I lean against the pool stick, thinking it over, “It’s boring. I don’t want to watch over some chick. It’s not like I’ll be able to do anything to her. My talents are wasted on babysitting,fratelli. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“You are never any help to me,” Matteo mutters.
That draws a laugh out of me, “So when do you plan to abduct the lost Navarro princess?”
“Later today. She has a meeting with some dude. That’s why she’s in the city. We’ll get her once she’s alone and it’s dark. I’m going there personally to oversee the men,” Elio informs me.
“Have fun,” I chuckle. “Give me updates. At the very least, I want to be there when you tell Navarro we have his long lost daughter.”
The game continues and I end up winning my fancy Egyptian knife. Which puts me in high spirits. I leave Matteo’s home after an early dinner, heading to my place while Elio goes to put his and Matteo’s plan into motion.
An hour or so later, I’m in my work out room lifting weights when Elio calls me.
“You’ve got her?” I ask curiously, switching to the treadmill.
“Nope. We’re still waiting to nab her. She looks nothing like Ignacio by the way. She’s actually quite beautiful.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
“She seems like your type,” Elio continues. “Dark hair, pretty eyes.”
“I don’t have a type!” I refute.
“Come on. Every time we’re out together, your eyes always find the nearest available dark haired woman. You watch them until they’re out of sight like a creeper.”
“That’s because…” I pause, blowing out a breath. My brothers don’t know about the little siren that blew into my life and then blew the fuck out without looking back. I’d like to keep it that way. “Shut the fuck up, Elly. Why did you even call?”
“I’m still hoping you’ll change your mind. We can’t take her one of our warehouses. Anyone we place in charge of watching her could fuck up and unwittingly harm her and then who knows hell Navarro will raise.”
“I’d like to see him try,” I grit out, still running. “So what? You’re just going to wait until this girl finishes her conversation.”
“Yeah. She’s talking to some old guy. I think his name is Carlos Villareal.”
I pause, the name giving rise to a memory.
“What did you say his name was?” I ask my brother, reaching down to press the stop button on the treadmill.
“Carlos Villareal.”
“She’s meeting Carlos Villareal?”
“Why are you repeating his name like that?” Elio asks with a laugh.
Because I’m pretty sure I have two of his fingers rotting down in my basement somewhere. My heart stops for a full minute, then restarts again as I exhale a shaky breath.
“What’s her name?”
“Who?”
“The Navarro girl, Elio,” I snap impatiently. “What is hername?”
“Oh. Her name is Liliana. Liliana Zaccari. She goes by her mother’s maiden name.”
The line goes intensely silent for a beat, and I start to feel a ringing in my ears. My grip tightens on the phone. There’s no way that’s a fucking coincidence.
“Bring her here,” I order darkly.
“What? A minute ago you weren’t interested.”
