“Natalia’s fine, Rosa,” Santo says calmly. He places a brotherly arm around my shoulders. “I promise.”
“How do you know?”
He doesn’t answer.
Orlando has his wife Angelina and his son Nicolo to worry about, Tavi has Elise and the baby they’re expecting, and Mario will watch over Mama and Marialena. They’ll make sure Romeo’s Vittoria has guards on her 24/7 as well.
Someone’s got to watch over Natalia. And me.
A little thrill ripples through me at the thought. Santo, at my door, standing guard. Being so close to him without being able to do what I long to…
Not touching him, staying apart and aloof, keeping my distance, is the only thing that will save me. It also may very well kill me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Santo
I go over everything in my mind that I know to date.
The Regazza betrayal and their conniving ways. Elise’s family had an ax to grind after the death of her father, but her mother wanted the inheritance for herself. She actively plotted against Elise’s marriage and had a firsthand role in pushing Elise to run from her arranged marriage to The Family.
Who knows how many of the Regazzas she hired to turn. At least two lie dead.
We later discovered that Leo conspired with Anna Regazza, for reasons we may never know. Money is only part of a rationalization for betrayal. But Leo was Narciso’s younger brother, and I suspect he had underhanded motives.
Everyone else trusted him. I never did. But then again, I never could trust a man with mistresses and a spoiled wife. It smacks of nothing but selfish motives.
In Tuscany, however, my dealings with the Regazzas only scratched the surface of why I was there.
I piece everything I know, everything I’ve seen, together. The attack tonight that destroyed my car, no accident, I’m sure. And Romeo being taken to prison…
Did they know he’d lift my banishment to Tuscany and make me stay? Was that part of the plan?
Or did they remove the most dangerous man in New England to prepare for a worse attack?
Only time will tell. Time, interrogations, and a shit ton of money.
We reach The Castle in record time, and the soft lockdown’s in full effect. Rosa looks out the window, the tips of her fingers grazing her collarbone. She absentmindedly traces a path from her neck to her shoulder, then back again.
I can feel her presence like the rising of the sun, warm tendrils of awareness kissing my skin. I imagine my pulse beats in time to hers.
Rosa. I told myself that distance was the only way to keep her out of my mind, but it was a lie. Every soft breath of warm air over the vineyards, the scent of ripe roses, the way the sun set over Tuscany’s rolling hills… everything reminded me of her.
I want to hold her to me. I want to remind her that she’s safe with me. But I know that actions speak louder than words. Probably now more than ever.
I can feel her concern over Natalia, but she doesn’t know I’ve got the hidden camera. Natalia’s safe.
The first thing I did after the car explosion was check on Natalia with the hidden camera I had installed and thank fuck she was playing with her dolls in bed. Her useless nanny was, as always, on her phone while Natalia chirped away at imaginary friends.
It’s uncanny how much the kid reminds me of me. Likes to be alone. Doesn’t really fit in here. Has no peers that really know who she is or why she’s here. And I get that.
Wheels crunch on gravel as all the SUVs pull up the winding drive that takes us to The Castle entrance, just as my phone rings with a call from Tavi.
“Yeah?”
“Take the dogs, Santo,” Tavi orders. “Bring ‘em in with you.” He knows I’m the only one they’ll obey in Romeo’s absence, and they’re two of the most powerful weapons we own.
I nod. “On it.”
Rosa’s eyes come to me, and she can’t quite hide the fear. I draw in a deep breath and let it out again. I don’t believe in luck, and I don’t believe in chance. But tonight, Rosa will spend the night with me, under my watch, and even though we’ll walk a razor’s edge so no one knows how I feel about her, we won’t have an ocean separating us.
I’d rather watch over her a hundred times than watch the fucking grapes grow.
“Tavi wants me to get the dogs,” I tell them. “I’ll meet you up at the house.”
Orlando’s gaze registers mild surprise, but he only nods. He defers to Tavi like all of us do in these circumstances.
“The dogs?” Rosa asks in surprise. She knows how volatile and fierce they are. “Why?”
I shrug. “We’ll see. Get behind me.”
I ignore the way she purses her lips at me. She’s never been one to like being told what to do but is experienced enough to know when to pick her battles.