“I’ve always been wise. You were just too stubborn to notice,” she teases, making me laugh.
After a moment, a sudden idea sparks in my mind. “Hey, why don’t we go out tomorrow night? Just the two of us, like old times.”
Sophia’s eyes light up, a grin spreading across her face. “Hell yes! I’m so down for a girls’ night.”
“It’s settled then—tomorrow night we party.” I grin at her, though a flutter of nervousness runs through me. Silvo won’t love the idea of me going out without him. He’s intensely protective. But he also said he doesn’t want to change who I am, and going out with my best friend is part of who I’ve always been. He’ll have to understand that.
18
SILVO
Icheck my watch again. 12:47 AM. Carmela and Sophia have been out for over five hours, and while I know girls’ nights typically run late, the silence is eating at me. My calls go straight to voicemail, my texts are unanswered.
Club music is loud. She’s probably having fun, lost in conversation with Sophia. Her phone’s probably at the bottom of her purse.
But the rational explanations don’t ease the knot tightening in my chest.
I search the house anyway, checking the library, her favorite sitting room, even the gardens—nothing. Each empty room confirms what I already know: she’s still out.
I find one of the household staff in the hallway. “Have you seen Mrs. De Luca?”
The maid shifts nervously. “She and Miss Sophia left around seven, sir. I heard them mention a club—Inferno, I think?”
My jaw clenches. She’d mentioned wanting a girls’ night out at breakfast, and I’d agreed—told her to have fun, even. But I’d expected her to at least check in, let me know she was okay.
“Thank you,” I dismiss the maid.
I return to my study, the whiskey burning down my throat as I try to calm the protective instincts roaring through me. This morning, she’d asked me to be careful. The concern in her voice had touched something deep inside me. I thought we were finally building real trust.
But trust goes both ways, doesn’t it? And right now, I’m sitting here imagining worst-case scenarios while she’s out there, unreachable.
I pour another drink, the amber liquid catching the lamplight. Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe this is exactly what it looks like—me being a possessive bastard who can’t handle his wife having a life outside of him.
But what if something’s wrong? What if she needs me and can’t reach me because her phone died or?—
I’m pacing the room when Fed saunters in, taking in my agitated state with one glance.
“Let me guess,” he says, pouring himself a drink. “Carmela’s still out, and you’re losing your mind.”
I shoot him a glare. “It’s past midnight, Fed. She’s not answering her phone.”
Fed raises an eyebrow. “Did you tell her she had to be home by midnight? Give her a curfew?”
“No, but?—”
“And girls’ nights at clubs usually run until what, two or three in the morning?” Fed takes a casual sip of his drink. “Seems pretty normal to me.”
“She’s not answering,” I growl, my frustration mounting.
“Club’s probably loud as hell. Phone’s in her purse. She’s dancing, having fun with Sophia—you know, the friend she hasn’t seen since moving across the country for you.” Fed’s tone is pointed but not cruel. “This is what normal people do, Silvo.”
I stare into my whiskey glass. “I just... what if something happens to her? What if she’s in danger and I’m not there?”
“That’s fear talking, not logic.” Fed leans forward. “You’ve got a security detail on her, right?”
I nod. “Tony’s been tailing them at a distance.”
“Then she’s fine. She’s just having fun with her friend. Something she probably hasn’t done since being forced to move across the country.” Fed’s expression softens. “Look, I know you care about her. Hell, anyone with eyes can see you’re falling for her. But if you want to keep her, you have to trust her. Really trust her, not just say you do.”
