“I don’t want you to be sad when you go home, that’s all,” I said, meaning every word.
Tears burst from her eyes, and she fell into my arms.
“I’m already sad. I’m losing you, Sofia. You’re not just two hours away. We’re not even in the same time zone anymore. There’s a whole freaking ocean between us now.”
I hugged her back, squeezing tight. “I don’t care. We’re going to talk every day. We’ll Facetime for hours. And I’ll come for visits.”
“What if he doesn’t let you?”
“He will. He has to.”
“Sofia,” Raphael called out, walking toward us from the house.
We both wiped our faces. I knew he’d seen our tears, but he didn’t mention it.
“Time to go.”
We nodded.
Things felt different with him for some reason. I wish I knew what else he and Damon had discussed and had fought over.
Lina climbed into the backseat of the sedan with Charlie in her lap. Raphael would drive us to Siena, where Lina would meet Grandfather. They would head to the airport together. I was determined to squeeze out every last minute I could with my sister.
When we reached Siena, Grandfather was already waiting along with their driver beside their sedan. We climbed out, Lina and I with tears in our eyes.
Raphael didn’t acknowledge my grandfather. Not with more than a nod of the head. Lina went to Raphael, and he turned to her.
“Take care of my sister.” She looked him square in the eyes, my little sister standing taller, all grown-up.
He studied her for a long minute, then nodded. “I will.”
I saw the shadow behind his eyes. He was preoccupied, which I understood.
My grandfather gave me an awkward hug, and although Lina and I had promised each other we wouldn’t cry, our last hug was tearful. Even Charlie seemed somber when the sedan drove away. Raphael remained silent, waiting and watching with me until their car disappeared.
“Okay?” he asked as we climbed back into our car.
I shrugged a shoulder, unable to look at him. I hated when he saw me cry.
We drove in silence, heading home. Charlie dozed on my lap, and I petted him absently. I wasn’t paying attention to our surroundings, and when I did finally look up and saw Raphael gazing too frequently into the rearview mirror, I, too, glanced over my shoulder. A large black SUV drove behind us.
“What is it?” I asked Raphael.
He shook his head, his gaze intent for a moment on the SUV, then on the winding road. These streets weren’t very busy, and I wasn’t sure if it was Raphael’s reaction or what, but something felt wrong. Something about that SUV struck me.
When Raphael accelerated, so did the SUV. And when he slowed, same thing. They seemed to be keeping pace with us. I could make out the shape of two forms inside, although all the windows, including the windshield, were heavily tinted.
That was when I remembered.
Moriarty.
He’d come to the house during the wedding reception in an SUV similar to this one. Was it him?
“Raphael?” I asked. “Are they following us?”
“Hold on,” he said, taking a sharp, unexpected turn.
“What are you doing?” I screamed, startled, the sound of screeching brakes scaring the hell out of me.
Raphael didn’t answer me. Instead, we both watched as the SUV bounced around the turn, the driving erratic now.
“Goddamn asshole,” Raphael said, reaching across to open the glove compartment. That was when I saw the shiny butt of what I knew was a pistol.
“Raphael!”
He was slowing the car, pulling off to the side.
“What are you doing? Why do you have that?”
He came to a full stop and took the weapon into his palm. Charlie must have felt my panic. He started to bark and circle on my lap.
“Keep him quiet!”
“I can’t help it! What’s happening?” He reached to open his door, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. That was when the SUV’s brakes screeched, and they swerved violently around us. I screamed, and Raphael muttered a curse, then turned to me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“What was that?”
“Are you okay?” he demanded this time.
“Yes!”
He shoved the pistol back into the glove compartment, put the car into gear, and drove it back around onto the other road heading toward home.
“Moriarty’s goons.”
“What are they trying to do?”
“Scare us.”
“Well, it worked.”
“I’m taking you home.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to pay him a visit and end this once and for all.”
“They’re dangerous, Raphael. You can’t—”
But the look in his eyes when he turned to me stopped me short.
“I’m dangerous too, Sofia,” he said, looking calm, taking a deep breath in.
“The gun,” I said. I didn’t need to say more.
He didn’t respond but kept his gaze on the road. He made two calls, and by the time we pulled in through the gates and parked at the house, I saw Eric and the other two men I’d met when I’d first arrived waiting for us.