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Concerned, I immediately ask, “What happened, Maria?”
“It’s not safe here!” she replies, her voice rising in pitch with every word.
“Maria, calm down. Did something happen?” I switch on the ignition and back out of Sophie’s driveway.
“No, but it just doesn’t feel safe. I don’t think moving to the smaller place was a good idea after all.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t feel safe, Maria?” I ask again, my patient starting to wear thin.
“It just doesn’t, so we’re going to leave,” Her words are coming faster, as if someone put her on fast-forward. “I have our things packed up. We’re just going to a motel—”
“You’re not going to do a fucking thing, do you understand me?” I snap, my voice stern and cold.
“But I—” Maria starts to argue.
“Maria, you’re going to calm the fuck down and look after that child for me. I’ll get someone to check out your security, okay,” I warn. “You don’t do anything or go anywhere until they get there. Capito?”
Silence.
“God damn it, tell me you understand, Maria.”
She sighs, long and heavy. “Fine.”
“I’m sending someone to right now—”
“I want Pietro,” she interjects, “Can you send Pietro?”
I huff out a laugh. “Pietro is busy handling business here, but he has very competent men—”
“No. It’s Pietro I trust. Either him or you. No one else.”
My patience snaps, and I state in a voice that brooks no argument. “Well, it’s either you get Pietro’s man, or I send you a very pissed-off Dante.” I already know what she’ll choose.
Silence. Then a big huff. “Okay, fine, send Pietro’s man.”
That’s what I fucking thought. “Sit tight, alright? If anything changes, call me back.” I hang up before she makes another demand.
Maria has always been anxious, but since I moved her to Cozumel, she’s been completely unmanageable. At this point, I’m beginning to feel like her dad—heck, like Victoria’s granddad.
I dial Pietro as the heavy Michigan Avenue traffic gives way to the less congested streets leading to the docks. He’s the only one of my Capos who knows that Maria and Victoria are under my protection.
“I need Maria’s home and set-up checked for any breaches,” I say as soon as he answers.
“Again?”
I sigh. “I know.”
Pietro personally had her moved to another location in Cozumel last week. Maria had complained about the house being too big and making echoes, so I asked him to move her to a smaller place.
“Is there something wrong with the house this time?” Pietro asks.
“She’s worked herself up to a lather about something. She won’t tell me exactly what, but I figure she might tell your man.”
“Nico. The woman is grieving. She’s lonely and paranoid. Of course, she’s going to see threats everywhere.”
“You’re right. But she also needs to be reassured again and again that she’s going to be fine. Let your man stick around for a few days”
“Will do, Nico.”
