“Okay,” I whisper.
He catches my hand and kisses my palm.
“Are you hungry?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No.”
“You need to eat. You’ve been sleeping for almost two days.”
My eyes go wide. “Two days? Why didn't you wake me?!”
“The doctor said you need all the rest you can get,” he says. I think about the long hours I’ve been asleep. How did I even get here? What did Damiano do while I was sleeping?Where am I?
“Don’t worry. You have to regain your strength, okay?” he whispers.
“Who would do this to us?” I ask.
“Alfonso Cruz was working for someone in theMafia.” I freeze.
“What?”
“That motherfucker wanted to sell you as part of his other illegal shipment to a man called Nicolo Guidicelli.”
“Who the hell is that?”
“He’s part of the mafia.” He rubs his nape before answering.
I stare at him. Surely, he’s joking. I snort and roll my eyes, and wait for him to deliver the punchline. Only he doesn’t laugh. He frowns even, as if my reaction was wrong.
I swallow.
And as if hearing my thoughts, he shakes his head.
What the hell?
“W-why would he want to sell me?” I shiver as the words leave my mouth.
“I’m finding out. But you don’t have to worry about that anymore because you’re safe here.” He promises.
A cold wave washes over me, and my palms begin to sweat.
"How did you know?" I manage to whisper.
“That day, at my pub. Your politician friend, I overheard him talking to another man about shipping goods and a specificmodelrequested by an Italian client. I wasn’t 100% sure it was you they were talking about, but when he called you right after his meeting, I got suspicious. That’s why I invited you to Lux, so you don’t meet him. When you came pointing a gun at me, I knew I should have done more to warn you and Mateo.” He explains, the guilt in his tone is apparent.
“Who is Nicolo, and why does he want me?” This time, Damiano pulls away and rests his back against the chair. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs.
“Nicolo, he is part of theSicilian Mafia.” He says after a long, agonizing silence. “And so am I.” He adds.
I blink a few times, trying to make sense of what I just heard.
“So areyou?” I frown.
“Yes,” he says, with a finality that lets me know he is not kidding in any way.
My mouth goes dry, and I feel the hair all over my body stand.
“How?” I find the courage to ask after a few seconds.
