Page 186 of Phantom Mine

“Valentina—”

“That wasn’t a slap between strangers,” I explain. “That was a slap between two people who’ve slept together.”

Silence.

“Enzo?”

“She’s not my ex.”

“How is that possible?” I frown. “Your engagement to Marina was announced, if Dagny isn’t your ex—” My features smooth out in realization. “Enzo, what did you do?”

More silence.

“Don’t tell me you’re sleeping with hercurrently.” I groan. “What is up with you and your cousin starting things when you’re at your most unavailable? Does she know?”

“Why do you think she slapped me?” he mutters.

I park and exit my car, slamming the door shut behind me as I position the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Well, unfortunately, I really like her so whenever we hang out and she tells me the full story, I’m afraid I’m going to have to take her side.”

“What? That’s not fair.” I can hear him shift on the other end as he blurts his indignation. “I’ve looked out for you.”

“It isn't fair, but it’s girl code.Lo siento,” I say, locking the car and heading down the alley towards the back entrance.

“You—” he exclaims before cutting off abruptly. “Your fiancée,” he says, answering a question I can’t hear. His voice is quieter, his face likely turned away from the phone. “I didn’t call her, she’s the one calling to bust my balls. Believe me I want to be talking to her about as much as you want me to.”

“Rude,” I chirp, before frowning. “Is that Matteo?”

“Your controlling ass fiancé wants to know where you are and why you’re not—” There’s a roughly whispered curse in Italian, and then he says, “I’m not repeating that nasty shit Matteo, call her yourself.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” I stop in my tracks, ten meters from the door. “I’m about to meet Matteo atFirenze.”

The good natured humor in Enzo’s tone vanishes. “What?”

“He texted me and asked me to meet him here,” I explain. “I thought it had to do with the inspection.”

There’s a scuffle on the other end and then Matteo is on the phone. The urgency in his tone freezes the blood in my veins. “Valentina.Run.”

The smile slides off my face. “Matteo?”

“Run, Valentina. Run no—”

I don’t hear his next words.

A branch snaps behind me. I whip around.

The last thing I see is a massive fist flying towards my face and then the world goes black.

Chapter Fifty-One

Enzo

“Drive faster!” Matteo roars at me.

Panic warps his voice. His hands shake so hard he drops his phone on his lap. It bounces off his knee and hits the floor of the car.

“Fuck!” he yells, snatching it up and calling Valentina’s number for the thirty seventh time since we heard her cry out in pain before the line went dead. Like every time before it, he goes straight to voicemail.

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