Page 69 of Nicoletta
I huff out a breath. “Would’ve been nice if she mentioned that.”
“Welcome to my mother,” Nicoletta replies.
The seam, encrusted with dirt, was barely visible. A square, approximately thirty inches by thirty inches.
Blood leans in and pulls at the hatch, but it doesn’t budge. I look around the shed for something to pry it open while Smoke and Diesel brush away more of the dirt.
I find two metal spades. I hand one to Blood, and we get on either side, with Diesel pulling on the metal latch. We wedge the spades in as far as we can, but the fuckin’ thing is stuck from age and dampness.
“Bolt?” Nicoletta’s voice is sharp, alert.
"Talk to me," I say.
"Main gate camera just picked up headlights." A pause — short, filled with tension. The kind that means information is arriving faster than it can be processed. "A vehicle. Moving up the private road.”
“Police?" I ask.
"No lights. No markings.” She pauses again. “The gate just eased open. They’re pulling around the driveway.” Another beat. “My father and another man got out of the car.”
“What’s going on?” I bark. “I thought he was still in custody.”
“Must’ve gotten out on bail.” A beat. “They entered the house.”
“Fuck!” Blood hisses.
“Keep eyes on them,” I tell her.
“They’re going through the kitchen,” Nicoletta says in my ear.
Smoke finds a shovel. “Let’s get this done.” He wedges it under the door alongside Blood and me. “On three. One, two, three.”
The door pops open, sending Diesel on his ass. I yank it all the way back, then shine my light over five large duffel bags.
“They’re in the service corridor,” Nicoletta whispers.
I reach in and drag the first bag out. Then I hoist out the other three, but the fifth one is just out of my reach. I pull back and eye the opening. It’s gonna be tight. Plus, I hate the fuckin’ dark.
“You have to get out.” Nicoletta’s voice is tight. “They’re in the wine cellar.”
“I gotta go in for the last one.” I shine the light into the hole, then lower myself until my feet hit the dirt floor.
I lean down, nab the fifth bag, and push it through the opening. Bracing both hands on either side of the hatch, I push myself up and through the opening.
“Move now! They’re right outside the shed.”
I scramble onto my feet and hoist two of the bags over my shoulder. Diesel, Blood and Smoke grab up the others just as the door from the wine cellar swings open.
Overhead lights flood the small space.
“Stop, right where you are.”
I slowly spin around to the smug face of Clark Williams—and another guy holding a gun.
“Bolt?” Nicoletta whispers.
Williams eyes the duffel bags. “I see you found my secret hiding place.” The smug grin gets wider. “But you can put them down now.”
I shift my gaze to Smoke as we lower the duffels to the ground.
