Chapter Seven
Lilianna Genovese
I lay beside Callum, stroking his hair as his even breathing lulled me into exhaustion. Despite the pull of sleep, though, I couldn’t bring myself to fully relax until Matteo came back this evening. I knew firsthand how deadly walking into a gunfight could be, and Matteo tended to do it often.
Despite the danger, I had to stay to avenge my brother. It was my top priority.
Would getting involved with Matteo affect that?
Maybe the call he’d gotten tonight had been a sign not to go any further with him. I thought I could handle a physical relationship and that I didn’t have to get attached. Though I didn’t want to admit it, Matteo did something to me.
Getting physical did mean something, and it was the reason I couldn’t get him out of my head. I couldn’t stop considering what could have been. So many things could have been different if I’d made different choices, and I wanted so badly to pinpoint the most important ones.
What if I’d gone to Matteo once I’d discovered I was pregnant? Would my father have demanded I marry him rather than the Russian?
I’d spent the last few days questioning every decision I’d made in the past three years, but it all came back to the safety of Callum.
I peered down at the lashes that fanned across my son’s cheekbones as he slept peacefully. His dark hair fell across the pillow, and the way he effortlessly slept said everything about his upbringing. He’s always been safe and cared for. He’s never had to question himself or worry about anything.
That alone made all my choices worth it. Even so, I couldn’t stop wondering.
A small sound from the other side of the house caught my attention, jerking me from my thoughts. I immediately glanced at my phone and found nothing from Matteo. He hadn’t left that long ago—maybe fifteen minutes? I’d sent Sophie home when I came and joined Callum in our room, and on his way out, Matteo had assured me that nobody was permitted to enter the penthouse.
The only ones who were allowed inside were Sophie and Matteo. Nobody else. No guards. No family. Nobody.
I slipped out of bed, my toes grazing the cool, hardwood floor before I dropped my full weight down. A small creak echoed through the room, and for some reason, I winced. It didn’t matter if I made noise in a home I was safe in, but a creeping feeling itched up my spine as a definitive thud of something heavy falling reverberated through the penthouse.
Maybe Sophie left something behind. It felt far more reasonable than all the disturbing possibilities my mind had conjured.
I had to check. I had to make sure, if only to ease my mind.
I tiptoed through the room. It felt ridiculous to be so worried when Matteo’s defenses on his property were so airtight. He’d shown them to me. Between the million-dollar security system and the guards posted at both entrances, there was no reason to be concerned.
I made my way down the hallway and into the kitchen before veering into the main living area and peeking around a corner.
The front door stood wide open, and my gaze connected with a pair of wide, sightless eyes. I abruptly recognize their owner and clap a hand over my mouth to keep myself from making a sound.
It’s the guard who was meant to be patrolling the front door.
Blood from a gunshot wound between his eyes dripped onto the floor, and I took a step back as silently as possible.
Someone was in the house, and they weren’t supposed to be there.
I took a deep breath as I looked around, ensuring that the intruder hadn’t seen me. I eyed the hallway, realizing that Callum was still safe. The intruder must have gone the other direction first. I didn’t have much time, and I needed a strategy. I needed to find a way to defend myself and my son.
My mind flashed to the gun that Matteo had given me a couple of days ago—the gun that I’d left on the dresser in our room. My phone was still on the bed beside Callum. I didn’t have any more weapons, and Matteo hadn’t shown me where he kept weapons in this house. The intruder had gone toward his room, and I assumed would be able to pick up any weapons which were kept there.
I had to make this work.
I had to protect myself and my son, and I’d been prepared my entire life for this moment. My dad had introduced me to my first weapon, and Silas had taken me to the shooting range every Sunday to practice.
Deep breath in, shoot on the exhale. Know your weapon well.
Silas’s words rang in my mind.
If you’re ever in a situation where you need to fight, don’t hesitate. Your opponent won’t.
Even from the grave, my big brother was the reason I could defend myself. My dad had shown me the basics, and Silas had honed the skills. It was because of my family that I could do this.
I could do this.
I bounced on my toes for a moment before running into the room I was sharing with Callum, thanking every God in every religion that the floors didn’t creak. Not even once.
I had to hide Callum first. I eyed the gun on the dresser, but I couldn’t arm myself until he was safe. I couldn’t waste the precious seconds.
I lifted him into my arms, and Callum mercifully stayed asleep as I moved to the closet and put him on the floor in the back. He rolled over and took a deep breath, but he didn’t wake as I piled shirts in front of him, doing my best to hide his small body behind them.
It would have to work.
I rushed out of the closet and closed the door behind me, and I made it one step.
Only one.
Two large forms filled the doorway. One man had dark skin, covered in an assortment of tattoos across every exposed inch of his face. The man with lighter skin stood a few inches shorter, and he had a wiry frame. I wasn’t significantly smaller than that man, and I knew I’d stand more of a chance in a hand-to-hand situation.
“There she is,” the tattooed man said, tucking away his gun and licking his lips as he intentionally looked me up and down.
“I don’t know you,” I said calmly.
I didn’t allow my eyes to dart to the gun behind him on the dresser. I’d have to pass both men to get to it. But my phone… it was still on the bed between us. I needed to alert Matteo. I needed backup.
I had to make a choice.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you want with me first, and then I’ll let you know,” I said with a false bravado I didn’t feel. My heart raced beneath the words, and my hands trembled.
I was prepared, but I wasn’t ready.
The wiry man chuckled, shaking his head and taking a step forward. “Boss wants you alive, but he doesn’t care about injuries. He encouraged them, actually.”
The words surprised me enough that I took a small step back. It didn’t make sense. He wanted me alive? He’d gone to great lengths to kill my entire family, and I was the last domino that needed to fall for him to get what he wanted. Keeping me alive felt like an unnecessary risk. I knew I was missing a piece of this puzzle, but I didn’t want to keep them talking. Nobody knew Callum existed, and I had to keep it that way.
I recalled the man preparing to kill me at the wedding. Maybe he hadn’t known it was me . I’d changed over the past three years. I’d ditched the glasses, cut my hair, and started wearing makeup. Maybe I’d just offended him enough that he didn’t care.
It didn’t matter now. He was dead, and I wasn’t.
“He wanted my entire family dead, but not me?” I asked, unable to stop the question from leaving my lips.
“You backed out of the alliance,” the wiry man said. “Because of that, the boss’s son got into a quarrel with you Italians and lost his life. It’s because of you that he’s dead.”
He was dead? I assumed he was working with his father in this quest to kill my family. Part of me had expected to see him again.
But that wasn’t the only thing that shocked me about his words.
Because of me?
Me?
Everything bad that had happened seemed to be because of me.
I couldn’t dwell on that right now. None of it would matter if they got me out of here and killed me.
I didn’t take even a moment to hesitate. I moved. I dove over the bed and gripped my phone, lunging directly at the smaller of the men. I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance against the other, but the wiry man—the one closest to the door—that one I thought I could take down. If I could get past him and get the gun…
He was faster than I had anticipated. I led with a punch and a roundhouse kick that knocked him off balance, but by the time I went to swing again, he had an arm raised to block my attack. The larger man moved in, blocking the weapon from my reach.
The wiry man hadn’t fully regained his composure, and I knew I had less than a second to act.
Nobody noticed the gun.
Nobody looked toward the closet.
If I continued this fight here, I’d risk them noticing one thing or the other, so I did the only thing I could.
I left my entire plan in the room behind me with my gun, and I bolted down the hallway as quickly as possible. I expected them to run after me, but the tattooed man laughed at his friend who groaned, uttering swear words and promises of retribution under his breath.
They were in no hurry. They knew I was cornered, and they knew Matteo wouldn’t be here.
I rushed through the kitchen and glanced around. A knife block sat on the corner of the counter, and I knocked it over in my rush to grab a weapon. I couldn’t take them both without a weapon and walk away. Maybe one. Maybe. I should have kept up on my kickboxing lessons over the past three years. I used to be more fit than I was now.
I glanced at the front door, but that wasn’t an option. I couldn’t leave the house. I couldn’t leave Callum alone.
I looked around, and my eyes caught on the hidden pantry. It looked like nothing more than a series of small cabinets to the naked eye, but Matteo had shown me the inside. It was a massive pantry with plenty of room to hide.
I stormed toward it and pulled open the doors, pulling them closed behind me immediately. I prayed they didn’t know the layout of the apartment. I needed time to think. Time to prepare. I gripped my phone in one hand and the knife in the other. I turned off the volume as I opened Matteo’s contact and typed out a fast message.
Two men. Armed. Help.
I slid my phone into my back pocket and listened keenly to the men walking out of the bedroom and in my direction. My fist tightened on the knife as I prepared to use it.
This spot would have to work until Matteo came home. As long as Callum stayed asleep and they didn’t return to that room, it would be okay.
It had to be okay.
“You can run and hide, little one. It only makes the chase more entertaining.”
I didn’t dare to move a muscle. I closed my eyes and listened as they sifted through the kitchen and main room.
“We know you’re here somewhere.”
The footfalls of one of the men reverberated directly outside the pantry door, and I held my breath. “You have no idea how much we enjoy the chase.”
He stopped moving, and I could feel his presence right outside the door.
Did he notice that the cabinets were more than they looked? Would he find me? My heart was going to explode through my chest, but I could do this. I could fight.
He began moving again, and it eased a bit of my fear as he turned away. My heart pounded through my ears, and all sense of time faded as I trembled.
The adrenaline wasn’t coming down. Not even close.
They searched for a few more minutes, and the laughter quickly faded as they realized that finding me wouldn’t be as easily as they’d hoped.
“She’s in here somewhere,” the tattooed guy said, getting frustrated.
“Did she go out the fucking door?”
“There’s no blood tracked anywhere, and she couldn’t have gotten past us without stepping in it. Plus, we locked up the stairwell and would have heard the elevator ding.”
Their search grew angrier as they muttered things to one another just outside my hearing. They began rifling through the cabinets on the other side of the pantry door, and I held my breath, knowing that they would find the hidden latch within a matter of seconds. I had a choice to make. If they opened the door, they’d be prepared for my attack, but if I opened it…
Rather than waiting, I took a deep breath and flung open the pantry door. They both looked shocked as I sprung forward, but I plunged the knife into the largest man without a second thought. I aimed for the throat, but my shaking limbs slowed me enough that he shifted and took the wound to the shoulder. He shouted in agony, and I winced as the reverberations of knife on bone ran down my hand.
He jerked back, and I had to leave the blade embedded in him.
The smaller one slammed out a fist and caught me in the cheek, rocking me back into the pantry shelving. He came at me, and this time, I was prepared enough to block. One blow, then another. Another. My forearms ached from the deflection. I ducked past one blow and managed to shove my fist into his jaw with all the force I could muster.
The largest man came and wrapped both arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides and lifting me from the floor.
I had no traction to fight him as I twisted and jerked in his grip.
“Little bitch!” the smaller of the men shouted as the larger one carried me from the pantry and into the living room.
No amount of thrashing could dislodge me from his grasp.
“She’ll get what’s coming to her.”
The words in my ear made my body shake in pure terror.
“Not here. We’re running out of time.”
I could scream, and maybe someone on a lower level of the house would hear me, but I knew it would wake Callum, and I couldn’t do that. I had to get myself out of this, but I didn’t know how. I could defend myself, but I wasn’t equipped to take on both men at once. Not even close.
I had to escape. Either that or die.
They moved toward the door, not hesitating to step over the man they’d killed. I didn’t doubt they’d taken out the other guards, as well. Not when they’d been so nonchalant about their efforts to find me.
As they moved through the doorway, I lifted my legs and pushed us back as hard as I could. The man holding me toppled backward, and my thrashing sent him to the floor. I turned immediately, digging my fingers into the wound I’d given him as I stood and tried to run.
He caught my ankle, and I careened forward, feeling someone crawling atop me. Something wrapped around my throat quick enough that I couldn’t stop it from happening. My breath cut off, and I opened my mouth, trying and failing to capture a wisp of air.
“I should just fucking kill you,” the man above me hissed. I could imagine the sneer on his tattooed face as he tightened his grip and put all his weight on my hips, stretching my back in a way that cracked it in a handful of places.
He was going to kill me. He didn’t care what his boss wanted. He was enraged, and he would do it. I knew he would.
“If you kill her, you’ll die,” the shorter man reasoned.
“She deserves it.”
He meant it.
I tried thrashing, but I had no hope of overpowering a man of his size without a weapon.
As my vision began fading, a bang erupted from right behind us, a crash following it. The man above me was jerked away, and I rolled onto the floor, forehead slamming onto it as I tried to regain control of my limbs.
I finally turned myself over and stared at the enraged form of the most terrifying Don I’d ever seen.
Despite that, all my fear left my body as I watched Matteo crouch over the man who had nearly killed me and start throwing punches.