Gunshots woke me. I opened my eyes, despite the sharp pain in my head. I was still on the backseat. But Mom was no longer beside me. Only Kiara was cradling her head, blood covering her face. My own skin was slick with blood as well.
“Damn it!” Mom whispered, hitting the steering wheel.
“It’s too damaged,” Kiara said in a quiet voice.
Mom looked over her back, at me, then at something behind us. Fear filled her face. She turned the keys again and the car let out a stutter. “We have to run to the other car. It’s not too far.”
I straightened and looked through the rear window, and found Dad, Nino, Adamo and Fabiano in a shooting match with Amo, his father and several other Famiglia men.
My heart slammed against my ribcage as I climbed out of the car.
“Greta!” Kiara shouted, but I didn’t listen.
I stepped out behind the car.
Amo spotted me first and froze. He and the other Famiglia men were shielded by two cars, while my family hid behind an overturned van.
All this because of us? Because we shared a bond that could not be?
The expressions on the face on both sides didn’t give me hope. Only death for the other side was the goal. Maybe torture first.
We were in an industrial harbor area, with the black water of the Hudson to our right. In the distance I could see more cars approaching, black limousines. Probably reinforcement.
“Get back in the car,” Dad shouted.
I only looked at Amo.
“Amo!” His father snarled. Amo’s expression was hard.
Nobody shot at me. Mom grabbed my arm and tugged me away behind a container that our car had rammed.
Soon the Famiglia would outnumber us. Good God. What could I do? Amo would protect me but he’d kill my family. Maybe if I begged him he’d spare them? I felt sick and cold sweat broke on my skin. My head pounded with a fierce headache and my pulse raced too fast, making me dizzy.
A Van barreled toward us and stopped with squealing tires. The sliding doors jerked open and Nevio got out, a woman in his hold and a knife at her throat.
“Stop!” Matteo roared. The Famiglia stopped firing and so did my family. Dad’s expression told me he hadn’t known Nevio was here.
“Surprise, motherfuckers,” Nevio shouted with a wide grin, dragging the woman along as he walked toward Dad, Nino, Fabiano and Adamo. After him, Massimo jumped out, and then Alessio, a teenage girl in his hold. I recognized them as Matteo’s wife and daughter from the wedding today.
“If you touched a single hair on their heads, I’m going to make you regret the day you were born,” Matteo growled.
Nevio flashed his teeth at him and provocatively pressed his palm to the woman’s red hair. She tried to escape his grip but he pushed the knife against her throat as a warning once more. “I don’t regret anything yet.”
“Isabella, Gianna, are you okay?” Amo called.
Gianna was in Nevio’s hold and she had a bruise on her cheek.
Matteo stormed forward but Luca caught him by the arm and jerked him back. “The fucker hit you!”
“I’m afraid that’s not true,” Nevio said as he stopped beside Dad, who glanced between Gianna and Nevio with a hint of excitement. Nevio shrugged, grinning at Dad. “Sorry, Dad. I disobeyed, but I simply couldn’t resist ruining a wedding. If I’d known it would come to this…” He chuckled and exchanged a look with Massimo and Alessio, looking like this was the greatest night of his life.
Alessio had his arm wrapped around the girl and his dagger was pointed at her belly. Her glasses were askew and her eyes wide and fearful.
“You’re going too far,” Matteo said quietly.
“Too far?” Dad snarled. “You attack me and my family while we’re guests in your territory. Never talk about honor to me again. I’m the master at playing dirty, Vitiello. You just opened the fucking Pandora’s box.”
Nevio peered down at Gianna and sucked in a deep breath. “I smell war.” He laughed.