A frown graced Grandfather’s face. “Reason? No. You forget I come from a very large family. Many brothers. Many sons. Many grandsons. I can afford to let this one breed as he likes. But the others? They are not as forgiving. You will renegotiate in one year with my heir. I have many to pick from. You have…” he trailed off and studied Dianora for a moment before finishing, “…none.”
My grandfather’s chin went up, and his affected stoop straightened. His hands swung loosely as if he were in his thirties, not nineties. His guards opened the door to escort him out.
A commotion outside halted his progress. Ringo swaggered down the hallway, as if the men guarding him were his buddies, not his sworn enemies. He barely tipped his head at Don Manca as he passed.
“Traitor,” I heard my grandfather whisper.
“Finish the job.” Ringo’s utterance was a single line from the code.
The full stanza echoed in my mind.
It did so in my grandfather’s voice.
Don Manca fired words at Ringo’s back. “Finish this opera before it finishes us all.”
Ringo stepped inside the study and swept his eyes around the room. They landed on the woman who’d betrayed me. “Hey, honey, I’m home.” Then he addressed Don Conti and tipped his head toward me. “Can I kill him yet? I want my payday.”
“You followed him here?” Don Conti asked.
“Damn straight.” He muttered the next part at me, “You’re making this too easy. Again.”
I ignored him. “I should introduce you to my wife, but I believe you already know her.”
Ringo’s crooked leer was wider than usual. His eyes traveled over the torn knees, the wrinkled suit, her disheveled hair, and with a lingering dip that fixated on her breasts, he answered me.
“Biblically.”
Even the strongest of friendships could be tested beyond their limits. “Do not speak about her in that way.”
“Sure thing, whatever you say. You’re a dead man, you know that?”
“Not nearly as dead as you will be.”
Don Conti clapped once. “Enough. It is crowded in here. You two, see that Don Manca makes it to the gates without delay, and Leandro, find out where this one slipped in through. Immediately.”
With that command, he’d reduced the number of threats to my two guards, my father’s solicitor, Dianora, Ringo, and Don Conti. My odds improved greatly.
Except for the imposter posing as my wife.
“We’re getting an annulment, Ellie.”
“It’s Allie.”
Liar.
20
Allie
Sea water and thousands of years of erosion etched out an arched cave under the rocky shore. The mouth was so low we scraped the top edge of the windshield as Ringo piloted the speedboat he’d stolen under the lip. Luckily, the grotto opened up to give the boat room to maneuver.
Ringo ran it aground on the yellow sand lining the bottom. The silt created a soggy beach that sucked in my boots within seconds of jumping free of the boat. Ringo ignored my complaints and told me quite plainly, “Quit bitching.”
To which I answered with a good old-fashioned, silent finger-bird.
“I’m going to get your husband. Stay put.”
“Take me with you.” He’d threatened to tie my hands if I followed him, and I was reduced to begging.
