“A point to be discussed later. But Agata is a valuable asset. She was the one who pieced together that Lena and my daughter were one in the same. She saw you wearing the necklace. Knew it could only come from one place. And, through sheer luck, she was at Bianca and Johnny’s house today helpingwith a large catering order when Rem called Johnny, instructing him to take Lena to the hotel.”
Aldo gives me what I think it supposed to be an apologetic look. “Lena, I came for you tonight because it was the first time you were away from the penthouse since Agata confirmed you had Maria’s necklace. I’d already come back from Italy early, anxious to see you, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet you away from your overbearing husband.”
Rem drags his hands through his hair, spitting out a slew of curses. He pins his uncle with a hard glare. “You are a conniving, manipulative pain in the ass.”
“No,” Aldo says, jaw ticking. “I am good at my job.”
“Which is?” I take Rem’s hand before he tackles the old man to the ground.
“Protecting my family. Speaking of which…” A murderous look sharpens every angle of Aldo’s face. “I think I know who is trying to kill Lena.”
“Who?” we say in unison.
“Your brother. Ari.”
38
REM
Lena pushes pasta around her plate but doesn’t eat.
“You said you were hungry,piccolina.”
“Yeah, well,” she answers caustically, “lots of people say lots of things, it doesn’t mean they’re all true.” Almost immediately she gives me a sad smile. “Sorry, Rem, I’m just?—”
“Freaking the fuck out? Feeling like the world has been flipped upside down? Overwhelmed by the insanity that is your life right now?”
“Yes, to all of the above.” She stabs a single piece of pasta with her fork, pops it into her mouth, chewing elaborately for my benefit. A drop of sauce lingers on her lower lip. I reach across the kitchen island, wipe it away with my thumb. Suck it clean.
Flustered, Lena grabs her napkin and swipes her mouth. “Um, thanks.”
“No problem.”
We left Aldo’s office not long after he made his declaration about Ari. More like we were evicted. My uncle said he hadwork to do and that I needed to follow through on my promises to Lena: food and rest.
This late at night the kitchen is quiet. Aldo’s staff went to sleep long ago. We have it all to ourselves, no prying eyes or ears as Lena eats—well, pokes at—the carbonara I made her. “It tastes better when it’s hot.”
With a sigh, Lena eats a few more bites then pushes the plate away. “It is good, Rem, thank you. I’m just not hungry anymore.”
“Yeah.” I look at her practically full plate. “Me neither.”
The pendant lights over the kitchen island throw a warm glow into the room. The kitchen is restaurant-quality and enormous, large enough to handle a full cooking staff and the various men who are always wandering through to grab a meal. But with the only light coming from the hanging fixtures above us, it feels like we’re in our own private bubble. A quiet pocket away from the rest of the world.
Lena breaks the silence first. “So, um, are we going to talk about all of that?” She waves her hand in the direction of Aldo’s office.
“Which part? About you being Aldo’s daughter? About him not knowing about the hit ordered on you? Or the part where he thinks Ari is trying to kill you?” My mouth tastes like metal. A sickening combination of betrayal and rage.
Lena’s only answer is a painedfuck.
“Yeah. Exactly.” I scrub a hand down my face, wishing I could wipe away the last hour. “I can’t begin to understand what it must be like for you to learn about Aldo and your birth mom. I don’t think that’s something you can process quickly, and you shouldn’t have to. To have your entire origin story dumped on your lap like that…” I trail off.
Lena doesn’t miss a beat. “By a guy we both thought, until very recently, wanted me dead. Not just that. By the guy who is my husband’s adoptive uncle and surrogate father.” Lena plantsher palms on the counter, bracing herself against the insanity of it. “That’s just un-fucking-believable.”
Whether due to emotion or stress, or maybe both, Lena is trembling. She’s dressed the same as when she left the penthouse earlier, a soft sweater over faded jeans, her thick dark hair in loose curls over her shoulders and down her back. She’s gorgeous, and exhausted. Dark smudges shadow her eyes and her cheeks have lost their usual rosy color.
Coming to her side of the island, I stand behind her, placing my hands on her shoulders. “We don’t need to talk about this now,” I murmur. “All of it can wait until tomorrow, after we both get some sleep.”
Lena sighs. “No, not all of it can.” She turns in my hands, resting her palms on my chest. “What about you? What Aldo said about Ari…do you think he’s right?”
