It was one of the men who had followed them earlier that day.
“Nothing.
I was just… I was just…” “You were looking for a way to steal information,” he finished coldly.
Livy stared at him.
“That’s absurd.
I was just trying to find something to eat.” “Then why are you standing there?” “Because I picked an apple.” She held it up.
“Turns out it’s fake.
I was just hungry.” The man glanced at the apple without the slightest hint of amusement.
“You shouldn’t be wandering around the house at night.
I’ll have some food brought to you.” Livy studied his face.
There was something about him she didn’t like.
“Are you Marco?” she asked quietly.
“No.
I’m Alex.” She looked around.
“Where is the Don?” “That’s none of your business.” His answer was so blunt that Livy raised an eyebrow.
“Is there something else you need, ma’am?” She shook her head.
“No.” “Then I’ll have food sent up right away.” Alex stepped aside and gestured toward the hallway, silently making it clear that the conversation was over, and she was supposed to go back to her room.
Livy walked past him toward her room.
About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on her door.
Livy opened it and found Alex standing outside with a tray of food in his hands.
“Your food,” he said.
She looked at the tray, then at him.
“Thank you.” As she closed the door she looked at the tray.
She wondered if the food was poisoned.
Anything is possible here.
But the rich, savory aroma of garlic and soy had overridden her paranoia the moment she lifted the lid.
She ended up eating every bit of the delicious stir fry.
And now, lying in the dark with her stomach full, she waited.
Ten minutes.
Twenty.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her into a restless sleep.
That night, she found herself back at the club, where it had all happened.
The music had stopped, the lights had been dimmed, and the last of the guests had already left.
Livy had been the only employee remaining, so she decided to check the rooms and make sure everything was locked before leaving.
She walked down the quiet hallway, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor.
She was almost at the end when she heard voices coming from one of the private rooms.
Livy stopped.
She frowned.
The club was supposed to be empty.
Curiosity made her take a few cautious steps forward.
The door was slightly open.
She moved closer and glanced through the narrow gap.
A man who she eventually got to know a few hours later as Don Antonio stood inside.
At the far end was another man who was older, and dressed in an expensive dark suit.
He looked scared.
Livy couldn’t hear everything they were saying, but the tension between them was unmistakable.
Then the older man said something that made Antonio’s expression turn cold.
Livy barely had time to wonder what was happening before Antonio pulled out a gun.
Her eyes widened.
The gunshot exploded through the room.
The man staggered backward, one hand flying to his chest before he collapsed onto the floor.
Livy clapped both hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming.
She stared through the gap in the door, too terrified to move.
Antonio calmly lowered the gun.
One of his men rushed forward and knelt beside the fallen man.
“He’s dead,” the man said.
Livy’s heart hammered against her ribs.
She had just witnessed a murder.
She turned slowly, careful not to make a sound, and then bolted.
She ran down the hallway as fast as her legs could carry her, her footsteps echoing through the empty club.
She could hear her own frantic breathing, but she dared not look back.
She reached the exit and grabbed the door handle.
Just as she pulled it open, a gunshot rang out behind her.
Livy screamed.
She jolted awake.
Her eyes flew open, and she sat upright in bed, breathing heavily.
For several seconds, she could only stare into the darkness, her heart pounding against her chest.
She was not at the club.
She was in Antonio’s penthouse.
Livy pressed a trembling hand against her chest and tried to slow her breathing.
It had only been a dream.
She pushed the covers aside and got out of bed.
Her legs still felt weak as she walked toward the door.
She opened it quietly and stepped into the hallway.
Trying to be as quiet as possible, she walked towards the kitchen.
Hopefully she wouldn’t run into Alex.
But as she passed the living room, she saw Antonio sitting on the sofa.
He had a glass in one hand, and a gun in the other.
The sight of him holding a gun, brought the nightmare back.
The gunshot.
The man’s body hitting the floor.
Antonio standing there with the gun in his hand, looking completely calm.
Later, the police had shown her the security footage of her running out of the club that night.
They had cornered her and asked her to testify against him.
She had refused at first, even preparing to leave the city with her mother.
Then they offered her something she could not refuse.
They would arrange treatment for her mother’s cancer and give them both new identities in another city.
Livy had known the risks.
If the Don’s men found out she had witnessed the murder, they would silence her before she ever reached a courtroom.
She had felt trapped.
She had agreed to become their witness.
And although they had kept her safe for eight months and helped pay for her mother’s treatment, it still hadn’t been enough to keep the Don from finding her.
And now, here she was, married to the Don.
The thought almost made her laugh.
At twenty-four, she had already survived more than she ever thought she would.
She would survive this one too.
She raised her chin slightly and simply stood there, unsure whether she should turn around and return to her bedroom or walk to the kitchen.
Antonio set his glass down and looked directly at her.
“I have your mother, and if you want to see her again, you will do exactly as I say.” All the way in the FBI field office, Special Agent Cross was pacing angrily inside the office of the Deputy Assistant Director Miller.