The guards put me outside in the snow. Marco reached for me, but I pushed his hand away.
I had nowhere left to run, and Serena was alive.
Within hours, Marco found her private estate in the valley: glass, dark wood, and a ten-foot perimeter wall.
I sent Marco away. This, I had to do alone.
At the black iron gate, cameras tracked me as snow covered my coat. I knelt in front of them.
Hours passed. Slush soaked through my trousers, and the damaged knee throbbed until I could no longer feel my foot. Each time I sagged, I used the bars to pull myself upright again.
I looked into the nearest camera.
“Serena, please. It’s Alessandro.”
The gate stayed closed.
“Remember Venice? The chase on the Grand Canal? The Cartel was behind us, and you laughed when we jumped between the rooftops. You
