Run To Rome

It took a moment before the man could speak. When he did, his words were punctuated with weak, gurgling coughs and shallow, gasping breaths for air. “Planned to…sell you evidence…your brother’s murder…but …Alrigo shot Roselli…fucked up the plan…ransom… became a perfect opportun…”

Trent let out a shaky breath. Halli and her family weren’t part of the plot.

With his next breath, Lorenzo’s obvious betrayal hit. A split second later, gut-clenching fear bulldozed all else.

Lorenzo wanted the money. Money that was still on his boat, with Halli, and no one was answering the phone.

He grasped Nino’s shoulders. “How did he plan to get the money?”

“After…I—”

Nino’s face contorted and his body spasmed. The man was dying right in front of him. Trent’s fingers clenched, as if he could keep him alive by sheer will.

“Does he know where we are?”

Nino struggled for air, his eyes wide, panicked. Trent gave him a desperate, violent shake.

Tony’s hand clamped on Trent’s arm. “Take it easy.”

He released Nino as the distant sound of sirens reached across the water. Flashing lights approached the shore of Lake Como beyond Isola Comacina.

“We must go,” Eva said.

Trent forced himself to pause by Ben as Tony brushed past on his way to the controls. “Halli’s on the other boat. I’ll get her and—”

“You brought her along?”

Trent bristled at the accusation in Ben’s voice. “She refused to stay behind.”

“Halli?”

“Yes, Halli. She’s very stubborn. We’ll meet you on shore.”

He unwound the rope connecting his rental to Lapaglia’s boat and tossed it ahead of him. Unrelenting urgency propelled him into the other boat in one leap. He didn’t look back as he started the engine and opened up the throttle. Ben was in good hands with Eva, and there was nothing he could do that she wouldn’t do anyway.

Halfway to the Scappare and closing, his phone rang. He almost lost the damn thing over the side in his haste to answer. “Halli?”

“Trent—Lorenzo’s alive!”

Simone.

“He called you this morning, didn’t he?”

“Yes. I was so scared. I still am.”

Trent wanted to believe the tremor that shook her words, but too much had happened for him to trust anything right now. “What the hell is going on, Simone?”

“I don’t know. He said something about finally getting his boat and told me to pack a bag and be ready. I told him I would not go anywhere with him unless he told me what was going on, but he became angry and hung up.”

Trent was nearing the cabin cruiser by now. Going against every instinct screaming in his body to thrust the throttle forward, he eased it back for a slow approach. “Does he know Rachel’s with you?”

“No. We moved to a neighbor’s house for safety.”

“Good.” Now he trusted her. “Simone, I gotta go, but stay where you are, okay? Don’t go home until I call you.”

“Si.”

He slid the phone back in his pocket and eased alongside the cruiser. All was quiet aboard the Scappare. Too quiet. A leaden sensation of dread grew in his chest when neither Halli nor his dad hailed him over the side.