Page 104 of My Favorite Kidnapper

“Make sure she has money.”

“I’ll give Carolina my card to use. You can repay me.”

“Okay. Watch her, though. She is determined.”

“I don’t think you have to worry. I saw her heartbreak, Dante. She withered in front of me.”

I had to shut my eyes at the pain his words caused me.

“She is safe there. Even if this were over, Winters’s accusation is making people wonder if I am part of something. That makes me a target. If she were here, she would be a prime way to get to me. This is for the best.”

He was silent for a moment.

“For whom, brother?” he asked.

I had no response.

He hung up.

Chapter Twenty-Five

DANTE

The break came when we least expected it. A goon for hire bragged to the wrong people. Showed them the watch he had lifted from Winters’s dead body, planning on pawning it for money. It turned out Winters had sold a forgery to an underworld mafia-type guy who disliked being fleeced. When he found out, he confronted Winters.

Winters paid him back with his life.

The goon for hire sang like a canary on his accomplice, and they both ended up dead while in jail two days later. The mafia guy skated away and disappeared.

And I didn’t care.

It was over.

I received a grudging apology from the police chief, my passports returned, and the ankle monitoring bracelet removed. My name cleared.

The news made the headlines for a day, and people moved on.

Even Winters’s wife did, being spotted with a new man only days after his death.

Being able to leave the condo helped. I could oversee the reconstruction of the front of the gallery, speeding it along. After seeing the extent of the damage to the other business in Naples, I decided to close it, and I made sure the people affected had new jobs at one of my other establishments.

Paolo had been exuberant when I called him with the news.

“Thank God,” he exclaimed. “What a relief.”

“I know. I can move forward.” I paused. “How is she?”

“She and Carolina have been spending a lot of time together. I heard them talking about looking at some buildings for a bakery. She is at Carolina’s for a few days since she lives right downtown. Brianna even baked a few desserts here last week. Cookies and a cake.”

“What kind of cake?”

“A mockingbird, I think? It was delicious. I was pleased to see her out of her room.”

“Hummingbird,” I corrected. “One of my favorites.”

“Well, she is doing better. I told her I would look at any potential bakery or building. Help her with a business plan.”

“Did you tell her the charges were dropped?”