Alexa had been pacing up and down in her guest room for the past ten minutes, willing herself enough strength to go and confront Dante about all this Mafia business. She lifted her phone and checked the time. Alexa still had forty-five minutes left until she would be expected for their meeting at the Starbucks. She knew the place, it wasn’t too far away from where they were now, so catching a cab wouldn’t be too difficult, even for this time of day. She had to go; Willow’s life depended on it! But would she confront Dante about what she had learnt in the meantime? Pursing her lips tightly together, she took another look at the image she had been sent of her friend, bound and gagged. She appeared to have been crying from the obvious evidence of her running mascara. Then a sudden wav

