Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Yes, sir,” one of my soldiers says.
I walk out to two remaining rooms, the master and a smaller room. I expect Michael’s to be the smaller one, but from the state of things, he moved himself into his father’s room. It’s messy and dirty and on the nightstand is an ashtray full of the remnants of cigars he half-smoked. I recall the marks on the back of Allegra’s neck. I know now who put them there, at least the fresh ones. I’m still not convinced her father isn’t to blame for at least some.
“Let’s go,” I tell my men. “Keep eyes on the place. I want a call if anyone comes or goes. Anyone.”
“Yes, sir,” the man says.
I walk out, Jet at my side. I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired. I press the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying to think. What does he want with her? Why kill Michael and keep her alive? There’s only one reason. Only one thing that makes sense and everyone knows it. He plans on taking over the family. He’s not blood, not a natural successor, but Allegra is Alaric Moretti’s daughter. She is his blood.
The thought makes my hands fist, but I’ve never been one to bury my head from truths I don’t like.
At least he won’t kill her, I remind myself.
He needs Allegra. If he marries her, he’ll have more than a foot in the door. The family will follow him because of her. He’d have to force her to do it, though. She’d never agree unless she had no choice.
I look back up at the house. Amal and Daniel. Did he have his own children kidnapped to force Allegra’s hand? She loves them, I know that much. Would he hurt his own family for his ambition?
My phone rings. I hurry to answer, hope swelling like a helium balloon when I see it’s Angelo.
“Angelo?”
“I’m not sure how this is related, but the Lombardi children were seen last night at Richard Moore’s house.”
“Amal and Daniel?” I ask, glancing at Jet, who shifts his gaze to me. “You’re sure?”
“I have eyes on the house.”
“But no sign of her?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
I draw a deep breath in. “This is something.”
“I’ll keep looking.” We disconnect.
“What about Amal?” Jet asks.
I climb into the driver’s seat of one of the SUVs. Jet takes the passenger seat. Soldiers fill four more vehicles.
“Angelo says they were sighted at the Moore house. Allegra’s close with them. He’ll use them for leverage.”
“The Moores wouldn’t go up against you.”
I glance over at Jet. “How much do you know about them?”
He considers, forehead furrowing. “Enough to know they’re inconsequential. It’s a distraction, Cassian.”
I keep my eyes on the road. He could be right. It does seem very convenient.
“You know what he’s planning, don’t you?” Jet asks.
I pause at the intersection. “I think so,” I say, and decide. “Let’s go see Richard Moore.”
5
ALLEGRA
Idon’t know how long I’ve been down here. After that car drove off, another one followed, but I only heard soldiers. It’s been quiet for a while, and I’ve been nodding off. I’m leaning against the far wall clutching the neck of the bottle in my hand, ready. Ready for what, though? Rami? Because it won’t be Malek who comes to get me. He’ll send soldiers.
He wants me to admit it was my father who sanctioned our kidnapping. Who had my mother killed. Who ordered them to chop off my finger.
He wants me to say the words.
It was. I know. I know what I heard. My father losing his shit when she died. My father not upset that she’d been killed, that he was too late. No. He was angry that she’d died. That they’d killed her before he wanted her dead. He ordered them to burn down the house with all those dead soldiers inside it. The Maestro inside it. With my mother’s body inside it. I never got to see him, but I did see her. And the dead soldiers. I wish I hadn’t.
Why does he want me to admit it? To say it out loud? Why does it matter so much?
Something he said is still niggling at me.
And it was so easy. Just a whisper here, a whisper there.
I must doze again because my eyes snap open when the light beyond my door goes on. It’s followed by the key sliding into the lock, then metal scraping against the floor. I blink, rub my eyes, looking up to find a soldier I don’t recognize outside my door, another standing behind him. I scramble to shove the broken bottle into the corner. Nothing to see here. Just debris. Not a weapon. I won’t be able to take them both. One soldier if I catch him by surprise maybe. If I nick the right artery. But not two. And besides, I realize I don’t want to run. I want to find out what he knows. I want to find out how he was involved.