Page 134 of Wicked Rivals

“Get back to the car,” I growled.

“No,” he said, trying to wriggle away from my grip.

“That was not a request, Enzo.”

I wrapped my arm around his middle and hauled him back to the vehicle.

A door slammed somewhere inside the house.

We didn’t have time for this argument.

I set my son down on his feet, maybe a little more firmly than necessary, and spun him to face me before pointing at him.

“You and I will have a talk about this later, and it will notbe a pleasant experience. For now, you stay behind me at all times. If anything goes wrong, you run. You find Tony. Do you understand me?”

A single nod from the boy.

This was by far the dumbest shit I’d ever done, creeping through an abandoned house with a nine-year-old on my heels and a crazy fucker hiding somewhere inside.

Definitely wouldn’t get the Father of the Year award.

But we were truly out of time.

Val needed immediate medical attention, or she would die.

So I led a cautious charge through the open front door with Enzo behind me.

A sharp cry echoed up the basement stairs into the kitchen.

“She's in the basement,” Enzo breathed.

I couldn't risk clearing the rest of the house myself.

I texted Tony.

Clear the house now

Then I met my son’s gaze.

“Let’s get down there and get our girl,” I said.

CHAPTER 29

STEFANO

I drew my forty-five again and hesitated for a second with my left hand on the tarnished brass knob.

Pieces of peeling white paint dropped onto my shoes and the floor as I cracked open the basement door and listened.

Enzo stood behind me. His rapid little puffs of breath against my jacket warmed a small spot on my back.

“I’m going to open it and go down slowly, step by step. You stay close to me, boy,” I said.

I glanced over my shoulder, and he nodded his head.

The door creaked open, revealing a narrow staircase leading to pitch darkness. I could only make out three steps before me.

Enzo followed each of my steps with a lighter one of his own, staying on my heels as he’d been instructed. Then he shoved at my back in his desperation to get to his mother faster.

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