Chapter 23
My fingers fly over the screen in a rapid dance of urgency.
Marco: Need to talk. ASAP. It’s important.
I hit send before the doubt can set in, before I can convince myself that talking to Amelia might be more dangerous than helpful. I want to remain hopeful for Gia’s sake, but at the end of the day, Amelia scares the hell out of me. There is a very good chance that if I go to her, laying it all out, she will still view me as a threat to her brother. Her husband wouldn’t think twice about ending my life if it was what his wife wanted. The only thing driving me forward: she is logical, and I can convince her having two dead upper-level men in Vincent’s organization won’t look good. It will signal to other families that the King family isn’t as rock solid as they were under her father.
Seconds stretch into small eternities. The buzzing of my phone is an electric jolt.
Amelia: Heading out to an appointment with Alexei. Can meet after?
I exhale. The idea that Amelia seems like my best chance to make sure Vincent is willing to listen to my explanation causes my gut to twist into knots. She wouldn’t have come to me this morning if part of her didn’t want me to make it out of this alive, so I keep clinging to that simple fact. As betrayed as Vincent felt when she married Alexei, he adores Amelia. Her advice might be the only thing to help me navigate my way out of this disaster.
My thumbs hover over the phone’s keyboard, a surge of hope threading through my rapid heartbeat.
Me: Thank you. What time can we meet?
Amelia: Should be free by 3:30.
Her message lights up the phone, delivering a lifeline in neatly typed characters.
3:30. The numbers echo in my mind, a countdown ticking away with unrelenting speed. I need time. Time to talk to Amelia. Time to figure out how I’m going to explain all of this to Vincent. It’s clear neither of them trusts Gia. It won’t matter what I say; if I tell them the idea was birthed from her lips as an innocent statement with no real intent, they will never believe it. I have to protect her. My mind is already made up that I will tell them I was the one who made the offhanded statement—I was venting and didn’t know anyone in the room would think I was serious.
Me: I’ll wait for you outside your building.
I send the text to Amelia. I’m about to replace my phone in my pocket when it vibrates again. I look at the screen to see a reply waiting from Amelia.
Amelia: Vincent called. His flight is landing at two today.
The message sends a rush of panic flooding through me. Two o’clock. I can’t see him. Not until I talk to Amelia. It doesn’t bode well for me that he alerted Amelia to his arrival, but I haven’t heard anything from him. Perhaps he wants me to be surprised by his return—to catch me off guard. Amelia sharing this information with me could be a good sign, though. She is obviously concerned for me, and that’s at least something in my favor.
Sweat beads on my forehead as I clutch the phone tighter, my mind racing with the implications of Vincent’s imminent return. A surge of determination ripples through me, steeling my resolve even as uncertainty gnaws at the edges of my courage. I can’t hide from this. Whatever comes next, I have to face it head-on—for Gia’s sake.
Me: I need to see you before I talk to him. Can you meet sooner?
I type out the desperate words and hit send.
As I sit in the driver’s seat of my car, waiting for my cousin’s reply, Gia’s idea of running is a constant in the back of my thoughts. As much as I want to believe it could be an option, nobody gets to walk away, and certainly not if it appears they pose a threat to the family.
“I’m sorry, I can’t.” Amelia’s answer finally comes across my phone.
That’s it, then. I have to do everything I can to avoid Vincent until I have a chance to meet with Amelia. And in the meantime, as much as I worry a plan to run is doomed to fail, it creates a slight sense of calm in me to have a backup.
I drive to my apartment, and once I arrive, I waste no time, moving cautiously inside, the door clicking shut behind me. Bare walls, minimal furniture—a life uncluttered. I take a deep breath, the air stale. Looking around the cramped studio, I can’t help but think how unaware I was and how sad my life was before Gia. This is the place I came to lay my head at night, but that was about it. Most nights, I never left the building that housed the King family, sleeping in the bunk room set aside for security in a room in the basement. My only concern had been to address whatever needs my uncle or cousins might have.
And after all that loyalty and dedication, this is where I find myself. Anger grips me, replacing the fear that had been brewing. With a decisive whirl, I grab a duffel bag from the closet and start packing essentials—clothes, toiletries, what little cash I have on hand, and a passport. Everything we might need to disappear... if it comes to that.
Zipping the bag closed, I’m amazed at how little space and time it took me to pack everything I have. Gia will be my home now, I remind myself as I take one last look around the apartment. Every sound outside my apartment causes me to pause, my hand drifting to my gun. I can’t stay here. It has crossed my mind that Vincent could send someone to bring me to him upon his arrival. I can’t risk that. I have to see Amelia first.
With quick, purposeful steps, I make my way out of the apartment, leaving behind the shadows of my past life and stepping into an uncertain future. I feel like a fool, embarrassed I believed Vincent thought of me as a brother too. The way I see my entire existence has changed so much in recent weeks. Vincent doesn’t trust me. It’s becoming clear he may have never actually trusted me.
I toss my bag into the back seat of my car, unsure what to do next. There is no family for me to say goodbye to. Amelia and Vincent are my only family—at least the only family I have known in a very long time. The world outside blurs past as I move through the city’s familiar streets with no destination in mind.
Eventually, I reach the only place I can think to go. I park down the street, out of sight, near Amelia’s building. I sit and wait, holding tight to the hope that Amelia will be able to set things right. I pull out my phone, the urge to check in on Gia pressing in on my thoughts. I unlock the screen, and as I do, my phone rings. I look at the name on the screen. Nico.