Page 45 of Dangerous Games of Trust

I know Alessandro and Geovani are right behind me, I can hear them screaming to me to come back as they chase me down.

I’m not letting them catch me this time. I slip down another side street and duck under a fence into the back of a restaurant. The waft of Italian food fills the air. I run right through the back door and down a corridor, through the main dining room, nearly colliding with a waiter as I go. A plate of spaghetti falls to the floor, but I don’t have time to stop and check on him.

“Hey, watch out,” he yells after me, but I’m not stopping for anyone.

“Sorry,” I offer a wave as I plunge through the front glass door and into the cool of night once more. I glance up one side of the street then the other. I don’t have a plan. All I know is I can’t goback to Geovani’s with him. I take a right and fly back onto the main street then turn a corner and slip into an alleyway.

The light from the busy street doesn’t reach this part, and when I turn the corner and see a dead end, I stop for a second to catch my breath. Clutching my chest, I suck in ragged breaths. My ribcage burns, pain from running, pain from leaving them, but they left me no choice. I’m trembling all over, the adrenaline spiking in my veins. What the fuck am I going to do? I know how stupid it is to run from their protection. I couldn’t stay there with them either. I’m not safe with them. I’m not safe anywhere. I’m petrified, and I’m not thinking straight.

I scan the alleyway, looking for a safe exit. Or any exit. I see that I’m surrounded by brick walls of buildings and apartments. The only way out is to head back to the main street or climb. I lean into the door behind me and slide down to the ground, burying my head in my hands, more exhausted than I have ever been in my life.

Everything starts piling up on me. Knowing it was Enzo who took my ma from me, the lies, the secrets, the way they all look at me like I’m theirs, the new responsibility that’s on my shoulders with my papa’s businesses. It’s all too much. I want to be strong, to be able to work it all out. To get the revenge I set out for. Every day something new gets thrown at me.

My phone rings, echoing off the walls of the empty alley, abruptly bringing me back to life. I jump to pull it from my cargo pants pocket and flick it to silent. It’s Geovani, and I’m not surprised. He calls repeatedly, and I just stare down at my screen, watching his name light it up. He must be frantic. I can’t answer now. I’m too scared to answer. I don’t like what I saw tonight. Maybe part of me understands why they had to deal with him. Did it have to be like that? Why did I have to be there to see it? I didn’t need to see the pure brutality. Geovani was so…It was like it was fun, for him. He gets a kick out of killing people. Bad people, but still.

Eventually he tires of calling me, and I pull my jacket closer around my middle, moving my legs up higher. I clutch the necklace Maddox gave me, a shiver from the icy chill of the late time of night running over me. When he gave me this, I felt safe, like I knew I could count on him, but after the way he looked at me tonight, I don’t think that’s so true anymore. I can’t press this and be whisked off to safety. He’s with them, and none of them are safe.

Checking my phone, I see it’s one a.m. I have been here alone for nearly an hour. My phone has stopped ringing, and the adrenaline has calmed down a little. It might be time for me to leave the safety of the alley before I freeze to death. I’m not sure where to go next. I have no access to my money and no connections or anywhere to go. And something keeps me here rooted to the spot. I’m scared to go out into the world without them just as much as I’m scared to be with them.

A text pops into my phone.

GEOVANI: You’re not safe out there alone.

What does he expect me to write back to that? I stare at the screen, wondering if I should ignore his message. Part of me wants to text him back to let him know I’m still alive.

HARLEY: I’m not safe with you!

GEOVANI: Leave the alley now, and I promise to find you somewhere safe away from me.

Promises, promises. Goosebumps rise over my skin. How can he see me here? I can’t see a camera pointed at me or anything like that. There is literally nowhere I can hide from him. With shaky legs, I push up to standing and walk toward the corner of the building. Glancing toward the street, I make out a Geovani-shaped figure standing in the shadows. My heart nearly stops. He fucking found me. But I shouldn’t be so surprised. He alwayspromised me he would. I just thought that maybe tonight I outsmarted him.

I pull out my phone again and start typing with shaky hands.

HARLEY: No! I’m safer here getting eaten by the rats than coming back to you.

Another number my phone doesn’t recognize pings with a message.

UNKNOWN: You have five minutes to take us up on our offer, princess, or we’re hunting you down. Trust me when I say you won’t like that option.

I glance down the alley again and see him. Alessandro is standing with Geovani. Nice to know I have reunited their friendship. How fucking adorable.

I look over my shoulder. The wall is high, like maybe eight feet, but I could try and take it on. I take a deep breath. Pocketing my phone, I move toward the wall, finding gaps between the bricks where my fingers can grip. I start to climb. My boots fit perfectly in the gaps as well, and before I know it, I’m halfway up the wall. My heart races wildly because I know I’m running out of time, but I’m getting closer to the top. As my fingers reach the top, a shadowy figure comes toward me, and I lock eyes with him. It’s Maddox. Panic courses through me. Fuck. I’m out of time. “Just let me go,” I cry.

“You know I can’t,” he taunts me.

I go to swing my leg over the wall as he lunges at me, capturing my boot with his hands. I grip onto the wall, trying with all my might to fight him off, but he’s too strong for me, and my sweaty hands slip. I lose my grip, falling into Maddox’s waiting arms. Fuck.

I stare up at him, my heart racing out of my chest.

“Still trying to run, temptress! You should know by now there is no escaping us.”

I shove at him, so frustrated I couldn’t escape him. I’m close to tears, but I won’t let him see me cry. Not tonight.

He carries me away from the wall, and as we move closer to the street, I can make out the other two. Alessandro is leaning against the brick wall, his leg propped up casually, and Ricky stands by his Army-style Jeep. No fancy Hummer or security guards in sight. The whole fucked-up crew is here. Good for me.

Maddox sets me down on the street.

Alessandro is the first to approach, looking at me like I’m a skittish animal about to flee again. “That wasn’t very smart, princess,” he tuts, circling me with cruel calculation, like I’m his prey.

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