Page 156 of Freed
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
“Pick up,” I whisper, clutching the phone so hard my fingers ache. “Come on, Lorenzo.”
It keeps ringing.
Then his voicemail answers, and the sound of his voice almost undoes me all by itself.
I don’t think. I just speak.
“Lorenzo, it’s me.” My breath shakes. “You need to call me back right now. Francesca was here, and I remembered something. I remembered what happened.” I close my eyes, forcing the words out before I can lose my nerve. “It was Cesaro. He was the one who grabbed me. He injected something into my neck. Francesca was there.” My voice cracks. “Please call me back.”
I end the message and stare at the screen like I can force it to light up again. Nothing happens, though. No instant call back. No miracle.
No Lorenzo.
My heart is pounding so hard it makes me feel sick. There has to be someone who can help me. Then I see Dante’s name and freeze. For one second, all I can do is stare at it. Then I hit call.
He answers before the first ring finishes.
“Conti, awfully ballsy of you to call?—”
The sound of his voice is like grabbing a handrail in the middle of a fall.
“Dante.”
Something in the way I say his name must tell him everything, because his tone changes instantly.
“Birdie! What happened?”
I sink down onto the edge of the sofa because my legs suddenly don’t feel steady enough to hold me.
“Lorenzo’s wife came here. She said her father threatened her baby if she didn’t scare me off.” I swallow. “She warned me, Dante. She told me to be careful. And when she left…” My hand flies back to my neck. “I remembered.”
His breathing goes quiet on the line.
“Remembered what?”
“The day I disappeared.” The words come faster now, tripping over each other. “She came to me and offered to help me leave. She said she’d get me out without Lorenzo knowing. She told me to pack. I did. I went to her room and Cesaro was there, and when I said I was ready—” My voice breaks. I force it steady. “He grabbed me. He injected me. Francesca was there. She knew. She was part of it.”
Dante swears, low and vicious.
I grip the phone tighter. “It was Cesaro. He’s how I ended up in your aunt’s basement!”
He doesn’t answer immediately which terrifies me.
“Dante?”
“I heard you.”
The words come out like ground glass.
I wet my lips. “Did you know?”
“No.” A beat. “Not for certain.”
