Page 119 of Righteous Deceit

Sia steps back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Please do. While you’re at it, I’ll call Grace Snow, Lucy’s sister. She’ll be down here quicker than you can blink to watch you walk away in handcuffs for your part in all of this.”

“Alessia.”

Spinning on her heel, Sia moves toward Salvatore, throwing herself at him in a hug that he returns stiffly.

“What’s going on? Diego told me it was an emergency and to bring only those I trusted.”

“It’s Lucy.”

“Wh—” But his words stop as Lucy stands, her legs shaking as she stares at Chicago’s boss like she’s seen a ghost.

“Edoardo,” she whispers. “You came for me.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

DIEGO

Salvatore stood with Lucy Snow wrapped around his body, sobbing into his chest while we all watched on in horror. I’ve seen photos of Edoardo Bianchi as an old man, and if I squint hard enough, I guess I could see a resemblance between him and his only son. But Lucy believed them to be one and the same. Not surprising, considering she believes the doll she placed into Salvatore’s arms to be their baby eighteen yearsafterEdoardo died, and the fake baby doesn’t look older than four months. I don't know what drugs they’ve forced down that poor girl’s throat for almost two decades, but the damage would have to be permanent.

Amadeo was put in charge of Dr. Death and seemed to take his job of guarding the piece of shit literally. The guy couldn’t shift without Salvatore’s guy punching him in the ribs to keep him still. Turning him over to the authorities seems a too easy punishment for the man who had the power to save Lucy but chose to collect a paycheck instead. I’d vote for lockinghimaway in a cellar and letting the rats take care of him.

The nurse at reception took Narciso into the records room to collect all files available on Lucy Snow with the family doctor, a man I’ve never seen before and who spoke very little. We need an understanding of what’s been going on in the fucked-up facility before bringing Lucy’s family and the authorities into the mix.

Once everyone has their assigned responsibilities, Sia hightails it out of the ward without warning. I run to keep up with her, and she’s wearing six-inch fucking stilettos.

“Sia. Wait. Where are you going?”

Ignoring me, she yanks open the driver’s side door of her Maserati and slides inside. The car roars to life, and I step in front of the revving vehicle, hoping like hell she likes me enough not to run me over.

Hands on the hood, I shake my head.

She slams her palm against the horn.

I wait her out, the deafening sound ricocheting against my eardrums.

Window down, she shouts at me. “Diego, get the fuck outta my way.”

“Sia.”

“I will run you over.”

“You’re not thinking clearly…”

She growls, punching the steering wheel. “Do not call me irrational right now! My mind is crystal fucking clear. Either move out of my fucking way or get in.”

I don’t hesitate. I rush around the car and throw myself into the passenger seat.

Her foot hits the accelerator before my ass has even hit the seat, the car zooming through the parking lot on screeching wheels.

“Where are we going?”

She ignores me, her hands clenching and unclenching on the steering wheel.

Salvatore’s murder of his father now makes sense. The twins believed he impregnated and then killed Sia’s best friend. Sia wasn’t fucking kidding; the guy was a monster, but Giuliana and Dino were a whole other breed unto their own. Death would’ve been a kindness to Lucy. The torment and trauma she’s experienced is a torture I couldn’t conjure in my fucked-up mind, and the poor girl was only seventeen when it all started.

“Salvatore killing your dad now makes sense,” I say aloud. “He wasn’t power hungry like the underworld has insisted. He was retaliatingforyou, for Lucy.”

She won’t look at me, but it doesn’t stop the tears from falling.

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