He’s never been here. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him outside of the common areas or our combined sessions as heirs. The Asantes tend to keep to themselves, their section of campus over on the other side.
They don’t court trouble, almost as silent as their leader. On campus, at least.
Stefano turns back to look at me. His deep brown eyes are so dark, they bleed into the pupils. “I came to see if you were alright.”
His words, the deep, bass tones of his voice, make my skin tighten. Low, almost gentle.
Like I’m avictim. My hackles almost fly up.
“Fine,” I say coldly. “I’d ask how Salvatore is, but I honestly couldn’t give a fuck.”
Unless he was on the verge of a painful death. Then I’d probably celebrate. Unfortunately, he’s unlikely to die from the wound I gave him.
For a moment, Stefano’s mouth tilts up in amusement. But it soon disappears.
“You need to be careful,” he says quietly. “He will not forget this, Caterina.”
My eyes narrow. “And yet you’re here, warning me about your own father.”
He glances towards the window. “We do not choose our family. And nobody would choose to be his enemy if they knew what he was capable of.”
It’s a little dramatic, to be honest. “We’re the mafia, Stefano. I’d say we’re all capable of being the big bad wolf.”
He frowns. “He is much more than that. I came to warn you. It’s up to you what you do with it. And… I wanted to apologize. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“Well, it did.” I gesture towards the door. “I appreciate the apology, Stefano. Truly. But if your father wants to come for me again, I’ll have my knives ready. He doesn’t scare me.”
Salvatore can join the fucking queue. It seems to be growing by the day.
I call Tony in when Stefano leaves as silently as he arrived, still a little bemused by the encounter. “Did I or did I not say I wasn’t to be disturbed?”
Tony shifts. “Apologies, Cat. When it’s an heir, it’s hard to say no. Easy to cause offense and all that. He left his weapons with us.”
Huh. My eyebrows rise at the information. “So when Giovanni Fusco comes to call, you’ll just wave him through? Good to know.”
Tony looks up quickly. “That’s different. The Asantes are allies.”
Sighing, I nearly wave him out, but an idea strikes. “Do we have any particularly talented hackers in the current intake? The newest arrivals, I mean.”
He frowns. “I think we might. Vincent would be best to ask.”
It makes sense, given that he has the overall responsibility for them. “Find out. Tell him to send any possibilities to me.”
“Will do.” He stays where he is, and I glance back up. “You can leave now.”
A fruitless afternoon passes as I continue working, but I’m no closer to finding an entry point when I finally pack up. Night is starting to settle in as I leave, heading towards the dining hall. I’m lost in my own thoughts, still mentally working through patterns, possible options.
The hit is sudden. Something rough wraps around my neck, violently tugging, yanking me off my feet and dragging me backwards as I choke, taken off guard by the pain. Thuds andgrunts echo around me as I try desperately to shove my fingers between the rope and my skin.
Strangulation is not a death I would choose. If I can’t get a hold before they hit my carotid or my jugular, I’m dead.
It feels like I struggle for hours, and dark begins to creep in at the edges of my vision.
I’m losing. Unconsciousness beckons, a heavy, full sensation that weakens my limbs as my arm starts to drop.
An angry shout, and my body folds like a marionette, collapsing into the ground. The darkness recedes as I gasp, limbs shaking violently as I suck in breath.
“Cat – Cat!”
