Page 29 of Daddies of the Underworld

9

MATTEO

Dante stood with Nina on the garden terrace wearing the kind of blank expression I had not seen in years. Nina shifted her weight on her bare feet, her cheeks flushed.

She bit her lower lip and glanced at Dante, her blush deepening.

Interesting information but not what I wanted.

Dante barely let me clear the door before he walked past me, his steps far too silent on the stone floor.

Fuck me. If Dante had slipped into full death mode, it was worse than we’d thought. “Talk.”

His head snapped left, then right. “Nina’s room has been compromised.”

“What?” She clasped one hand beneath her chin, her fingers spanning her neck. “When? How?”

“Limited information. Minutes were removed from the security footage. The time matches up with when you took that drive with Luca.”

“Someone was in my room?” She swayed.

Luca grabbed her arm and tucked her into his side. “We will fix this.”

Dante nodded at the guards still bookending Nina’s door, then opened the door with a twist that nearly ripped it off the hinges.

We all stepped through, and I almost missed a step as the smell of sex filled my nose.

I eyed Nina, my attention splitting straight down the middle.

She chewed her bottom lip again, her eyes flicking to Dante and then away. Ah. Of course.

I’d address that later. “Have you noticed anything out of place? Even the slightest bit?”

She startled at my question, then turned to face me. “I don’t think so. I mean I didn’t really pay attention.”

“Think about it now.” I motioned at the room. “Anyone willing to sneak into your room would be careful. They would not wish to give themselves away.” I focused on the space instead of the way she paled. If I thought about that too much, I’d be tempted to drag her into my room and never let her out.

So I walked the perimeter of the room, examining the cream walls. Expensive furniture I’d chosen made the space feel more cozy than most rooms in the villa.

It was part of why I’d chosen it for her. A breakfast tray sat untouched near the window, a full cup of coffee gone cold.

A worn suitcase rested near the dresser, and the walk-in closet remained empty.

My heart ached at the realization that Nina owned almost nothing.

And someone had violated what little she possessed.

Anger burned a steady heat in my gut. One look at Dante and then Luca said they felt it too.

Nina took a step away from Luca and frowned. “My suitcase has been moved. I left it up against the dresser, not turned like that. But the maids could have done that.”

Yes, possibly. But we were not taking any chances. I nodded at Dante, who crossed the room to crouch in front of the suitcase.

“And the desk drawer.” Nina pointed, her hand trembling before she pressed it once more to her neck. “I closed it all the way. It sticks unless you push really hard.” Her laugh came out small and sharp. “Fucking bastards. I don’t have anything. Whoever broke in here must be very disappointed unless they wanted a uniform, some bad shampoo, or my emergency money.”

Dante moved from the suitcase to the dresser. Pulling open each drawer, he revealed the truth of Nina’s words. One drawer held an assortment of clothes. The rest were empty.

Luca made a low, pained sound.