Page 80 of Worth the Risk

Her gaze scanned along the entire back wall, seeing no one.

“He’s taken care of. You should know Giordanos don’t leave loose ends.”

Bella swallowed hard knowing she was one.

“How did you get inside? They have pass cards and thumbprint scanners.”

“The little waitress was hard up for cash. Lisa, I believe her name was. Such a shame. She was so young. As are you...”

Her gaze clashed with the man she’d known as her uncle for practically her entire life. His knitted brow and downturned lips as close to a sorrowful expression as she had ever witnessed from him.

“So beautiful. Like your mother. If you hadn’t been in the wrong place at the wrong time...”

“Lorenzo ordered the hit?” she asked, blinking back tears. She knew the answer but for some reason had to hear it.

“My brother has a say in all important matters, yes.” He raised his hand as if he’d stroke her face, but she recoiled. “I’ll make it painless, Bella. I owe you that much.”

“Spare me any favors,” she spat. “You should worry about your soul. There’s a special place in hell for murderers, especially for monsters who kill their family like you and dear old Dad.”

“We both know you don’t possess a drop of Giordano blood.”

She blinked, surprised Lorenzo shared his closely guarded secret. “I suppose in your mind that makes it justifiable homicide, doesn’t it, Paulo? Once I’m gone, have you considered that you might be the next loose end?”

His face tensed, all softness quickly fading. “Get in the goddamn car!” he barked. When she climbed in next to Dan, who worried her because he hadn’t so much as twitched, Paolo got into the front seat. “Ernesto! Luka! We need to go now before someone raises the alarm.”

Ernie stuffed his brother into the cargo hold with the still-unconscious Marcy then came around and squeezed in beside Bella. Not wanting to touch him, she scooted close to Dan, molding her body to his side. Even though he didn’t move, his warmth comforted her some small bit. She picked up his hand, angry upon seeing the tightly wound rope around wrists. What did they expect him to do while out cold? She threaded their fingers together, clinging to him and the waning hope he would wake and figure out how to get them out of this.

Luka slid behind the wheel, shifted the Cadillac into gear, and exited without incident through the back service and delivery entrance.

As they left the club behind and drove farther away from the men inside, who were the best hope they had of getting out of this alive, fear overwhelmed her, and a sob escaped. The men ignored her distress, except for one who squeezed her hand in gentle reassurance.

Bella wanted to shout for joy that Paulo’s blow to the head hadn’t permanently scrambled his brains. Somehow, she managed not to react. With renewed optimism, she sat quietly with full faith that Dan would come up with a plan to get them out of this.

***

PLAYING POSSUM WASN’Tas easy as it sounded, especially with a pounding headache and intermittent waves of nausea assaulting him. He’d taken a risk by letting Bella know he wasn’t still out of it, but he needed her alert and ready to act, not falling apart.

“Fucking hell,” the driver suddenly growled.

“What’s wrong?” he heard from the front seat.

“Traffic is slowing. There must be an accident up ahead.”

“Or a road block. Get us off this road,” the older man who was apparently in charge demanded. “Tony Rossi isn’t stupid. He and his men have a hand in this.”

“But—”

“Don’t argue. Just do it,” he barked at the driver.

“Okay,” the huge man replied in a tone that said,you asked for it. “Hang on.”

The SUV suddenly lurched forward. When they hit a bump and then another, the passengers shouted in alarm as they were jerked and jostled. Bella who wasn’t buckled in, landed on the floorboard with a startled yelp.

This was his chance.

Danreached over, jerked the gun from Ernie’s belt, and aimed it at the older man’s head. Just as quickly, and despite his bound wrists, he wrapped his forearm around the driver’s throat and squeezed.

He reacted, wrenching the wheel to the right, sideswiping a van. He then veered violently to the left, as if trying to shake him free. They hit the shoulder and went airborne, tossing everyone about, except the driver and Dan who held on with his sleeper hold.

---