Chapter 30
Ilook around the room, trying to process the scene set out before me, my mind sorting through numerous questions. My initial instinct is to demand answers as to why in the hell Dante is here when I left clear instructions that nobody else was to know about this place. But then Gia came crashing into me, her arms tight around my waist. As I stand here, her body trembling against mine, every question seems to evaporate. She’s safe. They’re all safe.
“Marco, thank God.” Nico sighs in relief. “Hey, look, I am so sorry. I know you said not to let anyone else in, but I—”
“Stop.” My voice cuts off his apology. “None of that matters right now. I came here because we’re under attack.”
Blank stares all around. Gia’s grip on me tightens. Dante doesn’t move, he just watches.
“Under attack?” Nico’s brow furrows. “Who is? What are you talking about?”
“Amelia called me before we had a chance to meet.” My words come out clipped, like gunfire. “Vincent’s been shot. It happened outside his place when he got back. The King family is under attack. I came straight here to make sure Gia was okay, but now we all have to get to work. We need to reach out to the captains and check in to make sure they aren’t under similar threat as well.”
Shock ripples through the room. A cold fist clenches my gut as I think about my cousin currently fighting for his life at the hospital. Was he still alive? Had he already succumbed to his wounds? I push the dark thought from my mind. There’s no denying that Vincent is a flawed man and has hurt me and the people I care about, but he’s family.
“Marco—” Gia’s voice is barely a whisper against my chest.
“I know. I couldn’t believe it when Amelia told me.” I scan their faces. “I don’t know how I let myself get so distracted by all of this nonsense. I can’t help but feel like this is on me somehow. But don’t worry, we should know very quickly who is behind this.”
“What do you mean?” Gia asks, looking up at me with apprehension in her eyes.
“Amelia has already sent some men over to review the security footage from the exterior cameras. The second they identify the fucking cowards who did this, it’s war,” I reply, my muscles flexing under the promise of revenge.
Nico’s head turns in slow motion to Dante. “You know what will happen when they look at that footage, don’t you?”
“What’s going on?” I snap, my eyes jerking back and forth between the two men. Gia’s grasp on my body tightens.
“Marco, you need to stay calm,” she warns me.
Dante stumbles back, falling into a seated position on the couch. His head comes to rest in his hands. His voice is hushed but clear. “Oh fuck. Fuck,” he whines. “I didn’t mean for it to go down like that.”
Gia’s fingers dig into my side in a feeble attempt to anchor me where I stand.
As the realization of what his words mean settles over me, my stomach curdles in disgust. “What did you do?” I demand.
“Marco, please.” Gia’s plea wraps around me, a desperate whisper that grips my conscience. “You have to help us. We have to protect him. You can’t let them kill him,” Gia begs.
Heat courses through my veins, rage a living thing trying to rip its way out of my body. My hand moves of its own accord, gun heavy and cold in my grip as I pull it from my waistband. Gia stumbles to the side, and I lunge toward Dante. I raise my gun and press it to his temple. He doesn’t fight me. He closes his eyes, resignation etched on his features, a silent nod to the fate in front of him.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” The words are venom on my tongue as I press the barrel harder into his temple. “You shot my cousin, you piece of shit. I’m going to kill you myself.”
His acceptance fuels my fury, but before I can squeeze the trigger, Gia runs over to Dante’s other side, wrapping her body around him like a shield.
“No! Marco, you have to listen! Please. You can’t do this. Dante... he only went to Vincent so he could talk to him.” Her eyes are wild and desperate.
“He fucking shot my cousin, Gia!” I shout, disbelief bearing down on me at the idea she could defend Dante for what he did. “I know you hate him, but he is like my brother.”
“A brother who was going to kill you,” Gia snaps. “An hour ago, we were trying to figure out how we were going to get away from him with our lives, and now you’re standing there acting like you have to avenge him. That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“You don’t know that. I could have talked to him. I could have explained things, but now it’s too late for all that.” The more words I say, the more panic grips me. I have to do this.
“You don’t get to rewrite this story, Marco.” Gia’s voice is even louder now, the stress causing it to crack. “You have to listen to me. Vincent had someone watching one of us. He knew the four of us spent the night together at my place.”
My eyes move from Dante, still sitting quietly, to Gia. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Dante tried to explain it was all a misunderstanding. Vincent told him he was lying, and he knew we’d all met up at my place to plot against him. He told him he was coming for us.” My stomach sinks as I listen to Gia’s explanation.
“No, that’s impossible,” I snap, but she’s relentless. “Why would Vincent have been following either of us?”
“Because your cousin doesn’t trust anyone. Not even you.” Her voice is hard, but her words have a truth despite my resistance to accepting them. “Dante shot Vincent to save all of us. To save me! Now you want to kill him for that?”
I look down at Dante. “Is this true?” I ask, nudging his head with the barrel of my gun. He nods in response.
“See. We don’t have a choice anymore. We have to run,” Gia urges. “All of us. If we stay, we’re dead.”
The gun in my hand trembles. “Fuuuuuuck!” The word erupts from my lips in a violent release of rage. My arm falls to my side, the gun no longer an extension of my will.
I turn and begin to pace as I process the new circumstances. Gia’s wide eyes lock onto mine, imploring as she moves away from Dante and inches closer to me.
My chest tightens. A deep, guttural breath forces its way in, dragging clarity along with it.
“Dammit,” I mutter, the words barely audible.
Gia is right. Running is the only option. If we stay, death is inevitable. On top of it all, time is against us. They may have already figured out it’s Dante on that footage, and if that’s the case, it won’t be long until they come for him.
“Okay.” I nod once sharply.
“Okay?” Gia repeats.
“We run,” I agree.
“All of us?” she confirms.
“Yes,” I confirm, doing my best to bury my anger with Dante, at least for the moment. “All of us.”
My gaze flicks to Nico. “Gia and I already have everything we need with us. How fast can you get your shit together?”
“Fuck, uh...” Nico glances over at Dante as he thinks about the question. “I don’t know. I just need to run to my place and grab my passport and some clothes. I can be in and out in ten minutes.”
I nod, trying to think of where we will go. Once Amelia figures out that all of us are gone, she’ll send someone after us. She’s sure to anticipate anywhere I would consider. “Okay, we don’t have much time. You have to be careful. There’s a chance they could already be looking for you.”
“Dante,” Nico says, looking over at the quiet statue of a man still perched on the couch. “You should come with me. We’ll swing by my place first and then yours, okay?”
He stands and nods, still not speaking.
“Okay,” I exhale, relieved we at least have an idea of what comes next. “Two hours. No more.”
Nico nods. “Got it.”
“Let’s go, man.” Nico’s voice cuts through the tension.
“My mom... I need to say goodbye to my mom. Can I—” Dante stammers.
“No,” I snap. “Absolutely not. You said goodbye to her the moment you pulled that trigger.”
A shadow of defeat darkens his features. But he swallows it down.
“Come on,” Nico urges, standing near the door.
Dante moves, head bowed, a shell of the boisterous man we all knew.
“Two hours,” I say again as they move into the hallway. “If you’re not back, we’re leaving without you.”
Nico nods before pulling the door behind him, leaving Gia and me alone.
“We wouldn’t really leave them, would we?” Gia asks.
My arms encircle her, pulling her close. Her body warmth seeps into mine.
“The only thing I care about,” I say, my lips near her ear, “is keeping you safe. And when it comes to that, I will do whatever it takes.”
She doesn’t respond, and I wonder if she understands that I’d face down hell itself for her.