Run To Rome

“I am not speaking to you,” the man stated without shifting his attention away from Ben. “If we are to have a mutually beneficial relationship, I will require your complete honesty.”

Ben looked around the room that’d served as their prison for the past eight hours and couldn’t help but ask, “Exactly how do we benefit in this situation?”

“I receive what I want from your troublesome sibling, and you all will be allowed to live.”

The calm, matter-of-fact delivery doubled the impact of the man’s words.

Alrigo Lapaglia straightened from the door, hands lowering to his sides. “Who is helping Halliwell?”

“I don’t know—”

In the blink of an eye, the man pulled a gun from the back waistband of his jeans and pointed it at Rachel. Ben shot to his feet as his sister’s scream vibrated through the room.

Cold, soulless eyes bored into Ben’s.

“Figure it out, fast.”

Ben held his hands up, palms out. “I swear, if someone’s helping her, it’s no one we know.” He stepped closer to Rachel. “Please, don’t. We don’t know anyone in the area, not even in the entire country.”

In a breath of silence came the sound of a soft electronic hum. Shit. His phone. He’d hid it in his boot while in the backseat of the car and thought he’d also managed to turn it off. His restless tick must’ve turned it back on and now he had messages. Probably from Halli.

Ben pretended he didn’t hear the phone. “Listen, if we can help, we’ll help. Just tell us what—”

“Shut up.”

The gun swung in his direction as Alrigo stepped forward. Ben did his best to keep a blank expression while resisting the instinct to duck from danger.

“What was that?” Alrigo demanded.

“What?”

Lips thinned and curved in what the guy probably meant as a smile. “Pissing me off is not good for your health.”

Acting stupid wasn’t working, so Ben went for the bluff. “It sounded like your cell phone or something.”

“At this precise moment, I am not carrying a cell phone.”

Heat crept up Ben’s neck and slowly made its way to his face. Alrigo stared so hard Ben thought he’d bore holes through his head.

“Need I remind you, Benjamin, benefits require honesty.” Anger created an ominous undertone in the man’s voice. Very softly, he added, “Rachel, come here.”

Ben glanced at her, saw the terror in her face, and swallowed hard. Alrigo motioned with the gun. How long was it safe to carry the pretense? Was it worth the risk? They needed the phone if they had any hope of getting help.

The moment Rachel stood next to the bed, Alrigo’s free hand shot out and fisted in her hair. Rachel’s scream was cut short when he dragged her to stand in front of him and pressed the barrel of the gun to her neck.

“Okay! All right!” Ben yelled. He bent and dug the phone from his boot to hold it out in surrender.

Alrigo released Rachel’s hair and took the phone without lowering the gun from Rachel’s shoulder. The guy’s skin was pale under the crimson flush of fury.

“Is there anything else?” His breath sounded a little raspy.

Rachel shook her head.

“No,” Ben said.

Alrigo lifted the gun to Rachel’s temple. “Swear to God?”

Tears streamed down her face and Ben felt his own eyes sting. “I swear,” he choked past the lump of fear in his throat.