Page 80 of Weaponized

“All his stuff is still at his place,” Anthony says miserably. “The Jeep is gone though. We checked everywhere we can think of.”

“Umberto doesn’t know where he is either,” Matteo continues. “He seems worried.”

“I bet,” I scoff in return. Umberto is watching his family practically disintegrate before his eyes.“I couldn’t find him either. He’s probably—” I’m cut off when my phone makes a weird whooping sound. I thought I had silenced it. I reach across the counter where it sits on a charger.

“What the hell is that?” Matt asks, annoyed at the sound.

I glance at my screen and I’m instantly overcome with panic. “It’s Gráinne’s distress alarm.” I’m tapping away to find her location. It has to be a mistake, right? I didn’t even remember that I still had the app, but she’d explained that she could turn it off if it was set off in error. Why isn’t it stopping? It doesn’t stop until I tap on her location.

“She has an alarm on her?” Anthony asks.

“Fucking Christ!” The alarm shuts off abruptly as I see her whereabouts. I run to the spot where my keys are kept.

“Whoa! What’s happening, Luca?” Matteo is also now on full alert, ready to spring into action.

“The map shows her location. It’s Umberto’s camp.”

No more words are needed. All three of us are in motion, and Matt is first to push me out of the way. “My car is faster than yours.” I don’t argue.

It’s typically a forty-five-minute trip and Matteo is doing his level best to get us there in under thirty. My shouting at him to drive faster isn’t helping, but I can’t stop. An oily fear coats my insides. What if we don’t get there in time? He’s already proven he’s willing to hurt her.

“Call Pop,” I instruct as we get closer. “We should have called Pop.” I clench my jaw, while Anthony follows my directions. I barely process him relaying the information.

What feels like an eternity later, we pull up the dirt road that leads to Umberto’s fishing cabin. I see Gianni’s Jeep parked at an angle in front, and my heart starts pounding as though it wants to escape my chest. I don’t wait for Matteo to completely stop the car as I open the door and jump.

I stumble a bit on my landing since the car was still moving but I don’t let that stop me. I reach the front door within seconds and turn the knob. It’s locked. I pound on it with my fist. “Gianni! Open the fucking door!” When I hear no answer, I step back and ram it with my shoulder. It starts to give at the hinges. Anthony is saying something behind me, but I can’t hear him over the blood rushing in my ears. I do it once more and the door breaks.

I will remember the next few seconds for the rest of my life. I will have nightmares in the future that make my past nightmares look meek. In reality, the course of events took all of about thirty seconds. In my brain, everything plays out in slow motion.

I see Gianni looking shocked, standing over the couch. He is hurrying to zip his pants, fumbling. Shaking. Bleeding. I see Gráinne sprawled on the sofa he’s standing over. Her leggings are torn. I can see her panties. Her sweater has been pushed up and her bra is on display. One breast is slightly out of the cup. Her hands and feet are tied. Her face is covered in blood. Her blond hair is matted with it. I can’t tell if she’s alive. She doesn’t appear to be moving.She isn’t moving.

I rush Gianni so fast that he doesn’t have time to speak, never mind time to react. I pick him up with one arm around his neck and twist his head with my free hand.I hear the sound of the snap, and I release him. He hits the ground with a thud.

I move around him to get to Gráinne. “Angel, please.” I drop to my knees beside her, brush her hair from her face. “Gráinne. Wake up, beautiful. Come on.” Nothing. She remains still. Matteo shoves in beside me. Reaches out to touch her. I growl, but he ignores me.

“She has a pulse,” he says in a choked voice.

Before I can react to that news, Rowan O’Toole is standing in the doorway with a gun trained on us. “Get away from my sister!”

“We didn’t—” Matteo starts, but Rowan is having none of it.

“I will shoot you in the fucking head, Larozzi.” He grits out. Matteo moves back, but I bend to pick up my angel. She is limp in my arms.

“We need to get her to the hospital.” My voice is hoarse. I move forward despite Rowan’s threat. She needs help.She has a pulse.

Rowan’s eyes are darting all over the room. I see when he notices Gianni. “Fuuuuuck!” he shouts. “What the fuck did he do to—”

“We have to go,” Anthony interrupts in a weak voice. “We have to get her help. The nearest hospital is about fifteen minutes from here.” He’s tapping on his phone, distraught.

“I’ll get her there quicker. Put her in my car.” Rowan holsters his gun and runs to his car to open the door. I don’t argue.

I follow behind him at a jog, murmuring to my girl the whole way, “It’s going to be okay, Angel. You’re going to be okay. Just hang on for me. Just hang on.” I gently climb into Rowan’s back seat,cradling his bleeding sister in my arms. I adjust her sweater with my trembling fingers.

Rowan slides behind the wheel and looks over his shoulder. “Get the fuck out of my car, you motherfucker.” His voice is deadly.

“Just drive for fuck’s sake. Drive!”

He listens. He gives his navigation system some sort of verbal direction as he pulls down the dirt driveway. It’s as if he’s an IndyCar driver. It’s still the longest ride of my life.

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