“Then why did you bother with her in the first place?”
“If a woman is willing to give herself to me, who am I to protest? Instead of that dumbass husband of hers paying you to investigate who’s between his wife’s legs, maybe he should be asking her why she’s allowing it.”
I glance over at Dominic. He’s restraining himself from punching Valerio in the face.
Looking past him, something catches my attention.
It’s a chess set on a nearby table.
It’s not my father’s. This one is made out of mahogany.
“Another chess set?” I mutter.
“What do you mean another?” Valerio raises his eyebrows.
“There was one at Rachel’s penthouse.”
“Ah, yes. I tried to teach her but she’s very bad.”
“You’re a huge fan of the game, I take it.”
He nods. “Of course, it keeps my mind clear and strategic. I’ve been playing since I could walk. Do you play?”
“A little. My father was a fan, I was alright.” I pause, thinking about the chess pieces that I keep receiving.
“Do you remember the Marconi family?”
He seems startled by my random comment. “Yes, who could forget? Your father plotted an attack and wiped out the whole family.”
“Were there any survivors?”
Valerio looks me up and down. “I don’t know. My father was in power when it happened. Why do you care?”
“Just wondering.”
“If you're feeling guilty about your father’s wrongdoings, then talk with one of the other heads of the families who were in power back then. I’m sure they all died. But you know, killing off a whole family is like trying to eliminate a colony of ants. You think you’ve killed them all and then there’s always one that escapes and comes back for revenge.” He reaches over and takes the last sip of his drink. “Anything else you’d like to chat about Cipriani?”
“No, I think I’m good for today. Thank you.”
“Thank God. I wasn’t sure how much I could take of this enthralling conversation.” Valerio snaps his fingers and the doors open.
Two guards appear.
“My men will escort you to your car.” He glances at the chess set near us. “I do hope you are better at finding the rat in your circle than you are at chess, Cipriani. I would hate to see blood get on your queen.”
Chapter twenty-eight
Blood on your queen.
The chilling omen wraps around me, filling me with a coldness that I can’t shake and stealing my slumber.
I’m sitting on the couch in a fluffy robe with blankets wrapped around me. It’s almost eleven at night. Since sleep evades me, I turn to popcorn and romantic comedies. Silly, sappy love stories are what I need to get my mind off the fact that someone in my family wants to kill me.
Digging my hand into the bowl, I shovel pieces of buttery goodness into my mouth.
I wanted Valerio and his family to be the killer, but after seeing his face during our discussion, I know he is telling the truth. This infuriates me. All the times Valerio has been on the wrong side of the tracks, and now he decides to walk the straight line for once.
My thoughts drift to Dominic. I wish he was here to keep me company, but he had to work on his other cases.
