Page 55 of The Don

“I am so sorry, bella. You have to come with me.”

Her fingers tangle with mine, and she nods her head quickly. “Okay.” That one word breaks my heart.

Pedro says something that I ignore.

“Will he be okay?” she asks, glancing quickly down at Lorenzo.

“Of course, he will,” Pedro yells. “If we leave soon.”

I begin to pull Shae toward the car along the curb. As we pass, I look at Lorenzo, struggling on the ground, and fix him in my gaze. “Relax,” I tell him. “Don’t bleed out. I still need you.”

“Padrino.” He winces as he says that word.

Shae turns to look at Lorenzo, and I have to pull her along with gentle promises that he will recover.

Promises that make Pedro chuckle.

I add his laughter to the list of reasons The Board will regret taking me in this way.

22GIULIO

THE NEXT DAY

I hopethat when we arrive in Palermo, everything will be explained. I call Salvatore as soon as we land, and his mobile phone is turned off. It doesn’t even ring anymore. Maybe it’s dead.

Maybe he’s dead.

I call Federico while we wait for the plane door to open, but his phone just rings and rings.

I try Lorenzo next; switching back and forth between them like I have since last night.

When I hear Lorenzo’s weak voice on the other end of the line, I stop walking immediately, and my heart starts racing.

“Giulio,” the other man says.

“Where the fuck have you been? Where is Salvo?”

He takes a slow, labored breath while I fight the urge to scream.

“What’s going on?” Alfonso says. “Where are they?”

He’s huddling close to me, trying to hear, but I can’t put the call on speakerphone.

“Where are you, Giulio?”

“Where are you?” I say, much louder and with more force than I mean.

“At the hospital. Are you at the airport?”

“Yes. What hospital?”

“It doesn’t matter. Tommaso will collect you, and we’ll talk when you arrive.” He hangs up, and I don’t scream necessarily, but a woman does clutch her children to her side at my loud grunt. I scowl at her.

“What hospital?” Alfonso asks.

“Yeah, what fucking hospital?”

The sound of Zahra’s voice makes my heart stop pounding for a brief moment. Alfonso and I turn to see Zahra and Zoe staring at us, fear and anger warring on their faces, their arms crossed over their chests.

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