I was all alone.
So I ran.
I had a small amount of cash saved up, so I used it to buy a bus ticket out of New Haven. I had nothing but the clothes on my back, some extra supplies crammed into a rucksack, and the instinct to survive.
For the first year, I’d moved from town to town, never staying in one place too long. I slept in store doorways, on park benches, and in shelters. Once I knew Lombardi’s men weren’t following me, I started staying put for longer. I’d bus tables, collect empties; anything to make a few bucks. It’s surprising how little you can live off when you have to.
Then one day, right before my eighteenth birthday, Zander found me.
I knew his offer was probably too good to be true, but the sad fact was, I needed a steady job if I was ever going to get an apartment. And he wasn’t concerned about my lack of social security number or ID.
The door opened, pulling me back to the present, and Dominic Cabrioles stepped inside. He smoothed his suit jacket and dipped his head. “My apologies,” he said. “I was taking care of some things.”
“Dom, join us,” Massimo had someone bring in another chair. “We have much to discuss.”
I risked glancing over at Matteo again. He seemed agitated, unlike Nicco, who was a picture of calm.
“The girl?” Dominic asked, sitting.
“Has been safely returned to them.”
He gave Nicco a small nod, running a hand over his head.
He was new. Or at least, he hadn’t been with Massimo when I’d known him. I’d never laid eyes on Dominic before that night at DiMarco’s. Part of me wondered if Massimo knew how he’d acted that night or if it was all part of his ruse to test Zander. Either way, being in the same room as him again made my skin crawl.
“Do they understand why we had to take the girl as well?” he asked Massimo.
“Sì, they do. And hopefully we can all move forward and discuss business.”
“I’ll need to discuss this with my uncles,” Nicco said. “I’m sure you can understand they will have concerns about aligning ourselves with the Lombardi, especially after you took Arabella.”
“Of course, of course. We should sit down in a week, when tempers have cooled. Dominic, take Erin straight back to New Haven. I’m sure she’s eager to be reacquainted with her momma. Take Carrick and Thiago with you.I’ll follow with Drago, Grayson, and Miller.”
“Very well. Gentleman.” He addressed Nicco and Matteo. “We shall talk soon.”
Nicco stood, clasping Dominic’s hand. “To new allies.”
My heart withered in my chest. They were going to let them take me. Just like that.
Deep down I’d known it would happen, but part of me clung to the hope that Matteo would fight for me.
You lied to him. What did you expect?
I stared at him, pleading with him to look at me. If this was the last time I ever saw him, I at least wanted to try to tell him everything I was feeling.
But he didn’t glance my way. In fact, he very obviously, very purposefully avoided looking anywhere near my direction.
Defeat slammed into me, making me choke on a whimper. Luckily, it couldn’t escape my duct taped lips. Neither could the yelp of pain as Dominic grabbed my arm and wrenched me to my feet.
“We meet again, Red.” He smirked, and bile washed in my stomach.
I didn’t take my eyes off Matteo, desperately hoping to get one final look at him.
Look at me. Please just look at me.
We finally reached the door and Matteo looked over, our eyes connecting for the briefest moment.
Then he was gone, and I was being led out of the building toward a black SUV with my heart in tatters and my pride in disarray.
“Mr. Cabrioles,” one of the guards said.
“Get her in the trunk.”
Trunk?
“Are you sure that’s—”
“Do you have a problem following orders?” he growled.
“N-no, sir. We shall secure her immediately.”
“See to it that you do.”
Without a second glance at me, Dominic climbed in the SUV.
“Let’s go, sweetheart.” The guy snorted. “Guess you’ve got a long way to go to get back into the boss's good graces.”
Another guy popped the trunk and I stared at the dark, small space before glancing back at the building.
“No one’s coming to help you,” the guy barked. “In you go.”
Oh God.
He was right.
No one was coming to save me.
Least of all Matteo.
Curled up on my side, I focused on the purr of the engine instead of the erratic beat of my heart. We’d been travelling for what felt like forever, but realistically, it couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes. Every minute slower and more drawn out than the last.
My heart was broken. Shattered by the only guy who had the power to mend it.
But I’d expected nothing less. The Marchetti were criminals, yes. But they had a code. They had principles. Family was everything to them.
Once Matteo found out the truth about me, I’d known everything would change.
The things I’d done—the things I’d been forced to do at the hands of the man who had raised me for all those years. Like it or not, I was tainted. First by Massimo, and then by Zander.
Matteo needed a woman by his side who was strong, not one who had enough emotional baggage to fill a plane.
It didn’t matter now; he’d let me go. He and Nicco weren’t prepared to go to war for me, and I couldn’t blame them.
I wasn’t worth it, I knew that.
But I wasn’t sure I could go back to this life, not after all I’d done to leave it behind. Once I’d seen my mom one last time, I would find a way to end it. Maybe I should have done that in the beginning. But I was young and naïve back then. I thought that maybe, just maybe, the universe had other plans for me.
I was all out of hope now.
Matteo had given me a glimpse of how good things could be. He’d shown me what it could feel like to be loved and adored and treated with respect. And it was everything.
But it wasn’t my story.
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, emotion balled in my throat. But I would not cry.
The SUV slowed to a stop, and I strained to listen. We couldn’t already be back in New Haven, could we?
Fear snaked through me. Had I missed something? Had Massimo been lying when he ordered Dominic to bring me back to New Haven? Was that code for get rid of her?
Oh God. Was Dominic going to kill me?
I swallowed down the rush of bile up my throat. Doors opened and slammed shut, heavy footsteps hitting the asphalt. I could just make out the rumble of voices, but they were too far away to decipher the conversation.
A heavy thud rocked the SUV and I screamed; the sound trapped behind my sealed lips. There was another thud and then eerie silence.
What the hell was going on?
The trunk popped open, light spilling inside. Dominic’s face came into view, and he said, “Come on, we need to move if we’re going to make the drop.”
Drop?
He helped me out of the trunk, and I scanned our surroundings, my eyes almost bugging out of my head at the two dead bodies.
I stared up at his, my eyes wide with fear.
“I’m going to remove the tape. But you have to promise not to scream, okay?”