“No, the hit was botched, and no one told Uncle Silvio for fear of his retribution. Ronan was supposed to whisk Sofia away, but I saw him on the sidewalkwithoutSofia when we followed Carlo outside.”
Now, I’m even more confused. She mentioned connections yesterday. Why would he help Sofia escape the mob but not his own sister? And, what kind of connections does the outcast son of a rat have? “How-”
She shakes her head. “No time to explain it all. But, I’ll tell them it was me who helped Sofia. I won’t have Alessio angry at you when this was my plan.”
“No, Frankie, you can’t-”
“I can. I’ll tell them-”
Her mouth snaps shut and so does mine when Armando steps back out of the bathroom. “By all means, keep talking, Francesca,” he says, gruffly. “Your uncle, cousin and Carlo Vicini would love to hear more.” We remain silent so he focuses his attention on me. Hopefully, he only caught the end of what Frankie told me. “If you know something, you should tell Alessio, Caterina.”
“There is nothing for me to tell him that he probably hasn’t already figured out.”
“A wife who loves her husband should be honest with him.”
My eyes narrow. How does Armando know I love Alessio when I’ve never even said the words aloud? “You seem to know a lot about what a wife should do. Have you had many wives, Armando? I mean women you’ve been married to, not women married to other men that you’ve slept with.” He raises aneyebrow at my cheekiness, and I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. “I didn’t mean-”
His charming mask slips, and I see true rage in his eyes for the first time. “Alessio has treated you well, better than you expected. You certainly hold some power over him. But one month of marriage doesn’t mean you know him. You’ve never seen him at his worst, and you don’t know how severely the De Lucas deal with betrayal.” I pretend I’m unconcerned by his words, so Armando starts slowly rolling up his sleeves, revealing his powerful forearms. “You’ve never seen me at my worst either.”
My stomach bottoms out but my voice barely quavers. “You wouldn’t dare touch me without his permission.”
“Who says I don’t have it?” he asks, moving closer, so much closer than I’m used to Armando standing despite knowing him for two years. “Tell me where we can find Sofia, and this will be much easier.”
I try to wiggle further back into the sofa cushions as he leans over me, his hands braced on either side of my shoulders, caging me in. He’s my bodyguard but he’s a killer first and foremost, just like my husband. I’m so uncomfortable. No man who is not my kin has ever been close to me this way except Alessio.
“Stop it. You’re upsetting her, Armando,” Frankie says. Her bravado is an act, and I can tell Armando knows it.
“That’s the plan. Do you girls believe you can keep secrets from men like us? Do you really imagine we’re not capable of getting information out of you? You love Sofia, and you think you’re doing her a favor, but you’re not. You’re smart girls. You’re stronger than we give you credit for, but you’ve never been hardened like we have.”
“What are you going to do to us?” Frankie asks, her voice shaking.
“What would make you talk, Caterina? Would the threat of pain make you spill all your secrets? Or perhaps you fear something else more?” He cocks his head to the side as if he’s sizing me up, letting his eyes slide down my body in a suggestive manner. No, Armando wouldn't do that. He's bluffing. He has to be. I’m angry that he’s trying to intimidate me. I'm terrified to admit he's succeeding.
I clutch the necklace Alessio gave me, the odd gift of a gold-dipped tooth.‘Because my kitten has teeth.’The memory of the murmured words pours steel back into my spine.
I shove my way past Armando, leaping to my feet. “Stop it, Armando! You’re not going to torture us. Alessio wouldn’t allow it!” I shove him again, harder, and he grabs my upper arms to stop the onslaught. Against my will, a shrill yelp escapes from my lips when he touches me. Doubt and regret flash in his brown eyes.
“I won’t allow it, huh?” a cold voice drawls from the doorway. I whirl around to find my husband has silently entered the suite. He’s got his gun drawn again, and it is not aimed at me. “Get your fucking hands off my wife, Greco, before I slice your throat open.”
The threat toward his best friend combined with his possessiveness leaves me unsure of what to expect for myself but that’s not my first concern. “Did you find her? Is she alright?”
He waits until Armando has taken five steps back before answering me. “No, we did not find her even after hours of combing this fucking city. No useful security video. No witnesses. We’ve got men at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark but there’s been no sign of her. Quite the magic trick.”
I don’t know if I’m more relieved or alarmed until Alessio speaks again.
“Carlo and my father have questions for Frankie at Don Vicini’s home, Armando. You are to take her to them.”
Frankie’s going to be questioned? My knees start to buckle. Armando was right. We have never faced torture. “Don’t let them hurt her,” I plead with my husband as Armando drags a trembling Frankie away.
“If you’re going to beg, wife, perhaps you’d better start by begging for your own skin,” he rasps. He stalks towards me and the room starts to spin under my feet. “I’ll be the one who questions you and, let me assure you, youwillgive me answers.”
31
Caterina
“You betrayed me after swearing you wouldn’t.”
“I didn’t mean to!”
