Page 13 of Matteo
She fished out her phone from her back pocket, and the next forty-eight hours were nothing short of a nightmare. Dad and his men came and got us. Dad kept it together, calling in my uncles, his friends, and every single favor under the sun, but Mom… she was falling apart with each passing hour.
The questions on everyone’s minds:Where’s the ransom? Are they asking for a ransom? There has to be a ransom, right?
By day two, Mom was so hysterical she had to be medicated. My brothers tried to keep brave faces, but they were terrified. Hannah tried to hide her fear and uncertainty, but her red-rimmed eyes betrayed her.
And me… I was out of my mind. Why did I let go of her hand? Why did we sneak out? So manywhys and I had no answers.
Dad rented a house in West Virginia near the club we attended and ordered us not to move a muscle. But every single hour that ticked by, the urge to go back and retrace our steps gnawed at me.
So finally, no longer willing to sit tight and wait, I snuck out of the house and drove to the parking lot of the club, hoping I’d be able to see more in the light of day.
I parked and practically jumped out of the car when I spotted a man leaning against the doorway, his ruthless yet refined gaze meeting mine. He wore a well-fitting suit, which looked out of place in this West Virginia club, and I couldn’t help but feel like it disguised a savage façade.
Taking in a shuddering breath, I closed the distance between us.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for someone.” His quiet laugh mocked the stupidity of my statement. “My little sister...” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Are you the owner? I needto see video surveillance from two nights ago. It’s… My sister disappeared here, and she’s only fourteen.”
Tears burned in my eyes, thinking about how terrified she must be.
“And you think your daddy didn’t already think to hack into it?”
Something cold shot through me, and my knee-jerk response was to turn around and run. But instead, I remained glued to my spot. He knew something. He knew Dad.
“He would…” I said, watching him as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Let me guess, your parents don’t know you’re here.” My silence was answer enough, and he shook his head disapprovingly. “That wasn’t smart. Is it Arianna or Hannah?”
“A-Arianna,” I stuttered, then shoved my fear into a corner to deal with later. “And you are?”
He blew out a breath like I was amusing him. Or maybe I was annoying him?
“Maybe one day you’ll learn, little Arianna,” he said. Angry shouts and screams came from the inside and I swallowed, an unpleasant taste filling my mouth.
My stomach tightened and I stared at the man, realizing I might have made a fatal mistake as I watched a flicker of darkness cross his eyes.
“Get in your car and start it. Keep the doors unlocked until she’s with you. Do not leave the car under any circumstance. Just wait for her.”
Who?I wanted to ask, but as soon as the last word left his lips, he disappeared in the direction of the shouting.
I couldn’t explain why, but I ran back to the car and did exactly what the stranger said. It was only a few minutes before Gianna’s wild hair and pale face burst through the same door, and she ran toward me like the devil was on her heels.
I wanted to jump out and join her, but the man’s warning played on a loop in my mind.
“Come on, come on, come on,” I whispered, my chest twisting as I counted my sister’s steps.
Behind her, men barged out the door, waving their guns and shouting at her.
The car was already in drive when Gianna yanked the door open and threw herself in. I didn’t even wait for it to shut as I pressed on the gas.
“Oh my God, Gianna. Oh my God, are you okay? Are you okay?” I wanted to hug her and inspect her beautiful face, but I was scared to stop or let go of the wheel. She threw herself into my side and hugged me, crying and laughing.She must be delirious, I thought. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes… Just get us out of here.”
We were driving down a deserted road, my heart hammering in my chest. The wheel was unstable under my hands, my foot heavy on the accelerator.
“They’re following us,” Gianna cried, spinning back around to face the front windshield. “We won’t make it.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed even harder on the gas. In my periphery, I watched her grip her seat belt like it was the last thing she’d ever do.
