Grinded (The Invincibles Book 3)

by Heather Slade

  She gripped my hands with sweaty palms.

  “The struggles you’ve been experiencing have not been mere accidents,” I began. “They happened systematically in an effort to make one of two things happen. First, that you would turn to Paolo Viticcio, perhaps even agree to marry him. Barring that, the second would be that you would agree to sell Valentini. There is reason to believe Georgio is involved as well.”

  “Why?”

  “Valentini may be worth far more than the vineyards and wine.”

  “Estancia’s fortune.”

  Her response surprised me. Perhaps she knew more than anyone realized. “Yes.”

  “They’re attempting to get control of Valentini over something that may not even exist? That makes no sense.”

  “There are reasons to believe it does exist, Pia.”

  “What?”

  “It’s possible they found proof.”

  I watched as she processed what I’d just told her.

  “How is Lucia involved?”

  “It would be best if you didn’t know at this time.” I felt her stiffen. “Pia, trust me. I know it’s difficult, but I promise that whatever information I keep from you is only to ensure your safety.”

  “Why isn’t it as simple as barring them from Valentini?” The moment the words left her mouth, she turned white. “Did they have something to do with my father’s death?”

  I couldn’t just hold her hands. I needed to soothe her. I pulled her from the chair and onto my lap. “Yes, Pia. Your father’s heart attack may have been brought on by something else.”

  “They killed him?”

  “There is a strong belief that was the case.”

  “Mio Dio.” Pia covered her mouth with her hand and raced into the farmhouse. I followed her to the lavatory and rubbed her back as she emptied the contents of her stomach. I knew then that I’d gone too far. There was no way she’d be able to feign ignorance in front of Georgio. In fact, I feared she’d go after him.

  I helped her to a chair in the sitting room and took out my mobile.

  “We need to talk. We’ll come to you,” I said when Lucia answered. “Where are Georgio and Gabriella?”

  “Gabriella?” Pia mouthed, and I nodded.

  “I don’t know,” Lucia answered, “but I’ll find them. Tell Pia to come into the main house from the back way.”

  “Do you feel well enough to return to the villa?”

  “Yes.”

  I heard a vehicle drive up to the farmhouse and stood to see who it was. Rile’s timing could not have been better, nor could his choice of a black SUV with darkly tinted windows.

  “Hello, my friend,” he said when I opened the door. “This must be the lovely Pia.” He took her outstretched hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it.

  “Pia, this is Cortez DeLéon, also known as Rile. He is one of my business partners.”

  She appeared wary, and rightly so. Her world had just been rocked significantly. I could only imagine the gamut of her emotions.

  “We were about to go up to the main house. A ride would be helpful.”

  Rile nodded and led the way.

  “A moment,” said Pia, going back to the lavatory. “I’ll be right out.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” I murmured as she closed the door behind her.

  When the door opened, her breath smelled of mint but her hand was on her tummy. “Feeling better or should we wait?”

  “Better.”

  “Lucia mentioned a back way into the house,” I said as we approached the villa.

  “That way,” Pia said, pointing left. “Stop here.”

  I didn’t see anything that looked like a way in, but followed her around a corner and down some stone steps while Rile waited in the SUV. “What is this?” I asked when we came to what looked like an ancient-looking door that had rarely been used.

  “It leads to the cellar, where there is another set of stairs that go back up.”

  The secret staircase took us to the second floor and Countess Maria’s bedroom.

  We knocked and entered when Pia’s mother called out to us to do so. The moment the door closed behind us, she threw back the bedclothes. Underneath, she was fully dressed.

  “I’m sorry, Pia. We wanted to tell you before now, but there didn’t seem to be a good time.”

  “You are well, Mamma?” she murmured, holding tightly to my hand.

  “Sì. Lucia is the one who figured it out.”

  “Figured what out?”

  Lucia looked at me, and I nodded. While I didn’t want to divulge this information yet, Pia would see my refusal as hiding something everyone else seemed to know.

  “You and your mother were being poisoned,” Lucia told her.

  “What?”

  “Sit down, Pia.” Her mother patted the bed next to her. “In your condition, you shouldn’t be under a lot of stress.”

  Pia didn’t budge. “I’m aware of that, Mamma. However, sitting down will not do a thing to alleviate it.”

  It was time for me to take over the conversation, and I did, telling the other people in the room the same things I’d told Pia earlier. When finished, I turned to her.

  “Given all of that, I think it would be best if you left Valentini temporarily.”

  “I spoke with Matteo. He suggested that she and Countess Maria go to Casavetti,” said Lucia.

  “It’s a viable solution,” I said when Pia looked up at me.

  “For how long?”

  That, I couldn’t answer and said so.

  “No.”

  25

  Pia

  I had no intention of leaving my home, now or ever. I certainly wouldn’t be forced out by the likes of Paolo and Georgio. However, I didn’t feel comfortable continuing this conversation in my mother’s bedroom.

  “Lucia, you take Mamma down the back staircase. There’s someone waiting there who will drive you to the farmhouse. Mylos and I will walk.”

  We were halfway there when I noticed he was smiling.

  “What?”

  “I should’ve known you’d react this way.”

  “Which way?”

  “That you’d face what’s happening at Valentini head-on.” When he stopped walking, I did too. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Pia.”

  “What did you think I would do?”

  “Go after Georgio. Maybe claw his eyes out.”

  I laughed, and so did he. “I want to, believe me, but first, I have questions.”

  Once at the farmhouse, I sat down on the sofa, next to my mother. She put her hand on my shoulder and stroked my hair.

  “I’m so sorry we didn’t realize what was happening in time to save your papà. I am sad every day, thinking of my beloved husband.”

  “I’m sorry, Mamma.”

  She nodded. “Soon, this will all be over.”

  Lucia, sitting on the other side of the room, nodded. “It will be. Very soon.”

  “How did you know someone was trying to poison us?” I asked her.

  She looked at Mylos, who nodded.

  “First, we found out that was what killed your father. He had a heart attack, but it was a result of the poison.”

  “Who poisoned him?”

  Lucia looked at Mylos again. He nodded a second time.

  “Stop doing that!” I shouted. “Don’t ask him what you can tell me. Just tell me.” I clenched my fists when she did it a third time.

  “I’m sorry, Pia.”

  “Just tell me,” I growled.

  “We believe it was Georgio. Once Gabriella arrived, we think she’s been the one attempting to poison you and your mother.”

  “Were you ever really ill, Mamma?”

  “Sì, but only for a very short time.”

  “Lucia…” I rubbed my stomach. I couldn’t say the words.

  “That’s why I’ve been at the house, Pia. I’ve been intercepting your food and that of your mother’s. You and the baby are fine.”

  That was
why she and my mother had acted so strangely when I took food from our kitchen down to the farmhouse.

  “Who do you work for?” When she looked at Mylos once more, I wanted to jump up and slap her.

  “I am an agent with the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna.”

  “And that is why you’ve been filling in for your mother?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about Matteo? Is he really your boyfriend?”

  “I’m sorry, Pia. Everything we’ve done has been to protect you.”

  “Answer me.”

  “He is, but he also works for AISE.”

  “If you know that Georgio killed my father, why haven’t you arrested him?” When Lucia looked at Mylos again, I wanted to scream.

  “I’ll answer that,” he said. “There isn’t sufficient evidence.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “There is also the matter of certain antiquities being offered for sale on the black market.”

  “Paolo?”

  “He’s a suspect, yes.”

  “What about Georgio’s cousin, Gabriella? What role does she play, other than trying to murder my mamma and me?”

  Before anyone could answer, there was a knock at the door. I gasped and put my hand over my heart.

  “Don’t worry, Rile is outside.” When Mylos opened the door, Matteo walked in.

  He came straight over to my mamma. “Don’t get up,” he said and then cheek-kissed her.

  “Hi, Pia.” He did the same to me.

  “I contacted Matteo to let him know you’d decided to remain at Valentini. I suggested it might be best if he came here and briefed us on the status of AISE’s investigation.”

  Matteo cleared his throat and remained standing while Mylos took a seat next to me.

  “Go ahead,” he told him.

  “Approximately six years ago, AISE received intel about a group of individuals who were systematically targeting historic estates, particularly those found along the ancient Roman road Via Cassia. In most cases, the estates had fallen into disrepair and the owners were anxious to sell. This group, whose identities are shrouded in a dummy corporation, were willing buyers.

  “AISE got involved when first, it appeared they were using more heavy-handed means to get reluctant owners to sell. In particular, Valentini. Second, when rare antiquities began appearing on the black market.”

  When no one had any comments or questions, Matteo continued. He looked directly at me. “The failing equipment and thefts at Valentini were suspicious, but when your father suffered an injury more than likely intended to take his life, we stepped up our efforts. Given my close relationship with your family, I was chosen to go undercover, as was Lucia.”

  I didn’t like their subterfuge, but what choice had they had? If it weren’t for them, my mamma and I might be dead.

  “Your father’s trust in Paolo Viticcio ended up working to our benefit, at least initially, given we were able to monitor his actions. What we didn’t realize until it was too late, was that after the accident didn’t kill him, your father was slowly being poisoned to death.”

  Matteo looked at Lucia. It wasn’t accusatory; it was more sympathetic. No doubt she blamed herself for not figuring it out sooner.

  “It was only after we sent some of your food to the lab that we realized it was being poisoned with mercury.”

  My mother was slowly nodding her head. It appeared she already knew most of what Matteo was saying.

  “What about Nonna Bella?”

  Matteo looked at Lucia a second time. “We have no reason to believe she was aware of what was happening,” she answered. “Nor was my mother.”

  “Before you arrived, I asked about Georgio’s cousin, Gabriella.”

  “She isn’t his cousin,” Matteo answered. “Her real name is Donnatella Bianchi, and we believe that she and Paolo may be the masterminds in this conspiracy—”

  “Donnatella?” I closed my eyes, picturing the woman I met in the lobby of the hotel in London and then the woman who became our fill-in cook. Without makeup and with the addition of frumpy clothes, flat shoes instead of heels, her hair dyed or wearing a wig, and a pair of glasses, they could be the same person.

  It explained so much. Including why Mylos had seen him leave with a “beautiful blonde” the night Paolo and I had dinner with the Fellwood partners. Now I wondered if they were in on it too.

  I reached for Mylos’ hand. I felt as though he and my mother were the only people in my life who weren’t pretending to be someone else, but I had to be sure. I turned and looked into his eyes. “How long have you known about this?”

  “A few days. Once you shared the details of Valentini’s struggles, I grew suspicious and asked another of my partners to do some research.”

  I looked up at Matteo. “Have any of these antiquities been proven to have come from the Via Cassia estates?”

  He shook his head. “Since there is little proof the buried treasures, for lack of a better term, existed, it is impossible to say. However, research is currently being done to determine the age of what’s being sold.”

  “What do we do now?”

  Rather than answer, Matteo looked at Mylos.

  “Why are you looking at him? Why is he looking at you?” I shouted.

  I heard the front door open and gasped like I had when we heard the knock.

  “Excuse me,” said the man Mylos had introduced as Rile. “May I?”

  Since he was looking at me, I nodded.

  Mylos stood and held his hand out to me; I followed them through the kitchen and out to the terrazza. “I may be better able to explain,” he said once I was seated.

  “You heard our conversation?”

  “I should have told you,” Mylos said, taking my hand in his. “I allowed Rile to listen in.”

  “Okay.” I took several deep breaths and let each one out slowly.

  “I know that Mylos has told you I am one of his business partners.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know the nature of that business?”

  “No.”

  “We provide private security and intelligence for our clients.”

  “Am I one of your clients?” I asked, looking from him to Mylos and back again.

  Rile smiled. “And our families. The collective background of our partners allows us to use different means to find information than, say, a government agency would be able to use.” He waited for me to nod that I understood. “This is why your cousin looked to Mylos rather than answer himself.”

  Now I understood why Matteo had been so cautious in front of Mylos, and also why this man, Rile, suggested we come outside. “Then, I’ll ask you. What do we do now?”

  “We force them to act, and when they do, we catch them.”

  “How do we do that?”

  Rile sat back and brushed his lower lip with his index finger, all the while staring at Mylos.

  Finally, he spoke. “You get married.”

  “What? No!”

  Mylos squeezed my hand and laughed. “Is the idea of marrying me really that horrible?”

  “You could marry me instead if you’d prefer.” Rile winked, and Mylos made a sound like a growling animal.

  “What does my marrying achieve?”

  “Part of it would be to ‘leak’ information regarding your future husband’s financial status along with his intention to invest a great deal of his fortune into the Valentini estate,” Rile answered.

  “Remember, I told you earlier the struggles you’ve been experiencing weren’t accidents. They happened systematically in an effort to make you agree to marry Paolo or agree to sell Valentini.”

  “Yes. So, if I make Paolo believe I’m going to marry you, and you have money, he will see that he has no chance to purchase Valentini.”

  “That’s right.”

  “At this point, I’d like to bring one of our other partners in on the conversation,” said Rile, who tapped the screen of his cell phone.

  “Hello,
Pia, I’m Decker,” said the man Rile put on speaker phone.

  “Hello,” I responded.

  “I’d hoped you could share any additional information you may have on the antiquities investigation,” Rile prompted.

  “Sure. I’ve been looking into the purchase records for the various estates located on the ancient consular route Via Cassia.”

  “And?” Mylos asked.

  “There’s a definite method to their madness.”

  “What are you saying, Deck?”

  “They know in advance which estates they want, almost as if they have a map.”

  “A map?” I gasped as memories began flooding my brain.

  “Hang on, Decker,” I heard Mylos say. He put his arm around my shoulders. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  “When we were kids, Georgio, Lucia, and I used to play hide and seek in the wine caves. One day we found this old chest, like you see in the movies. It was half-buried behind a rack of ancient wine barrels. We convinced each other we’d found a secret treasure, but all we found were rolled-up old papers.” Another image flashed in my mind. Was my memory playing tricks on me, or had I just figured out how Paolo knew which estates to target? “I need to speak with Lucia.” She had been there that day too. Would she recollect the same things I did?

  “Why don’t we all go back inside? Stand by, Deck,” said Mylos.

  “Roger that.”

  We sat back down on the sofa while Rile explained to my mother, Matteo, and Lucia that, in the midst of our conversation, I remembered something that might be significant.

  “Go ahead,” Mylos said to me.

  I turned toward Lucia. “Remember when we were kids, how you, Georgio, and I used to play in the wine caves?”

  “Of course.”

  “One time we explored a part of the caves where we’d never been before.”

  “I think I remember.”

  “We found an old chest and were certain we’d found a secret treasure.”

  Lucia’s face turned pale, and her eyes opened wide.

  “Who else was with us that day, Lucia?”

  “Paolo,” she gasped.

  I turned to my mother. “You remember. Papà had invited his parents to visit, and he came with them.”

  “Sì, I remember.”