a second that running now could be the one way out of the arrangement with Anton she’d agreed to … because Viviana didn’t want to.
What she
wanted
was Anton.
And she suddenly felt exposed.
Unsafe.
Unprotected way out in the open.
They’ll find me in the bay
, she thought,
with a bullet through the back of my head just like Roman
.
Or maybe it’d be more like her mother and brother’s death, burned alive in a car that had apparently careened off a small cliff before catching fire, leaving them
trapped
inside. If anything happened to Viviana, she knew Anton would kill every member of the Cosa Nostra he could get his hands on until he felt the slightest bit better, even if that would only lead to his ultimate end.
Air caught in her throat, chokingly so. Turning sharply, her flats hit the ground faster than a walk but not quite as brisk as a jog. Rocco was fast to take the lead again. When the breeze shifted, her dog stopped, ears perking immediately. A tail lifted higher and a sharp, short bark fell from his muzzle, halting her as well.
Fear coursed through her heart, adrenaline spiking as she considered turning around again. Blood rushed her ringing ears, strumming hard and fast, echoing and overtaking the calm sounds of the park. Going back in the other direction would likely lead to her getting even more lost than she already was, but going forward only directed her to something the dog felt the need to alert her to.
Unsure, Viviana froze to the spot, her hand slipping inside her coat pocket to find the semi-automatic .40 Smith and Wesson pistol Anton had handed over earlier in the week. Illegal with the serial numbers filed off and no registration to show ownership, the gun was compact enough to stay hidden in a pocket or purse. She had to admit that the firearm appealed to a certain side of her, despite the initial reluctance she felt to carry it at first.
The small wag of Rocco’s tail melted her tension for only a split second. He wouldn’t show excitement in regards to danger, right?
A figure entered her vision from around the small bend of the pathway, the blurry form making Viviana realize then that tears had started gathering in her eyes. Blinking away the wetness and breathing deep as she took in the man walking closer to her, relief began to settle through her panic.
Wearing a dark suit with the jacket unbuttoned to show the pale blue dress shirt underneath, a grey scarf hanging untied around his neck, and a fedora tilted down on his face, all of her apprehension drifted away. A cigarette was tossed from his fingertips to the ground, smoke billowing out in a grey cloud.
That wasn’t what he left the house wearing that morning.
The very view of Anton’s confident, smooth stride as he came closer had the strangest effect on her lungs and heart. Butterflies were fighting their way up from her stomach into her throat, leaving Viviana unable to breathe or speak. Overwhelmed and on a sensory overload, her worry faded a little more.
Anton looked up from under the fedora, the side of his lips quirking into a smile, making her stressed shoulders ease up when he came to a stop by Rocco’s side. His hand found its way into the dog’s coat. “Lost, Vine?”
“No,” she breathed, and feeling stupid, she looked away. “Maybe a little. I thought there were men watching after me?”
“There
are
,” he said, smirking. “Ivan asked them to stay a few paces away to give you some privacy.”
Anger simmered on low again. “He called you?”
Anton’s cocky smirk faded. “No, I was already on my way here. I knew you were walking Rocco with Ivan, so I came to the park first. Ivan was waiting for you to return when I arrived, so I decided to just take a walk and come find you myself. I was speaking to one of your bulls two minutes ago. That’s how I knew this was the path you came down.”
“Oh.” Realizing it was still early in the afternoon, if not maybe a little closer to supper, she
What she
wanted
was Anton.
And she suddenly felt exposed.
Unsafe.
Unprotected way out in the open.
They’ll find me in the bay
, she thought,
with a bullet through the back of my head just like Roman
.
Or maybe it’d be more like her mother and brother’s death, burned alive in a car that had apparently careened off a small cliff before catching fire, leaving them
trapped
inside. If anything happened to Viviana, she knew Anton would kill every member of the Cosa Nostra he could get his hands on until he felt the slightest bit better, even if that would only lead to his ultimate end.
Air caught in her throat, chokingly so. Turning sharply, her flats hit the ground faster than a walk but not quite as brisk as a jog. Rocco was fast to take the lead again. When the breeze shifted, her dog stopped, ears perking immediately. A tail lifted higher and a sharp, short bark fell from his muzzle, halting her as well.
Fear coursed through her heart, adrenaline spiking as she considered turning around again. Blood rushed her ringing ears, strumming hard and fast, echoing and overtaking the calm sounds of the park. Going back in the other direction would likely lead to her getting even more lost than she already was, but going forward only directed her to something the dog felt the need to alert her to.
Unsure, Viviana froze to the spot, her hand slipping inside her coat pocket to find the semi-automatic .40 Smith and Wesson pistol Anton had handed over earlier in the week. Illegal with the serial numbers filed off and no registration to show ownership, the gun was compact enough to stay hidden in a pocket or purse. She had to admit that the firearm appealed to a certain side of her, despite the initial reluctance she felt to carry it at first.
The small wag of Rocco’s tail melted her tension for only a split second. He wouldn’t show excitement in regards to danger, right?
A figure entered her vision from around the small bend of the pathway, the blurry form making Viviana realize then that tears had started gathering in her eyes. Blinking away the wetness and breathing deep as she took in the man walking closer to her, relief began to settle through her panic.
Wearing a dark suit with the jacket unbuttoned to show the pale blue dress shirt underneath, a grey scarf hanging untied around his neck, and a fedora tilted down on his face, all of her apprehension drifted away. A cigarette was tossed from his fingertips to the ground, smoke billowing out in a grey cloud.
That wasn’t what he left the house wearing that morning.
The very view of Anton’s confident, smooth stride as he came closer had the strangest effect on her lungs and heart. Butterflies were fighting their way up from her stomach into her throat, leaving Viviana unable to breathe or speak. Overwhelmed and on a sensory overload, her worry faded a little more.
Anton looked up from under the fedora, the side of his lips quirking into a smile, making her stressed shoulders ease up when he came to a stop by Rocco’s side. His hand found its way into the dog’s coat. “Lost, Vine?”
“No,” she breathed, and feeling stupid, she looked away. “Maybe a little. I thought there were men watching after me?”
“There
are
,” he said, smirking. “Ivan asked them to stay a few paces away to give you some privacy.”
Anger simmered on low again. “He called you?”
Anton’s cocky smirk faded. “No, I was already on my way here. I knew you were walking Rocco with Ivan, so I came to the park first. Ivan was waiting for you to return when I arrived, so I decided to just take a walk and come find you myself. I was speaking to one of your bulls two minutes ago. That’s how I knew this was the path you came down.”
“Oh.” Realizing it was still early in the afternoon, if not maybe a little closer to supper, she
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