by Dana Delamar
“Can I hear these recordings?”
“If you want. I’ve got the flash drive in my bag.”
Gio found it and plugged it into Delfina’s computer, her eyes going wide as she listened to the conversation between Nick and Benedetto. “Your great-uncle is a cold son of a bitch.”
“Nick’s not much better.”
“I disagree.”
“What do you mean? He doesn’t give a damn about me.”
“Not true. Did you listen to what he asked Benedetto for? One thing for him. Three things for you.”
“Because he felt guilty.”
“Because he cares. Do you think he’d admit how he feels to a man he doesn’t trust? It would be stupid to give Benedetto ammunition like that.”
“What about what he said to Antonio?” Delfina asked.
“What was that again?”
“‘I’ll do right by her.’”
“No, no. The part where he said he loved you.”
“He didn’t. Antonio said I deserved a husband who loved me. And Nick said ‘You think I don’t?’”
“Which means he does. He said he got the ring from his father, right?”
“Yes. So?”
Gio poked her in the arm with a long fingernail. “I bet it was Nick’s grandmother’s ring. You know—the ring. The famous one.”
Oh Cristo. If it was… “Zio Enrico swore that no Andretti would ever wear that ring. Not after what my grandfather did.”
“Maybe he’s changed his mind.”
“How could he ever forgive that? His mother and his brothers were gunned down like dogs in the street.” Delfina shook her head. “He never gave my aunt that ring. He certainly wouldn’t give it to me.”
“But he might give it to his son.”
And if Nick had it… Her stomach flipped over. “You really think Nick loves me?”
Gio nodded. “It’s all over his face. The way he looks at you. Damn it, Delfi, the man could have run away any time after he knew his grandparents were safe. He didn’t have to do a damn thing to try to help you. God knows, things have only gotten worse for him since then.”
Delfina thought back to the day when Leandro and Gianluca had confronted them. How Nick had gone after Leandro, how he’d lied for her. Even though she’d lied to him and had nearly gotten him killed.
And then how he’d tried to help Cris with his plan to free her. And had nearly gotten killed again in the process. Her throat tightened. What if she’d been wrong?
She owed Nick another chance, and she needed to make sure her uncle didn’t walk into a trap tomorrow. “Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“You’ve got Antonio’s number, right?”
“Yeah, but… ”
“But what?”
Gio smiled. “He might’ve put a block on my number.”
“What did you do?”
“I called him a few times.”
“A few?”
“I was drunk, sweetie. I’m not sure how many it was.”
Delfina rolled her eyes. “Let’s hope he’s forgiving.”
“Or desperate.”
Antonio’s phone rang several times before going to voice mail. Delfina left a quick message, then texted him. Hopefully he wouldn’t delete them without first checking them.
Then they both stared at the phone, waiting for it to ring.
After Cris left Delfina and Gio, he went back to his father’s office. He had to convince Papà to change the plan for tomorrow.
When he stepped inside, Flavio and Papà were studying a hastily sketched layout of the Andretti estate, both of them pointing to various locations and naming which guards would be posted where.
Cris’s gut roiled as he looked at the paper. “Papà, I think we should reconsider.”
His father fixed him with a hard stare. “What?”
“This is mad. Why are we putting our whole family at risk?”
“We don’t have any choice.”
“Of course we do.”
His father stabbed the sketch, his finger crinkling the paper. “No. This ends here.”
“What do you mean?”
His father ran a hand through his black hair, thoroughly disheveling it. “We have to stop Benedetto. And Lucchesi.”
“Can’t we just confront Benedetto with the recording? Bisnonno will handle it.”
His father let out a gust of breath and walked around the desk, stopping in front of Cris and taking him by the shoulders. “Cris, everything depends on what we do now. Think about it. Benedetto is a clever devil. He will have excuse after excuse for what he said. And once we play that hand, if he eludes us, we can never have that advantage again. He will definitely put targets on our backs then, if he hasn’t done so already.”
“Of course he has.”
“Benedetto could be planning something else entirely. He could be playing a game with the Russians and Lucchesi.”
He had to come clean about the Russian deal. “The night I got shot, the night with the cocaine—that deal wasn’t my idea.”
Papà’s fingers tightened on Cris’s shoulder. “I knew you were hiding something.”
“Benedetto asked me to handle the transaction for him. And he insisted I bring Nick with me.” He could hardly meet his father’s gaze.
Papà let go of him and took a step back, muttering a curse. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Now Cris truly couldn’t meet his eyes. “I asked Benedetto to talk to you about Delfina’s engagement.”
“You thought he could convince me to break it?”
Cris shrugged. “It was worth a try.”
“No, it wasn’t.” His father’s hand came out of nowhere, striking him hard and fast on the side of the head. Then he grabbed Cris by the collar and pulled him close, his words low and menacing as he spoke in his ear: “Don’t you ever undermine me again. You are my son. I am your father. The only people we can trust are each other.” He let go of Cris’s collar and cupped the back of Cris’s head in one hand, his voice going hoarse. “Do you understand? I cannot bear to lose you.”
Tears pricked Cris’s eyes. “Forgive me, Papà.”
Papà rubbed the side of Cris’s head where he’d cuffed him. “We have enemies everywhere. If they succeed in dividing us, we’re both dead.”
A lump sealed off Cris’s throat. He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to help Delfi.”
His father stepped away. “Your sister helped herself, yes?”
The bitterness in Papà’s voice surprised him. “She was right. I know you want an alliance with Gianluca, but putting her in a bad marriage to get it was wrong.”
A tight smile crossed his father’s lips. “You cannot resist defying me, not for one minute.”
“It’s not defiance. It’s the truth.” A shiver ran through Cris as he said those words, and he inhaled deeply through his nose. Delfina had accused him of following blindly. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“It’s your opinion, not fact.”
“Am I not supposed to disagree at times? Am I not supposed to give you my counsel?”
Papà’s lips pressed together and his chest rose and fell. “Of course.”
“Then let me ask Gianluca for Giovanna’s hand.”
His father sighed and shook his head. “Remember what he said last time? He said it gently, but he was still insulted.”
“He may feel differently now. He obviously wanted to ally with us before. This would give us an even tighter tie, since I’m capo di società.”
“Perhaps. Let me think about it.”
“Did you have another bride in mind for me?”
“I have been considering a few options.”
Cris’s stomach flipped over. He’d do his duty, of course, but… Gio’s beautiful smile made his heart jump in his chest, and her touch was pure electricity. He didn’t want anyone else. “Please, Papà.” The words slipped out unbidden, making him sound like a child. He wished he could stuff
them back in his mouth.
“Let’s get through tomorrow. Then we’ll talk.”
Papà’s tone said the discussion was final, but at least he had another chance. “Okay. So now that you know everything, will you reconsider this plan?”
His father frowned. “Benedetto’s behavior does seem more suspect now.” He put his hands on his hips and stared at the carpet. “But that doesn’t change anything. He could still make us look wrong.”
Thinking back to his conversation with Delfina, Cris blurted, “When he asked me to handle the deal with the Russians, Benedetto said he wanted me to bring Nick along to test his loyalty to you.”
Papà grinned. “See? The perfect excuse. He eliminates you and Clarkston, weakens me, and appears innocent at the same time. Our only hope is to catch him in the act with something he can’t refute.”
Cris let out a breath. There was no escaping the facts. Benedetto had them outmaneuvered at this point. “You’re right. At the least, we should keep Nonna Romola out of this, in case things turn ugly. We can send her to the Villa d’Este and say she’s ill.”
His father nodded. “Agreed. I’ll talk to her.”
Cris turned to Flavio. “You’ve changed all the access codes?” When Flavio nodded, Cris said, “Good. Don’t give them to anyone but Papà and me. If Benedetto is planning to let the Russians in, he’ll need to come to one of us. And then we’ll know.”
His gut tightened at the words. There was no guarantee any of them would survive the next twenty-four hours.
CHAPTER 23
Enrico squeezed Kate’s hand and brushed her hair back. “You are sure you want to come inside? I could say you have fallen ill.”
She shook her head, her lovely auburn hair swishing over her neck and shoulders. “I’m sure. If I stay out here in the car listening in, I’ll drive myself crazy worrying about you. Besides”—she patted her handbag and then her thigh—“I think I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can. It is just—”
She placed a finger on his lips. “Hush. The baby and I will be fine. I have two guns, Rico. And if anything does happen, I’ll head outside.”
He studied her green eyes, looking for traces of fear, and tried to quell the flutters in his belly. He had to be there for Nick, but Kate did not. And yet she’d insisted on coming. He opened his mouth to object again, but she cut him off.
“I want to be with you. If something happened to you—” Her voice caught, then she continued. “Besides, if I’m not there, Dario will suspect something.”
His throat grew strangled. Dio, if he lost her... He leaned forward, the leather seat creaking beneath him, and took her face in both hands. He kissed her softly, sweetly, as if he’d never kissed her before. As if this time might be the last. “Ti amo, cara.”
She placed her hands over his. “There is nowhere I would rather be than here with you. By your side.”
He kissed her again, then smiled. What a woman. “You would not rather be in Capri with me?”
“Making love by the ocean?” She smiled. “Hmm… perhaps. I’ll have to think about it.”
He laughed. “I must work on my technique.”
Her eyes went liquid and she leaned closer, her voice husky. “Let’s get some practice in when this is over.”
“Did I already mention how much I love you?”
“Too many times. I love you too, caro.”
One more quick kiss, then he said, “It is time.”
As they walked up to the house, he made eye contact with Antonio and Ruggero and the other two guards, Claudio and Santino. Tommaso stayed back at the cars with three additional guards.
Each member of their party wore a bug and had at least one gun. The guards at the cars had receivers so they could listen in on what the bugs picked up. If things went south, their orders were to charge in with their Uzis at the ready.
Dario greeted them at the door. “My. Such a large party. And so many gifts.”
Enrico smiled. “Of course. It is not every day my son gets engaged.”
“Perhaps you are overcompensating?” Dario ushered them in.
Enrico ignored the jab and watched as the men carried stacks of elaborately wrapped presents to the designated table, careful to set them down without making noise. It wasn’t easy when each package contained a cache of weapons.
Dario motioned over Flavio and another guard, who patted down Enrico and his men and took their weapons. “Is this truly necessary?” Enrico asked.
“This is a day of peace, yes?” Dario said. “Still, tempers may flare, and I would rather ensure everyone is safe. You understand.”
Enrico shrugged. “Of course.” He’d figured this would happen, though he’d hoped it wouldn’t. But, as expected, they didn’t pat down Kate or inspect the presents. They only searched the men. All according to plan, so far.
He surveyed the room, noting numerous bouquets on sideboards and tables. Delfina had promised to leave guns either in the bouquets or under them, or failing that, in the drawers below them. She hadn’t been sure how many guns she could take without attracting notice, so she’d told him to keep searching if there wasn’t one a particular location.
If Dario were truly expecting trouble from Benedetto, he could hardly have picked a worse location to defend. They were in an oversized sitting room at the northwest corner of the house. Three large windows extended from the ceiling to window seats a couple feet off the floor. Even worse, glass-paned double doors led to a small terrace out back. The only point in the room’s favor were the bulky chairs and sofas arranged in clusters. Not that the furniture would be impregnable shields against bullets, but it was better than nothing.
Enrico missed his gun. The muscles between his shoulder blades kept tensing and twitching, as though he felt a gun sight trained on his back. He leaned over to Kate. “Remember, if anything happens, stay with Ruggero or Antonio. Not me. I do not want you caught up in what happens to me.”
“Stop it,” she whispered. “I know what to do.”
Delfina walked in, followed by her mother, Ilaria, and Giovanna d’Imperio. Benedetto and Lorenzo, deep in conversation, strolled in after them. Delfina’s eyes seemed a little swollen, but her smile was radiant as she came over to greet him, Kate, and Antonio. She kissed Enrico on his left cheek and whispered, “Everything’s in place.” When she straightened, he asked about Nick. “He’ll be along in a minute. He and Cris are still upstairs.” She calmly moved on to Kate, then Antonio, as if Nick weren’t being held prisoner. As if everything were okay. Only the slight tremor in her hands when she’d clasped Enrico’s gave her away.
He’d hardly slept last night after her call. She’d been so upset and blamed herself for what had happened. But that was wrong, as he’d told her; the blame for everything rested squarely on Benedetto’s head.
Talk of the devil… Benedetto placed a hand on his shoulder. “You have a moment?”
“Of course.” He followed Benedetto over to the double doors that led outside. “What is it?”
“Do I have your support for the council? Will you head up Lombardy?”
“I need something from you.”
Benedetto sighed. “Come, Don Lucchesi. It isn’t like you to be greedy.”
“But it is like you.”
“So adversarial. Tell me what has you upset.”
“My son believes you’re unhappy with him and Cris. Perhaps unhappy enough to do them harm.”
Spreading his hands wide, Benedetto smiled. “I admit I was angry at one point. But were you and I to be friends…”
“You could overlook it.”
“I’d be a fool not to.”
“And Cris as well?”
“Of course. Boys do get themselves into trouble from time to time, and I suppose I must learn to be more forgiving if I’m to understand this new generation.”
“Then we see eye to eye on the council.”
“And Lombardy?”
Enrico stuck his hands in hi
s pockets. “I do not wish to start a war with Dario.”
“Let me handle my nephew. He will have to accept my decision. And I will make it very clear that it was my decision. I sought you, and with good reason.”
Enrico paused. If Delfina’s suspicions about Benedetto were true, this whole discussion was moot. If she was wrong, trusting Benedetto could still prove dangerous. He studied Benedetto, noting the tension around the man’s mouth, the way he fidgeted with a button on his jacket. He was desperate for Enrico to say yes, and that meant he needed Enrico, no matter what. “It is done then.”
Benedetto beamed and clapped him on the back. “Magnifico!” He gave a sharp nod to Lorenzo, who was watching them and no doubt knew exactly what they were discussing. The old man caught Enrico’s attention and smiled, a slow peeling back of his lips from long yellowed teeth that did nothing to dispel the predatory glint in his eyes.
A flicker of movement to Enrico’s left made him tense, but he relaxed when Nick and Cris walked in. Nick moved stiffly and he seemed tired, but otherwise okay. Enrico rushed to embrace him. As he leaned forward to kiss Nick’s cheek, he whispered, “Delfina told me everything. We have done our best to prepare.”
“She did?”
Enrico nodded. Nick’s eyes sought her, and Enrico’s chest constricted. He knew that look. His son could insist morning and night that he didn’t love Delfina Andretti, but his face shouted out the exact opposite. And Enrico was going to do his damnedest to give his son the happiness he deserved. Dio knew it was the least he owed him.
Did that mean Delfina still loved him? Or only that she felt bad for him? Nick tried to catch Delfina’s eye, but she seemed to be looking everywhere other than at him. Or maybe it meant only that she wanted to protect his father. Well, if that was the case, so be it. Nick had brought this all upon himself; the fewer people who suffered because of him, the better. He leaned toward his father. “Don’t get yourself or anyone else killed for me.”
The face that stared back at him was hard as stone. “You are my son. I will not abandon you. Ever.”
