“Agreed,” my father and I said at the same time.
We glanced at each other before turning our full attention back to Saverio.
The four of us seemed to stand even straighter when the voice of my grandfather echoed through the hallways. No doubt Saverio had already briefed him—he knew all, or someone would pay—but I was sure he wanted to be present when whatever Saverio was about to tell me was delivered. Lev took a more formal position out of respect. After the papers were signed and the marriage sealed between Maestro and the girl from Lev’s Russian family, Lev followed our traditions. Mamma said whoever controlled him really wanted this marriage to bring the two families together. That, and I knew Lev respected Nonno, which said a lot.
Nonno’s song came to a lingering halt, still echoing throughout the house, before I heard his voice. “You will play this song at the wedding then.” A few of his men entered the room before he did.
He waved a hand, knowing the conversation had started without him, giving permission to continue. It was Lev who did.
“As usual, Boris escorts Stella to the underground club himself. Ivan did it before him. And so on. She is never alone. She is also rushed from one place to another. We were not watching her before the night in Sub Rosa. We do not know if this is normal behavior or not. All we know is that this is their way now. It took a day or two to confirm a difference. The woman we have been watching is not Stella.”
“They put in a proxy,” I said.
Saverio nodded. “We believe, based on a few things, that the proxy is one of Régine’s daughters, Odette.”
“We waited too long to move,” I said.
Saverio shook his head. “The night at Sub Rosa tipped them off. The Nemours and the Russians knew we were going to go after them after what Ivan did to Chloe, then what happened after.”
What happened after.Padrino allowed Massimo to steal Ivan’s heart as payback for what he did to Chloe.
“It is always a rippling effect,” my father said in Italian.
Nonno nodded. “As it seems with the Nemours.”
“Stella.” I spoke her name to Saverio, and he understood.
He shook his head slightly, giving me an answer without using words—we don’t know.
“The ring,” I said.
“Still not getting anything,” he said, the frustration and regret all in his tone.
“They will keep her in a place they are familiar with,” Lev said. “A place where it will be harder for us to get in and out. They know she is at a higher risk underground. Régine will play on your feelings for her and put her in a more dangerous situation. Boris will want a win—by getting rid of her.”
My father squeezed my shoulder. “They suspect we are coming,” he said in Italian, “but they do not know when. There is still an element of surprise.”
“It is what we have,” Lev said, not all that bothered.
We all looked to my grandfather. Even though this was, essentially, my honor, he was the one in charge of the family. His permission was needed to still go on, no matter if it was going to be more dangerous or not.
He used his fingertips to drum the table for a second, studying my eyes. He nodded, then stood, clasping me on the shoulder. He walked me out of the room, the men following behind. He started to sing halfway out the door, and he didn’t stop until we got close to the underground club.
Chapter 11
Stella
As my eyes opened, I remembered the reasons why they were shut in the first place.
My skull felt like it had been cracked in two, my lids felt like weights were attached to them, my stomach was twisted in knots, and my limbs were folded in—someone (probably Boris) had stuffed me in a box after my head had hit the wall.
What hurt the most, though? My heart and soul.
My soul felt like it had been sent to hell, while my heart melted from the painful heat.
I’d lived for the day I’d see my mom again, and in a few minutes, my life had been ripped from me. I had nothing else but that dream, along with a flimsy fantasy of a man coming to my rescue. A man who had morphed into Matteo, and that had been torn from me too. If he was involved in stealing my mom away from me, that made him my enemy, not my hero.
Even though I loved every minute with my mom, I wished I was never born. My life wasn’t a life at all, but a stint in hell.
