I swallow hard.
Because, really, there is no choice.
Whatever Alessandro is keeping from me, I’ll discover for myself.
RILEY
A half hour later,I wait on the balcony for Renzo’s signal. I stuffed a small bag with clothing, heart in my throat, wondering if I’ll see the wardrobe Alessandro purchased for me again.
Will he be angry I escaped? Yes. But I’m no longer his prisoner. Renzo’s right, it’s my decision whether to stay or go. He can’t just lock me away, even to protect me.
From what, is what I’ll soon find out.
I lean over the balcony and search for Renzo. Alessandro’s men mill about, relaxed and unaware of our imminent departure.
All of a sudden, shouting and chaos erupt. “Get him.” “Sandro will kill us if he escapes.” “That clever motherfucker.”
The men below spin and point to my right before they start running.
I follow their gestures, scanning the villa grounds. At first, I don’t see him—until my gaze sweeps further out … toward the cliff.
“Oh my God,” I exclaim.
Renzo stands there, waving his arms, drawing Alessandro’s soldiers.
No. Please don’t tell me jumping is his escape plan.
Men are in a dead run and swarming like angry bees from everywhere.
I offer Renzo a quick prayer for a safe landing, and quietly slip out of my room.
CHAPTER 30
RILEY
Rain drizzlesover the Roman cemetery, and the grey tombstones darken to black. Don Lucchese’s open grave sits below the small hill Renzo and I stand on, waiting for the procession to arrive. Renzo keeps the banter light by jokingly recapping highlights from “our brave escape.”
“You should have seen their dumbstruck expressions when I jumped,” he proclaims, then contorts his features in a ridiculous way. I appreciate the distraction yet only half engage in his fun. Worried I made a mistake coming here. Wishing I were the type of person who embraced ignorance, especially when it’s accompanied by bliss.
I remind myself how far we’ve come. My relationship with Alessandro Beneventi’s survived insurmountable challenges. If I can still love the man after witnessing the monster within murder a man, whatever else comes our way will feel like child’s play, right?
“I’ll take you back, if that’s what you want.”
“You’ll miss the funeral.”
He pauses pacing, always in a constant state of movement, and rubs his fingers across his jaw. Looking so much likeAlessandro in this moment that it hurts. “Given any thought to where you’d go if you flee?”
I frown. “Flee?”
“Shit, Riley.”
Dread coils around my windpipes. “Why would I do that?” I murmur.What aren’t you telling me?
“Alessandro will dismember me and send my pieces to all the hearts I’ve broken. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
“We’re here now.” I bite my lip to stop it from quivering, and then answer his question. “Home to Marietta, I suppose.”
“Bad move. It’s the first place he’ll look, and his men will turn your town upside down or risk his wrath. My advice is to stay close yet out of sight instead of running far away, which is so predictable. Do you have anyone to help you who he’d never suspect?”
