Page 161 of The Mafia King's Reign
"Salvatore—"
"Go."
I walk out of his study, through the hallway, down the stairs.
No one stops me.
No guards appear.
He doesn’t call out to me.
He's really letting me leave.
* * *
The drive to Lindsay's penthouse passes in a blur.
I don't call ahead. I don't warn her I'm coming. I just show up at her door with the envelope clutched in my hands and my heart still racing from everything Salvatore said.
When she opens the door, she takes one look at my face and immediately steps aside.
"What happened?" she asks, closing the door behind me.
I don't answer. I just walk straight to her kitchen counter and drop the envelope on the marble surface.
"That," I say, my voice shaking slightly, "is my way out."
Lindsay's eyes narrow. She moves closer, her prosecutor instincts kicking in as she studies the envelope like it might be evidence in a case.
"Explain."
"Open it."
She hesitates for only a second before sliding the envelope toward herself and pulling out the contents. Her eyes scan quickly. Documents, a card, account information, and then she freezes.
"Valentina…"
"I know."
"A check for five million?"
Her head snaps up so fast I'm surprised she doesn't give herself whiplash.
"Five million dollars?"
"Yep."
Silence fills the kitchen.
Then she lets out a long, slow breath and drags a hand through her perfectly styled hair, messing it up in a way that tells me she's more rattled than she wants to admit.
"You guys are making this so hard on me," she mutters.
I blink. "You guys?"
"Yes." She turns to face me fully. "Salvatore summoned me a couple of days ago.."
Everything in me goes still.
