Inferno(40)

Her heavy-lidded gaze was steady on mine and I felt suffocated by it. Despite Sara’s gentle presence, the friendly way she spoke, her unassuming nature, this was the real Marino family and I couldn’t pretend to like them.

Jack was hovering behind Donata. His face had twisted and for the first time, he seemed uncomfortable. Still, he let her hold me like that, digging her nails into my skin until I felt her draw blood.

Donata threw her head back. ‘Antony,’ she called, bird-like in pitch. ‘Antony, it’s time!’ I watched the faces behind her, their eyes snapping to the back of her head, but whoever Antony was – her son? A would-be torturer à la Calvino Falcone? – he was either too scared to answer her call, or maybe he wasn’t there at all. ‘Marco! Libero!’ she called, but still, no one came to her aid. The music was too loud.

I kept my voice steady. ‘I can’t do anything for you right now. I have a pounding headache and I need to go home. Let me come back another day,’ I added, taking Sara’s advice.

Behind us, the singer was crying her way through a nineties pop song.

Donata Marino rounded on me. ‘You can go when you’ve agreed to help us,’ she snapped.

Jack stepped closer to me, around the side of her, keeping his distance, like she was radioactive. ‘Donata,’ he warned. ‘You’re scaring her.’

She rolled her eyes, but he had managed to shut her up. He softened his voice, peppering it with gentle force as if to make up for Donata’s aggression. ‘There’s something of mine in the diner, Soph, but the Falcones are watching the place night and day. It’s too dangerous for us to go in. But not for you. You can help secure it. You can sneak in unharmed, and bring it to us.’

‘Get it yourself.’ The words were out of my mouth before the meaning of what he had said dropped into my stomach.

‘There’s a safe,’ Jack cut in. ‘And we—’

‘No,’ I hissed. ‘No way.’

I really could have laughed right then. How insane did they think I was? They were both staring at me, waiting for me to change my answer. My head was so heavy. Suddenly it felt like the whole club had tripled in capacity. The dance floor behind me was filling up. People were starting to jostle against my back. The singer was screaming her next verse.

I could make out Millie through the crowds, fighting towards me. ‘We should go,’ she shouted, pushing her way closer. ‘Something’s going on.’

Jack was there in a flash, blocking my immediate exit. ‘Sophie, I know it’s not an ideal situation but there’s a lot of money at stake. If we could just sit down and talk about all of this … Your dad would want me to help you. He would want me to keep you safe.’

‘You’re the one putting me in danger.’ I stumbled backwards, into the crowds. They were closing in, stifling me.

Something struck me in the back and I crashed nose first into my uncle’s chest. Razor Grin and Eric Cain were at his sides, shouting, pulling him away from me. But Jack was fighting them. He was shouting too, his face turning crimson with fresh rage. ‘How could you betray me? How could you do this to us?’ It took me an extra second to realize it was me he was yelling at. But I hadn’t done anything. I faltered backwards, away from his huddle, sinking into a scrap of shoving bodies.

I could hear Millie screaming, but there were other people shouting too – male voices. Voices I recognized. I was pulled backwards. Bodies pressed against me. I fell against someone, thumping the back of my head. A shoe clipped my ankle and I lost my footing, my heels giving way beneath me.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. I landed with a thump that knocked the wind out of my lungs, and then Nic appeared, circling above me. He lunged at Eric Cain, who was a flash of darting red hair and pale skin. Nic grabbed him by the throat and yanked him downwards, cracking his knee straight into his face. I could almost hear Eric’s nose smash into pieces as he crumpled to the ground. Nic hurled his foot into his back, the force of the kick bending his body like an S. He slammed into him again and Eric’s slim frame contorted and writhed out of view. He pulled his knife out. Vaguely stunned and winded, I thought, I am about to witness Nic murdering someone.

Jack sprang up, and Nic’s attention snapped in two. He arced to the left and disappeared into a sea of faceless people, chasing my uncle. Felice Falcone’s voice rang in my ears. He was somewhere close by, yelling instructions, calm against the storm. I scrabbled on the floor, my heels sliding as I tried to get up. Someone was brandishing a gun above me and I dipped backwards, cowering on the ground.