Page 178 of Breaking Rosalind
He tilts his head to the side and cracks his neck. “Anything else?”
“Prepare for more.”
“How many?”
“Don’t know yet, but it can’t be more than another ten.”
His brows form a deep V. “Do I need to warn you about the dangers of keeping them under long-term sedation?”
“Someone should have warned them about the dangers of trying to assassinate a Montesano.”
The smile he gives me is weak and not because he’s tired or he thinks I’m corny. Dr. Brunelli knows I’m not a Montesano. He found out while I was going cold turkey. At least that’s what he claims, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he heard it directly from Mom. He took care of all her pregnancies.
He swings his legs off the cot and lands on the concrete floor with a soft thud. “Leave it with me,” he says. “I’ll make sure they’re alert for any phone calls.”
“No painkillers for the broken fingers,” I say. “These fuckers are more dangerous than the average foot soldier, especially the women.”
Dr. Brunelli chuckles. “I’ve been dealing with the family’s enemies longer than you’ve been alive. Don’t worry about me.”
Satisfied that he has the situation under control, I continue back toward the wine cellar, wondering if everyone who works for the Moirai has a story like Rosalind’s.
I step out of the cellar and into the stairwell, remembering that all four of the assassins we captured conspired to frame Rosalind for arranging the shooting. Now that my illusions of her being an invincible leader have shattered, I realize they only wanted her to take the fall.
Sofia descends the stairs, her shoulders hunched, and her jacket pulled tightly around her neck.
I stare up at her from the bottom of the stairs, my muscles tensing. “Are you alright?”
She snaps out of her musings and places a trembling hand over her mouth. Her eyes dart around the stairwell like she’s searching for threats.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I went to St. Anne’s Church, you know, the one in the Parisii Cemetery, to put some flowers on my brother’s grave,” she says through rasping breaths. “His plot is behind the row of weeping willows next to the new rectory.”
I nod, already picturing the spot. “What happened?”
“Someone crept up on me from behind. I didn’t see his face, but he was wearing a mask.”
I picture the masked man who appeared in the Phoenix’s video cameras. Matty must have come after Sofia when I wouldn’t answer his texts.
I bound up the steps to close the distance and place a hand on her shoulder. “Was he armed?”
“Only with a massive knife.” She shudders. “I shot him and didn’t stop running until I reached the car.”
“When did this happen?”
She stares ahead, trapped in the memory of the attack. “I don’t know. Just now. I came straight here to grab some bottles.”
Guilt claws its way into my chest and squeezes my heart. I wrap my arms around Sofia’s shoulders and pull her into a tight hug. “If I’d known you would be a target, I would have warned you not to leave the gates.”
She sighs against my chest. “Benito said the Galliano brothers might go after your women, but I didn’t think that included me.”
Drawing back, I gaze down into dark brown eyes the same shade as my brothers. “We should have known. You’re this family’s backbone. When Mom left, it was you who stepped up.”
The smile she gives me is strained. “How long will this feud last?”
“I need to find where the hell Matty Galliano is hiding. He keeps popping up in New Alderney, so he must be nearby. I’ll do everything I can to destroy him before his next strike.”
She nods. “He can’t get away with this.”