Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
There are a few more shots, and I can hear Sofia screaming. The scene dissolves into brilliant flashes that seem unfixed from natural time. I catch sight of my father, standing in the doorway. His gun is lowered to one side, and there’s a thin trail of smoke leaking from the barrel.
Gio pushes his way into the apartment. One guy who was attacking Sofia is dead. I can see her arm snaking out beneath the hoodlum’s body. She’s struggling to free herself from the dead weight that’s crushing her. I can’t seem to draw a breath, but nonetheless, I crawl to her aid.
Two men are left from Carlo Andretti’s crew. I see one man dash past me, leaping over the fallen body of his comrade. He goes towards the bathroom and slams the door, locking himself inside. There’s a window in there, but it’s so narrow I would be surprised if he fit. The other man must have dragged himself into the bedroom because the door is closed. He has no way to escape without a window, not that he could run with his injury. They are both trapped.
I reach Sofia and shove the dead man off her. She’s still screaming, as if she can’t stop. I know that this has all been too much for her, so I grab her forcefully and hug her to my chest. She’s shaking uncontrollably, so I put my hand on her hair. I smooth the tresses repeatedly, easing myself up to lean against the couch.
My father’s bodyguards storm past us. Sofia wraps her arms around me, and I’m thrilled at the gesture. It means she’s still awake and alive, and that she has the energy to walk out of here when the time comes.
I hear noises in the bathroom and bedroom. My father’s men have their guns drawn, and they're ready to do some damage. Shots ring out before they can do anything and one man drops to his knees. He’s been shot, but he still can curse. That’s a good sign; it means that he’ll live too.
Gio steps across the carnage in the living room and kicks down the bedroom door. He fires twice into the darkness, and then there is silence. A moment later, the bathroom door breaks, but there’s no one inside to return fire.
“He’s gone!” One of my father’s bodyguards announces.
Gio returns to the living room, holstering his gun. My father steps fully into the kitchen, kicking Harlan with one shoe. The body doesn’t respond, which is a great thing. I would have killed him myself if I had a chance.
Dad turns to Andretti, crouching to better investigate the corpse. I know he’s been looking for his rival for quite some time now. Odds are, he’s a bit disappointed that he wasn’t able to fire the kill shot himself. I close my eyes, knowing that it’s finally over and that both Sofia and I are safe.
When I open my eyes again, I’m almost surprised to find myself still in the bloody apartment. Nothing has changed. Of course, only a few seconds have gone by since I gathered Sofia to my chest, but it feels like a lifetime. We faced our greatest fear together and appeared triumphant. Nothing can come between us anymore, of that I am confident.
“Did you kill him?” my father asks.
I inhale, wishing that I could take credit. Sofia stirs against me, raising her head to join in the conversation. Her voice is weak when she speaks, but her words are powerful.
“I shot him,” she says. “Is he dead?”
“He’s dead,” my father confirms. “Good shot.”
Sofia laughs, but it comes out all wrong. It’s half cough, half bark, and a direct result of all the stress she’s been through. But my father takes it in stride. He meets my eye and nods respectfully. I lean my head back on the couch, giving up. Now that I’m no longer the senior Corello in the room, I bow to the don of the family. He’ll know exactly what to do in this situation. All that remains is for me to take care of Sofia. I’m not going to let her out of my sight for as long as it takes for her to regain her composure. For the moment, I’m simply happy to be alive.
CHAPTER 40
SOFIA
I’m only half aware of what’s going on in the apartment. There are certain people lying down and other people standing up. Frankie’s family came to rescue us. I’m beyond grateful for everything they’ve done. I have a momentary dizzy spell where I’m overwhelmed with guilt. I stole from this man who put his life on the line to save me. Both Corellos, Frankie and Francisco, are there for me, and I’ve treated them horribly.
But I can’t put two words together to save my life. I cling to Frankie as if I’m drowning. He’s my lifeline in the ruins of my apartment. I listen to the sounds of footsteps pacing back and forth from the bedroom to the kitchen. I’m dimly aware that there are bodies scattered all around.