“Tonight,” he says sharply.
“What?” I ask, and then clear my throat. “I mean, how would you like me to do this, Sir?” I’ve called over three hundred men in my line of worksir, but something about referring to Eivor this way makes me deeply uncomfortable. The way his eyes penetrate me like he’s looking down into my bones is unnerving.
“You’ll go to the Dresvanni estate and snoop around. They trust you now. They won’t question why you’re there,” he tells me.
I look down for a split second. “What should I tell them if they do?”
“You’ll figure it out. You’re a smart man.”
I ignore the urge to tell him that this plan is a ridiuclous one. Marrying his only niece off to Alessio and then insisting that I find a way to bring them down. If he wants to bring them down there are a million other ways that would work better and note require a marriage involved.
That said, I can’t say that this plan doesn’t have some merit. He’s gained their trust. Made them believe that he really does want to share power with them.
Perhaps I just can’t stand that I’m the one being sent on the hunt for information to bring Alessio down.
It shouldn’t matter; it’s just a job. Once it’s over, I’ll go about my way. As I always do. For some reason I feel resistance deep inside me.
Knowing that Alessio wants me in the same way that I want him…it makes all this so much more difficult.
As I nod and wait for Eivor’s motion for me to leave, I try to tell myself that the night with Alessio meant nothing. It was just to comfort him from a nightmare about his father.
If it meant something, he wouldn’t have gone through the wedding as easily as he seemed to. He wouldn’t have tested me with his words earlier in the night.
It meant nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Why?
Because it has to.
I leave the Fiorelli estate and make my way over to the Dresvanni estate with a plan of action.
I’m relying on everyone being drunk from the reception, or even still gone. After all, these things tend to go on forever and ever, even after the bride and groom have slipped away. Italian weddings are a big event.
Even ones that were planned in just a couple weeks.
When I get to the Dresvanni Estate, there’s several lights on that shine through the curtained windows. The guards let me through the gate with no problem, and I pull up to the car port and park there.
Their estate is significantly bigger than the Fiorelli’s, and I know if I want to find information, I’m going to have to pick a few specific areas, rather than just barge my way through the entire place. That would be too suspicious and take far too long.
I already have an idea of where I’ll head first.
“Damian, what are you doing here?” Cassian is the first to greet me. He’s sitting in the library with a book in his hands, sitting at a window seat, with a steaming mug by his side.
The boy looks uncertain, but not threatened. I’m lucky I haven’t run into anyone else while here.
“Alessio requested that I pick up a few more things for him,” I tell him. “Since he didn’t have much time to pack.”
“Oh, okay,” Cassian says casually. Not seeming confused or suspicious about it at all. Though he does ask, “Who is with them at the hotel?”
“There are a couple other guards there. They’re safe, I assure you,” I tell him calmly. I keep my tone low and my expression fairly flat.
Cassian watches me for a second. “What does he need from the library?” he asks, suddenly seeming uncertain.
I put my hands in my pockets and tilt my head to the side. “Well, I guess I have to confess that’s me,” I say with a slight chuckle. “I need something better to read.”
“That’s fair. You’re welcome to anything here, as long as you return it. Carmine is very serious about the library,” he tells me.
I nod. “Of course.”
