I flinch slightly at that. I’d thought about it, theoretically. I’d attempted to prove it. But somehow, I still struggle to believe it entirely.
Perhaps it’s because whenever I’m with him, I don’t feel like I’m in control. It feels like purechaos.Whatever moves are made to one-up the other are countered in the blink of an eye. Whatever plans I make to overpower him are met with a knife.
If I have Teo Vitale wrapped around my finger, he certainly has me tangled in his, too. We are stuck in a stalemate. I won’t give up my mother, and he will not kill me.
Though I’ve confessed most of my sins, it is this fact that I withhold from my mother. For some reason, it’s the shame I feel that finally keeps my mouth closed.
“I don’t think it matters anymore.” I change the topic. “Leon is preparing to move in a matter of days.”
“Then I suppose you’ll have to move quicker,” Ida replies.
I swallow my protest. “I don’t know what else I can do.”
It’s almost as if I’ve just uttered the magic words. Mother stands triumphantly and turns toward her bookcase. “Aside from Teo, there are two other loose ends. The ex-don, Rocco Moretti, and by extension, his new wife.”
I frown at this. “How are they involved?”
“If Teo were to die, they would be the ones who would attempt revenge on his behalf.”
Right. Teo had been the best man at his wedding, after all.
This would be the time to mention the others as well. Dante, the redhead, the other man who tried to break into the Prince’s Hand with him. Would any of them vow vengeance, too? How many other loose ends would there be?
Mother rifles through the books behind her, before selecting a large tome from the middle shelf. “But, if Teo were to be incapacitated, Rocco would surely end his little sabbatical to negotiate with us.”
Again, something uneasy stirs within me. “Rocco’s wife is pregnant.”
“I said negotiate, didn’t I?” Mother snaps as she opens the book, revealing a section cut out in the middle.
For a moment, we both stare at the vial of clear liquid that lies there.
“You are the only one who can get close enough to him not to arouse suspicion,bambina.”
She picks up the vial and places it in my hand, curling my fingers over the top to keep it secure.
“What will it do?”
“Buy you enough time to bring him into our care,” she replies simply.
Despite her words and the reassurance of her tone, nothing seems to soothe the uneasiness that builds within me. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Ida slams the empty book onto the floor. The table shakes as much as I do.
“You asked me for my help, and this is the solution.”
“I—”
“Donotdisappoint me, Isabella. Don’t be useless like your brother.”
17
TEO
“Idon’t want to do this.”
I sigh. “I know.”
“What happens if I don’t sign?”
