Page 88 of Valentino

Crash!

It sounds like there’s a struggle, things are tipping over, glass smashing.

“Please Carlo, please don’t…. Arghhh.” She lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

Crack.

Two gunshots on a silencer sound through the phone.

I listen, helpless to the horror she’s going through. He’s gone completely fucking insane.

“Arghh.” I hear a gurgle and I close my eyes, she’s not dead.

Bang.

Another gunshot rings out.

Now she is.

CHAPTER NINE

VALENTINO

“Hey.”

“What’s up?” Giuliano says softly.

“Carlo just murdered Chiara.”

“What? How do you know?”

“I was on the phone to her when it happened.”

“Fuck.”

“I’ve called the police; they’re on their way to her house now.”

We stay on the line, silent.

“He’s lost his fucking mind.” He sighs.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I told her I’d protect her.”

“Hey, this isn’t your fault. She dodged her guard tonight; that’s not on you.”

I press my lips together. “What if he….”

“Don’t think like that. We’re going to get him before he gets to Anna,” he murmurs. “You know that.”

Silence.

But I don’t anymore.

Carlo knows the only way to hurt me is to hurt her….

She’s my only weakness.

“Tomorrow we take six of his brothels and every two days from here on in we take more. We are shaking that fucking tree and soon he’ll have nothing left and be scrambling for control. The police are looking for him too; he can’t just be out and about anymore. He’s on the run, Val; it’s only a matter of time before we close in on him.”