Chapter 9
Matteo
“Has she reached out?”
Lorenzo is staring at my phone, willing it to go off with a text from Daniella, but it’s been twenty-four hours, and I haven’t heard from her. During that time, my guys have been searching for her, but haven’t had any luck.
I reached out to Dominick to get Lorenzo a temporary phone, and he assured me he’s on it.
I don’t know how long either of us is going to be in here, and I want to make sure I have a way of getting ahold of Lorenzo.
He’s been cornered twice when I wasn’t around him, which tells me these guys have been offered good money to fuck him up.
Whoever this Henry guy is, he isn’t messing around.
He did his homework and is looking to fuck up the Russos.
“No. Have you heard from Hillary?”
I know he hasn’t. If she had come by, I would’ve seen him talking to her.
But the only person who’s visited is Michael, spewing some bullshit about trying to get us out.
I was itching to punch him in the face, but I kept my cool, not wanting him to know that we’re aware he’s working with our enemy.
Meanwhile, Dominick is handling shit behind the scenes to get us a new lawyer since ours has been compromised.
“No, she was freaked out by my arrest. I told her I’d be out soon, so she probably doesn’t know what’s going on.”
I raise a brow, calling bullshit. He’s been in jail for over two days now. If she was worried, she’d have come by and asked to speak with him.
My phone goes off, and when the name Little Russo comes across my screen, Lorenzo looks over my shoulder while I click play to listen to the text.
Little Russo: I’m sorry I haven’t responded. Are you and my brother still in jail?
Her text is simple, straight to the point, and it shouldn’t raise a red flag, yet it does. Her previous texts were filled with thoughts while this one is short.
“Did you just have the text read to you?” Lorenzo laughs. “You’re so fucking lazy, man.”
I chuckle and shrug, but don’t answer his question. Nobody but my brother and Lucian know about my dyslexia. I know Lorenzo wouldn’t make fun of me for it, but it’s always been a secret I’ve harbored. A weakness I’ve never wanted anyone to see. Not even my best friend.
Me: Yeah, we’re still here. Dominick is working on getting us a new lawyer. How are you doing? Any info that can help us find you?
Little Russo: No, sorry.
What the hell? If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was mad at me. Instead of talking, women always do shit like this. But she has no reason to be mad at me. Which leads me to believe something is wrong.
And then I remember the last time we spoke, she made sure her brother wasn’t around before she got real with me.
“Hey, I gotta take a piss. Don’t leave this area.”
On my way to the bathroom, I nod to the guard, silently asking him to watch Lorenzo, and he nods back.
Once I’m alone in the library, I send a text to Daniella.
Me: I’m alone. Nowhere near your brother. Now, answer the question. How are you doing?
Bubbles pop up and then disappear several times before three words appear.
Little Russo: He raped me.
I click play, hoping like hell what I’m seeing is wrong, that the letters are jumbled and I completely misread the message, but when Siri repeats the same words I read, I lose it. I grab the big-ass book closest to me and chuck it across the room, trying to take my anger out on something, anything.
He fucking raped her.
Little Russo.
Sweet fucking Daniella.
I don’t know her well because of her being sent to boarding school and then going to college out of town, but every time I was at their house while she was home or video-chatting with her family, she was always so fucking sweet.
The entire reason her dad kept her away was to ensure she was safe. She’s not even in North Harbor Point for forty-eight fucking hours, and she’s already been kidnapped and raped by a man she thought loved her, but who was only using her to get to her family.
I throw book after book, but when that’s not enough, I slam my fist into the wall.
“Yo,” the guard says. “I can’t have you doing shit like that in here.”
I release a deep breath and leave the library to go to the gym, needing to do something to release this aggression. I know from experience that if I don’t do something to get ahold of my anger, bad shit will happen.
I’m halfway there when I remember I never responded to Daniella.
I consider what to text, but what the fuck do you say to someone who just admitted their husband had raped them?
Sorry?
Fuck that.
I stare at my phone for several seconds before I start typing out a response.
Me: He’s going to wish he was never born. I promise.
I send a text to Dominick, asking for his status on getting us out, and he replies, saying he’s found a new attorney, and if all goes well, we should be out soon.
I consider telling him he needs to make it happen quicker, but I know he’s doing all he can, and if he could make shit move faster, he would.
Since there’s no punching bag in this piece-of-shit place, I go over to the weights and work on some strength training.
Afterward, I go for a long run, and then I grab a shower.
It’s close to dinnertime by the time I find Lorenzo, hanging out in the library, reading a book.
“You good?” he asks, eyeing me curiously. “You told me not to move, and then you disappeared.”
Fuck, I completely forgot about that.
“Yeah. Just want to get the hell out of here.”
I glance at my phone, but there’s still no response from Daniella.
“Let’s go eat some grub.”
It’s late, but I can’t sleep. Being in this confined space has me crawling in my skin, and I need to burn some energy. I don’t know how Dominick spends his days in an office, confined to four walls. I’ve only been here for a few days, and I’m already struggling to function.
I glance at my phone. Still nothing from Daniella. I can’t do anything from in here, and if she had any new info that would help us find her, she would reach out, but that doesn’t stop me from texting her.
Me: You hanging in there?
A few minutes go by before she responds, and when she does, she only sends one word.
Little Russo: Yes.
Me: What are you doing?
It’s late, so she should be sleeping, but if she’s responding, she’s obviously awake.
Little Russo: Taking a bath. You?
Me: Lying in bed. Has that asshole done anything else?
Little Russo: I’m okay.
Fuck, that means he has, but she doesn’t want to tell me about it. I consider demanding she tell me what he’s done, but instead, I find myself texting something else entirely.
Me: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’m not usually one to make casual conversation, but if I can provide some kind of distraction for her, maybe it will help in some way. I hate being fucking helpless.
Little Russo: Home.
Me: We’ll get you home soon.
It takes everything in me not to tear this place apart, but I know it would only make shit worse.
Little Russo: I don’t even know where home is anymore. My parents’ house burned down. I ended my lease at my apartment in Coral Bay. The place Henry bought isn’t home.
Little Russo: The truth is, I don’t think I’ve ever had a real home. Boarding school, college, visiting my parents for the holidays. All I’ve wanted is a home. A place to call my own, where I feel safe and loved.
Her words have me thinking about the house I grew up in. It was the opposite of safe and loving, thanks to Andrey. He filled the house with darkness and dread. Every day, we feared for our lives. Our mom tried to love us, but her husband made it damn near impossible.
My thoughts go to my condo. It’s safe, with security and cameras, and on the top floor, where no one can get to me … but there’s no love there.
My mind drifts to Dominick and Peyton’s new house.
It’s built like a fortress, keeping everyone safe.
I don’t agree with Dominick’s choice to grow his family and put them at risk, knowing the life we live is dangerous, but when you’re there, you can’t help but feel all the love that they’ve created.
Little Russo: I’m starting to think that maybe home doesn’t exist.
I play her text again and again. It might not be her voice reading the words to me, but I can still hear the defeat in them.
Me: It exists. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
Little Russo: I’ll take your word for it. I have to get out now. Good night.