Page 18 of Brightness

He shrugs. “I don’t think so. I believe my stomach goes the full length of my torso, then down my legs, at which point, it’s bottomless.”

I snort out a laugh while rolling my eyes. “Hopefully they will feed us where we’re going.”

“Feed us to the wolves, more like it.” Dash eyes the men in the front of the car warily.

“I don’t know. It seems to me like they really just want to help Mia.” I take a drink from the water bottle Tony gave me, which he said I needed to drink before we arrive. Dash drank some of it first and waited twenty minutes for a reaction, just to be safe.

“You trust too easily.”

“Maybe you don’t trust enough?” I smile, and he bumps his shoulder into mine.

“I trust you.”

“Then trust me when I say we’re going to be fine. From the sounds of it, Tony and Matteo only have Mia’s best interests at heart. They’re trying to look out for their family.”

Dash’s stomach growls again, so he grabs the backrest of the driver’s seat and leans through the gap in the middle. “Yo, chauffeur. Can we drive through a Chick-fil-A? I have a hankering for a Deluxe.”

The front passenger pulls out a gun and aims it at Dash’s head. “Sit back and shut up. We’re almost there.”

I stifle a small giggle.

Dash raises his hands in surrender before slumping back into his seat. “Geez, man. Hunger pangs make some people real snappy.”

Looping my arm with Dash’s, I say, “Stop causing trouble.”

Dash flashes his lopsided smirk, then winks. “My middle name is trouble.”

I groan. “Pleeease stop!”

He chuckles under his breath. The car turns a corner, then pulls down a pristine street. Off to the left is a waterway sparkling in the evening sun. Boats line the docks in the marina, swaying in the gentle breeze.

The cars pull into a white driveway lined with giant palm trees. The house in front of us is huge—all red brick and beams with massive windows. The front lawn is perfectly manicured, almost like someone has cut it with a pair of scissors, making this exude Floridian paradise. Except for all the security cameras—attached to the overhangs of the roofing, they give the place a menacing tone.

It’s gorgeous. Like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I wish Eva were here to witness this splendor.

Dash’s stomach rumbles again, breaking me from my daze as the car halts completely. My face is practically smooshed against the window as I try to take it all in.

The front passenger steps out and comes around to my side, then opens the door. “Miss Pérez. If you’d follow me?”

I glimpse over my shoulder at Dash.

“She’s not going anywhere without me,” Dash grunts as I slide out of the car.

Dash follows, and the soldier reaches out, grabbing me by the arm. Dash instantly hoists his gun, aiming it directly at the guy. “Get your fucking hand off her. You want her to go somewhere, you ask her nicely, like a damn gentleman. You do not, I repeat, you do not manhandle her, or I will put a bullet in your skull.”

The soldier drops my arm as Tony and Matteo storm over with anger crossing their faces.

“What the hell is going on?” Tony asks, his voice louder than necessary. “Why are you aiming your weapon?”

Grabbing Dash’s loaded hand, I pull it down, placating him. “Simple misunderstanding. Everything’s cool here, right, guys?” I offer as the two men stare each other down.

Dash curls his lip but stows his weapon as the Mafia soldier rolls his shoulders.

“I was bringing her over for you, Tony.”

“Ivy is an honored guest in this house. We treat her as such, capisci?”

“Yes, sir.”

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