30
LILA
“Wait.” I tried to pull Matteo to a stop, but he never even slowed. We dashed across the foyer, our steps a discordant rhythm. The chandelier overhead swayed and trembled, the cut crystal teardrops knocking into each other and filling the air with the tinny noise of breaking glass.
Matteo tapped on the tablet he carried. “No waiting. I have my orders. Alessio and Renzo will take care of the threat.”
Shouts and hollering outside the estate’s walls carved the breath from my lungs. I tried to look back where Renzo had gone, but the view was blocked by the curved staircase.
Leo’s steps faltered. “Are they gonna die?”
“No.” I demanded the single word to come to life and lend assurance to us both. The only men who would die today were the fools who dared to come after Alessio and Leo. I suspected it was the same man…unless Alessio had more enemies. It wouldn’t surprise me. He never told me anything of value, and him hiding the number of men who wanted him dead or to destroy his son was par for the course.
We stumbled along behind Matteo, who led us down a series of narrow steps beneath the main staircase. I’d never noticed the hidden door. Then again, I’d never had a reason for my home to have hidden doors, staircases, or panic rooms. The shift in situations made my head spin. Or maybe that was nothing more than pregnancy hormones combined with annoyance and fear.
The house shuddered. Dust billowed in the air around us, raining down into my hair and clouding my vision. I coughed and waved my free hand in front of my face, only then realizing Matteo had released my hand. I was only clinging to Leo now.
Matteo stood in front of another door, this one solid metal. The tablet in his hands glowed with a faint blue light that tinged his skin and turned his face a sickly shade of green.
“In you go.” He didn’t even glance at us as he spoke.
The door opened, sliding back into the wall and releasing a rush of musty air that fanned my hair back from my face.
Leo peered into the darkness. “How come we have to go in there?”
“Because it’s safe.” Matteo walked in ahead of us, probably to show Leo there was nothing to be afraid of.
Gunfire erupted in the distance. The sound came from far away, with layers of house between us, but I still flinched and hauled ass into the bunker, pulling Leo with me. Part of me wanted to grab a gun and fight back. The more sensible part, the mother in me, chose to let Matteo close the door and sequester us away from the violence. My palms itched with a need to do something constructive.
“Leo, there’s a TV through there. We get pretty good signal. And if you don’t want to watch TV, there are games and puzzles.” Matteo turned on the lights, giving me my first full look at the panic room.
It reminded me of the one we’d stayed in before. Cold, metal walls surrounded us, but they’d been painted to look like normalwalls, the muted beige color washing out Matteo’s complexion. A kitchen was tucked into the far corner, a metal shelf of canned goods offering a variety of foods should we be forced to stay long-term.
“There are three bedrooms.” Matteo pointed out each one. “Take your pick. I didn’t have time to update the furniture, so you either get Renzo’s military bunk, Alessio’s feather mattress, or my pinup models.” He shimmied his hips in a little dance. “I personally hope you pick my room.”
I waited until Leo wandered off to explore to ask, “What about Alessio and Renzo?”
“They’ll handle everything up there.” He pointed at the ceiling. “I’d tell you not to worry, but that’s about as bat-shit impossible as asking me not to crack a joke to lessen the tension.”
“At least you’re honest about yourself.” I tried to accept that this was part of my life since Alessio showed up. Every time I thought we’d moved past it, the threats and danger stirred my anger back to full force. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough we’re in here.” He held his arms out and turned a slow circle. “Bad enough that Alessio is up there fighting instead of taking precautions.”
“That doesn’t tell me jack shit, and you know it.” I’d waited for answers since the day Matteo told me about the bounty on Leo’s head. “Are they going to come for Leo? Will they kill Alessio? Capture him? Kill him? What about Renzo?”
Matteo’s exhale was deep and heartfelt. He dragged two chairs out from beneath a metal table and pushed one toward me. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”
When I crossed my arms and tapped my toes, he grinned.
“Just tell me,” I said, staring him down.
He nudged the chair closer and walked around to the back of the room. Seconds later, the smell of coffee mixed with the dust.“The Verduccis won’t stop until they’ve eliminated everything Alessio holds dear. Once they’ve done that, they’ll kill him.” He delivered the news without preamble.
I’d expected it, but the truth still hit with a physical pain that shattered the illusions I’d held on to. “So they won’t stop. There’s no way to convince them to leave us alone.”
“No.” Matteo poured us each a cup of coffee.
I moved slowly to the chair and sat, letting the words and implications dig deep. “Why would he fight them instead of coming down here?”
