He wasn’t fully fit.
But he was still enough.
With his chances of keeping Alex in his eyeline dissipating with every second, he rushed out of the door, leaving the frame shaking as he slammed it behind him.
Chapter Four
The Pannuci Ripairazano Auto sign had long since faded, with the letters barely eligible. Some time ago, it had been a successful repair shop, run by a local family just making an honest living. Offering expertise and a friendly atmosphere, their business soon hit the skids when the patriarch, Salvatore was taken ill.
When he passed, the business fell upon his two sons who soon sold up, splitting whatever money they could and letting the business fade away, like the sign that once hung proudly above it.
As Alex Stone walked down the narrow side street towards the abandoned garage, she wondered how long since it had seen any business.
Legal business.
Shivering slightly in the spring chill, she marched past a few parked cars, ignoring the men stood on the other side of the road sharing a cigarette and some friendly banter. One of them called out to her, eliciting a giggle from his friend. While not fluent in the native tongue, Alex knew it wasn’t complimentary.
She passed a couple more cars and a few parked motorcycles and then stepped onto the rain soaked asphalt that led to the workshop.
As the wind danced through her hair, she approached the large, rusty shutter that fell below the sign like rotten teeth. Beside it, another metal door stood, the padlock missing.
This was the place.
As she raised her fist, she paused.
What if Sam was right?
Alex wasn’t afraid of breaking the law. She’d done it for most of her life. She didn’t take pride in being a criminal, but she did from doing what she needed to keep her siblings on a better path. She’d been happy to rip up her own future to ensure theirs.
And while Sam’s overly cautious approach to her racing was annoying at times, she understood. They were in danger and the sooner they could get to America, the better. But his concern for this meeting was gnawing at her like an unfathomable toothache.
‘Come on, Alex,’ she muttered under her breath, before slamming the side of her fist against the metal, rainwater splashing down her wrist.
She shot a glance over her shoulder. The two men had gone and behind her the side street was eerily quiet. In the far distance, she saw someone round the corner, but the street lights and rain shrouded them in darkness.
Just a local resident, heading home after an evening out.
A large clang echoed from the other side of the door, startling Alex, who cursed herself. Sam had gotten in her head and she composed herself as the large metal door groaned open.
A large, bearded man appeared from the shadow, his dark eyes hiding beneath a thick brow and a shaved head. His leather jacket hugged his bulky frame tightly and Alex could see the gun tucked under his arm. He glared at her, looking her up and down before arching his neck and grunting.
Alex snapped into action.
‘Ciao to you, too,’ she said slyly, stepping over the threshold and into the dark garage.
The metal door slammed shut behind her.
Alex stepped cautiously into the derelict building, her eyes scanning the dusty remnants of a once thriving workshop. Dimly lit by a few lamps placed strategically around the room, she walked past a few pits, once used to allow the mechanics enough space to stand underneath the vehicles they were working on. Cluttered work benches lined the walls, along with a few distasteful calendars. A shell of a car still stood proudly on its bracket, the wheels gone and the interior looted. She slowed, interested in the model of the car, but received a firm nudge from the brute who had decided to chaperone her.
She shot him a dirty look, then carried on forward, feeling a sense of unease as they approached a lone metal chair in the middle of the workshop. From the shadows created by the makeshift light, a well-dressed man stepped out, a smile etched across his handsome face.
‘Ciao, bella.’
Matteo.
Decked in a black bomber jacket, jumper, and jeans, he looked like he was heading for a date as opposed to running a job.
A job she knew nothing about.
Matteo approached her, his slick, black hair parted to the side and his stubbled jaw still smiling.
‘Matteo.’
‘Please. Take a seat.’ He offered politely, his English struggling through a thick Italian accent.
‘I’m fine,’ Alex said nervously, glancing as the large bouncer who had followed her stood to the side, his arms folded across his wide chest.
‘We need to discuss,’ Matteo said again, his white teeth glistening in the faint light. ‘I insist.’
Behind him, a woman and two men stepped out from the shadows, all of them decked in similar black attire. Alex felt her stomach drop. She recognised the dress code.
She’d adhered to it once herself.
Sensing her fear was becoming palpable, she offered a friendly smile to Matteo, who stood a few feet from her.
‘You know what?’ she said as confidently as she could muster. ‘I think I’m going to go.’
As she turned, the doorman stepped in her path, an ugly smirk contorting his face.
‘Okay, let’s cut the bullshit,’ Matteo said, his Italian accent replaced instantly with one similar to her own. ‘Sit your fucking ass down in the chair or I’ll have Luca do it for you.’
Alex turned back, facing Matteo whose smile had completely vanished. Alex felt her fists clench, but weighing up her odds, she didn’t think she would last long. Resigned to her fate, she calmly walked past him and approached the chair.
‘Good accent, by the way,’ she said dryly, dropping into the chair. ‘You learn that while sucking these guys off?’
‘You got a foul mouth,’ Matteo replied. ‘Keep running it and I’ll
