I growl low to myself.
“Fucking Carvels. Why can’t they just stay outta this?”
If my uncle didn’t have them on our side, the game would be more even. They’re not that powerful, really, they’re like shrimp to our sharks, but they give us an edge. An edge of unpredictability and desire to hurt the Dresvannis. Especially Carmine.
I finally reply to Carmine.
No. Just wanna make sure everything goes smoothly.
I narrow my eyes to the bright screen for a moment.
You’re not getting into any trouble?
Carmine replies a lot quicker than I anticipate. It makes my heart race.
I’m trying to fucking sleep.
I take a second to decide if I trust him, and ultimately my decision is that it doesn’t matter. I need to get some sleep before my flight. Eivor is keeping me on my toes, and I can’t let him have any suspicions about my motives. Not yet. Not until I figure out what and how to do what needs to be done.
Six hours later, I’m on a flight to Thessaly, Greece; then in a discreet car to Volos. It’s pouring down rain, so my chance at sight seeing is lost for now. I’ve been here a handful of times in my life; Volos isn’t exactly the hotspot of Greece. I’ve been to Athens more times than I can count.
I wonder what business Carmine has here, but I can guess. Keeping up allyships is important, and the Dresvanni family has more allies than most, even in the states. Us Fiorelli’s, we’ve got enough allies to count on one hand and that’s about it.
Before, I thought it was something to do with everyone else, now I know it’s about my uncle’s desire for power. He doesn’t want allies; he wants to own everything under the great sun and moon.
Unfortunately for him, the Dresvannis are just one of the bricks of the wall in the way of that.
I get out of the car at the hotel around eleven-thirty in the morning. I’ve not eaten anything, so I’m fucking starving, but I’m also too nervous to eat anything. That much I’m sure of. I don’t know why I’m so anxious. I know that Carmine must understand the situation I’m in. At least, he has to on some level. He might not be admitting it, but I’m pretty sure if he was in my shoes he would be doing the same thing. He would have made the same choices that I made.
I tell myself this anyway.
After giving the hotel clerk a brief polite nod, I head up to the third floor of the hotel and to the room number that Carmine texted me earlier this morning. He got here hours before me, which makes me wonder how much sleep he really got.
It doesn’t matter. We’re both here, and we both need to talk.
I knock on the door then straighten the collar of my leather jacket while I’m waiting.
A moment later the door opens partially, then fully, and I see Carmine standing there in his usual business suit casual. Except he’s not wearing a tie, and his eyes look quite tired. Bags are collecting underneath those cool orbs, and his expression is quite disinterested. At least until our eyes meet. Then there’s a glimmer of something excited there.
Something that Carmine seems to shove away as quickly as possible as he motions me inside.
“You weren’t followed?” he asks me.
The door closes and double locks behind me.
“No. No bugs, no trailing,” I confirm. “Eivor thinks I’m here to meet a date.”
Carmine scoffs. “He believed that? You’re sure?”
I raise a brow. “Yes. I even played along with his warnings about casual sex, if you must know,” I inform him.
Carmine’s face goes a little bit pink in the glow of yellow light in the room. It’s cold and dreary outside, so the table and corner standing lamps are on and cast shadows around the room with our every movement.
“Good. The last thing we need is an ambush here. I’ve got business to attend to,” he tells me with a sigh.
“What business?” I ask. “You never told me.”
“None of yours,” he snaps.
