Page 94 of Runaway Queen

“Mom! You’re squeezing me like a lemon!”

“Sorry. I’m sorry. I’ve just missed you so much,” I muttered, easing back enough to check him over carefully. “Are you hurt?”

Leo shook his head. “Just tired. I stayed up all night, and I met my uncle!”

“Did you?”

Leo nodded enthusiastically. “He was so nice. He took me to meet Angelo, and we came out of a secret tunnel, like in the movies.”

“That’s amazing… and what about your uncle now? Where is he?”

“He stayed behind at the house.”

I jumped when Chiara put a hand on my shoulder. Releasing Leo, I pulled her close to me and breathed in her perfume.

“Thank God you’re okay. You’re okay, aren’t you?”

She nodded. “I’m okay. It’s all okay. It wasn’t that bad.”

“Agree to disagree. I’ve died ten times over since it happened. But I felt stronger, knowing you were with him.” I pulled back, more tears falling. I stroked my best friend’s hair. “Thank you for being with him.”

“It’s my honor. Don’t thank me. Like I’d let them take my little lion and not fight to go with them?”

I hugged her close, my face hidden in her hair. After a long moment, I knew I couldn’t put off asking what I needed to know for one more second.

Angelo was stroking Chiara’s back.

“Are you okay?” I looked at his arm.

“It’s just a scratch. You should see the other guy.”

“I take it he’s dead.”

“Damn straight.”

“How did you know about the tunnel? Did Renato help you?”

Angelo nodded. “He met Nikolai nearly a week ago, and they planned for this. Sofia, I’m pretty sure your father is dead by now.”

I swallowed hard and asked the question that terrified me. “And Nikolai? Where is he?”

Angelo’s long exhale made my anxiety only worse.

“At the house. My role wasn’t to help him, it was to get Chiara and Leo out. I had to protect them. I don’t know what happened after… if the plan worked out, he’s alive and well.”

“If not?”

Angelo jerked his head toward the cars. “If not, we need to get in the car, start driving, and not stop until we reach the West Coast.”

“No. I’m not running away from my father again. I won’t.” Violent menace coated my words. “I’m going up there to see what happened to Nikolai and Renato.”

“Sofia, you need to keep Leo safe,” Angelo started and stopped as his phone rang. He cut off to answer.

Chiara pulled me close again. “Don’t worry. You think Antonio can stack up against Ren and Nikolai combined?”

Angelo turned back, hanging up the call. “He couldn’t. That was your brother. Let’s go.”

“Where?”

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