Page 80 of Light It Up Red
I rush forward and try to open it, but it doesn’t budge. Shit. Gray’s uncle? What the hell is happening? I’ve only met the man a couple of times. I’ve never even had a real conversation with him. I just need to stay calm. My father will be looking for me by now. He’ll find me. And God help anyone who tries to get in his way.
I step back when the door is flung open for a second time and a different man walks in, his eyes wide and full of fear. Lou is behind him, pressing a pistol to the back of his head.
“Darling, meet Harry. He’s a celebrant and has agreed to marry us,” Lou says while nudging the guy farther into the room. Harry trips and lands on his hands and knees. “Get the fuck up, you weak bastard,” Lou barks as spittle peppers the air.
I shake my head. This cannot be happening to me right now. “No, Lou, you need to let me go. If you stop this now, I can talk to my father. I can make sure he doesn’t kill you.”
Lou laughs. “You think I’m scared of your pathetic excuse for a father? No, we’re getting married today, Liliana. Our families will be joined. You and I will be joined. And then I’ll take over, rule that little empire of yours. It’ll be mine.”
I shake my head again. That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of it works. And I would think a man like Lou Monroe, a man who grew up in the life, would understand as much.
I don’t say any of that, though. The guy is clearly off his rocker. And I don’t want to aggravate the situation. My eyes drop to Harry, who is pulling himself up off the floor. He’s an older gentleman with gray hair and light wrinkles on his face.
“Get the paperwork. Say whatever bullshit you gotta say and get this done. My bride and I have a busy night ahead of us,” Lou says before winking at me.
My stomach twists. I swallow down the fear. Now is not the time to show fear. My attention remains hyperfocused on that gun. If I can just get it off him, I can end this. I’m not an idiot, though. Lou is a big guy. There’s no way I can overpower him without some kind of leverage.
“Sign here.” The celebrant’s hands shake as he holds out a piece of paper and a pen for me to take.
“No. I’m not marrying Lou.” My voice is firm, unwavering, as I swallow down my nerves.
“Sign the fucking papers, Liliana.” Lou turns the gun on me.
“You’re not going to shoot me. If you do, you lose everything. Everything you’re looking to gain from my family,” I tell him while hoping like hell that I’m right.
“You’re right,” he says, as if reading my mind. “I’m not going to shoot you. But him?” Lou swipes the barrel through the air and levels it at Harry. “He’s nothing. I’ll shoot him without a second thought. Do you want that kind of blood on your hands, Liliana?”
I look at the old man, who’s very clearly innocent in all this. “No, I don’t,” I say.
“Then sign on the fucking dotted line.” Lou snatches the paper and pen from Harry’s hand and shoves them towards me.
It’s just a bit of paper. It doesn’t mean anything.
That’s what I’m telling myself as I scrawl my name across the bottom of the page. I belong to Travis. Nothing Lou Monroe does to me will ever change that.
“You’re now man and wife,” the celebrant says as he stamps the documents at the bottom. The second the words are out of his mouth, the sound of gunfire blasts through my ears. Blood splatters across my face, and I blink a few times as I watch Harry’s body topple forward and hit the ground with an audible thud.
“There’s a robe in the bathroom. Clean yourself up and put it on. I’ll be back—oh, and smile, Liliana. It’s our wedding night after all. And I plan to make the experience something you’ll never forget.” Lou turns around and walks out the door, leaving me standing here staring down at Harry’s lifeless corpse, the old man’s blood pooling around what’s left of his head before seeping into the carpet.
Chapter Thirty-Six
As soon as the car comes to a stop, I jump out and run. I can hear my name being called, along with several expletives and a string of Italian I don’t understand. But the sentiment is clear. No one is happy with me right now. I don’t care. All I care about is finding her. Getting to her.
I push past the pain tearing through my body as I kick in the door. To my surprise, it caves in on the first try.
“Stop!” Mr. Valentino tugs me back by the collar of my shirt. He has a gun in each hand as he pushes past me and into the house.
I follow him, my gaze flicking around the derelict building. The house is quickly stormed by the rest of the Valentino men, each room coming up empty.
“She’s not here. Where the fuck is she? She was supposed to be fucking here!” I throw a fist through the closest wall. I barely feel it when my knuckles embed in the drywall.
Enzo turns a corner and stalks my way with a phone in one hand and a gun in the other. “This is hers. Bastard planted it,” he says.
“Alessandro, street cams. Pull up the footage. He’s been in the area recently. I wanna know what he’s driving. I want license plates and registration information,” Mr. Valentino says.
I raise my fist and slam it into the wall for a second time. “Fuck.”
With each minute that passes, my soul is dying a little more. Thoughts of what he could be doing to her plague my mind. My fist clenches again, and I pull my arm back. But before I can make contact with the wall, my arm is grabbed. I turn to see Lili’s father.
