Suzie held onto the steering wheel and didn't even glance at her as they made their way out of town. "I can't, Amy. You shouldn't be here. Trustme."
There had to be something she could do, but behind her she heard helicopters and what sounded like storm troopers. She unhooked her seatbelt and looked in the rear view mirror. The royal army had descended on the hotel. Lucio had to have sent them for her. "Wait. It sounds like the army is storming into the hotel we justleft."
Suzie swerved onto a narrow side street. "Hold onto yourseat."
Amy unlocked her door. This was too much. Lucio was there to save her. She screamed at her friend, "Stop. Suzie. I want to getout."
Suzie glanced at her. "Amy, when I told you to marry a rich man, I didn't mean LucioAussa."
"Why?" Amy's stomach was in knots. She had a feeling Suzie was knee-deep in trying to ruin her wedding. Was her best friendjealous?
Suzie heaved a sigh, her grip tight on the wheel. "Because I paid for thereport."
Amy sat back in her seat while the scene outside turned more pasture and less city. She stared at the profile of her best friend—a woman it seemed she didn’t know at all. "But you flew here for mywedding."
Suzie reached out and brushed her hand against hers. "Look, Amy, we were friends. I genuinely liked going out to the bars with you in London, but friendship only goes sofar."
Amy jerked her hand back. If she stayed in this car, she'd be in more trouble. "What do you get out of allthis?"
"Money. I like money." Suzie answeredfast.
The answer made little sense. Suzie had always said she free-lanced for her living expenses. Amy inched toward her door, fingers on the handle, out of Suzie’s sight. "Who’s paying you? Anarchists generally don't havecash."
Suzie shook her head. "Now that is true. You're too smart for your owngood."
Amy opened the door and saw the road under the tires and how fast they were going. "Not smart enough, obviously, or I’d have seen right throughyou."
"Don’t be stupid now—you will hurt yourself. Close the door," Suzie ordered, swerving on theroad.
She had to jump. Hopefully the dirt was soft because the tarred road wouldn't be. Amy said a little prayer and launched toward the side of the countryroad.
"You're crazy." Suzie's voice carried in theair.
The dirt was hard. Her shoulder felt like she was on fire the second she thumped into the packed gravel. Her headspun.
Suzie's car sped down the road, away from her. How could she have been so wrong about Suzie? The woman she thought was better than her sister had turned out to be evenworse.
And no one else was here to get helpfrom.
Roll out of the way. Her body wouldn’t follow commands. Her right leg wasnumb.
The spinning in her head spiraled out of control. Amy pressed her forehead to the ground and ordered the spinning to stop. It didn’t work. She closed her eyes against the pain. "Lucio, please find me soon. I don't feelwell."
And then everything wasblack.
18
Lucio's handtrembled as he gripped his phone. Following instinct, he’d noticed the car racing away from the hotel. He’d started running, eyeing clues until his brother drove next to him, picked him up and gave him the car. Tire tracks, an angry man lucky to be alive, and a knocked-over street sign. Less than a quarter mile away, a farmer flagged down help from the side of the road. Lucio, breathing hard, pressed a grateful hand on the man’s arm and he led him right to Amy lying in hisfield.
He knelt beside her but texted Antonio his location to send help. His stomach churned with fear as he checked hervitals.
She had apulse.
Two minutes later, his brothers were next to him. Every cell in his body rushed with adrenaline while he checked her arms andlegs.
She still wore the light blue dress from her interview, which clearly showed the right leg at an odd angle. Bloody scrapes were across her knees andhands.
Worst was how pale and lifeless her facewas.
