Page 34 of Reckless Desires

She holds her ground and her chin high. “You have a better chance at hell freezing over.” Her confidence is sexy and makes her even more attractive than she already is. “I just want to know my odds of survival.”

“If you stick with me, your odds are pretty high. Now get in the car,” I command, nodding toward Aunt Maeve’s car.

“Where are we going?”

“Were you not listening?” I take the last bit of the cigarette from her. “We have someone I plan to get some answers out of.

“You want me to ride in that broken down piece of junk?” She scoffs.

“Would you rather we get back on the horse?”

Her eyes widen, and her neck muscles move as she gulps. Liliana walks toward the car in a huff.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lily

The drive is silent at first, mainly because I’m holding back the pain I am feeling. I’m unharmed, but it feels like I am suffering from gunshot wounds. The cold metal chain around my neck is despicable. Killian hasn’t let go of the metal chain since he put it on. I lean my head against the window, my arms wrapped around my waist, thinking about what my sisters are doing. Would Stasia or Selene tell Mom I was missing?

“You ever been to Ireland?” Killian asks, causing me to turn my head in his direction.

“My idea of a vacation doesn’t involve staring at endless green mountains.”

“It’s no Milan or Paris, but there’s no place like it.”

“So amazing that you left,” I reply with an arched brow. “So did your mom know her sons are criminals?”

He nods his head. “Our mother was the matriarch around here. Where do you think we got the audacity?”

I clutch my fists, unsure if I want to know the answer to this. “Why can’t you call my family and let them know I’m safe? No one has called you yet? There’s been no talk of me missing?”

Isn’t anyone trying to find me? My trip to St. Tropez is in a few days. My sisters know I wouldn’t miss it.

“Alessio knows you’re with me. Once he helps with something, we will be on a flight back to the States. Other than that, I’m pretty sure they are keeping your whereabouts a secret. That won’t look good for Alessio.” He shoots me a look.

That’s an odd comment to make. “How so?”

“Well, he can’t be focused on finding a woman that he’s not with. Especially when he has a knocked-up girlfriend. It will make him look weak, that any woman can steal his attention and he’s willing to bypass what’s best for his heir for someone else.”

My cheeks flush with warmth as the reality of the situation sinks in. “Well, they aren’t dating. And I’m an Andretti. My brothers-in-law are close to Alessio. Why wouldn’t he help his associates?” I shift nervously in my seat, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

“Because part of being a good leader isn’t to please everyone.” Killian’s voice is steady, but I can feel the tension radiating off him.

We pull up to the house, the barn glowing ominously from within, casting eerie shadows on the gravel driveway.

“Isn’t Cameron your friend?” I ask, my voice wavering slightly as I catch a glimpse of Killian's expression. He continues to stare straight ahead, his jaw set, lips pressed into a thin line.

“He’s the closest thing to it,” he replies, his tone clipped. “But in our world, when you sit on opposite sides of the table, friendship means nothing.” His gaze remains fixed on the barn, eyes narrowing slightly as if he’s already calculating the complexities of our situation. “If the roles were reversed, Cameron would do the same. That’s just how it is. No hard feelings.” He shrugs dismissively, but his posture is rigid, reflecting the weight of his words.

“What do you need from Alessio?” I ask, the lump in my throat tightening as I try to maintain my composure.

“I need Alessio to get the Russians out of my territory. Once he does that, you can go back to your lavish lifestyle, unbothered by the world around you.” He opens his door with a decisive motion, and I can see the tension in his shoulders as he continues, “Can you manage another few days?”

“I’ve held up this far,” I reply, trying to sound more confident than I feel.

The lump in my throat grows heavier. Unbothered? My mind races with images of the girls in cages, the cries echoing in my ears, a haunting reminder of the nightmare that surrounds us.

Killian steps out of the car, his movements sharp and deliberate as he pulls on the chain that tugs at my neck, urging me to follow.