“You groped me.”
“I didn’t fucking grope you, you tiny psycho. Here, talk to your sister so I can get the hell away from you.”
“You’re the one who locked us in this dusty closet.” There’s a rustling sound.
“Gemma,” I call out.
“Vale, is that really you?”
I can’t believe I’m talking to my sister. A ball gets lodged inside my throat, but I force the words past it. “Yes. Gem, it’s me.”
She makes a strangled sound. “Oh, Vale, you’re alive. We were so worried. I haven’t slept a full night since you left, and neither has Cleo. Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m fine. How much time do you have until your class starts?”
“Forget the class. I can skip it.”
Damiano places his hand on the small of my back and whispers, “No, she can’t.”
“You can’t skip your class,” I say. “No one can know we talked.”
“You have five minutes,” Ras says, his voice coming out slightly muffled.
“How are you?” I need to know she’s okay before I can talk about anything else.
“Miserable since you left. Mamma’s gotten even more strict, and Cleo’s constantly at war with her. We’re only allowed to leave the house on prearranged outings, and nothing that would put us around a lot of people. Where are you?”
“I’m somewhere safe,” I tell her. “What about the Messeros? Are they still talking about marrying you off to them?”
“I’m engaged.”
My stomach drops. “No.”
“To Rafaele. The contract is already signed, but no date has been set.”
Despair feels like a cold trickle down my back. “How is he?”
“I don’t really know. We met once at that dinner I told you about. He was cold and uninterested. I didn’t think he wanted me, but after you ran, Papà made it happen somehow.”
I bring the heel of my palm to my forehead. “I’m so sorry, Gem.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine. It’s what Mamma always said would happen. Of course, Cleo’s already declared that if she doesn’t like her future husband, she’ll shoot him like you did.”
I huff an amused breath. “She would, wouldn’t she?”
“I told her she’d better have a sharper aim.”
Pinpricks travel up my arms. “What do you mean?”
“Lazaro survived. You know that, right?”
Suddenly, I feel light-headed. I sway for a moment before two hands steady me by my waist.
“Sit down,” Damiano says, leading me to a chair.
“I didn’t know,” I whisper into the phone.
“Why did you do it, Vale?”
There’s no time for lengthy explanations. I shut my eyes. “Lazaro was ordered by Papà to capture and harm an innocent girl, so I helped her get away. Her and I ran together. I’m safe now, but I can’t tell you where I am.”
“I don’t understand,” Gemma says. “Papà wouldn’t ask Lazaro to hurt some random girl. It doesn’t make sense.”
“He would, and he did. I swear on my life that he ordered it. I couldn’t let Lazaro do it.”
There’s a long silence on the other end. “You’re sure? Is someone making you say this?”
I can hear the skepticism in her voice. She’s loyal to our father and has her guard up, but I need her to believe me.
“Lazaro was abusing me,” I force out. “He made me do awful, horrible things. He’s evil, and Papà knows, but he married me off to him anyway. That saying we have about Papà always prioritizing our safety? It’s a lie. The only thing Papà prioritizes is power.”
Damiano’s hand curls into my shirt. “Three minutes, Vale,” he whispers.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Gemma asks. Her voice trembles, and I think she’s crying.
“I couldn’t. Listen to me, one day, I’ll tell you everything, but we don’t have time now. I need your help.”
Come on, Gem. Please give me a lifeline.
“Okay. What do you need?”
There’s no time to feel relieved. “That day at Belinda’s bridal shower, you told me something was going on with Papà. He increased everyone’s security detail. Has anything else happened since? Do you know what he was worried about?”
She takes in a deep breath. “After we found out from Lazaro you were gone, Papà lost it. He said you made a terrible mistake that the whole family would end up paying for. He called Lazaro an amateur for failing to accomplish a simple task that was given to him. Papà said he won’t be able to close the big deal he’s been working on, which means the truce is going to end. Mamma yelled at him to watch his tongue in front of me and Cleo, and he left. Since that night, he’s barely spoken to any of us. He spends all day in his office. I don’t even think he leaves it to sleep.”
“What deal?”
“I don’t know, but it had something to do with whatever Lazaro was supposed to do for him.”
“A deal with Sal,” Damiano mutters. “We already knew they were working on something.”
“Who is that?” Gemma asks.
“There’s no time to explain,” I say. “You said there’s a truce? With who?”
“With one of the other clans-the Riccis-but there’s no truce anymore. The week after you left, they killed Tito.”
Pain stabs through my gut. “My God, poor Tito…”