Page 80 of The Devil's Pawn

My head wobbles back and forth as the darkness encroaches from all sides.

My eyes can’t stay awake. Everything flickers in and out.

Is this death?

No. I can’t die.

It can’t all end this way.

Dante…

* * *

DANTE

After the meeting with my brothers earlier this morning, Dom went home to be with Chiara while I decided to go shopping for Raquel. I wanted to buy her something nice. Something sparkly to match her eyes.

I spent almost an hour figuring out what sort of earrings to get her. She doesn’t seem like the flashy type, so I settled on six-carat studs. That seemed like a good size. The other stuff looked too small.

I don’t even know if she’ll like them, but I want her to have something. It’s not my way of apologizing for the lies I’ve been telling. I just want to give her something to show her she’s special. We may have started untraditionally, but I hope she realizes that besides my brothers, she’s the person I care most about.

As I drive home with the earrings in my pocket, I can’t wait to see her face when I give them to her. I’m only a few minutes out when my cell buzzes in the cup holder, the head unit displaying Elliot’s name.

Pressing a button, I let the Bluetooth take over. “What’s up, man?”

“Boss,” he utters, out of breath. “They took Raquel.”

My heart stops beating.

“What the fuck did you just say? When?” My tires screech as I stomp on the gas pedal.

“Just now, sir. She told us she was waiting for a food order, and I fucking bought it. Then seconds later, a van came, guns blazing. We shot back. They grabbed her and—”

“Fuck!” I howl, pummeling my fist on the console over and over. “Was she hit?”

My words are framed with madness.

What the hell did she do?!

“I don’t think so. It happened fa—”

“You don’t fucking think so?!” The vein in my neck pulses angrily. “What the hell have you all done? Did anyone chase the van? Was it Carlito? Her father? Who came for her?”

“I don’t know, sir. They were masked.”

“So what the helldoyou actually know?!”

“They shot the security guard up front and rolled in. We’re tailing them,” he adds. “We’ve got two cars after them. I’m sending you the van’s location now.”

I glance at the text he sent, my breaths razor sharp as I read the words.

“They’re not far. I’m going after them.” I drop the call, speeding over a hundred miles an hour and whizzing left in front of one car, who honks repeatedly.

Driving quicker, I zip past another vehicle in the middle lane, nearly hitting it.

She must’ve figured out the truth and called her mom. But how? They couldn’t have found her on their own. My brothers and I bought our homes as an LLC. Our names are not listed. Our addresses aren’t either. We’ve been very careful, avoiding phone lines and keeping burners.

God damn it, baby. Why did you do this?

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