Chapter 2 - The Safehouse
The diner suddenly felt entirely too small.
I stumbled backward until my back hit the edge of a cold vinyl booth.
"You are lying," I choked out.
"Victoria would never do something like that to her own sister."
Dante reached into his overcoat and pulled out a folded piece of heavy parchment.
He handed it to me.
My hands trembled as I unfolded the Russian syndicate contract.
At the bottom of the page, right beneath my father's messy signature, was my sister's elegant handwriting as the primary witness.
She had signed away my life.
"Why would she do this?" I asked, tears finally spilling down my cheeks.
"Because she has always wanted the power of a cartel boss's wife," Dante said.
"She knew I loved you, and she knew I would do anything to keep you safe."
"She created a hostage situation where I had to marry her to establish a blood tie and protect you from the Russians."
I looked up at the man I had loved for eight years.
He had sacrificed his own happiness to build a shield around me.
"I spent three years hating you," I whispered.
"I know," Dante replied softly.
He raised his hand and gently wiped a tear from my cheek.
"But you are back now, and I finally get to meet my son."
I leaned into his touch for exactly one second before my phone buzzed violently in my pocket.
It was a text message from Mia.
I pulled it out and read the single line of text on the screen.
"Men with guns are surrounding the car."
I gasped and showed the screen to Dante.
Dante's eyes turned entirely black.
He pulled a heavy handgun from his shoulder holster.
"They tracked your phone," Dante growled.
We sprinted out of the diner and into the freezing rain.
The street where I had parked the rental car was completely empty.
Shattered glass glittered on the wet pavement under the streetlight.
My rental car was gone.
Mia and Leo had vanished.
May you like
A black sleek sedan slowly turned the corner and rolled toward us.
The passenger window rolled down to reveal my sister Victoria smiling brightly.
