At first, I was confused about their family connection. Ciana was Ryan’s cousin, but also Nova’s. Yet Ryan and Nova weren’t cousins. They weren’t related at all. Nova explained to me that her mom was related to Ciana’s dad, and Ryan’s dad was Ciana’s mom’s older brother.
Lexa taught me how to make churros, which I’d always loved, and we ate them with vanilla ice cream, drizzled in caramel and chocolate sauce. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and before I realized it, over three hours had passed since Max had left me.
I missed him like crazy, but I had to admit I was having fun with his sisters and extended family.
I thought it was an all-girls’ sleepover, so when Ryan changed into a pair of sweats and dropped down onto the couch beside Nova, who was in her pajamas like the rest of us were to watch the movie I’d picked, it surprised me. I didn’t know if sleepovers were typically co-ed or not, so I didn’t bring it up as we settled in to watch Pirates of the Caribbean.
I’d watched the movie with my parents many times, and it was one of my favorites, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to see it in years. Lexa turned on the subtitles for me and passed out bowls of popcorn as the opening scene rolled.
The lights were off, with just the glow of the television to see by. My focus was completely on the screen, trying to take in the scene of Jack Sparrow fighting with William Turner while reading the captions at the bottom of the screen. I didn’t do this often, mostly because it was kind of exhausting. I missed a good portion of the movie because I was either reading what they were saying or watching the scene itself play out.
It was why I’d rather read a book than watch TV, but as far as I knew, reading wasn’t exactly a sleepover activity.
Nova was sitting beside me, and Ryan suddenly jerked her up and behind him as he jumped to his feet, pulling a handgun from what seemed like thin air because I hadn’t noticed him packing one earlier. Shocked at the sudden movement, I glanced around, trying to make sense of what was going on.
The lights clicked on, making it easier to see, and I immediately wanted them to be switched off again. The front door was hanging off its hinges, Uncle Tony and his second-in-command standing there with their own guns drawn, pointing them straight at Ryan, who was the only threat to them I could see. Ryan held the gun with confidence, as if it had been attached to his hand from birth. It didn’t shake, didn’t so much as waver as he sneered something at my uncle and Navarro.
Lexa and Tavia, who had been on the opposite side of the living room, stood together, their mouths moving too rapidly for me to make out what they were saying. Meanwhile, Ciana sat on the couch, still eating her popcorn and watching the reality scene play out with more interest than the one currently playing on the flat-screen.
I took it all in within a few seconds before swiveling my head back to Uncle Tony, too afraid to let him out of my line of sight for long.
“No one said Vitucci would be here!” I thought Uncle Tony said, his face drawing into tight lines as he kept his gaze on Ryan. “What the fuck? How did we not know this was their territory?”
Navarro didn’t answer. As long as I’d known him, I’d rarely seen him speak much. If I hadn’t witnessed it on a few occasions, I would have thought he didn’t even possess a tongue. His dark eyes were trained on Ryan like a laser, his gun pointed directly at Ryan’s heart.
“We just want my niece,” Uncle Tony said, his face covered in sweat as he took a hesitant step toward me. “Let me have her, and no one has to get hurt.”
I gulped, my terror so strong I could taste bile rising into the back of my throat. Tears filled my eyes, and I got slowly to my feet. I didn’t know if Ryan or Lexa were saying anything, but I knew I couldn’t let them be in danger if I could do anything about it.
A strong hand grasped my wrist, and I was suddenly behind Ryan. Nova tugged me closer to her, her hands moving quickly as she told me everything was going to be okay.
I shook my head. “No. I have to go with them. He will kill everyone. I won’t let them hurt you and your family,” I signed.
“You have to trust me, Delaney,” she replied, her eyes hard. “They don’t know who they are dealing with. Ryan will take care of this until Max and Ben get here.”
My frustration pushed down some of my fear. These people were delusional. They had no idea how dangerous my uncle was. I’d only seen a fraction of what he was capable of from my bedroom window, but I’d known there were worse things happening in the house. I couldn’t stomach the thought of something happening to any of these people I’d already come to care about.
Pushing Nova’s hands off my arms, I moved around Ryan, who still had his gun aimed at the door.
Uncle Tony and Navarro were no longer the only ones standing in the doorway. A man I’d only caught a glimpse of a few times was standing there. As with every time I’d spotted him from my bedroom window in the
