Nothing I’ve done has worked.
It’s as if she vanished from the face of the earth after exiting my SUV. I’d believe our meeting was a dream that dissolves when I wake if news of the truck driver’s murder weren’t still circulating the streets of Carlisle.
For an entire month—thirty fucking days—I’ve chased shadows. I should let it go. Every morning when I wake up, I tell myself to do precisely that.Let it go, Vanni. Focus on what matters. Family first.
What I say doesn’t matter. I dedicate several hours a day to my search.
My father’s empire, which was rebuilt after a second internal mafia war nearly destroyed the Cosa Nostra, demands constant vigilance. Deals in the billions, shipments, and rivals who’d give anything to catch me unawares all require attention. There’s no time for distractions, yet I keep driving the same streets, unable to break the cycle of my obsession.
I stiffen my grip on the wheel when the city’s skyline appears ahead. Horns blare, and Carlisle residents continue unaffected by my internal conflict.
I saved her.
Me.
That should mean something. You don’t pull someone back from the brink of death and then walk away like it never happened. That morning plays in my mind a minimum of three times a day. Even after a month, I can still recall the softness of Valentina’s curves and the way her breath hitched when her terrified eyes finally found mine.
It isn’t solely her fear that keeps my search alight. Beneath sparks hot enough to scald and an attraction that made me rock hard, a previously unventured, yet worth fighting for, challenge awakened within me.
I’m fucking clueless why the hook sank in so deeply this time. Valentina is a stranger. I have a name, a face, and a moment frozenin time. That’sallI have. But it’s enough to keep me stalking the streets at all hours, even while knowing I should let it go.
I have too many unanswered questions and only one person capable of answering them.
Was Valentina’s ashen face that day a result of lingering fear? Or was her visit to the hospital as personal as it gets?
San Giorgio’s is a leader in oncology care, but it can’t give its patients the world-renowned treatment only money can buy. It’s limited in how it can help by the same bureaucratic nonsense my family has strived to remove from these shores for three decades.
As I turn down the boulevard leading to the docks, my focus transitions from personal endeavors to business. Work calls. It always calls. The chain of command expects results, and I deliver them. That’s who I am. Giovanni Caruso doesn’t falter on a promise or lose focus.
At least, that’s what I want my competitors to believe.
If they knew how many hours I’ve wasted chasing a ghost, they’d question everything. They may even try to use it against me.
Good luck with that. I play nice when it benefits me, but if push comes to shove, I won’t hesitate to knife those in the back who have done me wrong.
My phone buzzes in the console of my SUV before it lights up the dashboard. It’s a call from Nico, another brother and my somewhat right-hand man.
I jab the speaker button. “Talk to me.”
“Shipment cleared customs.” His gruff tone does little to hide his boredom. “We’re good for tonight.”
“Any trouble?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. Though I’m surprised you missed out. You’re usually always there with bells on for the beatdowns.” His scarred brow being scratched sounds down the line before he asks, “Did you get stuck in traffic again?”
“I’m pulling in now.” Not wanting to out myself as a chump driving aimlessly through the city, hunting for someone who may not want to be found, I keep my reply short. “Should I pop the trunk, or are you dumping this one overboard after gifting him a pair of concrete boots?”
“Matteo’s got it covered.” Nico pauses. It’s a telltale sign he’s about to see straight through the bullshit I’m presenting to him. “Are you okay, Vanni? You seem distracted.”
“I’m fine.” My words snap out moodier than intended, and it doubles the length of Nico’s silence this time around.
“Right,” he finally says. “See you soon.”
When the call clicks dead, I exhale slowly and unclench my jaw. Nico isn’t stupid. He knows something’s off. I’ve been distracted, and in our world, that can get you killed.
I need to bury this manic obsession before I make a mistake I can’t fix.
Family first.
