Damiano watches me for a long beat, searching for a lie in my eyes.
Finally, he exhales. "He played us both, then."
“This is bullshit,” I mutter as I stand up and leave, the morning sun suddenly feeling too hot on my skin.
“Where are you going?” He calls out, sounding regretful.
"I’m going inside."
I retreat to the bedroom, where the walls start to feel like a prison cell. I have to know if this was real. I open the phone thatDamiano gave me and dial the number of the only person I know who can give me answers, Julian.
He has been working with Mateo for a while now, and I know they have a close working relationship. He is one of his most trusted. I mean, he trusted him enough to let him be my bodyguard. If Mateo were working for the Mafia, he would know.
The call rings three times before his deep voice cuts in.
“Hello?” He sounds tired.
“Where are you? Can you see me in my room? We need to talk.” I say and drop the call, throwing the phone on the bed, as my heart pounds in my chest. The prospect of my brother being involved with bad men is ridiculous to me. That can’t be. I knew him. Mateo was not a bad man. My brother will never do that. He doesn't even care much about money. Why on earth would he be dealing with that bastard?
In a few minutes, I hear a knock on the door.
“Come in, Julian!” I say, and the door opens slowly, revealing the tall and muscular figure of the man.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” He asks, his eyebrows knitting together in concern as he approaches me. His hands automatically reach to cup my face, a gesture he seems to have become used to these days.
”I’m okay.” I say as I pry away his hands from my face. “What do you know about Nicolo?” I murmur. His eyebrows raise as if surprised by my questions, but he straightens up and crosses his arms on his chest as his eyes narrow at me.
He doesn’t say a thing, but he shakes his head in confusion. So I pick up the envelope I chucked on the bed earlier and push it on his chest. He takes it and pulls out the photographs, and I register the shock in his face as it drains of color.
Still staring at the photograph of Mateo having a meal with Nicolo, he asks, “Where did you get this, Katarina?”
”Does it matter?” I snap, and he finally takes his eyes off the photographs to look me in the eye.
“Kat.” He pleads, and I roll my eyes before walking towards the balcony in need of some fresh air to ease the tension in my body.
"Damiano, of course, who else could have given me those?" I say, my voice frantic. "I need you to be honest, Julian. Did Mateo ever meet with a man named Nicolo Guidicelli? In secret? A few months ago? Is this real?”
The shock on Julian’s face is instantaneous. He looks physically ill. "Kat, if Mateo was meeting with him, he did not involve the company. I had no idea."
I search his eyes for a moment, trying to detect any hint of a lie, but I can’t find any.
“This isn’t real,” I say as the weight of my brother’s betrayal makes it hard to breathe and tears well in my eyes.
I could see Julian in my peripheral vision, shaking his head slowly.
His voice drops to a low rumble when he says, "This changes everything, Katarina. If Mateo was working for the Mafia, or even just entertaining them, you are not safe here."
"What do you mean?" I blink the tears away, growing resentful of crying.
"Listen," Julian says, leaning closer.
“If Mateo made an enemy within the families, they would not let it go. Damiano is a part of that world, Kat. Despite what he says, the enemy of one of them is an enemy of all. That’s how the brotherhood works. We need to get out."
I turn to him, trying to make sense of what he just said. Could he be right? Was that the whole reason we were attacked, because Mateo upset the Mafia?
”Why would they be trying to kidnap me if they already killed Mateo?” I ask as flashbacks of that evening begin to frighten me anew.
”To men like them, women like you areproperties.” He says, and my mouth goes dry.
