Page 116 of The Sound in Silence

“Let us leave, Rossi, and we’ll make theFamigliamore powerful than you could ever dream of. Let me take your pretty, little wife and you can keep my daughter.” The eel of a man drags his nose up the column of Ariella’s neck. “By tonight, she’ll no longer be your concern. By tonight, she’ll be a body thrown in an incinerator. One of many that get dumped in the Russian northern mountains.” His eyes flick to me, his smile malicious. “Think her blood will be as bold as this hair of hers?”

Ariella’s jaw clenches and she tries to turn her head farther away from him. She jerks in his hold, but he has her too tight. I want to tell her not to fight, to keep still, so he doesn’t hurt her, but I refuse to suggest my little warrior stops fighting her battles.

Her eyes flash to me, narrowing, and somewhere between that look and her next blink,la mia sirenasteals back her control.

Causing chaos to break out.

Ariella

Erico doesn’t have a chance against three guns. His parents are unlikely to help—assholes that they are. Which leaves me and him against the rest. Meaning, only him, because I’m useless in Ursin’s hold.

Useless but not helpless.

Warning Mom that the van was going to hit us, and her doing nothing about it, was a moment where Itried. Tried to be the hero, only to be ignored.

When Mom was dating Stefano, I made my concerns known. Something felt off about him and his entire family situation, the secrecy surrounding his home, but she ignored me.

Della insisted on following our stepfather’s commands, all to keep me well and safe, and every time I told her not to, that we’d survive together, it fell on deaf ears.

Every single time I’ve tried to speak, there was only silence.

I want to make noise.

I don’t want to be silent and useless.

Erico marriedme. Learned to loveme. ClaimsI’mtheFamigliaqueen he needs by his side.

Time to prove it to him.

Time to prove toeveryonethat I might not be able to talk, but I’m fucking loud.

There is a sound in silence and it sounds precisely like this moment.

The moment where Ursin and Erico go back and forth with their demands and threats. When Ursin jams the gun’s barrel into me harder, ensuring a headache tomorrow, all while his men approach Erico. Ursin has the advantage, and Vanessa and I are literally in the same exact position, being used as leverage.

No more.

My squirming was a test to determine how much freedom I have. Arms—none. Legs—plenty. And despite the grip on my neck, I can still use my head.

In a blast of movement I only warn Erico about with the narrowing of my eyes, I lift my foot and kick it as high as I can, aiming for Ursin’s dick. At the same time, I lean forward and slam backwards, ramming the back of my head into his face.

Thecrunchtells me I’ve succeeded.

His hold loosens enough that I rip from it and drop to a crouch, everything a flurry of darkness and movement.

A gun shot sounds over the airfield.

Silence.

Sickening silence and the worst sensation begins creeping up until it’s Ursin behind me who drops, a hole straight through his skull. Vanessa’s agonizing screech bellows when Erico releases her to fight.

Ursin’s guards surge forward, ready to avenge their leader, but Erico shifts the trajectory of his gun toward the first, and then the other, and they both stumble dead.

Silence again. Finished so quickly onceIfought by my husband’s side.

Then interrupted by tires squealing as another car comes zooming forward, parking beside Erico’s.

I tense, crouched by the plane’s staircase, watching the scene as Caladin’s loud, booming laugh comes from the new car. “Goddamn it, we’re too late.”

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