Page 2 of Queen of Misfortune (Shadows of Redemption)

“Yes. He has no problem with that.”

“Niko wants me to get a new identity,” she says, her voice so small it makes me want to punch Niko in the throat.

“What Niko wants doesn’t matter once he decides he doesn’t want you or the babies.”

We sit in silence. Decisions need to be made, but not at this moment.

The quiet is disrupted by a commotion at the front door to Niko’s penthouse.

“In here!”

Elena and I startle, jumping up from the couch.

Three of Niko's men storm in, their faces etched with lines of urgency.

“What’s wrong?” Elena’s voice is full of worry.

“We need to go. You have five minutes to pack. Both of you,” one says.

“Where?” I demand. I don’t know Niko’s men well enough to be sure these three actually work for him. Considering just that morning, the car Elena and I were in was driven off the road and we were kidnapped by my father, it isn’t too much to consider the possibility that he’d breached Niko’s penthouse.

“Why? What happened?” Elena asks.

“Giovanni set a trap. We need to take you to the compound. Now.”

I grip Elena’s hand, knowing this could mean Niko is in trouble. And if he’s in trouble, then his right-hand man, Donovan, is too. God, what an annoying human being he is. Not that I want him dead, because I don’t. I know he’s important in Niko’s business, which means he’s important to keeping my sister safe if she convinces Niko to let her stay. It has nothing to do with the way he looks at me like I’m an Italian feast he wants to consume.

“Where is Niko?” she asks.

“We don’t have time for this. Pack so we can go!”

“No.” Elena steps forward with a bravado I didn’t realize she has. My little sister was more sheltered, more coddled even as my parents tried to mold her into a subservient Mafia wife. That sort of woman didn’t stand up to her husband or his men. And yet, Elena is doing just that.

“I demand to know what’s going on,” she insists.

I worry that this could be a problem. Depending on Niko’s orders, they could drag us out of here, or worse, kill us. “If they’re moving us, Niko is probably fine.”

Elena swings around to me. “But you don’t know that, do you?” She whirls back toward the men. “Tell me everything.”

The man looks to the other two as if he isn’t sure how to proceed. It’s odd that they appear unsure of what to do. Elena seems to have more sway in Niko’s family than I realized.

"We have orders to take you both to the compound in Long Island immediately."

"Who ordered? Niko? Where is he?” she asks.

“It’s protocol,” one of the other men says. "Your safety is our priority." I’m sure he’s trying to reassure her, but it’s not working.

"Is he hurt?" she pushes. "I'm not stepping one foot outside this place until I know exactly what's happened to him!"

"We really must insist." The third man, younger, with unease clouding his eyes, makes a move as if to usher us out.

"Insist all you want, but I'm not moving!"

"Boss would want you safe?—"

"Then he can come and tell me himself!" The defiance surges, fierce and powerful within her.

Go, baby sister, is all I can think. I decide to take a stand with her. I arch a brow at them, expecting them to follow her orders.