Page 95 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

“You can’t walk through that wreckage barefoot, baby,” he said into my ear, as we followed Dante out of the alley. Firemen and EMTs pulled people from the wreckage of the building, and dazed partygoers milled around, crying, trying to make sense out of the scene.

It looked like a bomb had gone off. The elite of Yorkfield were stumbling out of the building, cuts and bruises marring their beautiful faces, covered in debris and blood.

Nick yanked me back against his chest, stopping me from jerking out of his arms to see if my family had gotten out.

“Lorenzo will report back, baby. We need to get you out of here.”

I shuddered at the confident authority in his voice. It was so fucking easy to forget that my sweet pediatrician hadbeen raised in the same violent world as the rest of us. And I’d dragged him right back in.

Lizzie!Before I could give voice to my terror, Dante slapped my phone into my hand. I called Miss Carolina, who was watching my daughter at Ginevra’s. It went straight to voicemail.

I stiffened in panic. “Miss Carolina’s not answering her phone,” I said. “It goes to voicemail.”

“I’m sure she just forgot to charge it,” Nick tried to reassure me, covering my hands in his as they clenched with worry.

Miss Carolina always answered the phone. It didn’t matter if she was in the restroom or changing a diaper or giving Lizzie a bath or in the middle of cooking. In four years of watching Lizzie, she’d only missed a phone call once, and she called me right back. It was unthinkable that she’d let her phone battery go dead.

“No, something’s wrong,” I said, my heart pounding, panic turning my voice sharp.

Dante was already dialing the house. His eyes met mine. “Nobody’s answering.”

“No,” I said shaking my head, all of the pieces falling into place in my head. “They’re there. They’ve got Lizzie.”

Dante’s fingers flew over his phone, “José’s not answering either.”

I trembled at his words, panic racing through my veins.

“We’ve got to get you somewhere safe.” He tugged on my wrist, slowly pulling me away from the scene of the crime. I looked over my shoulder, torn between the need to check on my parents and siblings, and the need to check on my daughter.

A few minutes later, an SUV swerved around the corner.The driver, clad in all black tactical gear, hopped out and tossed the keys to Dante.

“Find the Russos and protect them,” Dante snapped as he pushed me into the back seat. “Call me as soon as you’ve located them.”

The soldier, a kid, despite his puffed up chest and his obvious pride at the order, strode toward the front of the building, off to figure out what the fuck was going on.

We drove in silence, Nick’s arm draped over my shoulders, stroking my skin, whispering soft words of reassurance in my ears as I frantically called each and every one of my father’s soldiers that was supposed to be at Ginevra’s house that night. Some phones rang, others went straight to voicemail. Not a single one answered.

No, no, no, no, no.

“They hit the Espositos too,” Nick said. The only other family that stood with us against trafficking.

I froze. This was Sergio.

“Dante, we have to go to Ginevra’s house,” I said, wrapping my fingers around the back of the driver’s seat. “Please,” I begged. “My daughter.”

His phone buzzed. Tommaso. He nodded to me, and I picked it up, my heart in my throat. “Dante’s phone,” I rasped, certain I knew what was coming.

“They hit the house. It’s bad. Dozens of soldiers dead or wounded. No sign of the kid or the nanny. Bodies are cooling—they’ve been gone for a while,” Tommaso said.

My heart stopped. Before my limp fingers could drop the phone, Nick rescued it.

“Fuck!” Dante swore, his fingers white around the steering wheel.

My phone pinged. I swiped my thumb over the screenand a picture of Lizzie eating fish crackers on Sergio’s lap popped up.

Sergio

She’s a sweetheart.

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