Page 169 of The One

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She nods, beaming up at me.

I take the first step into the cool interior of the church, Mari’s hand firmly in mine.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I freeze.

No!

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Not now!

The ringing stops, and a wave of relief floods me, but uneasiness lingers.

Only three people have this number. Tiero, Romeo, and Santino. The latter two only use it for emergencies while I’m away.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I curse under my breath.

“You should take it,” Mari says, sensing the shift in my mood. Her brow furrows with concern.

I pull the sleek black phone from my pocket, my hand tight around it. I check the display.

“Santino,” I mutter more to myself than her.

A knot tightens in my stomach as the seconds tick by, my gut filling with dread as the phone continues to ring. I stab the answer button.

“Santino, what’s going on?” I demand without preamble.

Silence. Only his breathing can be heard.

Fuck. It’s bad. I can feel it.

Dread coils in my gut, thick and suffocating.

“Santino?” My voice sharpens. “Just tell me.”

A beat. Then…

“It’s your brother. He…” His voice is grim, clipped.

My stomach drops. “He what?”

“He got shot when we landed in Sicily.”

The world tilts on its axis.

“Mateo, he might not make it.”

Having heard, Mari lets out a strangled cry, clapping a hand over her mouth. Her wide, panicked eyes fly to mine, mirroring the shock hammering through me.

No.

“He’s in surgery,” Santino continues. “They’re doing everything they can.”

This can’t be happening.

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