Page 91 of Blood Vows

“How?” she asked.

Dante looked at Luca. He knew that Luca understood before he spoke. “We make him think Elena still doesn’t know what the bond clause means.”

Elena’s eyes narrowed. “You want to use me as bait.”

“No,” Dante said immediately.

Luca said, “Yes.”

Dante turned on him. “Absolutely fucking not.”

Luca held up a hand. “We don’t put her in danger.”

“She already is in danger,” Dante challenged.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. “Can the two of you stop discussing me like I’m not sitting here?”

“No,” Dante said.

“Yes,” Luca said. Dante glared at him.

Isabella sighed. “I see marriage has done nothing to improve your communication skills.” Luca gave his wife a look, but she ignored it.

Elena leaned forward. “What would me being bait look like?”

Dante answered before Luca could. “Nothing, because you aren’t doing it.”

“Dante,” she breathed. “You told me I get to choose.”

“I was clearly emotional and not thinking straight,” he said. She stared at him.

Luca covered a laugh with a cough, and Dante pointed at him. “Don’t.”

Elena’s mouth twitched. “If Hale thinks I’m still confused, he might call again.”

“He will call again,” Luca said.

Dante didn’t like that either. “Why would he call her?”

“Because he needs control.” Luca tapped the document. “He's spent twenty-seven years controlling the information around Elena. Now she’s asking questions. That scares him.”

Elena leaned back. “So we let him think I’m scared too.”

“No,” Dante said.

She ignored him. “What if I tell him I found the vault?”

Luca shook his head. “That would be too much.”

“Then what should I say?” she asked.

Dante already knew, and he hated knowing because it would only put Elena in danger. “You tell him you want out.” Elena looked at him, and he continued reluctantly. “You tell Hale the Camorras lied to you. You tell him you believe he’s the only person who can explain what your father did.”

“And then what?” she asked.

“We let him choose the meeting location,” Dante said. Elena nodded slowly, and Dante immediately regretted saying any of it. “No, never mind. It’s a horrible idea,” he said.

She stared at him. “You just came up with the plan.”