Book 1
Gia Salvatore does not like to feel tied down. Tired of answering to her controlling father, she ran away the night of her high school graduation and moved in with a secret older boyfriend, glad to cut ties with her toxic family.
But four...
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Gia sat there for several moments, trying to convince herself it was all a big misunderstanding as a dark and lonely feeling had begun to creep over her. She didn't easily let people into her life and although Robert had hurt her, she had never wanted to be avenged for the pain he had caused her.
She used her thumb to push the top of her phone screen and the article redirected her from the ending, where Robert's name and likeness stared at her, back to its start. The front image of the cordoned off bodega reappeared but this time Gia noticed it had an arrow next to it, indicating a series of views of the crime scene. Gia questioned whether it was wise but she steadied her breath regardless, needing all the information she could gather to make this nightmare a reality in her mind. Reassuring herself the news outlet wouldn't post anything disturbing, she began to click through the slides.
There were several shots of the corner store but from different angles. One showed the rear of a police car parked outside with detectives congregating nearby and the next showed paramedics lingering around. There was a small crowd that had gathered despite the hour of the night and a shot of the station's news van parked with a television camera and broadcaster setting up just outside the yellow tape. The very last image was shot at ground level and showed a large white sheet laying on top of someone's body. A pair of blood splattered athletic shoes peeked out.
Gia recognized Robert's sneakers and her stomach did several flips. She put her phone down, her curiosity climaxed and a cold chill running through her veins. Although she had nothing to do with the ordered hit, she couldn't help but feel to blame.
"Next of kin have been notified." The article's final statement lingered in her mind. There was once a time she would have been considered his next of kin, being his live in girlfriend, but she could only assume that they meant Robert's younger brother, Adrian. He lived only a few miles away and was the only close relative Robert had locally. They spent a lot of time together and his place was where Robert had been planning to stay the night he told her to leave.
Gia had never really connected with Adrian in a familiar way but Robert confided in him everything about their relationship, a topic that became cause for more than a few of their arguments. She doubted she would ever be hearing from Adrian but her heart still broke for him, knowing the deep bond they shared.
"I have eyes everywhere."
Her father's words in the limosaune the night he picked her up from the motel. How he had tracked down Robert was beyond her logic but she never put past him his ability to find things out.
Giovanni had always been protective of her, especially when it came to the opposite sex. He had yelled at boys in the playground, slammed doors on potential suitors in middle school, and even shot at a young man who had only come to the house to tutor her for the SATs. She thought he was being a strict father but she was actually being secured for someone her father had specifically chosen.
