Chapter 27

- Omniscient Narrator -

The green-eyed woman looked at herself in the mirror and the purple bags under her eyes confirmed the fact that she had not slept all night because of worry.

Dante's words full of determination and anger made her question even her own life; how dangerous death and criminals were in real life.

Was he part of them? It was evident that life for him was not worth the same as it was for her, and being at his side made her an accomplice to crime.

While she anxiously watched the once soothing landscape of the island, Dante lay in an early morning meeting with Alessandro and a dozen men at his disposal. By Dante's orders, she could not leave, but no matter how much patience she had to endure that roller coaster of doubt, it was not enough to stop her urges.

She changed her clothes and with only her cell phone in her pockets, she left the room, after having been watching the guards of the men surrounding the house; every two minutes or so two of them passed through the garden in front of her room, so she only had that short time to cross the barrier of guards.

She hid behind the wall to avoid being seen by those who were just passing by and turning her back, she ran as fast as she could towards the trees; avoiding the risk of being seen by other guards.

Mauro's curious and disinterested eyes watched as she escaped without much effort and smiled; his older brother was busy at his side, while the woman he protected so much was escaping.

And he had not the slightest intention of warning him.

His older brother had surprised him by saying she was his; he hadn't expected Evie's forgiveness, nor did he care, but he had taken his girl and she carried the secret that could destroy him in front of his family.

Her death would be his salvation.

"Resta qui con loro, io vado a prendere Evie, non voglio andarmene senza vederla. Le hanno già portato la colazione? (Stay here with them, I'll go get Evie, I don't want to leave without seeing her. Have they already brought her breakfast?)," Dante asked Alessandro, after having made the plans with those who were to accompany him in a massacre that could have one of two endings; victorious or catastrophic.

The black-haired man didn't make it to Evie's room, when the maid who was in charge of taking care of her returned from there with a worried face.

"Signore, la ragazza non è qui (Sir, the girl is not here)," ñ she reported and the manís face completely transformed. With the same speed that he broke down the door, he realized that she was gone and things were still in her room, as if she had not taken anything with her.

"Bring me Alessandro, NOW!" he commanded angrily and the woman in fear of being punished, hurried to fetch the aforementioned.

"Mi ha fatto chiamare, signore? (You sent for me, sir?)," came the gray-haired man and noted the tension in the room from his boss, who was holding a garment of Evie's in his hands.

"She escaped or was taken," he pointed out, with no expression on his face.

"There's no way she could have been taken, sir. Any inappropriate movement is reported at once.

"Then where the fuck is she?! How the fuck did she evade my security system?!" he shouted, throwing whatever he could find on the ground, "I want her and Mauro locked up, don't let them out until I find Evie. Everyone make a fucking perimeter and bring her to me, now!

"Yes, sir," he nodded and went out at once to carry out his boss's orders.

- Evie -

"My father is going to kill us if he finds out you ran away from Di Marco and most likely I'll be the first suspect," Nina complained, as she drove off after picking me up in the middle of a cliff, having wanted to escape from the Di Marco's.

"I know, but I only trust you, Nina," I said, as I looked in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was chasing us, "When Dante finds out he's going to go crazy for sure.

"You doubt it? You just became the fugitive of a mobster and you don't have a single euro. Where are you planning to hide?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "Even if this is fun, we can't go to my house.

"Help me get back to the States, Nina," I said and she was surprised, to the point that she hit the brake at the same time as the accelerator and we were about to crash, "For God's sake!

"What did you say? Go back where?" she looked at me mortified, "You know I'm not part of the Italian Mafia, I can't take you out of the country illegally again.

"Isn't there an alternative for me to get out without Dante knowing?

"Dante Di Marco has the largest drug cartel in Europe and he has Italy in his hands; no living soul could get out without him knowing," she confessed and it was as if she had told me that the chances of getting back into my life were non-existent; he had total control over me.

"Why didn't you tell me that before? I just ran away from him!" I ran my hands over my face irritated, realizing how stupid I had been, "If he finds me, he will never let me go again; I will never go back to America again.

"Maybe you can negotiate.

"What am I going to negotiate? He's obsessed with me, he sees me now as a belonging.

"But he also told you he loved you," I looked at her sideways, "You should think better about what you're going to do; I can help you survive tonight and the ones you need, but avoid putting me in danger.

"What are you talking about? if you like danger.

"It's no fun anymore when it's breathing down my neck," she pointed to her neck, "I'll find a hotel.

"You're right, Nina. I'm too impulsive and I made a mistake, but I'm afraid of staying here for the rest of my life, trapped, not knowing my best friend and I don't want to be used as a blackmail weapon for Dante," I confessed and collected myself in the seat.

Nina put her hand in mine and we both grimaced, "You only have the second option left; use it to your advantage.

I watched her and her words rang in my head; I wanted my life back, but first I needed to get my best friend back and he had that power in his hands.

Only him.

Minutes later we were already in the suite of a hotel on the Emerald Coast and I had my cell phone in my hands, with Dante Di Marco's direct number.

I pressed the button and it took him a while to answer.

Dante Di Marco, chi è?" (Dante Di Marco, who is speaking?

"It's me, Evie," I said with a certain tremor in my voice and silence settled on the other end of the line, but it felt like the emptiness of death; like it was breathing down my neck.

"Where are you?" was all he said, after several seconds of impatience. Nina watched me from inside the suite, motioning negatively, referring to me not including her, "Evie Lawrens.

"I'm in a hotel, on the coast, I....

"Shut your mouth and stay where you are, don't move, don't even try. I'm coming right over, and you'd better obey me," he hung up.