Page 19 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

She watched me follow a resident into the building before peeling off. I didn’t have a key to swipe into the elevator, so I veered off to the neon exit sign that I hoped led to astaircase. Weaker than I expected, I leaned hard on the door to open it.

Six flights of stairs. I looked at my bare feet and my trembling hands. Didn’t matter. I was SofiafuckingRusso, and I could do this.

I lost track of time as I dragged myself up, step by step, biting my lip to muffle my cries of pain when I tripped, and finally crawling when my legs could no longer support me.

After an eternity, I reached the sixth floor and shoved the door open.

Apartment 612, I whispered to myself, hauling myself to my feet and leaning on the wall as I pushed forward. So close to safety. I was almost there.

When I reached the door, I knocked. When there was no answer, I knocked again, worried it wasn’t loud enough in the middle of the night.

Please come to the door, Lorenzo,I begged, choking back a sob. I couldn’t take another step, couldn’t contemplate going anywhere else.

Exhausted, in pain, the final remnants of Sergio’s drugs still clouding my mind, I sunk to the floor, curling up against the wall as I cried.

I need you.

9

LORENZO

What a useless bunchof fucks we were. With Sofia gone, it was as if the entire goddamned community of supposed criminal masterminds lacked direction. Dante’s rage fueled the search of the Italian neighborhoods, but he couldn’t touch anyone but the Costas without sparking a citywide war he didn’t have the resources to fight. None of us did.

Tony Russo was sitting on his goddamned hands instead of using his influence with the cops to toss the rest of the city.

Nick’d left early to have dinner with his family, the poor fucker. He’d texted me afterward to let me know it’d gone well, but hadn’t shared details, unusual for the gregarious doctor.

The elevator dinged, opening onto my floor. I sighed and pushed off the wall where I’d been leaning, stressed out of my fucking mind and not at all eager to spend another night alone, tossing and turning in my apartment as I worried about Sofia.

My eyes caught on a bundle of cloth at my door, then the blonde hair, and then I was barreling down the hallway at full speed, my heart in my throat, only to come to a skittering stop in front of Sofia.

She sat curled up against my door, barefoot, bloodied, wearing another man’s shirt and a filthy white gown.Jesus.

“Sunshine,” I whispered. I crouched in front of her, using one finger under her chin to tilt her face up. She was unconscious.

Fuck.

Loath to cause her pain, I didn’t want to move her without knowing the extent of her injuries. No, she’d left smears of blood along the wall, she’d walked here.

Fuck.

I scooped her into my arms, guilt for how good she felt warring with the worry in my gut.

“Sunshine, wake up,” I whispered against her hair as I unlocked the door. I shut it with my foot. Shit, I need to lock the damn door. “I’m going to put you on the sofa for a moment, okay?”

I set her down gently, swinging her legs up so she was curled up with a pillow under her cheek, then strode to the door, engaging the locks and turning on the alarm.

The front desk didn’t hesitate when I ordered them to shut down the elevator to my floor.

I grabbed my tablet, swiped open the app that monitored the cameras to the building, and set it on the end table before gathering Sofia in my arms again and sitting with her nestled into my lap. She whimpered in her sleep and curled up against me.

“Sofia—sunshine,” I whispered, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “Would you wake up for me? Please?”

She moaned and shook her head, then wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Sofia, I need you to wake up,” I said, raising my voice and gently shaking her.

Her gorgeous blue eyes blinked open, midnight pools with pupils dilated almost to the edge.

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