Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Oh,” I said, now thoroughly panicked.
“Why would you be- I mean …” I couldn’t string a sentence together.
“They’re pretending they need me to cooperate with their investigation, but they’ll be using it as a chance to try to extract some information about your whereabouts. They’re getting desperate to find your location so they’ll try to intimidate me as much as they can.”
“How?” I asked.
“Doesn't matter,” he said. “I’ve come back early to give you a heads up and to explain the state of things. You’re not to worry. We’ll get through it.”
I could do nothing but nod at his words, but then as I watched him rise to his feet and proceed to leave, I couldn’t help but get up as well.
“What about me?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. “What can I do to help? I mean, shouldn’t I surface and tell them you rescued me?”
He shook his head. “If you surface now, you’re as good as dead … and Matthew would have died for nothing.”
Chapter 50
Dante
“They’re here,” Giotto said as he got off the phone. I didn’t need the announcement. I could hear the sirens all around the building and with the force of it one would think they had come to pick up a terrorist.
I had expected the deliberate provocation. Was waiting for it even. If he thought he could intimidate me into giving up Zola he could think again. I took my time finishing my drink until eventually there was a loud knock and a bang on the door.
Giotto gave me a look and then went over to open it. I set the glass down and watched as a team with guns and of course, Detective Hudgens came in.
“Oh, you’re waiting for us I see,” he said, and I stared at the man that had always been a pain in the ass to me. He had never been a nail that I needed to pull out, but with his current eagerness and disturbances, his existence was beginning to grate on my nerves.
I rose to my feet.
“What’s the point of all this? Were you expecting me to resist?”
He smiled. “You’re not the most accommodating of men, Moretti,” he said. “We had to be prepared.” He looked at his men and a few came over with guns cocked and pointed at me as well as a pair of handcuffs. They turned me around and recited my Miranda rights.
“You could have made this much easier hours ago, Moretti,” Hudgens came over to speak to me while the other men backed away. “Why do things always have to be so fucking hard with you mafia guys?”
I didn’t have anything to say to this so after giving him a look that I hoped he was able to interpret for his own safety, I complied as they turned me around and led me out of the apartment.
Chapter 51
Zola
Iwas sitting at the lake before one of the most beautiful views I had ever encountered, yet all I could think about was Dante and how everything was falling apart and closing up around us.
And there was not a thing I could do about it.
All I could do was sit around being pampered to death and feeling guilty as hell for pushing him out to fight my battles. I wanted to provide the same degree of comfort and assurance to him that he was giving me, but this seemed impossible.
I spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Marie was coming with another platter of food.
“Thank you,” I said as she set the platter down before me. On it were an assortment of crackers, fruits, nuts, some sort of Mexican fried snacks and dipping sauce.
“I'm going to get so fat if you keep feeding me like this,” I said.
“It’s just to take your mind off things,” she said. “If your mouth is busy then perhaps your mind will give you a break as well.”
I doubted her method would work but I smiled and reached forward for a blackberry. When I lifted my gaze to hers, I noticed she didn’t appear to be at peace either.
“What is it?” I asked, searching her eyes desperately.
She forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Mr. Moretti’s lawyer just called.”
I shot to my feet. “Why? Did he want to speak to me?”
“Yes, but he’ll be coming over. He didn’t want to tell you over the phone. Maybe Dante told him to do so before he was-”
She caught herself in time, but there was no way I was going to miss what she almost let slip out.
“Before he was what?” I demanded.
She pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you, but … he has never been arrested before.”
“He’s been arrested?” I croaked. My heart felt as if it had stopped in my chest.
She nodded gravely and I could see the sheen of moisture in her eyes.