CHAPTER 30
JULIA

“Matteo, what would you like for lunch honey?”

“Peanut butter and jelly. With chips?”

“You had that yesterday. You don’t want something different?” I asked.

“Please?”

“Ah, how can I resist you when you look so cute and use your manners?”

I stood in the kitchen and began putting some lunch together for us. My mind was fraught with ideas on how to move against my uncle, and I was waiting for a call from Romeo. I’d sent him a message earlier that morning telling him I needed to talk at his earliest convenience. I hadn’t heard from him, so I assumed he was working on plans of his own. Which was fine. Us being able to fuse our plans together would ensure a much better outcome than if either of us were doing this alone. But the later in the afternoon it became, the more worried I grew that something was wrong.

“What would you like to drink?” I asked.

“Milk?”

“Chocolate or regular?”

“You guys have to get out of here now!”

Enrico busted into the kitchen, wielding his firearm as his eyes grew wide. He rushed over to the table and picked up my son, throwing him over his shoulder. My plate clattered to the ground as I yelled after him, rushing to his side and trying to wrangle my son from him.

“What are you doing? Let go of Matteo!”

“You two have to get out of here and now,” Enrico said.

“Let go of him. You're scaring him!” Was this some sort of trick? Part of Stefano’s plan?

“Mommy. What’s wrong?” my son asked.

“I don’t know, honey. Enrico, give me my son now!”

Enrico dropped Matteo into my arms, and I cradled his terrified body in my arms.

“Stefano knows,” Enrico said.

My stomach dropped to my toes and my eyes widened.

“What? How is that possible?” I asked.

“The two of you need to go—now.”

Enrico wrenched my arm toward the door, and I didn’t try to stop him. My mind was at a dead standstill. Stefano knew about my plans? How was that possible? I’d been careful. I’d been quick. I only talked to people I trusted. People I’d been around my entire life who had been loyal to my father and loyal to his wishes.

“How did this happen?” I asked.

“We don’t have time,” Enrico said. “Stefano’s on his way. The two of you need to get as far away from here as possible and quickly.”

“Enrico, you’re hurting me. Stop.”

“Get in the car and get out of here. Now,” he said.

I was clinging to my crying son as he tossed me toward my car. I was torn. I didn’t know if I could trust Enrico. But the panic in his voice and his eyes was unmistakable. He tossed my keys toward me, and I opened the door, then got Matteo situated in his booster chair.

“We need our things,” I said.

“Where are they?” Enrico asked.

“Our closets. Mine and Matteo’s. I uh—”

I looked up into Enrico’s eyes. He nodded.

“Good girl. I know. I’ve got them. Crank up the damn car and get ready. Because once these bags are in your trunk, you’re out of here. Do you hear me?”

I nodded breathlessly and ducked into the car. My son was rubbing tears from his eyes as his hands shook. I felt terrible. Guilty beyond belief. This wasn’t the life I’d promised him. I promised him happiness and butterflies and safety. And now? We were running for our lives. Enrico ran out of the house with our bags grasped firmly in his hands and his gun protruding from the belt of his pants. I opened the trunk and he threw everything in, then shut the door and came around to me.

I sensed Enrico wanted to tell me something, but two black SUVs came to a screeching halt at the back end of the house.

“We’re out of time,” Enrico said as he cocked his gun. “Get out of here.”

“Get in with us,” I said.

“No. I have to hold them off so the two of you can get out of sight. Now go!”

“Enrico! Please!”

I reached for his wrist and tugged at him. I needed him to get in the car. To stay with Matteo and me. It didn’t matter to me that he was in love with me. It didn’t matter to me that he ultimately answered to Stefano because of his position. I trusted Enrico. It was clear he only wanted what was best for myself and Matteo. We would be safe with him. Protected, until we could get to Romeo and figure all of this out. Enrico was my best friend. The man that had been there for the birth of my son. “Please,” I said breathlessly as tears sprang to my eyes.

“You need to get Matteo out of here,” he said as he removed my hand from his wrist. “And Julia?”

“Yes?” I asked, tears streaming down my face.

“All I ever wanted was to do the right thing by you. I love you, Julia.”

He reached his hand through the window and cupped my cheek, allowing the heat of his touch to linger on my skin. He brushed one of my tears away, and I committed him to memory because I knew this was it.

I knew I wouldn’t see him again after this.

“Now go,” he said. “Get Matteo out of here!”

Enrico drew his gun and began marching toward the house. He fired shot after shot at the SUVs as men came charging out of all sides of the vehicles. The sounds broke me from my fear-based paralysis and I threw the car into reverse. I jammed the gas pedal down to the floor as I blocked out Matteo’s gut-wrenching sobs. The tires of the car squealed as I charged down the driveway, my hand wrapped around the passenger seat and my eyes torn away from Enrico.

The gunshots made me sick, and I knew if I looked back I’d see him lying on the ground.

I got to the end of the driveway and careened the car around. I shifted gears and chanced a look back, my eyes taking in the terrible sight before me. I watched as Enrico’s arms shot out beside him, his gun clattering to the pavement. He dropped to his knees as men approached him from all sides.

“No!” I exclaimed. “Enrico!”

Then I watched the men turn their guns toward my car.

I tore down the road, driving as fast as I could. I looked behind me before I turned a corner and saw one of the SUVs pull out onto the road. I dodged traffic and weaved in and out of cars, but the SUV had no issues plowing through the people I was trying to avoid. Matteo was sobbing in the backseat. My heart was breaking.

Enrico.

They killed my best friend, and now they were after my son and me.

The SUV was gaining on me. I watched as another followed chase from the alleyway. I was outnumbered, and their vehicles were faster than mine. I slammed down onto the gas pedal and ran through a red light as my hand dug into my pocket.

I pulled out my phone and hit the number “1,” then sent the call out to Romeo.

“Julia. What’s wrong?”

“Stefano knows, Romeo!”

A gunshot fired past my car forced me down into an alleyway.

“Julia, where are you?”

“They killed Enrico,” I said as tears flowed down my face. “Matteo’s in the backseat. They’re coming for us. He’s coming for us.”

“Listen to me. I need you to tell me where you are.”

“They have guns. I don’t have any guns. Matteo is so scared, Romeo. What am I supposed to do?”

“Look around you,” he said. “Tell me what you see?”

I whipped around a corner and dumped back out into the street after crashing into some trash cans.

“Apartments. A pizza shop. So many people running. There are two black SUVs following me. Ah!”

Gunshots hit the back end of my car, shattering the brake lights.

“Julia!”

“Romeo, they’re going to kill us,” I said trying not to scream.

“What streets are you passing?” he asked.

My eyes fluttered out the window, but I was going too quickly to clock them.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, Romeo. I’m going too fast. Central Park!”

“What?”

“I just went past Central Park.”

“Okay. Good girl. Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to keep away from those SUVs as much as you can. Keep your cell phone on and hide it away. I’m coming for you. Do you hear me?”

My tires squealed as I came around a corner hot. The road was a one-way street—I was going the wrong way. I blew my horn while Matteo’s sobs turned to shrieks, and my heart shattered into a million pieces when I took a look at his face in the rearview mirror.

He was petrified.

“Julia!”

“Yes?” I asked breathlessly.

“I’m going to hang up the call, but don’t you dare turn off your phone. Stay away from those SUVs. Give me ten minutes. I’ll be there with you. I’ll rescue you.”

“Romeo please help us!”

More bullets whizzed by my car, shattering my side windows and forcing me down another alleyway. I crashed through a gate and tried to keep control of the car. I could feel it scraping against the brick buildings before we dumped onto a back road.

“Okay,” I said. “Okay. Ten minutes.”