by Cora Reilly
“Except for us,” I said with a snort. “Tell me this isn’t crazy.”
“It’s crazy, but we’ll figure something out.” She paused, scrutinizing me.
I raised my eyebrows. “What?”
She smiled. “I have an idea. You know how people always say we look alike?”
“Not if you look closely. I’m a couple of inches taller than you and then there’s this.” I lifted a strand of my hair.
“Yeah, but if we dye your hair blond, nobody will doubt that you are me. Luca has a few forged passports with different names in the same place where he stashes the money, if we ever need to leave the country fast. You could use one of them.”
“Luca will be able to track them.”
“Yes, but you’ll already have landed in Europe by then. You can throw away the passport once you’re there and travel around without a passport until you figure out a way to get a new one. They don’t have border control in the EU, so you should be fine to cross over to other countries within Europe.”
Hope kindled in my body. “That could actually work.”
“It will.”
We stared at each other. “So I’m really running away,” I whispered.
“Yes,” Aria said quietly.
“When?”
“Next time you visit, so we have time to really think every detail of our plan through.”
I couldn’t believe I was really going to do this, but now I wouldn’t back out, even if part of me wondered if this was really what I wanted.
***
I was allowed to visit Aria again in May; pretending that I had finally come to terms with my marriage to Matteo had made my father more lenient with me.
Lying had once been hard for me but I was getting better at it.
I hugged Lily and Fabi before I left Chicago, knowing it might very well be the last time I saw them, but I didn’t allow myself to linger on that thought. It would make things only more difficult. If I started to cry, someone might get suspicious.
When I arrived in New York, Aria picked me up from the airport with a new bodyguard. There was something bittersweet about our reunion. The new guy gave me a quick nod after Aria and I had pulled apart. “Who is he?” I whispered.
“That’s Sandro. He’s one of Matteo’s men.” So Matteo had already chosen a bodyguard for me, for a future life as his wife, someone who would cage me in whenever Matteo wasn’t around to do it.
Once we were in the penthouse, my new bodyguard retreated to the kitchen under the pretense of giving us privacy. As if there was ever such a thing under his constant surveillance. Aria and I lingered near the sofa, out of earshot. “Does Luca still have Romero guard you all day?”
Aria shrugged. “I don’t mind having Romero around, especially when Luca is busy. Sandro has taken Cesare’s place mostly, but he’s never watched me before. ”
“You need to ask Luca to let you go to college or do something else before you go crazy over here. I want you to be happy too, Aria. I want to know that you’ll be okay once I’m gone.”
“Don’t worry. And the last few weeks I’ve been pretty busy planning your escape,” Aria said with a teasing smile but there was a hint of wistfulness in her voice.
We both glanced at Sandro who was making coffee. “Why is that Sandro guy really here?”
“Because of you.”
“Because I’m the troublemaker?”
“No,” Aria said with a laugh. “Because Matteo wants you to get to know the guy who’ll be your bodyguard once you move to New York.”
“Oh great, how thoughtful of him.” Again a decision about my life that no one had bothered to discuss with me. With a nod toward Sandro, I asked, “How are we going to get rid of him?”
“I have a plan.” Aria opened her bag and pointed at a small syringe. At my confused look, she explained, “I remembered how you’d told me that Luca found the tranquilizer he used on Lily in a drawer in the basement. Last time I was in the mansion, I sneaked down there and took what we needed.”
My eyes widened. “You are a genius, Aria.”
“Not really.”
Our eyes darted toward our bodyguard once more. He was busy with his phone. “How are we going to inject him the tranquilizer?” I asked. “He’s tall and strong, and probably a skilled fighter.”
Aria bit her lip. “We have to distract him. Maybe I can talk to him and you ram the needle into his thigh?”
“What if I break the needle by accident or if he smashes it?”
“I have a second syringe, but that’s it, so we should try to get it right the first time.”
Aria could be so badass if she tried. “Are you sure the dosage is right?”
“I don’t want him to get hurt so I reduced the dosage they listed on the packaging.”
“Okay. It still should be enough to knock him out for a while, right?”
Aria nodded. “We should probably tie him up. I found duct tape in the gun cupboard.”
She knew where her husband kept his guns? “Luca must really trust you.”
Aria didn’t say anything and I felt bad for bringing him up. Did I have to remind her how she was risking her marriage for me?
“Come on,” she said after a moment. “Let’s do this. Matteo and Luca will be back in a few hours. We should be gone by then.”
After another look toward Sandro who was still reading something on his phone, she quickly handed me the syringe. I hid it behind my back as we strolled toward Sandro who finally looked up from his phone and set it down on the counter.
“Would you like some coffee?” he asked with a nod toward his own cup. He was polite and his brown eyes were friendly. He didn’t look very threatening, but I didn’t let that fool me.
Aria leaned next to him against the counter and pressed a palm to her stomach.
Sandro frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not feeling so good,” she said, then her legs buckled. It was a bit over the top if you asked me, but Sandro must have acted without thinking because he reached for her. My chance.
My arm shot out and I rammed the syringe into the back of his thigh and injected the tranquilizer. Sandro hissed, let go of Aria and lashed out instinctively. He caught my arm and I was thrown against the kitchen island, my back colliding painfully. I swallowed a cry.
“What the fuck?” he gasped, eyes furious as they darted between Aria and me. He reached for his phone but Aria shoved it away. It flew off the counter, crashed to the ground and skidded over the marble. Sandro staggered toward it, his movement already less coordinated than usual. I quickly rushed toward the phone and kicked it away. “Where’s the stupid tape?”
Aria nodded and rushed away.
Sandro glared at me. “What are you doing?” he growled. He advanced on me, his hand fumbling for the gun in his chest holster. Did he want to hold us at gun point?
He didn’t get very far. His legs gave away and he fell to his knees. He shook his head like a dog, then tried to stand again.
“Aria!” I screamed. What if this didn’t work? What if our plan was over before it had really begun?
“I’m coming!” She ran toward me with the tape. “Grab his arms.”
I tried to pull Sandro’s arms behind his back, but he was too strong even in his dazed state. He shook me off.
“It’s not enough tranquilizer!”
“I don’t want to hurt him,” Aria said panicky.
I tried to grip his arms again but he managed to stagger back to his feet, pushing me out of the way. Aria moved quickly and thrust the second syringe into his leg. This time he dropped to his knees almost instantly, then fell to his side. Aria and I made quick work out of tying him up, then she touched his throat.
“Is he okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, it seems so. I hope we didn’t give him too much.”
“He’s a tall guy. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” I got up. Aria did the same and then she rushed off again. A few minutes later she returned with a huge stack
of dollar notes as well as two passports. For a moment I thought she’d decided to go with me and that was why there wasn’t only one passport, then I realized how ridiculous that thought was.
“Here.” She handed me everything. “That’s about ten thousand dollars. That should get you by for a while, and two passports just in case. But you should really get rid of them once you’re in Europe.”
I stuffed everything into my bag, then grabbed my suitcase.
“Ready?” Aria asked, hesitating.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She didn’t return my smile, only glanced at Sandro again before setting her phone down on the counter. I did the same to prevent them from tracking us.
We took the elevator down and hailed a taxi. Traffic was on our side and we pulled up in front of the JFK airport after forty-five minutes.
After we’d entered the departure area, I headed straight to the ticket counter to buy a one-way ticket to Amsterdam while Aria stayed back; the photo in the passport looked more like her than me and if we stood beside each other nobody would have been fooled.
I gingerly slid the fake passport across the counter. The woman barely glanced at the photo, despite the fact that I didn’t have blond hair like the girl in it. She probably thought I’d dyed them red. Twenty minutes later, I walked over to Aria with the ticket to freedom in my hand. I’d have thought I’d feel more excited, instead nerves twisted my stomach so tightly I worried I’d throw up, but I couldn’t let Aria see it.
“So how did it go?” she asked nervously.
I waved the ticket in response. “She didn’t even ask about my hair.”
“That’s good, but once you’re in Amsterdam, you need to change your appearance.”
I smiled, touched by her concern and at the same time wondering if I was really doing the right thing. This could be the last time I ever saw Aria. I couldn’t even imagine a year without her, much less the rest of my life. “Don’t worry.”
A small part of me wondered how Matteo would feel once he found out. I didn’t think my disappearance would do more than bruise his pride. This wasn’t about love, or even feelings.
Aria peered toward the main entrance again. “When does your flight leave?”
“In two hours. I should probably go through security.”
“I will rent a car and drive it out of town as a red herring. Luca will think you and I ran away together. Maybe it’ll buy you additional time. Once you’re off the plane, go to a restroom and put on the wig, in case there’s already someone looking for you at Schiphol airport.”
Aria was talking fast but it didn’t stop me from noticing the way her voice was shaking. She was trying to be strong for me.
I wrapped my arms around her. “Thank you so much for risking so much for me. I love you.”
“Create the blog we talked about and post an update the moment you get the chance. I’ll worry if I don’t hear from you tomorrow at the latest,” she said, her fingers digging into my shoulder blades. “Promise me you’ll be happy, Gianna. Promise.”
“I promise.” Could you even promise something like that? My eyes burnt furiously but I fought the tears. This was hard enough without me turning into a blubbering mess. I pulled back, and ran a hand over my eyes.
Aria had lost her fight with tears. “If you ever want to come back, we’ll figure something out.”
“You said it yourself, there’s no going back,” I said, and finally the truth sank in. This was it. This was goodbye to the life I’d known, to my family, to my home, to everything. I took a step back from Aria, dropping my arms. She gave me an encouraging smile. I quickly turned around and hurried toward the security check. If I didn’t leave Aria now, I’d lose my courage. Doubt was already eating away at my resolve, but this was my only chance. I had to take it. I needed to live my own life, needed to make my own decisions, needed to get away from the horrors of our world.
The security guard didn’t stop me. Nobody did. Once I was through security, I risked another peek over my shoulder to where Aria stood. She raised her arm in a wave before she walked away quickly, wiping her eyes.
I watched her back disappear. My heart felt heavy, my throat tight. It wasn’t too late yet. I could still go back. We could figure out some ridiculous explanation for drugging Sandro. Nothing was lost yet.
I peered down at my ticket to Amsterdam, my ticket to freedom, before I headed to the terminal where boarding would start soon.
As I waited, I kept checking my surroundings nervously, but nobody showed up. And why would they? Nobody had suspected anything. When Sandro finally woke in a couple of hours and called Luca and Matteo, I’d be on the plane.
***
My heart was beating in my throat when I boarded the plane. It was my first time traveling in economy class. Father had always bought business or first class tickets when we hadn’t used a private jet. I was wedged between a stranger, who insisted on using my armrest, and the window. I barely dared breathing until we were finally up in the air, and even then I kept looking for a familiar face among the other passengers. It took a while before I finally settled back into my seat and relaxed. Now that there was no going back, a flicker of excitement mixed with my anxiety. This was my life and I was finally taking it into my own hands, finally taking back control from those who had ruled every aspect of my existence until now. I was going to be free.
Matteo
Luca’s phone rang. “Yes, Romero?” Silence. “Repeat that.”
I was checking last month’s earnings for our clubs in Manhattan but looked up at the strain in Luca’s voice. His expression made me close the laptop. “What’s going on?”
Luca pushed to his feet. “Romero found Sandro drugged and tied up on the floor of the penthouse. Aria and Gianna are gone.”
I straightened. “You’re fucking kidding.”
“Do you think I would joke about something like that?” he snarled into my face.
I glared right back. “I thought Aria was in love with you.”
For a moment Luca looked like he was going to punch me. Then he whirled around and stormed out of the basement of the Sphere. I hurried after him. “This is Gianna’s fault. This girl is the root of every problem. Why couldn’t you stay the fuck away from her like I told you?” he muttered.
If only I fucking knew. For some reason, I couldn’t get her out my head. And now she’d run. From me.
***
“I’m sorry, Boss,” Sandro said again, half hunched on Luca’s sofa, eyes blood-shot.
I wanted to fucking kill him for letting her get away. I should have never let her out of my sight. I got up and started pacing the room again, my eyes darting up to the bedroom door. Luca had disappeared with Aria behind it more than twenty minutes ago. She hadn’t run away. That had all been for show. She’d helped my fiancée run, but she’d come back to Luca. She’d come back.
Normally I wouldn’t doubt Luca’s skill to get information out of anybody, but this was Aria, and Luca wouldn’t hurt her. Not even for me, not even when she was the only one who could help me find my fiancée.
“I shouldn’t have taken the morning off,” Romero said from his spot on the armchair.
“One bodyguard should have been enough. I should have been enough. They were only girls,” Sandro muttered.
I didn’t say anything. I was too pissed. My pulse was pounding in my temples. I wanted to smash every fucking piece of furniture into tiny bits. The bedroom door finally opened and Luca came down the stairs. From the look on his face I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say.
“Don’t tell me you couldn’t get anything out of her,” I snarled.
Luca scowled. “The only thing I know is that Gianna took a plane from JFK. Aria won’t tell me anything, but our informants will let me know which plane Gianna took soon.”
“Great,” I muttered. “And then what? Aria knows Gianna’s plan. They told each other everything. The only way to find Gianna is through your wife.”
“She wo
n’t tell me anything.”
I tried walking past him. “Then let me have a word with her.”
Luca grasped my arm and pushed me back. “You will stay away from her, Matteo.”
“You let her steal your money, your passports. You let her attack our men, let her make a fool out of you and betray you. You should want to punish her. You are Capo.”
Luca’s eyes flashed. I was walking on thin ice but I didn’t give a fuck.
“Aria is my wife. It’s none of your business how I deal with her. I told you that Gianna meant trouble but you didn’t want to listen. You should have never asked for her hand,” he growled.
My fingers longed to grip my knives. I turned my back on him and stalked out onto the roof garden. I needed to cool off before I lashed out at my own brother. Luca and I had fought occasionally when we were younger but it had never been for real. I had a feeling that a fight between us wouldn’t end well today. We were both royally pissed and out for blood.
I braced my arms against the banister and let my eyes wander over New York. Gianna was slipping through my fingers. With every second that passed she was bringing more distance between herself and me. Once she landed wherever she was going, she wouldn’t stop running until she was sure she was safe. She’d be alone, unprotected. What if something happened to her?
Steps crunched behind me and I tensed but didn’t look over my shoulder. Luca stopped beside me. “I called Scuderi. He’s furious and blames us of course.”
“Of course,” I said quietly.
“He’s sending two of his men after Gianna.”
“I will go with them.”
“I figured you would. I told Scuderi as much. You will meet them in Amsterdam.”
I turned. “Amsterdam?”
Luca nodded. “I got word that she took a plane to Schiphol.”
“When do I leave?” I asked, the thrill of the impending hunt spreading in my veins.
“Four hours.”
“I need to leave sooner.”
“Impossible. I tried everything I could.”