She clutched the hot cup, slowly raised it to her lips, her obvious agitation seeming to settle a little.
“If they were going to kill him,” she said, “why bring him out of jail first?”
Valerio sighed. “An execution like that is meant to send a message.”
“A message for whom?”
“Anyone involved with Gaetano—in case they had any thought of stepping out of line and…” He hesitated.
“What?” Ravenna pressed.
“Well, one message is for me, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
Valerio stood, paced the small kitchen.
“I owed a favor and I thought it would be harmless to help this kid. I thought it meant I could get out. But Errichiello was reminding me: You never get out. His brother tried to warn me.”
Ravenna agreed. “You worked to get Gaetano released—and killed. That’s what it looks like.”
“Yes.”
“But it isn’t true,” she protested.
“You thought it was true,” Valerio said.
She pursed her lips and took a deep breath.
“What will you do?” she asked.
“There aren’t many options. I can turn myself in and lose everything, or I can do what Errichiello wants.”
Ravenna said quietly, “Isn’t there any other way?”
“I don’t have leverage,” he said. “Nothing to stop Errichiello from coming after me and my kids…even if I do turn myself in.”
“Oh.” Ravenna breathed the word, realization emerging.
Valerio’s mind was working, testing the walls, looking for a way out. Ravenna was clearly thinking, too, eyes focused on some distant point, forehead creased.
He gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “It isn’t your problem. You didn’t come here for this.”
She looked at him, then nodded slowly.
“I should go,” she said. “Thank Gemma for the tea, will you?”
—
Valerio watched Ravenna as she left, walking down the hall, then he closed the door.
Gemma, scrolling through her phone, glanced up as Valerio came into the living room.
“She seemed nice,” she said with a grin. “A nurse is good. Nurses are interesting.”
Valerio watched his daughter’s broad smile for a moment before he understood the subtext.
“Oh,” he said. “I’m not dating her.”
