“You know where she is?” he asks.
“I’ve a good idea.” I check my gun, shoving it back in the holster as I head for the door. I kick it open and run for my car.
Keeping her in the Moretti basement would be typical for him. That way he gets to bask in the irony of the situation. She’s back home, in the ruins of the mansion he burned down.
I race out there, weaving through traffic, thinking of all the ways I’m going to punish him when this is over. That’s for later though. For now, I need to focus on getting to her.
The grounds look different in the daytime. The last time I was here, I was landing in a helicopter, not driving in. The gate’s not guarded. No need when there’s nothing to guard. I drive through and come to a stop near the ruins. I grab a flashlight from my trunk, check my gun again, and then start looking.
It doesn’t take long to find the trapdoor to the basement. There are footsteps in the ashes leading to it and then away from it. One set of footsteps goes to the trapdoor and does not come back. That must be her. There can’t be any other explanation.
On top of the trapdoor, he’s piled a load of wood. It doesn’t take me long to shove it to one side and then I can pull open the trapdoor.
There’s enough light shining down for me to walk down the stone steps into a huge basement. It stinks of acrid burning like a kettle boiled dry for hours. The stench coats my throat as I move the flashlight from left to right. “Rory,” I call out but there’s no answer.
Am I too late? Is she dead? Or has he collected her and taken her somewhere else?
The flashlight hits a dark spot on the wall. I stride over. It’s a hole. I look down. It’s not just a hole. Footsteps in the ash. She’s pulled out enough bricks to reveal a tunnel. I shine the light inside.
It runs into the distance. I have to yank several more bricks free so I can fit through the gap.
Once I’m in, I get to my feet. The tunnel’s so low I have to half squat as I try to run through it. I call out her name but all I get is my own voice echoing back to me.
The tunnel runs for about a quarter of a mile, coming out in a section of riverbank choked with weeds and undergrowth. I spot a scrap of clothing snagged on a thorn. It has to be hers.
She made it out. I can’t believe it. She didn’t even need me. She got herself free. The only question is, where the hell is she now?
Thirty-Five
Aurora
* * *
The first thing I do when I get out of the tunnel is breathe in the fresh air. After the stench of burning, it feels good to be out in the open. Feels even better to know I managed to escape without help. Maybe I’m not that useless. Maybe I can function on my own.
I have to push my way through a hell of a lot of undergrowth once I’m out, ripping my top on wickedly long thorns, cutting my arms the faster I go. I force myself to slow down, taking long gulping breaths of the sweet air.
I’m not sure if Giovanni’s got people watching the place so I keep to cover as I work my way toward the river. When I get to the bank, I look around me, taking my time.
I want to run but I need to be sure I won’t be caught again. I’m not taking any risks, not when I’m so close to freedom.
I refuse to let myself hope too much. If I start thinking about seeing Nico, I’ll be devastated if it doesn’t happen.
When I’m sure there’s no one watching, I step out into the open, making my way down to the road at the bottom of the estate. No cars to be seen. I stick to the verge, marching as fast as I can manage back toward the city.
It takes me an hour to get to Nico’s place on Maple, the one where we first went. I’m not dumb enough to go back to his family mansion. I’m not risking going back there. I walk up to the front door and knock, praying he’s inside.
The door opens a moment later. It’s not Nico but his consigliere who opens it. He’s got a phone pressed to his ear as he looks out, his eyebrows raising at the sight of me.
Behind him I see a woman I don’t recognize. Next to her is a woman I know very well. It’s Cara. She shoves past Matteo, wrapping her arms around me. “Rory,” she says, squeezing me so tightly I think my lungs might burst. “You’re alive.”
“What’s happening?” I ask her. “What are you doing here?”
“Nico brought me here in case Giovanni tried to get to me. “What happened to you?”
“He told me he’d kill you unless I went to see him. Said he knew exactly where you were.”
“He was bluffing. I’ve been here with Matteo since this morning. Came to get me when you went missing.”