Page 272 of Lorenzo

Donna lowers herself slightly behind the counter and raises her weapon. Mocha’s ears snap forward, and a growl starts low in his throat. I move beside her, keeping my gun trained toward the entrance.

Voices carry faintly through the rain. Too far away to recognize.

Donna leans closer and whispers, “Friends?”

“I don’t know yet.”

A shadow crosses the window. I bring my gun higher.

Whoever they are, they know we’re in here.

Chapter Thirty Four

Donna

The shadow crosses the window again, slower this time.

They are definitely not friends.

If Mario's people were here and had taken control of the situation, they would call out.

Lorenzo must reach the same conclusion because he shifts closer to the end of the counter, positioning himself where he has a narrow line toward the entrance without exposing more of his body than necessary. I stay beside him with Mocha pressed close to my leg, one hand on my gun and the other resting briefly against his shoulder.

“Mocha, quiet,” I whisper.

The growl stops.

His body remains rigid, every ounce of his attention fixed toward the front of the store.

Another figure passes in front of the windows.

Then a third.

I lean closer to Lorenzo. “There could be more around back.”

He only nods.

For several seconds, nobody outside makes a move.

I can feel my heartbeat in my throat as I stare toward the front windows, trying to make sense of the shifting darkness beyond them. The weak streetlights reflect against the wet glass, distorting every movement, and I hate how little I can see.

Then someone tries the door.

The shelf Lorenzo shoved in front of it shakes but holds.

A man’s voice comes through the glass.

“Conti.”

Lorenzo’s expression hardens beside me. “Greco.”

Well.

That settles the friends question.

For several seconds, nobody moves.

Greco remains on the other side of the glass, close enough now that I can make out the outline of him through the rain-streaked window. He does not seem concerned about the fact that Lorenzo and I are armed, which tells me more than I would like about how many people he has surrounding this building.