Just to Breathe

By Holly Day

Nico Allegretti has been best friends with Matt Barnes since kindergarten. There is no one more important to Nico than Matt, and while he’s known for years Matt is the one for him, he’ll never tell him. He won’t risk ruining their friendship.

On his way to meet Matt at the restaurant, a case of mistaken identity ends with Nico in the trunk of a car. When he’s released, his kidnappers give him twenty-four hours to give them what they want. The problem is, Nico has no idea what that could be.

Not knowing what else to do, he turns to Matt, who is a cop. Together they go into hiding while looking for clues. Being kidnapped doesn’t change Nico’s resolve to not let Matt know how he feels, but hiding in a small cabin together makes it hard to ignore. Matt’s small touches and compliments must mean nothing. Had Matt felt the same, he’d let him know by now ... right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jun 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781646568215

Holly Day

Holly Day and Sherman Wick are the authors of several books about the Twin Cities. Sherman Wick received his BA in history from the University of Minnesota and has been a member of the Minnesota Historical Society for several decades. Holly Day has worked as a freelance writer for local and national publications for over twenty-five years and teaches writing classes at the Loft Literary Center.

Book preview

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Nico Allegretti cradled his head in wait for the next blow. He squeezed his eyes shut as the room spun around him.

Where is it?

The voice sent a shiver down Nico’s spine. The man wasn’t angry. He wasn’t upset that Nico couldn’t answer. It was almost as if he wanted Nico not to answer.

I don’t know. He braced himself for the pain that would follow. When seconds went by and no one hit him, he chanced a glance. The man would have been handsome with his strong jaw and perfectly sculpted cheekbones if it hadn’t been for the serial killer eyes. Hopefully, he wasn’t a serial killer, but Nico wouldn’t bet on it. His eyes glittered with the satisfaction of someone who enjoyed inflicting pain on others.

The man didn’t speak, but what started as nothing more than a slight stretch of lips soon grew into a manic grin. We’ll let you think about it, Mr. Allegretto.

Under normal circumstances, Nico would have corrected him. It was Allegretti, not Allegretto.

We know your uncle moved here. We know he moved it here. We know you know where it is. He stood, and Nico shrank.

But if you need twenty-four hours to get your wits about you, we’re not unreasonable.

Before Nico had time to reply, the room, which he realized was more like a warehouse than an actual room, emptied of people. He’d believed they were a big gang, but as they neared the door under a dim flickering strip light, Nico counted to three hulking forms.

A sob escaped him before he could clamp his lips shut. For several minutes, he sat on the dirty plastic garden chair and tried to calm his heart. The side of his face was throbbing, but the worst was the blow he’d taken to the back of his head.

He’d been on his way to Taverna, his and Matt’s favorite Italian restaurant, when they’d jumped him from behind. He wasn’t sure, but he believed they’d hit him with the butt of a gun.

Matt. They were to celebrate Nico’s birthday. It wasn’t until tomorrow, but Matt was working tomorrow, and Nico couldn’t bear the thought of missing out on a birthday dinner with Matt.

They’d been best friends since kindergarten, and there might have been a time when Nico would have blown off a dinner date with Matt for a chance of hooking up with some hot guy, but that time was long gone. There was no one he’d rather spend time with than Matt, no one.

With trembling hands, he fished out his phone from his pocket. He was amazed the goons had allowed him to keep it. He hit Matt’s number and waited as the call connected.

Halsworthy police department, Joyce Barnes speaking.

Nico removed the phone from his ear for a short second to double check who he’d called. He had called Matt’s number, but he wasn’t supposed to be working today. Hiya, eh…Joyce. It’s Nico.

Nico! He’s right here…or he was. You know how it is. There was a rasping sound and Nico could picture her holding a hand over the phone. Mathew! Nico is calling.

More scraping and rustling followed.

Was it something important, dear? He’s right in the middle of talking to someone in the interrogation room.

The interrogation room wasn’t anything like how interrogation rooms looked on TV, it was a small office with a huge potted plant in the corner. There was a holding cell next to it that looked exactly like those on TV, so Nico guessed it made up for it. Maybe.

I…eh…

I’ll have him call right away, okay?

Nico wanted to object but nodded. He didn’t know where he was, and he didn’t want to get up from the chair. He wasn’t sure his legs would hold. The throbbing continued, and he stared in direction of the ceiling, trying to gather the courage to walk over to the door.

They’d pushed him into the trunk of a car. Never had he believed he’d be pushed into the trunk of a car. He was nobody, and he’d believed people only threw people into car trunks in movies.

The phone rang, and he almost dropped it in his hurry to answer. Matt?

Where were you? I waited for forty-five minutes.

I…eh…I got kidnapped.

Silence stretched. Melissa had you kidnapped? Why didn’t they tell me? I was sitting there like a fool waiting for you.

I-I don’t think it was Melissa. While Melissa could have orchestrated a birthday kidnapping, it was more likely to include strippers than beatings. She’d been both his and Matt’s friend since back in high school, but since she’d became a mother a