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Maximo glances at me. “Once we’re sure Mira is secure at the safehouse, we’re ending this shit with Nunzio once and for all. Tonight.”
“Tonight,” I repeat, trying to ignore the warning prickling the back of my neck.
Alexius and Isaia take the lead, the SUV with Leandra and the kids falling behind him, and another boxing her vehicle in from behind.
The fourth car falls in line, and my stomach knots when Mira’s vehicle starts to move. I gently put my foot on the gas to follow, and I can practically feel Maximo’s tension colliding with mine. My heart is pounding like a sledgehammer as we approach the gates, my vision blurred with a rush of rage, anger, fear, every fucking emotion known to man, my eyes glued to the car in front of me. Alexius turns to the right, Leandra’s car, and the one behind them following. It’s a convoy of black SUVs, driving in line then splitting in two different directions. Just as Mira’s SUV turns to the left and out of the estate, I abruptly come to a stop just outside the gate.
“Fuck.” I slam my palm against the steering wheel.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Maximo stares at me wide-eyed.
“Shit, give me a sec,” I curse, quickly leaping from the car, popping the trunk, and grabbing my gun from the duffel bag, tucking it into my side.
“What the fuck was that?” Maximo demands as I get back in behind the wheel.
“I forgot my gun in the bag.”
“You forgot. Your gun. In the fucking bag?” The disbelief on Maximo’s face would be comical if not for the current circumstances.
“Let it be known,” Caelian starts, “that you are the biggest asshole out of the lot of you, so you’ll be getting the monster-sized dildo for Christmas.”
“Whatever, man.” I step hard on the gas this time and speed down the road, the streetlights zipping past in an orange line, casting shadows over our faces.
As I catch up to Mira’s car, I have an overwhelming urge to stop all of this, grab Mira, and take her with me far away where no one can find us. It’s a mad scheme, but surely it’s better than what we’re doing now. It would be easier and safer than a plan that’s foolproof on paper, but executing it could have dire consequences. There are so many things that could go wrong tonight, and I’m two seconds away from pulling the plug on all of this.
“Please, Nicoli. You need to trust me. It’s the only way.”
“You okay over there?” Maximo clutches his gun, and my nostrils flare as I nod, adrenaline pumping through my veins as we tail Mira’s SUV.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” I order.
“Hey, man, you sure you can handle it if shit hits the fan tonight?” Caelian looks at me in the rearview mirror, concern laced across his eyebrows.
“Of course, I can fucking handle it,” I snap back at him, tightening my fingers around the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. “I have to.”
ChapterFifteen
MIRA
The night is a shroud, an inky blackness that clings to every corner of the city. It’s heavy and suffocating, the thick air and shadows seeming to close in around us as we drive through the streets. I can feel it, a presence that lingers just beyond the reach of my senses. It’s a sense of foreboding like everything is about to change.
We’re steadily following the car in front of us, and I glance out the back window, Nicoli’s headlights shining directly on us. My hands tremble on my lap, fingers twitching to reach out and touch him one last time before it’s too late. God, please just keep him safe. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to him. I would rather die than lose him.
Streetlights flicker like beacons in the distance, smearing luminous patches of yellow light over cracked pavement and graffiti-covered walls. It’s like an invisible menace that lurks all around me, invisible yet tangible. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as we turn down a dark alleyway, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach.
“Almost there,” the driver says, his voice barely penetrating the oppressive silence that fills the car. I nod. My throat is too tight to speak.
My eyes dart nervously around the alleyway, searching for any sign of danger. I can barely make out the silhouette of buildings in the distance and a flicker of movement just beyond them.
I glance at the clock on the car’s dashboard. We’ve been driving for almost twenty minutes, taking so many turns I don’t even know where we are anymore. It’s supposed to make it harder for anyone to follow us, but the three cars driving closely together know the route. Nicoli and Maximo have been working on finding the safest way—and the longest—all morning and afternoon, planning every turn with a secret location in mind.
The light shining through the back window disappears, and I whip around in my seat. There’s no one behind us. Nicoli is supposed to be behind us, but he’s not.
“Where is Nicoli?” I ask the driver, and he speaks into his earpiece. But my heart is pounding too fast, the erratic beat the only thing I hear.
The car screeches to a sudden, unexpected halt, thrusting me forward with a jolt that sparks a wildfire of fear in my chest. My heart pounds frantically against my ribs as a bolt of adrenaline shoots through my veins like icy fire, shaking me with its intensity.
“Shit,” I gasp, gripping the door handle as if it’s the only thing keeping me grounded. “What’s happening?”
