“I’ll have whatever you're having. I could use something to take the edge of the last twenty-four hours.” He gave a dry laugh.
“Two, please, Rita,” I said softly, not wanting to wake Sienna where she slept only a few feet from us. I leaned back, stretched out, and tried to seem less intimating. It was important for me to know exactly how much her best friend knew about me. “I bet you have some questions for me.”
“I do.” He nodded. “Am I allowed to ask them?”
“Of course.”
“Okay,” he rubbed his lips while he thought, “I’m known to be blunt.”
“So am I.”
“You lived in Sicily and met Sienna when she was young.” I nodded. “And your family is part of the mafia?”
“Head of our syndicate, yes.” I took the drink from Rita.
“Wow.” He set his drink on the table, using the napkin as a coaster. “And she never knew?”
“No.”
“And now you live in Montepulciano, and you also are one of the Santoro brothers.”
I shifted, uncomfortable with him knowing such an intimate detail about me. “That’s correct.”
“Jesus.” He let out a nervous laugh. “You watch the movies, you know it happens but never hear anything concrete. I sure didn’t see that coming.”
“Has she told you anything else?”
“She tells me everything.” He shrugged.
“I suspected so.” I sipped my sidecar, thinking. “My turn. When did you and Sienna meet?”
“At a bar I was working at. She’d come in from time to time to eat, and I could tell she just needed someone to talk to, so I became that for her. A friend. Turned out she was living in a room she rented from an old lady, but the lady’s granddaughter needed the room, and she had to be out by that weekend. She just had a few personal belongings, and I told her I had room and could use a roommate, at least until she could get her feet back on the ground.”
“That was very nice of you.”
“It’s not what you think.”
He misread my mind, but I was curious to see what he was going to say.
“I left everything to come to Italy. I wanted a change after my mom died. My dad and I were always on opposite sides of everything and argued a lot. I got a shitty job at a bar, but I had no one and had always been a little confused about myself.” He hesitated. “Perhaps I still am, but Sienna sees past all that. She doesn’t care. She sees me for me.”
“She’s never been one to judge,” I added to his compliment. “And for what it’s worth,” I took a deep breath and let him see inside me a little, “I left because I thought it was the right thing to do. I know now I was wrong, but now, more than ever, I’m concerned for her. Being with me and in my life puts a target on her back.”
“You really care for her.”
“No, Wyatt,” I leaned forward, “I really love her. No matter how many times I tried to move on and live without her, I couldn’t. I missed her every day, and now that she’s back in my life, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe.”
“I can sincerely see that.” He glanced over at her. “So, what about the guy who did that to her arm?”
My blood ran cold, and I felt my temper rise. “He’ll be dealt with.”
“Good. Let me know if you need any help.” I smiled and appreciated his offer to help protect her. He seemed very genuine, and I felt she was in good hands with him. “She mentioned something about not being able to go home.”
“That’s right, she didn’t tell you about what happened at the dockyard?” He shook his head, waiting. “Well, she saw something she shouldn’t have, and now her face has been seen by someone dangerous. I hate to say this, but you also walked in on something you shouldn’t have been a party to, and your face has been seen by someone dangerous as well.”
“What? When?” His eyes shifted from side to side as he tried to remember. “Oh, my God, at the restaurant when I walked up to the table, is that the same guy who cut her?”
“Yes, so you will need to stay at my place where you will be protected until I figure this out.”