Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
A voice next to me pierces through the protective walls I’m erecting around me. “Please, La Signora Barone, put the phone down.”
I turn to see Vance’s unsmiling face. I look at him and the horror in my body must have shown on his face because he stands suddenly. I feel as if I have fallen from a cliff edge into a dark abyss. This is my father all over again. My hands are shaking as I hold the phone out to him.
“Would you like to watch?”
“Put the phone down, La Signora Barone.”
“Of course, you’re right.” I hit pause and set the phone back on the table, angling it the way Federico left it so he wouldn’t know I touched it at all. I look at my food. It has gone cold. The cheese is a congealed yellow blob. “Don’t tell Rico,” I whisper shakily. “It was rude of me to look at his phone without permission.”
Vance doesn’t respond. He just stands there as still as a statue behind me.
A smiling Federico returns seconds later. “I bet my food is already cold,” he says, lowering himself onto his chair.
I raise my head and try to smile, but it is impossible. My heart is breaking. There is an explanation. Of course there is. This must have happened before I came on the scene. But there is no respite in that random explanation. Valentino was wearing his wedding ring in that video.
“Would you like me to reheat it?” I ask. My voice sounds strange. Far away. There is real distress in it.
“Nah.” Federico waves me off. “Sometimes grilled cheese is best cold.”
I glance down at my plate. Grilled cheese is never best cold. Only ice cream and revenge are best cold. I think of what to say next, but my mind has gone blank. Suddenly, I hear a strangled growl and my head jerks up. Vance is standing behind Federico, a small knife pressed to his throat, while his other arm presses Federico’s upper body against the chair. Vance’s physical appearance is deceiving. He is tall and slim, but judging from how hard Federico is struggling against him and is still unable to wrench himself free, there’s a lot of strength in that supple body.
And how could he move so fast? I only looked away from Federico for one second.
“Vance?” I call, confused and shocked. “What’s going on?”
It seems like the two men don’t hear me because neither pays me any mind. Vance’s eyes are cold and hateful as he stares into Federico’s upturned face.
“Pick up your phone and delete that video.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Federico blusters.
“Vance, stop it!” I yell, but I may as well be shouting into a void.
Vance glides the knife across the smooth skin of Federico’s neck and blood drips down his neck, seeping into the fabric of his sky-blue shirt.
I gasp with shock. Oh shit. Things just got real.
Federico’s eyes widen. He is as shocked as I am that Vance would dare hurt him.
“I swear I will kill you and gladly surrender myself,” Vance says. “I don’t mind dying as long as I take your life with me.”
When someone says this, you know they’re serious. You can never win against someone who’s not afraid of death. As if reading my thoughts, Federico shakily reaches for the phone. I watch as his fingers go over the screen while Vance watches from behind.
“Go to the deleted folder,” Vance orders. “And delete it from there.”
Federico doesn’t argue. Seconds later, he says, “Done. Now let me go.”
“Not yet, you worthless Judas!” Vance growls. “Open your gallery.”
“What?” Federico gasps. “That’s insane. You’re infringing on my—”
Vance roughly jerks him up, and the knife digs deeper into Federico’s throat. More blood flows, thick and sticky, and spreads across his shirt.
“Your fucking gallery.”
When Federico opens it, Vance yanks the phone from his hands and goes through it. They remain there for minutes until Vance is satisfied that there’s nothing else on the phone. He throws it and spits on Federico before slowly releasing him. Federico wipes the spit off his face before staggering to his feet, his face contorted in an ugly scowl.
“What was that for?”
“You’re a dishonorable man,” Vance says emotionlessly. “I always knew you were no good. You will pay dearly for this.”
Federico clutches the cut in his neck. “No. You will pay dearly for this!” He points a finger at Vance. “I am a Barone and you treat me like this? How dare you?”
“You’re a Barone. That’s why you’re not dead at my hands,” Vance says. “But I’ll wait for the Boss to deal with this. You need to leave right now.”
When Federico hesitates, Vance roars. “Now!”
Federico throws me a cryptic look before storming out of the house. It doesn’t matter how many folders they delete the videos from, it’s still playing in my head. Surprisingly, my eyes are dry, even though my heart is in the most unimaginable pain ever. Dying would be easier than this torment.