“I don’t know.” It was strange she was asking me. She must have been that devastated to seek any kind of solace from me. Or maybe she thought I was the expert when it came to killing. “I can’t tell from here.”
Her nostrils flared as she glared at me. Did she think I was tricking her into getting me out? I wasn’t. Well…maybe a little.
She shot to her feet and marched to the door, sniffling.
“No. Where are you going?”
“To get help.”
“Nicky, Nicky, listen to me. The second his soldiers walk into this room, you’re no longer safe.”
“I don’t care. I can’t let him die. I have to save him.”
“You have to care. Those men won’t bother if you’re his wife. They’ll capture you, and they’ll send you to either Enzio or Tino. These are the men that will decide your fate. What do you think it’ll be?”
She spun and stared at me, tears frozen in her eyes. “They’ll kill me. Tino already threatened to do it once. Now, he’ll do it for sure.”
“Yes. You have to run.”
“No. I can’t just leave him like this. I have to help him.”
That fucking conscience. “He used and betrayed you. Is he worth losing your life for? And what if he’s already dead? You’ll be sacrificing everything for nothing.”
“If he’s dead, then I deserve to die, too.” She looked down at Domenico’s body, quivering, tears dropping plenty on his body. “I’m a fucking killer.”
“Jesus, Nicky, now is not the time to lose it. Let self-preservation kick in and run. How long do you think you have before Tino calls to check in and then tells the soldiers to handle you?”
“Shut up. Why do you even care if I live or die? We’ve always hated each other. I’ve literally just asked Dom to kill you. You’re only telling me to run so I won’t help him and he’ll die.”
She might have never liked me, but I never reciprocated that hatred. I might even say I liked her. She was strong and smart. I admired her loyalty and toughness. The sister everyone wished for. The woman every man wanted in his corner. Not to mention how beautiful she was.
I’d always wondered why I hadn’t fallen for Nicky instead of Lina. The older sister was exactly my type. Tall, blonde, agile, feisty with blue eyes that would make you drown and you’d never want to come up. She reminded me a lot of Sia—before she turned into the brunette Gloria Morelli. Maybe that was why I never hated Nicky but also the reason I’d never developed anything more for her.
Who was I kidding? Like there was any logic to why every shred of my senses got fixated on that one single person. Why my mind, my heart, my breath wouldn’t function unless I could see her and know she was mine, or at least, she would be. Why my whole world revolved around her and without her the voices would urge me to destroy anything and everything. Even her. Even me.
“No, Nicky. Domenico’s death won’t do me any good. They’ll just replace him with someone else, and my destiny will remain the same. Believe it or not, I’m looking out for you because despite what you think I don’t hate you, and…I’m thinking about Lina. So should you. If you’re gone, who’s gonna help her?”
She sobbed, her breathing so rapid as if she was having a panic attack. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Just get out of here. Run.”
She stared at Domenico one last time before she dragged herself back to the exit. Abruptly, a phone roared, making us both flinch.
Frozen and pale, she gaped at Domenico’s pocket where he kept his phone. “That must be Tino.”
“Yes. You have to go now, Nicky. There’s no time.”
“I… But… At least, I should tell him to send help.”
“No!” I yelled as she crouched and reached for his pocket. “What the hell is wrong with you? He’ll kill you. For fuck’s sake just run.”
She ignored me, and, with a shaking hand, she answered the Goddamn phone.Jesus fuck. Her lips parted with her gasps as she put the phone on her ear, but no words came out.
I shook my head at her, mouthing, “What are you doing?”
Her face contorted, and her jaws parted wider with a silent scream. She averted her gaze to the ceiling. Then tears squeezed from her eyes as they closed and she hung up.
A sigh of relief fled out of my hoarse throat. “Thank fuck. Now go. They’ll be here any minute now.”