Page 68 of Vow Of Fire

“She couldn’t have logged in when nobody was around?”

“Not unless she knew Alberto’s password, and he’s paranoid about that. Besides, they aren’t friends. Alberto works mornings and he’s always in the back office. Chloe’s on the gallery floor. They may say hello to each other, but I don’t recall ever seeing them have a conversation.”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t know each other,” he said cagily.

“Chloe is not involved,” I said with finality. “Leave her alone. She doesn’t deserve to have her life torn apart.”

Like mine.

Apart from being my best friend, Chloe was literally running the gallery while I was… indisposed. I needed her there, or we’d both be without a job.

“I’ll leave her alone, but Nico is going to check her out.”

“Speaking of Chloe, I need to tell her I won’t be in this week,” I reminded him. “She’s going to be wondering where I am. We usually chat most days.”

“You work together.”

“We still text in the evenings. I told you, she’s my friend.”

He seemed perplexed by this. Obviously he didn’t have any close friends. No surprises there.

My phone was still lying under my bed, likely out of battery by now. Problem was, if the police or anyone tried to trace me, they’d assume I was at home, not stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with my sinfully gorgeous kidnapper.

“You can use my phone when we get back,” he said.

“Or you could just drive me back to my apartment and we can sort this mess out from New York?” I suggested reasonably. “That way I can open up shop tomorrow and nobody needs to know about this little… escapade.”

He glanced sideways at me. “Have you forgotten there are people out there who want you dead?”

I cringed and shook my head. “Are you sure you’re not overreacting? Maybe my place did genuinely get broken into, but the burglars were spooked and ran off or something. It doesn’t always have to be life and death.”

He grunted. “In my world it usually is.”

“Well, I’m not part of your world.”

He stopped walking and turned to face me. The tie on my wrist anchored me in place beside him.

“You are very much a part of my world now, Ophelia. I thought I made that clear. You know our business, which makes you complicit. You know about our shipments, and how we bring in our merchandise. You are involved up to your emerald-green eyeballs in Marcelli business, and you need to accept that.”

My heart pounded in my chest. How dare he tie me to his sordid world? But the truth of his statement stung. Whether I liked it or not, I knew too much.

“Or what?” I pressed, knowing I was playing with fire, but I needed to know what was in store for me.

He didn’t answer straight away.

“Dante? What’s going to happen to me?” I whispered, fear taking hold like an icy vise in my chest.

“Hopefully nothing,” he replied, but he wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed on the dark treeline up ahead.

My heart plummeted and my mouth went dry. Here I’d been thinking we were working together to clear my name, so I could go home and get on with my life. Except the knowledge I had gained had made me a liability.

“In other words, if I don’t play ball, I’m dead?”

His jaw tightened, and a shadow crossed his face.

A horrifying thought struck me. Was I dead anyway? The Marcellis couldn’t afford to let me live. Not after this.

He started walking again, but I didn’t move. The zip-tie jerked his arm back.