Page 133 of Brutal Legacy

“I think this is wrong,” he said.

We passed a sign for a military airstrip just up ahead.

“Okay, I’m sure this isn’t right,” Ettore said. He made to turn around and then stiffened.

“No, it’s right. Keep going.” Toni’s voice was strange.

Ettore was silent. The car progressed down the street toward a metal gate in the distance.

“I think Ettore’s right. This can’t be the way.” I peered out the window.

Silence surged inside the car. Something was off. I looked between Toni and Ettore, and that’s when I saw it.

The black glint of a gun pressed against Ettore’s side.

“Toni?” I asked cautiously.

“I don’t have a choice, Mrs. Santori. I’m sorry.”

“You’re betraying Elio?”

“Yes, I’m betraying Elio, and if I thought he’d survive this, then I’d expect to answer for it… but I have no choice. Stop here.”

Ettore pulled the car to a stop. Panic welled inside me. I had to do something. Save Ettore, get away… something to stop this plan from falling into place.

I can protect myself as long as you’re safe.

Elio’s words from before swirled in my head. Of course, how could they ensure that they had the advantage over a man like Elio? By throwing off his focus and giving him something else to worry about. Someone.

“Toni, please, don’t do this. Let’s go to Casa Nera and talk to Renato. He’ll help you.”

Toni spit out a bitter laugh. “Renato De Sanctis doesn’t care about anyone but family, and Elio will kill me himself once he finds out what I’ve done. I expect that. I know that… but if I can save her, then none of it matters.”

“Her?”

Before Toni could answer, a tap at the window nearly made me scream.

Toni jerked her head to Ettore. “Get out.”

“Antonia,” he started.

“Get out, Ettore, if you want to survive this.”

“If I don’t die protecting her… I’m dead anyway,” the young man said with a sober, mature expression on his young face that I’d never seen before. He was so much older than his years in that moment.

“Your choice, not mine,” Toni said coolly, and then the gun went off.

“No!! Ettore!” I screamed, losing all self-control.

The door opened, and Ettore fell out onto the ground outside, moaning. Moaning was good. Moaning wasn’t dead.

Toni got out the front, and I slid across to the other side of the car and pushed open the door. I wanted to check on Ettore. I got two steps, then I hit a hard chest and bounced backward.

The man in front of me was wearing the same solid black that Elio did. He was just as tall and broad, too. He had a thick darkbeard hiding the lower half of his face. Dark slashes of eyebrows framed eyes so black, they seemed to be carved-out holes in his skull.

He had a dark scarf of some kind wrapped around his neck and over his head, making him nearly impossible to identify.

As I stared up at him, he tilted his head to the side, studying me back.

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