“I need to go get my things from the condo,” I lie and not very convincingly either.
“We can have someone do that for you.” Yep. He doesn’t believe me and knows I’m up to something. Does he think I’m working with my stepdad?
“No. It’s my personal things, so it’s best if I do it,” I insist.
“Okay. I can take you, then.”
I smile at him as politely as I can. “Good, because I don’t have a car and I frankly don’t have any idea where we are.”
“Does Niccolò know you’re leaving?”
“Yes, but he’s busy with Mr. Bianchi right now.”
He leads me to the vehicle, and we drive out of the estate. In that time, no one calls which is great because then they might tell him to turn around. Everything is going according to plan. As soon as I get to the condo, he pulls up outside the building. I have the code to get inside, but I won’t need it because I have no intention of stepping inside.
As he goes to let me out of the backseat, I jump out of the vehicle before he can get around to my side, darting into traffic, missing two vehicles, and creating distance between us. Enrico’s searching for me, but it’s dark out and there are lots of alleyways between the buildings.
He heads in one direction while I flee the other way, thankful that he chose that way because the train station is around the corner and I’m there before he can see me.
Mercifully a green line train appears. I have no reason to get on it other than he wouldn’t expect it. At least I can take it to the connection to the blue line.
Damn it, as I make the transfer, I remember that I can’t go to the apartment because they’ll be looking for my father there. No one will be at the café since someone has probably boarded it up.
I take the next train back around and then end up outside the back of my café. I move to unlock the door, but it’s already unlocked. Shit, they forgot to lock up for the night. No. I’m sure I did.
I push through the door and pray no one robbed the money I have in the safe. When I get inside I’m met with my father and Ella in a very compromising position. I turn on my heel to dash away when another arm grabs me. I’m about to faint when I see Tony D. “I have her, boss.”
“Let me go.” I fight him, trying to get away before he can hurt me.
“Relax, Mrs. Bianchi.” Why did he call me that when he’s working for these two nasty fucks? Doesn’t he know I didn’t marry Niccolò?
“Bianchi? She married those crooks?” My stepfather snarls out as if he’s even remotely close to being on their level.
“No, we’re not married. How could you two?” I question, waving my arm between them.
She rolls her eyes at me while she fixes her skirt. “He’s my sugar daddy, Ivy. He wanted his debts canceled, and I get a cut of the earnings. All you need to do is die already. You have shit timing. The other day you walked in before I could blow your boyfriend’s brains out.” She smirks and then I remember that she was standing right behind Niccolò while he was looking down.
Tony moves me behind him as Ella pulls out a gun and points it my way. Wait, who is he working for?
I see Tony’s second gun under his suit jacket. I pull it out and undo the safety. Luckily I watched a safety video on firearms while scrolling YouTube. I reach around and pull the trigger, hitting her arm. She fires before falling, but she misses us and accidentally shoots my stepfather in his forearm.
“Move another inch, and I’ll blow your brains out,” I tell my stepfather who is still standing there with his pants still open. Fucking gross. If he hadn’t already emotionally scarred me, here was the ultimate wound.
“Pull up your pants. She doesn’t need to see your little dick,” Tony barks. It would be comical if I didn’t just shoot someone. He fixes his pants with a lot of effort since he’s bleeding from his arm where Ella hit him. “Here. Domani wants to talk to you.”
He hands me the phone that I didn’t know he had on him. He’s wearing an earpiece, which he takes out, so he can’t hear the conversation.
“Hello?” I answer, wondering why he wants to talk to me.
“You’re in trouble, Miss Vincent. I didn’t tell Niccolò that you booked it, but you could have been killed, and it would have devastated my brother. I don’t take kindly to him being hurt, so you’re going to need to get back here, safely.”
“You could all die if we go to war over me.”