“Luca!” Dante booms far behind us.
And instead of fear, I feelrelieved.
Something in the tone of his voice doesn’t match the situation. He doesn’t sound as if he’s calling him over. He sounds as if he wants to tear him apart.
I stop in my tracks, watching the pieces fall into place before my eyes. “Dante didn’t tell you to bring me here,” I mumble to myself, “This place, my finger... it wasn’t Dante’s orders! He doesn’t know.”
Luca shoves at me, so I’ll move, but my legs are glued to the spot. “No, he doesn’t. Not yet, but he’ll find out soon enough. Get moving. It’s almost over.”
I spin to look at him, ignoring the gun pointed at my head. “You work for Frank!” I yell, and Luca covers my mouth.
“Luca!” Dante booms again, closer this time.
“Yes, I work for Frank, you dumb bitch. Nowmove!”
I shove his hand away from my mouth. “That’s why you watched over me,” I mutter. Swelling at the thought that Frank had gone to extreme lengths to keep me safe while I fulfilled the plan. “You were supposed to keep me safe.”
“Blah, blah, blah,” Luca snaps. “I was supposed to make you more believable and help if you started screwing up. And fuck if I didn’t. You got any idea how hard I worked to keep this plan from falling apart?” he scoffs, running his hand through his short hair. “Aaron was first, then the brawl at Delta, then I killed that moron who hit you... all so Dante would trust me with you, so I could be at his house tonight to take you away instead of putting the fire out in Delta.”
“Aaron was your idea?!”
Luca grits his teeth and grabs me in the middle, throwing me over his shoulder. “Dante’s got a savior complex.” He ignores my fists, ramming his back. “Aaron was a trigger. Dante respected your wish. He left you alone, but that wasn’t part of the plan.Obviously. We had to improvise.” He stands me up, turning me toward the metal emergency door. “Open it.”
“Luca!” Dante booms again, closing in on us.
“Open it!” He taps the gun against my temple. “He can’t catch us inside.”
I pull on the handle. It’s still dark outside. The area doesn’t look familiar but brings to mind a closed factory. Old machinery with flat tires stands scattered around next to a few rusty containers.
“Why not tell me you work for Frank? Why maim me? Why bring me here?” I’m stalling, asking every question that springs to mind to keep Luca occupied, to make him slip, so that I can run or Dante can catch up to us. “Why did you kidnap me from Dante’s house?”
“Stop talking!” he snaps. “Where the fuck does Dante get his patience from? Everything we did was to lure him here.” A sinister laugh escapes his lips. “Straight into the trap.”
We walk toward a white van parked by one of the containers. Luca’s pace slows, and I swear in my head. This is where he wanted Dante all along; out in the open, where he’s ready for him. I look around, searching for silhouettes hiding in the shadows, but see no one. The emergency exit door flies open, hitting the wall with a bang. We turn around, face to face with Dante. His eyes are on me, scrutinizing my body, searching for cuts or bruises, his gun aimed at Luca, who hides behind me, his gun to my head.
“Let. Her.Go.” Dante’s voice is stoic, cold, and terrifying.
“He’ll kill you,” I whisper to Luca.
“Frankie won’t let him.”
Nate runs outside through the open door, followed by Jackson, Spades, and the rest of Dante’s men. Everyone aims at Luca, who tenses behind me. Neither my father nor his pawns are within eyesight. Maybe they’re all dead by now.
Dante waits a few seconds for Luca to obey the order, but when that doesn’t happen, he looks at me, and his eyes dart to the ground. I catch it just in time. Trusting my instincts, I bend my knees, sliding down Luca’s body while Dante pulls the trigger. The bullet wooshes above my head, hitting its target. Luca’s lifeless body hits the ground with a thud.
Dante takes one step toward me, worry etched in his expression, but he stops at the sound of quiet, rhythmic clapping. Frank emerges from the side of the building along with Adam, Burly, and a whole army of men. Each one aims at a different member of Dante’s crew. Frank takes his time, approaching with a revolver pointed at the back of Dante’s head, a triumphant smile on his lips.
I stare into the green eyes of the man I love but have to learn to let go of within the next few minutes, or my heart will give out. Somewhere along the way, I forgot there would be no happily-ever-after. I fell in love, ignoring the consequences.
A single tear slips down my cheek.
Frank stops a few steps behind Dante, taking a second gun out of his pocket. “I’ve been waiting too long for this moment, my friend.” He’s not shouting, but the power of his voice makes him heard by everyone. He moves his eyes to me as he breathes a theatrical sigh of relief. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl.”
He throws the spare gun my way, and I catch it with trembling hands.
Dante’s face turns white.
His eyes stop shining.