"He was completely gone for her," Alessandro explains, his voice softening as if he feels sympathy for Adriano. "Small thing. Quiet, but had this way about her that made you trust herinstantly." He shakes his head. "When she disappeared, we got word she'd been killed shortly after. Adriano… he’s never been the same."
"Should we tell him?" I ask. "If Dad suspected her?—"
"No." Alessandro's response is immediate, firm. "What good would it do? She's been dead for years, so she can't be our current mole. And Adriano…" He trails off, then continues more quietly, "I've never seen him break the way he did when we got word. Took three of us to pull him off the messenger."
I nod, understanding perfectly. Some wounds shouldn't be reopened, especially when there's nothing to gain.
"Besides," Alessandro continues, "we've got better leads right here." He taps several other names on the list. "These people are still alive, still in our orbit. One of them might lead us to who’s betraying us."
I scan the names.
Two low-level associates who handle shipments, a bartender at one of our clubs, a distant cousin who's always been too eager to please are the ones who stand out.
They seem to be closest to us and will be my first stop in my investigation.
"I'll start with these three," I decide, marking the names with my finger. "They're the most accessible."
Alessandro nods in agreement. "I concur.”
I fold the list and tuck it inside my jacket, feeling a strange sense of duty.
Yes, I’m loyal to my family, but I’ve long been the odd one out.
Now I’m a part of it again.
I don’t necessarily feel that I need to prove anything to my family, and yet, I want them to see that I’m not the man they think I am.
I won’t fuck this up for them, or for Katerina and Enzo.
"I'm going to check on Katerina and Enzo," I announce, needing to see them safe.
Alessandro studies me and I brace myself for a snarky or insulting comment. “Dad always liked her and the boy.”
Okay, so I wasn’t expecting that.
“I wonder if he knew?” He finishes. “About their being yours, I mean.”
I shrug. “It’s strange that it would matter to him if he did.”
Alessandro laughs. “True.”
“I’ll get on this,” I say, patting my pocket with the paper.
I’m good at what I do, but as I slip out of the room, I can't shake the feeling that we're playing in a game in which we’re blind, missing important pieces, and that we’re running out of time to figure it out.
20
KATERINA
The cottage door opens, and Luca steps inside, looking physically and emotionally drained.
"What happened?" I ask, but Luca shakes his head, eyes darting toward Enzo's room. “Is he asleep?”
I nod. “He’s exhausted.”
We move together down the hallway, and Luca gently pushes open Enzo's door. The night light illuminates him, as he sleeps with an arm wrapped around his favorite stuffed bear.
Luca kneels beside the bed, his large hand hovering over Enzo's head before finally smoothing back a lock of hair.
