Page 79 of Ruined

I clench my jaw. "This can't wait."

"It'll have to." Her voice is firm. She's not afraid of me—never has been. That's the thing about Lucrezia, she grew up surrounded by killers. Takes more than my scowl to scare her.

"Fine." I cross my arms, leaning against the wall. "How long?"

"Twenty minutes, maybe." She studies my face. "You look like shit."

"Thanks."

"Is this about Evelyn?" she asks, her voice dropping lower.

I don't answer, which is answer enough.

I check my phone. No messages from Matteo. That's good—means everything's quiet at the apartment. Evelyn's safe. For now.

"How's she handling her sister being missing?" Lucrezia asks.

"How do you think? She blames herself. Blames me more."

"She's wrong not to blame Ivan."

"I'm the one who took her," I say, the words tasting bitter. "I started this."

Lucrezia shakes her head. "Ivan was coming for her. You just got there first."

I shake my head, running a hand through my hair. "She doesn't get it. Evelyn's not part of this world. She doesn't understand what Ivan would have done to her."

Lucrezia's eyes soften. "She will soon enough. Ivan's not known for his subtlety."

"That's what I'm afraid of." I push off from the wall, pacing the foyer. My boots echo against the marble floor. "She thinks I'm the monster in this story. That if I'd just left her alone, everything would be fine."

"And what would have happened if you had?"

I stop pacing, looking Lucrezia dead in the eyes. "Ivan would have taken her that night. He'd have broken her. Used her. Then discarded her when he was done."

"And now?"

"Now he's taken her sister and her friend to get to her." I clench my fists so tight my knuckles almost open up again. "She thinks if she just surrenders herself to him, he'll let them go."

Lucrezia laughs bitterly. "We both know that's not how this works."

"Yeah." I check my phone again. Still nothing from Matteo. "She blames me for starting a war. Says I should trade her for her sister."

"And will you?"

The question hangs in the air between us. For a second I imagine doing it—handing Evelyn over to Ivan, watching her walk away from me. The thought makes my blood run cold.

"No." The word comes out like a growl. "Never."

Lucrezia nods, like she expected nothing less. "Then you better make her understand why. Before she does something stupid."

I check my watch for the tenth time. Fifteen minutes have passed. Five more to go. I can't stand still so I pace the hallway outside Damiano's office like a caged animal.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Lucrezia says, watching me from where she's perched on a decorative bench.

"He needs to hurry the fuck up." My voice comes out rough, impatient.

Just as I'm about to bang on Damiano's door it swings open. He emerges looking tired, his suit jacket slung over one shoulder.

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