34. Anna
Anna
The burner cell Vincenzo gave me rings after Vincenzo disconnects with Nicolo and makes another call.
The moment I hear my sister’s voice I know something terrible has happened.
“I don’t have long, but listen. Massimo is talking to Vincenzo right now.
I’m not sure what happened but Massimo is taking me underground.
Wherever he’s taking me, we won’t have reception.
I don’t want you to worry. You need to go underground too.
Bastion will try to get anyone he can to exchange for you. ”
My chest tightens with worry for my sister as I cuss myself beneath my breath for not going underground myself when everyone advised me to do that very thing.
All of this angst I’ve brought to both the Roselli and DeLuca families could have been avoided. Sophia clears her throat. “Promise me, listen to Vincenzo. Stay safe. I love you.”
My heart aches with sadness. My sister has to leave the home she and Massimo love because of me. “Don’t worry about us. Vincenzo will take care of me. Stay safe Sophia. I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t do as Massimo asked so long ago. Please forgive me.”
My sister is gracious. “There’s nothing to forgive, love. Stay safe and we’ll all be together again soon. I have to go.”
Tears fall from my cheeks, but I’m done running now.
The Gallini family has caused enough trouble to my family, they’ve hurt all of us in some way or fashion and I hope like hell it ends today.
There’s nothing I would like better than to see his evil face with a bullet hole right between the eyes, and even better if I could put it there myself.
I head to the closet and take out Vincenzo’s spares, ready the weapons and put one of them in my front waistband and the other at my back. “I need a knife.”
Vincenzo sucks in a breath. “Princessa, the men will take care of this.”
I turn to him. “And if something happens, I’m going to be prepared to defend myself and us. That’s not a negotiable. I need a knife.”
Vincenzo’s eyes meet mine. “Of course.” He walks to the closet and moves some of the clothes hanging on his side and opens a door to a space filled with weapons of all types and more ammunition than I would ever need. “You won’t need them, Anna. We’re going to the safe room until this is over.”
I shake my head. “No, he’s after me. I should have left when I had the chance a long time ago, and I didn’t.
Then I tried and you brought me back. That’s why your family is in jeopardy.
I knew it a long time ago. You should have just let me go,” I tell him, swiping at a tear that I refuse to let fall down my face.
He grasps my shoulders. “Look at me.”
I keep my eyes averted trying my hardest not to let those tears fall but he tips my chin, forcing me to look at him. “If something happened to you, I would slowly die. Do you not understand how much I love you?”
My voice cracks. “Of course I do, because I feel that, Vincenzo. With all of my heart, I feel that but it’s not enough.
Gallini believes I belong to him and he’s going to hurt everyone we love until he gets what he wants.
I can’t be responsible for the life of my sister, your mother, your sister and Addie. Oh my god. What about Addie?”
I wince at the pain in my stomach.
Vincenzo takes hold of my shoulders. “This is not your fault. You are not the reason my family is in danger. The Gallinis and the Sarones are the reason we are all in danger and I won’t have you shouldering something that’s not your fault.
Understand me? Saint will be here soon. Addie has already been sent underground.
She is safe, you can be assured of that.
We always knew this was coming. Believe it or not, we’re miles ahead of these bastards. Now breathe and trust me, Anna.”
His words help calm the storm of emotion swirling like a vortex in my mind, but I’m not going to relax until I know all of our loved ones are safe. “How long before Lanah and your ma get here? Maybe we should go and get them?”
Vincenzo shakes his head. “They’re safe where they are until Saint gets here. Grab anything you need for a day or so and let’s go.”
He runs his finger along the back, looking for what I cannot tell but when he finds it, the entire wall shifts to the right, taking the rod of clothing with it as I push a few outfits and some personals into a bag on the floor.
A large safe with a digital panel sits in front of us. He places a hand on it and presses the keypad a few times before the display turns green. He turns the handle of the big steel safe and when it opens, I learn it’s far more than that. “This is unbelievable.”
He takes my hand and helps me step into the small doorway.
It’s barely tall enough for me to stand up straight in with Keds on, Vincenzo’s going to have to duck all the way down this hall for sure.
He grasps a flashlight from the side of the wall and hits a button and then turns to close the door behind us. “We’re sealed in. Let’s move.”
Vincenzo keeps a hand at my waist, guiding me with a hand from behind while keeping the flashlight shining out in front of us as we make our way through the tunnel. “You’re going to take a right when you come to the fork in the road.”
I don’t ask where the other path leads. I have no clue if our family ever had something as high tech as this but if Pa had it we certainly never used it, that’s for sure. We come to a door and Vincenzo’s body presses against me from behind as he puts his thumb on the digital pad.
The door opens and Lanah launches herself at us, trying to hug us and pull us into the safe room at the very same time.
“Let’s get in and settled, sweetie,” Vincenzo tells his little sister, who inhales a deep breath and keeps the tears in her eyes from spilling over.
“Nicolo called and told us to get to the safe room. Told us to meet you here, and that Saint will be here soon.”
Vincenzo closes the door behind him and pushes some more electronic buttons, waiting until the display turns to locked. “Ma’s here?”
She’s in one of the bedrooms resting. She’s worried about everyone right now and you know how she gets.”
Guilt that Vincenzo’s mom is worried so shortly after a heart attack floods me, rolling around in my belly churning all the same emotions as before.
This is my fault. No matter what Vincenzo says, none of this family would be dealing with this if it weren’t for me.
“I’m going to show Anna to our bedroom. I’ll be back. ”
The contract dad signed gave me to Gallini, gave me to him fair and square.
No matter that no one knew I couldn’t bear children and that he got tired of trying, even beat the hell out of me for it and left me to die.
Bastian must know I’m unable to conceive.
Surely Barcelo’s dad was kept in the loop, and told Bastian, which just confirms what I’ve always thought.
Bastian doesn’t want me for any other reason than to torture and torment.
A firm arm wraps around my shoulder. “Breathe, princessa. Tell me you still trust me.”
It’s hard to choke out over the emotion. “I trust you. I’m just so sorry about this whole mess. It really is my fault.”
“The Gallinis created this mess in their need for power. Many of our kind marry for territory or power and do just fine. They don’t all beat their future wives to within an inch of their lives and kill any chance they have of bearing children.
The man is a fucking monster, and I won’t continue having you even consider giving yourself over to a prick like that, capisce? Finito!”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry I let you think that but at the time I just couldn’t talk about it.
Barcelo Gallini was a bastard but he did not take my chance of having children from me.
” A tear runs down my face. “I just can’t conceive for some reason.
He hurt me, almost killed me, but he would never have hurt his chances to become the father of a Cassone. That’s all he ever wanted, not me.”