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)
“Detective Mellor!” I called again, but there was no response. Sudden and paralyzing fear filled my chest and I immediately began to back away. I turned around to run and slammed straight into what could have been a huge boulder. But it was no boulder. It was a hulking man. The impact jarred up my spine and sent me flying to the floor. I hit my head and literally saw stars. For a few seconds, amidst the blinding pain, I had no idea where I was or what was happening. I raised my head and felt something wet trickling down my neck.
Blood. My blood.
The details didn’t matter, but I knew for sure. I had made a terrible mistake. I had trusted the wrong person. Dante was right. Without him, I was dead meat.
I tried to get up.
I tried to fight the pain and the blackness, but it was impossible. After I tried to pull my body up and stand, I realized I couldn’t. My legs felt like jelly. All I could do was cower in a fetal position.
“Dante,” my heart breathed as I squeezed my eyes shut. In my head came images of him washing and drying my hair in London in the warm yellow light of the bedside lamps. How beautiful it had been. Oh, if only I could go back. I love you, Dante. I really, really love you.
Then everything went dark.
Chapter 56
Dante
Ilooked at the ringing phone in my hand in surprise. A call from her? How was that possible? I expected them to have confiscated her phone by now.
I immediately tried to take the call, but even as I hit accept the call was cut off. I went on high alert instantly. This was not good. I tried calling back, but the call went directly to voicemail.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
I called Giotto.
“Where are they?” I asked urgently.
“Bedford,” he replied. “They’re in a gas station.”
“Who’s they?” I asked.
“She went in with the woman, but the guys are hanging around outside.”
“Send me their exact location,” I ordered. When he did I realized we were only about ten minutes away from them. “Alright, watch her closely and tell me the second she comes out of the store. I’ll be waiting.”
“Got it, Boss,” he said and ended the call.
A few minutes passed and there was no response. I called Giotto back again.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“They’re not out of the store yet.”
I knew instantly. It was a trap. “What do you mean they’re not out of the store? How long has it been since they stopped there?”
“About ten minutes.”
“She’s fucking gone,” I shouted. I heard Giotto throw the phone down and dash out of the car and start running on the asphalt.
“Fucking step on it,” I yelled impatiently at Luca. My driver obeyed instantly and the tires screeched as he accelerated to a crazy speed. A few minutes later another phone call came through from Giotto.
“Where the hell is she?” I roared
“Boss, I went in and …”
My heart stopped in my chest. “And what?”
“There is no trace of her. The detective came out though and we’re tailing them right now, but they’re now aware of us.”
“Why the fuck are you tailing them when she’s not in the car?”
I cut the connection. Before the car had even come to a stop at the gas station, I was already out of it. Like a madman, I ran in, grabbed the attendant, and pressed my gun to his head.
“Where is she?” I asked, but he threw down his phone and raised his hands in the air.
His eyes were wide with terror. “Where is who?”
It was obvious the hapless kid knew nothing. I released him and looked around for the back exit. I found the hallway and ran down it. On the floor, I saw blood. Quickly, I sped toward the back door. It was unlocked. I pushed it and was out into an empty space. There were a few chairs and empty beer cans next to them. It was late evening and there was no one around. I had come to terms with what had happened.
“Check the dumpster,” I said to my men.
One of them hurried to look. “There’s nothing here.”
I felt my knees give way and I dropped to the ground. My fist hit the ground repeatedly. I wanted to roar with frustration.
I had failed.
I had failed her.
And I had failed Marco.
Chapter 57
Zola
Icame to in pain and complete blackness. The absence of any light was terrifying.
But it was the incredible cold that got me. It seemed to have infiltrated my very bones and turned them to ice. My teeth were chattering and my body shivered uncontrollably. I didn’t think I was tied up, but it didn’t matter because I couldn’t move. I knew I couldn’t survive this much longer.
The smell of something meaty in the frozen air and the hum of a motor made me think I was in some kind of walk-in freezer.