Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“It’s for the best. Distance will allow Aurora to get you out of her mind. That’ll reduce the risk of future drama,” Massimo said.
Distance would maybe allow Aurora to get me out of her mind, but she was a constant pounding in my skull. I couldn’t shake her off. “If I wanted therapy, I’d go to a shrink.”
“The shrink that can stomach your kind of crazy doesn’t exist,” Alessio muttered, then let out a laugh as if he’d made the greatest joke of all time.
Massimo regarded me closely, though I really didn’t know how he could make out much in the dark of the studio. “You’re up to something, and I get the feeling it will cause more trouble. You should be glad Aurora is gone for a few weeks so things can calm down. You realize that, right?”
I did realize that her absence would minimize the risk of Fabiano finding out about our night together. I also realized that her absence didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t like that she was out of our territory, which meant out of my reach and sight.
“Nevio,” Massimo warned in a low voice.
I raised my palms. “I’m here and behaving, what do you want?”
“For you not to follow your first impulse for once.”
I felt naked traveling without any weapons, but considering that this was a standard charter flight and not our Camorra jet, I had to leave everything at home. I’d just have to buy a few things once I was in New York.
Massimo would probably insist his warning had triggered me like a two-year-old going through the terrible twos, but my decision to fly to New York to check on Aurora and make my standpoint clear had been made pretty much the moment I’d heard that she’d left.
After landing in New York, I went to one of the gun sellers I’d found on the darknet and got the necessities like two knives and two guns. Knowing Luca’s overbearing protectiveness, I had to stay on my toes as I walked the neighborhood of the Vitiello townhouse. I didn’t know Aurora’s schedule yet, so that posed a problem. When I eventually, after many hours of waiting, caught sight of Aurora’s face in a car, she was accompanied by Valerio. It was difficult to rate the Vitiello men on my personal dislike chart, but he was probably at the top with Amo merely because of his annoyingly sunny persona that seemed to trick some people into believing he wasn’t Luca’s bloodthirsty spawn. That guy was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I knew a mess-up when I saw one.
I followed the car in a cheap Prius that I’d bought for the occasion. Rental cars always attracted more attention. Valerio’s car disappeared in the guarded underground garage of the building complex that harbored the Famiglia gym, including Gianna’s yoga studio.
My phone vibrated in my pocket with incoming texts. I supposed Massimo and Alessio had noticed my absence by now.
I took my phone out while keeping a side-eye on the building.
The first few texts were indeed from the guys, but then there was one from Greta. She messaged me every day, mostly mundane stuff, but without having opened her message, I had a feeling this wasn’t simply one of these life-update texts.
Where are you? Alessio and Massimo are worried.
Of course, those two had to blab to Greta about my disappearance. They knew me too well. That was why real serial killers never had close friends.
I talked to Aurora.
That caught my interest. I dialed my sister’s number, and she picked up after the second ring.
“We should meet. I don’t want to discuss this over the phone.”
Greta released a small sigh that reminded me of Nino. It held a quiet but firm message full of disapproval. “You’re here?”
“Where can we meet, without your husband? I hope you won’t tell him anything.”
“I’m alone at home right now. I can leave, and we can meet in a park or café.”
“I’ll pick you up. I don’t want you running around alone.”
“I’m safe.”
It was strange to think that her safety wasn’t supposed to be my concern anymore. And now I was supposed to swallow the bitter pill of Aurora finding a new home in New York as well? Fuck it.
I hung up after we’d ironed out a park close to Greta’s apartment where we could meet. Of course, I didn’t head there. Instead I drove directly to the apartment. She left the building when I pulled up. Her eyes immediately went to my car. She ignored it and walked down the sidewalk, away from the surveillance cameras of the building. The smallest hitch in her walk from the injuries she’d suffered let new rage boil up inside me, but I wasn’t here to revisit my failures from the past. Well, not how I failed my sister. I smiled sardonically. I followed slowly until she eventually stopped and got into my car. She hugged me tightly. “I worry about you.”