Chapter 52: BAIT

MIA

Lin spread a hand-drawn map on the table between us.

It was the block around the safe house with the street, the alley behind it and the two intersections on either side marked with small notations I didn't fully understand but could read well enough.

It showed all entry and exit points and what places brought coverage and which didn't. She was a true mafia princess.

"He's going to track your phone," she said. "He's been able to do that since the beginning so I'm counting on it."

No wonder she didn't tell me to ditch the phone.

Then my eyes widened as I started to piece together what she was working on. "You want him to find me."

"I want him to come here thinking he's in control. Just thinking you ran and he caught you." She tapped a position on the map, the alley to the east. "We have men here, here, and here. When he arrives he'll have Marco with him, maybe one or two others and we'll be ready."

I looked at the map and started to imagine what she was saying. It seemed pretty foolproof.

"You're using me as bait," I said.

"Yes." Oh wow. I guess I did owe it to her for getting me out. "But you get to choose this time. That's different from every other choice you've made in the past couple of months."

I sat back. "What will happen to him? After?"

She was quiet for a moment.

"He will be contained," she said.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I can give you."

I looked at her and swallowed. In the mafia world "contained" could pretty much mean cease to exist and I did not expect her to go easy on someone who had caused her and her family so much pain.

"I don't want anyone killed," I said.

"I know you don't."

"Lin—"

"Mia." She said softly. "Dante has known where you are since you got in my car. The only reason he hasn't arrived yet is because he's choosing the right time, assembling his people and planning the most painful death for me for taking you away from him and exposing his lies."

I flinched at that. It was still hard to wrap my head around him being so evil.

She continued. "He is totally obsessed with you for some reason and will never accept you are gone or try to negotiate. I tried getting him legally but all evidence I got mysteriously vanished, witnesses gone and even officials transferred to another state. The only thing that can ever stop Dante is… to be contained." She paused. "I know you can't imagine that and this isn't your fault but it's just a reality you will have to accept."

I stared at the map.

God, it felt like I was going crazy. I didn't know what else to do. I looked at her and saw deep pain, hate and grief in her eyes that I couldn't ignore because she was just a girl who had lost her brother to a bad man.

"If I do this," I said. "If I help you. What happens to me after?"

"You will get to walk away and go wherever you want. If you want a new identity, I can get someone to do that and even give you money. Whatever you plan to do moving forward, we can make it possible." She held my eyes. "We just need him. Whatever goes down will not affect you, I promise."

"And once again, my best friend? She is my top priority right now because I have wronged her in so many ways."

She smiled a bit. "My men have gotten a hold of her."

"What about the evidence of him stalking me? The photos, messages and all of that — is there a way I can use them against him without me being in a courtroom? I don't want this to affect my career."

"We're not going to court," Lin said quietly.

I paused, then nodded in understanding.

I stared at the map again and tried to think of some other way forward but came up with nothing.

"Okay," I said.

Lin nodded.

"Stay by the window where he can see you when he arrives. Let him think you're alone and that you ran here without a plan. I need you to keep him talking." She reached into her jacket and set a small device on the table. "Wear this so that we'll hear everything."

I picked it up.

"How long do we need to wait?"

"He'll come, don't worry. He is just trying to make us anxious. Which means we have—" She checked her watch. "Maybe two hours. Maybe less. Get some water, sit and try to breathe."

I got up, got water from the tap and stood at the kitchen window, looking at the empty street below.

At 2:47 AM my phone rang.

Dante's name flashed on the screen, making me sit up, heart racing. I looked at Lin across the room and her eyes hardened then she nodded. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote, "keep him as calm as possible. We need him to come here thinking he is in control."

I swallowed then picked up the call. "Dante."

His voice was as cold as ice as he tried to remain as composed as possible. It sent shivers through my body.

"Where are you."

It wasn't even a question. I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

"I know everything," I said. "I found the phone and did some investigating. How could you, Dante?"

He stayed silent for a moment and I thought the call had ended.

Then, "Where. Are. You."