He thought I shook with cold. No. It was terror that still gripped me with its long, icy fingers.

“What’s changed?” I asked. What had happened between yesterday and today? And was he stealing from Victor now by taking me away from the cabin? What did that mean for him? For me? What use could he possibly have for me?

“What do you mean?”

“Why are we leaving? Why are you helping me?”

“I’m not. I’m helping myself.”

“What game is Victor playing with you?”

“I don’t know just yet.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to understand. You just need to be grateful.”

“Where are we going?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“If you answer one, maybe I’ll stop asking.”

“Smart-ass.”

“Bully.”

“New Jersey. We’re going somewhere Victor won’t think to look for you. Because when he finds out you’re gone, he’s going to come looking for both of us.”

“And he’ll find out when I don’t show up at auction?”

He nodded and turned the SUV onto a lonely paved road. I saw a sign for a highway twenty-six miles away.

“Franco Benedetti promised my father he would protect Mateo and I when my father died.”

“Did he?”

Dominic didn’t sound surprised. “Maybe I should go to him.”

“Because he did a bang-up job protecting your brother?”

“You have a point.” I was silent for a moment. “How many days until I would have gone to auction?”

“Eight.”

“What’s the date?” I didn’t even know that.

“Eleventh of January.”

“They killed Mateo the day after Christmas.” They’d come for me that same morning. That meant I’d been held captive for more than two weeks.

Dominic didn’t respond. We rode in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts, until we merged onto the highway. It was still early morning, and there were only a few other cars on the road besides us. A sign told me there was a McDonald’s at the next rest stop.

“I’m really hungry,” I said. “Can we get some food?”

He glanced at me like food was the last thing on his mind.

“Please?”

He put on his blinker, and we took the exit. He rode slowly up to the drive-through window.

“If you try anything, Gia—”

“I won’t. I already told you at the cabin. I want Victor Scava. I’m not fool enough to believe I can get to him on my own.” It was true. I had to be realistic. Dominic’s hatred of Victor meant we had a common enemy. He was taking me away from Victor. I didn’t fool myself into thinking Dominic was good, not by any means, but as long as our goals lined up, Dominic was the lesser of two evils.

He nodded. “What do you want?” he asked when we got to the menu board.