Page 64 of Bound in Vengeance
I sprint down the corridor, turn the handle of the heavy wooden door, and slip inside, closing it silently behind me. Alessandro’s bedroom. It smells entirely of him—expensive cologne, leather, and dark tobacco. But I don’t have time to take it in.
I rush over to the massive mahogany desk, my fingers trembling as I yank open the top drawer. Sure enough, resting there, is the blue laptop.
My heart thunders a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I grab the device, holding it tightly against my chest. The weight of what I am doing settles heavily onto my shoulders. If I am caught with this right now, the federal agents won't care that I'm a pregnant bride. They will cuff me like Alessandro. I will be implicated. I will be jailed. I am making a conscious choice to become complicit in his world, destroying any chance of a normal life.
There is no turning back.
I spin around and scan the room until my eyes land on the mini bookshelf across from the bed. I drop to my knees, the white silk of my skirt pooling on the floor, and run my fingers along the back panel of the shelf. My fingers catch on a small, hidden indentation.
A sleek, digital keypad glides into view.
1425.
I punch the numbers in with a shaking finger. The mechanism clicks, and a secret compartment pops open. I quickly slide the blue laptop inside, pushing it deep into the dark cavity, and slam the panel shut. The keypad retracts, leaving the bookshelf looking completely normal.
I stand up, smoothing down my dress and taking a deep, ragged breath just as the faint sound of heavy footsteps begins to echo from the hallway outside.
Before I can even move toward the door, it bursts open. Three federal agents stride into the bedroom, their expressions instantly hardening when they find me standing in the center of the room.
"What are you doing up here?" the lead agent demands, his eyes darting suspiciously around the room.
The burly officer from downstairs steps up behind them, looking flustered and angry. "I told her to use the downstairs powder room."
My heart is hammering against my ribs, but I force my posture to relax, crossing my arms over my chest and letting out an offended, exhausted sigh. I need to play up the high-maintenance, hormonal bride act before they start looking too closely at the furniture.
"I tried using that one, but it doesn't have any of my things," I say, my voice dripping with defensive attitude. "I am used to this bathroom. I am a pregnant woman, and if I use the wrong soap, I’ll start vomiting again. Do you want to be responsible for dealing with a new bride on top of all this chaos?"
The agents all frown, looking deeply uncomfortable as they exchange awkward, annoyed glances. The lead agent pinches the bridge of his nose, clearly wishing he didn't have to deal with me for another second.
"Fine. Just leave the room and go back downstairs immediately," he orders, gesturing firmly toward the doorway. "We are securing this floor right now. Do not wander off again."
"Fine," I snap back, tilting my chin up.
I pick up my the hem of my dress, stepping past them with as much attitude as I can muster, and walk out into the hallway. My hands are still secretly shaking, but as I head down the grand staircase, a cold wave of relief washes over me.
The laptop is safe. I actually did it.
Will they notice the hiding space? Will they be able to destroy it and retrieve the laptop? The anxiety returns, sharp and biting. If they brought advanced scanning equipment, a hidden wall or furniture safe might show up on their thermal imaging. If they find it, they won't hesitate to tear the bookshelf apart to get inside.
Valerio is gone by the time I finally make my way outside into the humid coastal air. One of Alessandro’s trusted security details tell me that Valerio has already left to pick up Alessandro’s top defense lawyer and head straight to the federal precinct.
After thirty grueling, agonizing minutes, the agents finally stream back downstairs. They look thoroughly frustrated and angry, their boots stomping loudly against the marble foyer. As they pass me, they throw me highly suspicious glances.
I can tell they had ironclad intel. That’s the only reason they would raid a high-profile syndicate wedding with this much force. Now that they can’t find a single shred of physical evidence, they are certain I had something to do with its disappearance.
Well, they’d be stupid if they thought I would just hand over my husband.
Wait. What? My husband?
I freeze, my own thought process catching me completely off guard. It confuses and terrifies me that I am going to these extreme lengths for Alessandro—a man who practically forced me into this life. Just hours ago, I was looking for ways to fight him. Now, I’m covering up federal crimes for him.
Before I can unpack the chaos in my mind, the lead agent steps right into my space.
"Mrs. Gallo," he says, the new title tasting like ash in my mouth. "We need you to come down to the station with us to give a formal statement regarding the assets and the timeline of today's events."
I meet the agent's cold stare with an unyielding look of my own.
"Of course," I comply smoothly, keeping my voice steady. "I’d be happy to help.”
