When She Falls (The Fallen, #3)(111)

“Where the fuck are you going?” Papà shouts. “Stop her!”

The driver who brought us here tries to block my path, but Rafaele’s men immediately grab him and pull him out of the way.

I look back over my shoulder and meet Rafaele’s gaze.

He nods, silently telling me I’m free to go.

It’s an act of kindness from a supposedly unkind man.

Hope for Cleo flickers inside of me, a single match to repel the darkness.

She’ll be okay with him. I know she will.

Papà starts shouting again, so I spin on my heel and flee.

I tumble out of the restaurant, my heart lodged in my throat.

I’m a tangled ball of fear, exhilaration, and anxiety. What if Papà calls his men to come after me? I have to put some distance between us. I have to disappear.

My feet move faster and faster until I’m sprinting down the sidewalk. I don’t stop until I’m completely out of breath.

I pop into a corner shop, get some change, and dial Vale from a phone booth. Before we left the house, I got her number from a phonebook Mamma still keeps in the kitchen, and wrote it down on the inside of my arm.

Her phone rings and rings. Is she ignoring me because it’s an unknown number?

My panic spikes. Calling her was just about the extent of my plan.

Please pick up.

Finally, there’s a click on the other end of the line. “Hello?”

“Vale!”

“Gemma?” she sounds surprised. “What number are you calling me from?”

“A phone booth. Vale, I need your help.”

“What happened?”

“I need to talk to Ras. Can you give me his number? I only had his US number, and actually, they took my cellphone away, so I don’t have it anymore, and neither does Cleo. I don’t know how to reach him. Something happened, Vale. Something I need to tell him about.”

“Whoa, slow down. Where are you?”

“In Chelsea. Vale, please, I need to talk to him. Is he with Damiano? Is he—”

“Gem, Ras isn’t here. Damiano hasn’t heard from him since he told him to come back to Italy.”

I frown. “Where is he then?”

“He’s still in New York.”

My stomach drops. “What?”

“Giorgio has been tracking him. He still has the same phone, and he’s in New York. He came back the day after you.”

My fingers squeeze the rubber cord. “He did?”

“Yes. I told Dem to get in touch with him, but he’s being stubborn about their little tiff. Gem, what did you do?”

“I called off the engagement.”

“You did?”

My throat tightens. “Yes. Vale, I’m in love with Ras.” For a moment, I consider telling her I’m pregnant, but there’s no time to explain everything, and I want Ras to know before anyone else hears, so I hold my tongue. “Look, I have to fix what happened between us. I have to see him.”

There’s a rustling sound. “Okay, hold on. Do you want me to give you his US number?”

“Please.”

She takes a few seconds to find it, each one feeling like eternity, and I dig inside my pocket for a pen.

“Okay, here it is.”

I write the damn thing on my arm right under Vale’s number. “Thank you. I have to go.”

“Wait, are you safe? Are you on your own?”

“I’ll call you.”

I hang up, my hands shaking as I dial the other number.

It rings and rings and rings.

I call ten times.

He doesn’t pick up.

“Damn it!”

He’s in New York. Where would he be? Who would know where he is?

My eyes widen.

Orrin.





CHAPTER 36





RAS


Knock, knock.

My head snaps up straight. I’m at the apartment, sitting on the ratty two-person couch, a basketball game playing on the TV.

It’s late.

Orrin knows better than to show up unannounced, so it can’t be him, and no one else is supposed to know I’m here. Have Garzolo’s men found me?

Fuck.

Was that him calling me from an unknown number? I had a feeling it was someone trying to bait me so they could get a hit on my location, so I let the calls ring out.

I reach for my gun, check it’s fully loaded, and move toward the door.

This might be my last stand.

Blood whooshes inside my ears as I turn the lock.

If I die here, at least I won’t have any regrets. I did what I thought was right. I went after what I wanted.

It’s too damn bad I still didn’t manage to get it though.

I crack the door open.

What the… “Gemma?”

She’s standing there bundled up in what looks like a man’s jacket, her cheeks slightly pink from the cold, and her arms wrapped around her.

I lower the gun and frown. “What are you doing here?”

Why is she here? Something bad must have happened for her to seek me out like this.

She swallows. “Um… I… needed to talk to you.”

My gaze drifts over her, hungrily committing every new detail to memory.