“What about the guys? Should I let them know that...”
“It would be best if you didn’t.” I could tell by her expression that she didn’t like my response, but the last thing I needed was Viper trying to stop me. “Like I said, this is something I really need to do on my own.”
Without saying anything more, I turned and darted down the hall. As soon as I made it outside, I rushed over to Billy’s truck and opened the door. I checked the ignition for his keys, but they weren’t there. I checked the visor and under the floor mats, but no luck. I wasn’t ready to give up, so I checked the console. Relief washed over me when I spotted the familiar leather with his initials.
I quickly grabbed them and put the key in the ignition. I felt like things were going as planned when I started the truck and headed up to the gate. Then, I spotted the guards, and they spotted me. When one of them started approaching the truck, I froze. I couldn’t decide if I should just barrel through him and the metal fencing or try talking to him and tell him I had somewhere to go.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do until he made it over to the truck. I rolled my window down and feigned a smile. “Hey there. I um... I’ve gotta head out and take care of something.”
“Not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Oh, it’s fine.” I was beginning to worry that they might not let me go, so I did the only thing I could. I lied. “Rebecca knows I’m leaving. I’m sure she’s already been in touch with Viper, so it’s all good.”
“When should we expect you back?”
My throat tightened as I answered, “I won’t be back.”
He gave me a nod, then stepped back and waited as I eased through the gate. I was oddly calm as I started driving toward Antonio’s home. I knew what was in store for me. My fate had been sealed the second I walked out of the Ruthless Sinners’ clubhouse, and while I wasn’t ready to die, I couldn’t live with myself if Kiersten or anyone else died in my place.
I held onto that thought as I entered the swanky subdivision where Antonio lived. With every mile I drove, the houses seemed to grow more and more elaborate and harder to differentiate. But Antonio’s stood out from the rest. While it was just as beautiful as all the others, his house was sitting on three acres, and there was a ten-foot brick wall that wrapped around the perimeter of the home.
Like the Ruthless Sinners, he had a metal gate that secured the entrance to his drive, but Antonio’s was much more elaborate. The bars were scrolled into a decorative design, and there were intercoms and cameras on either side of the drive, making it difficult for anyone to enter the premises without him knowing.
I considered driving right up to that gate and announcing that I was there but ended up chickening out. I needed a moment to collect myself, so I decided to park across the street. After I said a quick prayer, I forced myself to get out of the truck and started walking toward the gate.
I was just about to step up to the intercom when I heard a familiar voice say, “Everleigh? What the fuck?”
I looked up, and my brain stuttered with disbelief when I saw Matteo standing at the end of the driveway. I knew it couldn’t be him. He was dead, so I figured my nerves had gotten the best of me. But as I stood there looking into those familiar dark eyes, I wasn’t so sure. I was still struggling to believe my eyes when he stepped closer and said, “What the hell are you doing here?”
He was standing right there in front of me, and I could see that he was wearing the same black suit he always wore. He even had on the same crisp-white shirt, but I still had to ask, “Matteo? Is that really you?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” He looked over his shoulder, checking to make sure no one was behind him, then stepped closer to the gate as he whispered, “The guys said you were still alive, but I didn’t believe it. I saw Antonio shoot you. I thought for sure you were dead and gone.”
“Yeah, well... I thought the same about you.”
“Why would you think that?”
Even though I was curious to know how his necklace had ended up at Billy’s, I didn’t have time to get into it with him—not when someone could spot us at any second. “It’s nothing. I was just surprised to see you here.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you did. If it had been one of the others...” He nervously glanced over his shoulder again, then fussed, “You shouldn’t have come back here. Antonio’s been looking all over for you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Then, you know you can’t be here. You gotta go.” He placed his face right up to the metal bars as he pushed, “You gotta go nowbefore someone sees you.”
“I can’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
I’d gone there thinking all hope was lost and I would surely die, but seeing Matteo and feeling that same camaraderie that I’d always felt when we were together, stirred something inside of me. I started to feel hope that there might be another option. “Remember how I helped you make the money for your car and then your house?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”
“You remember how you said you owed me one?”
“Yeah? What about it?”
“It’s time to pay up.” I wrapped my fingers around the metal bar as I pleaded, “I need your help.”