Page 22 of Greed

God, this is so boring. I walk off the food and try to figure out a way to escape. I am going mad; why hasn’t Andrea negotiated for me yet? Or at least attempted to rescue me.

Dinner is also delicious, a chicken pesto pasta dish with a salad on the side, with a glass of wine which I don’t touch. I want my faculties about me. However, I’m tempted to down it because I’m so freaking bored. Maria carts the dishes away, and I resume pacing.

I’m not even angry anymore. Now I’m just frustrated as hell. This is the most boring kidnapping ever. Surely they can provide me with some entertainment. Anything. At least let me walk the grounds; they look beautiful. They’re probably afraid I’d make a run for it, and to be honest, I probably would.

The door opens, and I look up, but this time the Ricci Don walks in.

I glare at him. “What do you want?”

“I thought you might be bored,” he comments as Maria follows him in with a basket. She sets it down. It has magazines and books in it.

I frown. “Now you think I might be bored.”

“Come on, Gia, don’t be like that,” he comments.

He called me Gia! He must have spoken to Andrea.

“You don’t get to call me that,” I hiss as Maria leaves.

She doesn’t lock the door behind her, and my eyes dart between the door and Matteo. If I can somehow get past him, I can make a run for it and escape downstairs. I remember where the stairs are.

I just can’t remember whether I leave left or right.

He extends his arm. “Well, you can call me Matteo. Please come sit,” he says.

He steps forward to guide me to the sofa. Now is my chance. For years Andrea insisted I take self-defense classes, something I’d kept up every day. I’m strong and fit, and I can use Matteo’s weight against him.

As he steps closer, I grab his arm and yank him forward, throwing him off balance. I shift my own weight and tuck myself under him to drive my legs up to flip him over my shoulder so he lands with a loud thud on his back.

I immediately high-tail it for the bedroom door, deciding to go right. It’s the wrong choice, but I keep moving, not wanting anyone to stop me.

I eventually come full circle to the stairs and hurry down them. I run out of the front door and take off down the lawn as fast as my feet can carry me.

I’m rejuvenated from my sleep and the food, so I make my way quickly over the lawn. Lamps line the grass and give the garden a cozy feel. If I weren’t a prisoner, I’d probably stop and admire it, but as it is, I have to try to get out of here as fast as I can.

I avoid the lamps, keeping closer to the bushes so that no one sees where I am. I hear shouts coming from the mansion, and I know Matteo has mobilized his men to find me.

I rush toward the gate as fast as I’m able to, but then torchlight washes over me as guards approach from the guardhouse. I dive through the bushes. The twigs scratch my arm painfully, but I ignore it as I come out the other side and run toward the boundary wall. There must be a way over it. It isn’t far, but it’s high, and I need to run along it to find a way over it.

I need to find somewhere where I can climb it, but I can hear the voices coming in this direction, voices shouting ‘find her’ in Italian.

I see a tree ahead of me, and it’s just close enough to the wall that I might be able to make it over. I don’t know how I’m going to get down, but now is not the time to worry about that. I shimmy up the tree toward the higher branches. Bark scratches my arms, feet, and my hands start to bleed again.

Torchlight crisscrosses the lawn behind me, and I know his goons are getting close. I have to hurry, so I reach the top branches and realize they’re quite spread out. I start to shimmy along one toward the wall. I’m careful to maintain my balance.

I slip and hit my elbow, biting back from crying out. I could have fallen out of the tree, but I’m clinging to the branch. I’m almost near the higher branch, which will take me over the wall. I must hurry.

I grab the branch and cling to it as the torches wash over me, blinding me. I start to shimmy along this branch, and the goons shout for me to stop and to come down. I ignore them as I inch my way closer and closer. When their shouts don’t stop me, they draw their weapons and point them at me.

Matteo strolls over to the tree. “You don’t want to do that.”

CHAPTER NINE

MATTEO

Gia clings to the tree branch like a monkey, but she glares down at me with venom in her eyes. She has a bleeding scratch on her cheek and a few on her arms, and I see her hands are bleeding again. Silly girl.

I chuckle as I watch her. “You’re going to come down now. You can either do this the easy way or the hard way, Gia,” I say.