranquilizer?” I asked. “He’s tall and strong, and probably a skilled fighter.”

Aria bit her lip. “We have to distract him. Maybe I can talk to him and you ram the needle into his thigh?”

“What if I break the needle by accident or if he smashes it?”

“I have a second syringe, but that’s it, so we should try to get it right the first time.”

Aria could be so badass if she tried. “Are you sure the dosage is right?”

“I don’t want him to get hurt so I reduced the dosage they listed on the packaging.”

“Okay. It still should be enough to knock him out for a while, right?”

Aria nodded. “We should probably tie him up. I found duct tape in the gun cupboard.”

She knew where her husband kept his guns? “Luca must really trust you.”

Aria didn’t say anything and I felt bad for bringing him up. Did I have to remind her how she was risking her marriage for me?

“Come on,” she said after a moment. “Let’s do this. Matteo and Luca will be back in a few hours. We should be gone by then.”

After another look toward Sandro who was still reading something on his phone, she quickly handed me the syringe. I hid it behind my back as we strolled toward Sandro who finally looked up from his phone and set it down on the counter.

“Would you like some coffee?” he asked with a nod toward his own cup. He was polite and his brown eyes were friendly. He didn’t look very threatening, but I didn’t let that fool me.

Aria leaned next to him against the counter and pressed a palm to her stomach.

Sandro frowned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not feeling so good,” she said, then her legs buckled. It was a bit over the top if you asked me, but Sandro must have acted without thinking because he reached for her. My chance.

My arm shot out and I rammed the syringe into the back of his thigh and injected the tranquilizer. Sandro hissed, let go of Aria and lashed out instinctively. He caught my arm and I was thrown against the kitchen island, my back colliding painfully. I swallowed a cry.

“What the fuck?” he gasped, eyes furious as they darted between Aria and me. He reached for his phone but Aria shoved it away. It flew off the counter, crashed to the ground and skidded over the marble. Sandro staggered toward it, his movement already less coordinated than usual. I quickly rushed toward the phone and kicked it away. “Where’s the stupid tape?”

Aria nodded and rushed away.

Sandro glared at me. “What are you doing?” he growled. He advanced on me, his hand fumbling for the gun in his chest holster. Did he want to hold us at gun point?

He didn’t get very far. His legs gave away and he fell to his knees. He shook his head like a dog, then tried to stand again.

“Aria!” I screamed. What if this didn’t work? What if our plan was over before it had really begun?

“I’m coming!” She ran toward me with the tape. “Grab his arms.”

I tried to pull Sandro’s arms behind his back, but he was too strong even in his dazed state. He shook me off.

“It’s not enough tranquilizer!”

“I don’t want to hurt him,” Aria said panicky.

I tried to grip his arms again but he managed to stagger back to his feet, pushing me out of the way. Aria moved quickly and thrust the second syringe into his leg. This time he dropped to his knees almost instantly, then fell to his side. Aria and I made quick work out of tying him up, then she touched his throat.

“Is he okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, it seems so. I hope we didn’t give him too much.”

“He’s a tall guy. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” I got up. Aria did the same and then she rushed off again. A few minutes later she returned with a huge stack of dollar notes as well as two passports. For a moment I thought she’d decided to go with me and that was why there wasn’t only one passport, then I realized how ridiculous that thought was.

“Here.” She handed me everything. “That’s about ten thousand dollars. That should get you by for a while, and two passports just in case. But you should really get rid of them once you’re in Europe.”

I stuffed everything into my bag, then grabbed my suitcase.

“Ready?” Aria asked, hesitating.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She didn’t return my smile, only glanced at Sandro again before setting her phone down on the counter. I did the same to prevent them from tracking us.

We took the elevator down and hailed a taxi. Traffic was on our side and we pulled up in front of the JFK airport after forty-five minutes.

After we’d entered the departure area, I headed straight to the ticket counter to buy a one-way ticket to Amsterdam while Aria stayed back; the photo in the passport looked more like her than me and if we stood beside each other nobody would have been fooled.

I gingerly slid the fake passport across the counter. The woman barely glanced at the photo, despite the fact that I didn’t have blond hair like the girl in it. She probably thought I’d dyed them red. Twenty minutes later, I walked over to Aria with the ticket to freedom in my hand. I’d have thought I’d feel more excited, instead nerves twisted my stomach so tightly I worried I’d throw up, but I couldn’t let Aria see it.

“So how did it go?” she asked nervously.

I waved the ticket in response. “She didn’t even ask about my hair.”

“That’s good, but once you’re in Amsterdam, you need to change your appearance.”

I smiled, touched by her concern and at the same time wondering if I was really doing the right thing. This could be the last time I ever saw Aria. I couldn’t even imagine a year without her, much less the rest of my life. “Don’t worry.”

A small part of me wondered how Matteo would feel once he found out. I didn’t think my disappearance would do more than bruise his pride. This wasn’t about love, or even feelings.

Aria peered toward the main entrance again. “When does your flight leave?”

“In two hours. I should probably go through security.”

“I will rent a car and drive it out of town as a red herring. Luca will think you and I ran away together. Maybe it’ll buy you additional time. Once you’re off the plane, go to a restroom and put on the wig, in case there’s already someone looking for you at Schiphol airport.”

Aria was talking fast but it didn’t stop me from noticing the way her voice was shaking. She was trying to be strong for me.

I wrapped my arms around her. “Thank you so much for risking so much for me. I love you.”

“Create the blog we talked about and post an update the moment you get the chance. I’ll worry if I don’t hear from you tomorrow at the latest,” she said, her fingers digging into my shoulder blades. “Promise me you’ll be happy, Gianna. Promise.”

“I promise.” Could you even promise something like that? My eyes burnt furiously but I fought the tears. This was hard enough without me turning into a blubbering mess. I pulled back, and ran a hand over my eyes.

Aria had lost her fight with tears. “If you ever want to come back, we’ll figure something out.”

“You said it yourself, there’s no going back,” I said, and finally the truth sank in. This was it. This was goodbye to the life I’d known, to my family, to my home, to everything. I took a step back from Aria, dropping my arms. She gave me an encouraging smile. I quickly turned around and hurried toward the security check. If I didn’t leave Aria now, I’d lose my courage. Doubt was already eating away at my resolve, but this was my only chance. I had to take it. I needed to live my own life, needed to make my own decisions, needed to get away from the horrors of our world.

The security guard didn’t stop me. Nobody did. Once I was through security, I risked another peek over my shoulder to where Aria stood. She raised her arm in a wave before she walked away quickly, wiping her eyes.

I watched her back disappear. My heart felt heavy, my throat tight. It wasn’t too late yet. I could still go back. We could figure out some ridiculous explanation for drugging Sandro. Nothing was lost yet.

I peered down at my ticket to Amsterdam, my ticket to freedom, before I headed to the terminal where boarding would start soon.

As I waited, I kept checking my surroundings nervously, but nobody showed up. And why would they? Nobody had suspected anything. When Sandro finally woke in a couple of hours and called Luca and Matteo, I’d be on the plane.

***

My heart was beating in my throat when I boarded the plane. It was my first time traveling in economy class. Father had always bought business or first class tickets when we hadn’t used a private jet. I was wedged between a stranger, who insisted on using my armrest, and the window. I barely dared breathing until we were finally up in the air, and even then I kept looking for a familiar face among the other passengers. It took a while before I finally settled back into my seat and relaxed. Now that there was no going back, a flicker of excitement mixed with my anxiety. This was my life and I was finally taking it into my own hands, finally taking back control from those who had ruled every aspect of my existence until now. I was going to be free.

Matteo Luca’s phone rang. “Yes, Romero?” Silence. “Repeat that.”

I was checking last month’s earnings for our clubs in Manhattan but looked up at the strain in Luca’s voice. His expression made me close the laptop. “What’s going on?”

Luca pushed to his feet. “Romero found Sandro drugged and tied up on the floor of the penthouse. Aria and Gianna are gone.”

I straightened. “You’re fucking kidding.”

“Do you think I would joke about something like that?” he snarled into my face.

I glared right back. “I thought Aria was in love with you.”

For a moment Luca looked like he was going to punch me. Then he whirled around and stormed out of the basement of the Sphere. I hurried after him. “This is Gianna’s fault. This girl is the root of every problem. Why couldn’t you stay the fuck away from her like I told you?” he muttered.

If only I fucking knew. For some reason, I couldn’t get her out my head. And now she’d run. From me.

***

“I’m sorry, Boss,” Sandro said again, half hunched on Luca’s sofa, eyes blood-shot.

I wanted to fucking kill him for letting her get away. I should have never let her out of my sight. I got up and started pacing the room again, my eyes darting up to the bedroom door. Luca had disappeared with Aria behind it more than twenty minutes ago. She hadn’t run away. That had all been for show. She’d helped my fiancée run, but she’d come back to Luca. She’d come back.

Normally I wouldn’t doubt Luca’s skill to get information out of anybody, but this was Aria, and Luca wouldn’t hurt her. Not even for me, not even when she was the only one who could help me find my fiancée.

“I shouldn’t have taken the morning off,” Romero said from his spot on the armchair.

“One bodyguard should have been enough. I should have been enough. They were only girls,” Sandro muttered.

I didn’t say anything. I was too pissed. My pulse was pounding in my temples. I wanted to smash every fucking piece of furniture into tiny bits. The bedroom door finally opened and Luca came down the stairs. From the look on his face I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say.

“Don’t tell me you couldn’t get anything out of her,” I snarled.

Luca scowled. “The only thing I know is that Gianna took a plane from JFK. Aria won’t tell me anything, but our informants will let me know which plane Gianna took soon.”

“Great,” I muttered. “And then what? Aria knows Gianna’s plan. They told each other everything. The only way to find Gianna is through your wife.”

“She won’t tell me anything.”

I tried walking past him. “Then let me have a word with her.”

Luca grasped my arm and pushed me back. “You will stay away from her, Matteo.”

“You let her steal your money, your passports. You let her attack our men, let her make a fool out of you and betray you. You should want to punish her. You are Capo.”

Luca’s eyes flashed. I was walking on thin ice but I didn’t give a fuck.

“Aria is my wife. It’s none of your business how I deal with her. I told you that Gianna meant trouble but you didn’t want to listen. You should have never asked for her hand,” he growled.

My fingers longed to grip my knives. I turned my back on him and stalked out onto the roof garden. I needed to cool off before I lashed out at my own brother. Luca and I had fought occasionally when we were younger but it had never been for real. I had a feeling that a fight between us wouldn’t end well today. We were both royally pissed and out for blood.

I braced my arms against the banister and let my eyes wander over New York. Gianna was slipping through my fingers. With every second that passed she was bringing more distance between herself and me. Once she landed wherever she was going, she wouldn’t stop running until she was sure she was safe. She’d be alone, unprotected. What if something happened to her?

Steps crunched behind me and I tensed but didn’t look over my shoulder. Luca stopped beside me. “I called Scuderi. He’s furious and blames us of course.”

“Of course,” I said quietly.

“He’s sending two of his men after Gianna.”

“I will go with them.”

“I figured you would. I told Scuderi as much. You will meet them in Amsterdam.”

I turned. “Amsterdam?”

Luca nodded. “I got word that she took a plane to Schiphol.”

“When do I leave?” I asked, the thrill of the impending hunt spreading in my veins.

“Four hours.”

“I need to leave sooner.”

“Impossible. I tried everything I could.”

“Damn it. Gianna will be long gone when I arrive.”

“You’ll find her. You are the best hunter I know. She doesn’t stand a chance.”

I clapped his shoulder. “You let me go, even though you need me here.”

“You aren’t of much use to me if all you can think about is Gianna.”

“It could take weeks,” I said. “I won’t return until I’ve caught her.”

“I know. If Aria had run, I would have done the same.”

I nodded. I wouldn’t stop until Gianna was mine. I didn’t care if I had to search the entire world, if I had to turn every single stone, if I had to squeeze information out of every fucking person in Amsterdam, I would find Gianna.