"Here." My mother presses a wad of cash into the waiter's hand. "For your trouble."
The waiter takes the cash. Most people would, rather than involving themselves in a family matter.
I'm carried outside into the afternoon sun. It hits my face and I screw my eyes shut. I struggle to break free of the man's grip but my limbs are useless. I think about Santo. The car is close. Why isn't he coming?
The door of an SUV opens and I'm placed inside. The leather of the seat is cool against my face.
I try once more to call out for help. Santo will come. He'll get me safely back to Gabriele.
Unless, of course, he can't come. What if he's hurt?
It's that last thought that goes through my head before my eyes close and darkness swallows me whole.
TWENTY-TWO
Gabriele
The minute Lukassteps into my study I know something is wrong.
It's been four hours since Katya left. She was planning to have lunch with her mother, which she clearly imagined was going to be an ordeal, then shop for a dress for tonight's meeting with Maroni.
That, she was looking forward to. She left here with plans to bankrupt me that not even she could achieve.
I hadn't expected her to be back yet. But I know from Lukas's face she isn't going to return. His expression is one I've seen before. It's how he looks when he's carrying news he doesn't quite know how to deliver.
"What happened?" I get to my feet.
"Katya's security team didn't check in with Eduardo. He thought it was a problem with the mobile network or something so he went down there himself." Lukas pauses. "He found Santo's car dumped behind Daniele's."
The room goes very still. Blood whooshes through my ears and I reach out to steady myself with a palm on the desk.
"And?"
Lukas closes his eyes briefly. "Santo, Francesco, Roberto. They're all dead."
"And Katya?"
"Gone."
For a moment I feel like time has stopped. I stare at Lukas, waiting for him to — what? I stumble backward and drop onto my chair. Lukas crosses the room and puts his hand on my arm.
"We will find her, fratello." His voice is measured, deliberate as he makes that vow. "But I need you here. Can you do that?"
"I can do it."
"Good." He moves on immediately, the way he does, giving me no space to fall apart in. "We think her mother was involved. Her plane left Rome an hour earlier than scheduled."
I close my eye for a moment. Open it. "Call Sev Baranov."
I don't know the Russian well but Niamh, the Lenkovs and my brothers are part of a consortium that does enough business together to warrant the call.
"Okay." Lukas nods. "What about Piotr Reznov?"
I shake my head. My American cousin Olivia married the Bratva boss last year but Reznov barely sets foot in Russia. His ear isn't on the ground the way Baranov's is. "Sev first."
"Do you want me to call Damiano?"
"No." I hold up a hand to forestall Lukas's objection. "I'll call him myself."
