Page 47 of Risky Vows

"The Santinis."

Holy fuck.

All I’ve heard about the Santinis is that they’re modern-day barbarians. Not that the Gallos are angels, but they have the tact to deal with situations and the sophistication to commit illicit crimes.

The Santinis, on the other hand, kill first and ask questions later. A strategy that's bold and dumb.

"How do you know?" I ask, my voice trembling. I tug at the chains, but sharp pain shoots up my arm. Red marks appear around my wrists, the metal biting into my skin.

"Because they told me," she says, crying. "You know what that means, right?"

I nod. They're not interested in keeping us alive if they aren't hiding their identities. If they were, they'd negotiate for whatever they wanted instead of letting us die.

"Why would they abduct us only to kill us?" I ask, dreading the answer already forming in my brain.

"To prove a point. For power. Who the fuck knows?"

Damn it. I flex and unflex my fingers, wishing I had the power to break these restraints and find a way out. Maybe I still have that power—I just have to find a different way to escape and take Andie with me.

My pulse skitters. I can't die like this—in a strange basement. Massimo would never forgive himself if he found out.

"Listen, I know it's hard, but focus on sparing your energy. Take deep breaths, and try to calm yourself even though this situation sucks. When someone comes in, we'll have a better idea of what's going on. Don't lose hope yet, Andie," I say, making a mental note to follow my advice.

Even if the odds are stacked against us.

28

Massimo

"Boss, we got her phone,"Tom says, walking up to me.

Minutes earlier, the tracking app showed us that Amara's cell phone was in the backyard. She must have hidden it before she took off. Smart rat.

She even buried it, so it took us a bit longer to find it.

I take it and swipe the screen to find her last phone call.

Three hours ago, she called Andie. The call lasted two minutes. I dial Andie's number, but it goes straight to voicemail. Maybe she's asleep, but she has to know something.

I call Dante. He'll help me and wake her up—this is an emergency. I need to know what Amara told her before she took off. Is she planning to escape like she did before, with James? Anger fills my heart.

She told me she loved me, then she left.

She has a funny way of showing it, a bitter voice inside me says.

I saw the video of her leaving. She took the back exit when the employees who should have guarded it were distracted. How did she know the code? She must have paid attention.

Did she plan her escape for a while, and my discovering her brother's situation expedited it? A dark emotion takes hold of my heart and squeezes it tight.

I want to hate her.

I want to destroy her, to cause her great harm.

I want to know that if I saw her, I could go through with it and end her.

Courage—that's what I need. That's the one thing I lack where Amara is concerned.

"Massimo," Dante says, picking up the call.

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