Luca emerges, a forced smile on his face as he greets me with a clap on the back. “Happy Thanksgiving, Dom.”
Before I can respond, he glances at Elena. "I need to borrow him for a minute."
Elena's eyes narrow. "Seriously? Dinner's almost ready."
"Five minutes," Luca promises, already steering me toward his office. "Business won't wait, even for turkey."
I follow him, curiosity piqued by the urgency in his voice. Something's wrong.
I’ve spent a lot of time in his office, back when it was his father’s office. Not much has changed. Just the photographs of Elena and the kids on the desk.
"What couldn't wait until after dinner?" I ask, settling into one of the chairs.
Luca remains standing, hands in his pockets. "Agent Ricci is looking into Rocco's kidnapping."
I keep my face neutral, but my heart rate kicks up at the mention of Olivia’s name. "What do you mean?"
"She’s reached out to Elena. Wants to talk about what happened with Rocco last Christmas."
I shake my head, feigning confusion. "That case is cold. Why would she suddenly be interested?"
"You tell me." Luca's eyes bore into mine. "You’re the one who’s supposed to be ‘turning the tables’ on her."
I maintain my composure, years of practice in poker face serving me well. “I haven’t seen anything to suggest she’s doing anything but trying to put me in prison.”
"Elena said she was asking very specific questions. She even asked about Gio." Luca leans against his desk. "She's digging, Dom. And I want to know why now."
“It seems like a good thing that she’s looking for Rocco’s kidnapper.”
He rolls his eyes. “It’s never good to have the FBI poking around our families and you know it. She’s going to go looking for Santa. She won’t find him, as you know.”
“It’s not our fault he dropped dead of a heart attack.”
“You know Roman’s theory is that the FBI is behind it.”
I nod.
“All part of their plan to find ways to get into our business.”
I really want a drink. I wish I’d given the bourbon to Luca instead of Elena when I arrived. “But why now? If kidnapping Rocco was an excuse to investigate, why didn’t they do it then. Not only didn’t they do it, they buried it.” Guilt begins to grow that I’ve brought this on Luca.
I’m the one who challenged Olivia and her sense of justice.
“I don’t know. That’s what I was hoping you could tell me.”
Part of me, the part that still tastes her on my lips, wants to believe she's seeking justice.
That night in her apartment, I saw something in her eyes when we talked about Rocco.
Genuine concern. Frustration at the system.
But another part of me knows the FBI playing detective across multiple cases means trouble.
If they're connecting events we've worked hard to keep separate, it won't matter what Olivia's intentions are.
The result will be the same.
Olivia digging into Rocco's kidnapping isn't good for any of us.
