Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
NORA
My bare feet slap against the cold concrete as I run. Each step sends pain shooting up my legs, but I don't slow down. I can't. The guard's shouts fade behind me as I weave through morning commuters, ignoring their startled looks at my disheveled appearance.
The cold fury in his voice leaves no doubt he meant every word.
I duck into an alley, pressing my back against the brick wall, trying to catch my breath. My chest heaves as panic claws at my throat.
I need to call Uncle Finn. He's the only one who can help me now.
After walking several blocks, my feet numb from cold and pain, I spot a gas station with a convenience store. I push through the door, the bell jingling cheerfully, completely at odds with the disaster my life has become.
A young woman with purple-tipped hair looks up from behind the counter. Her eyes widen as she takes in my appearance.
"Are you okay?" she asks, concern etching her features.
"I—" My voice cracks. "I need to make a phone call. It's an emergency. I don't have any money with me."
She hesitates, and I can't blame her. I look like a complete mess.
"My boyfriend..." I swallow hard. "I ran out when he got violent. I just need to call someone who can help me."
It's not entirely a lie. Pietro would kill me if he found me now.
Her expression softens immediately. "Of course. Here, use my cell."
She pulls a phone from her pocket and hands it to me. Her kindness nearly breaks me.
I dial Finn's number with trembling fingers, praying he'll answer. On the third ring, he picks up.
"Hello?"
At the sound of his voice, something inside me shatters. Tears spill down my cheeks as my body begins to shake.
"Uncle Finn," I choke out, my voice barely a whisper.
"Nora? What's wrong? What happened?"
"He knows." The words tumble out between sobs. "Pietro knows who I am. Nico told him everything. He—he said he's going to kill me and everyone in Boston."
"Jesus Christ." Finn's voice turns sharp. "Where are you right now?"
I look around, spotting the address on a flyer by the register. I tell him the location of the gas station.
"Stay there. Don't move. I'll have someone pick you up in twenty minutes. Do you understand me?"
"Yes."
"Stay inside where people can see you. Don't go anywhere alone."
"Okay."
"I'll fix this, little fox. I promise."
I hang up and hand the phone back to the woman, wiping tears from my face.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"Do you need anything else?" she asks. "Water? Food? I have a spare pair of flip-flops in my car if you want them."
Her kindness can break me right now. This stranger is offering more help than my own father did when I called him terrified for my life. Connor O'Sullivan, who raised me to believe family was everything, abandoned me the moment I needed him most.
"No, thank you. You've done more than enough." I manage a weak smile. "Someone's coming to get me."
She nods, but I can see the worry in her eyes. "I'll be right here if you need anything. Anything at all."
I sink into a plastic chair by the window, watching the street for whoever Finn is sending, wondering how my life has fallen apart so completely—again.
PIETRO
I pace the lobby like a caged animal. I ordered the front desk to lock down the building, but she'd already slipped out.
"Which way did she go?" I demand, looming over the receptionist.
The woman shrinks back. "North on State Street, sir. Moretti went after her."
I check my watch. Ten minutes have passed. She can't have gotten far, not barefoot in my clothes. Every second feels like an eternity as I wait for Moretti to drag her back.
My phone rings. I snatch it up.
"Tell me you have her," I growl.
"Mr. Sartori, I'm sorry." Moretti's voice comes through, breathless. "I lost her in the morning crowd. She ducked into an alley off Michigan and—"
"You fucking lost her?" My voice drops to a deadly whisper. The receptionist flinches. "A barefoot woman, and you lost her?"
"Sir, I—"
"Where are you now?"
"Corner of Michigan and Randolph."
I end the call and immediately dial Liam.
"I need cars. Now. Every available man. Nora's running." My knuckles turn white around the phone. "She's barefoot, wearing my clothes. Last seen near Michigan and Randolph."
"On it," Liam responds without hesitation.
I stride toward the exit, fury propelling me forward.
Outside, I scan the streets, looking for any sign of her. The morning crowd swallows everything, businesspeople rushing to work, tourists already wandering the Magnificent Mile.
My driver pulls up, and I slide into the back seat.
"Michigan and Randolph," I order. "Drive slow. I'm looking for someone."
As we crawl through traffic, I call Nico.
"I need everything on Connor O'Sullivan's operation. Locations, properties, safe houses. Anything in Chicago."
"Already on it," Nico replies. "You think she's running back to daddy?"
"I don't know." I clench my jaw. "But if she makes it to him before I find her… I'll burn his entire compound to the ground if I have to," I mutter, more to myself than to Nico. "If she makes it back to Boston, I'll walk into his territory myself."
"Pietro—"
"Find me something I can use, Nico. Now."
I hang up and stare out the window, scanning every face we pass. The thought of her running from me, terrified, sends a confusing mix of satisfaction and pain through my chest.
She should be afraid. When I find her, she'll wish she'd never heard the name Sartori.
But first, I have to find her.
NORA
I can't stand by the window anymore. My hands won't stop shaking as I pace behind the snack aisle, trying to make myself invisible while still keeping an eye on the door.
"He's looking for you, isn't he?" The clerk with purple-tipped hair asks, her voice low.
I nod, throat too tight to speak. Pietro's men are probably combing the entire city by now. I can picture him mobilizing everyone.
"Here." She tosses me a baseball cap from behind the counter. "Put your hair up in this."
I twist my auburn waves into a messy bun and tuck it under the cap, pulling the brim low over my eyes. It's not much of a disguise, but it's something.
"Thank you," I whisper, moving away from the windows to crouch behind the refrigerated section. "I'm sorry to bring trouble to your store."
She shrugs. "Wouldn't be the first time. My ex was bad news too."
I don't correct her assumption. Let her think this is about a boyfriend, not the head of a crime family who just discovered I'm his enemy's daughter. Not a man who promised to kill me and everyone I know.
The minutes crawl by like hours. I check the time on the wall clock—only seventeen minutes since I called Finn.
The bell above the door jingles, and I hold my breath. Heavy footsteps approach the counter.
"Excuse me," a deep voice says. "I'm looking for a young woman who made a call from here earlier."
The man at the counter is broad-shouldered with close-cropped dark hair. He's wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans.
"Are you Finn's friend?" I ask, my voice barely audible.
He turns, revealing a face I don't recognize but eyes that look relieved to see me. "Yes. We need to go. Now."
I nod to the clerk. "Thank you for everything."
"Good luck, honey," she says, and I wonder if she knows how much I'll need it.
The man ushers me outside with a hand hovering near my elbow, not quite touching me. "Car's right here. Stay low."
I slide into the back seat of the sedan, and he quickly moves to the driver's side. As we pull away from the curb, I finally let out a small sound—half sob, half sigh of relief.
"I'm Sean," he says, eyes constantly checking the mirrors. "Finn sent me. We're going somewhere safe, but we need to make sure we're not followed."
I nod, unable to form words as the adrenaline crash hits me. My body feels like it's made of lead, sinking into the seat as the reality of what just happened washes over me.
I wrap my arms around myself, still wearing his clothes, still smelling like him.
"Are you hurt?" Sean asks, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
"No," I whisper. Not physically, anyway.