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“Not many worth mentioning.” He gave me a smirk, and I could tell he wasn’t going to leave very easily.
“Are you normally so cryptic?”
“Yes. It’s my specialty, actually.”
He laughed and held up a hand to show me he’d back off. “Look, are you here alone? Because when that sun sets in an hour, you don’t want to be out there alone.”
“Why? Are you planning to stuff me into your trunk?”
He chuckled. “You have a dark side.”
“I’m just positively unoptimistic.” I pushed down the feelings that wanted to spring up.
“You’re funny.”
“Glad my dark side entertains you.” I took a swig, the last of my drink. “I have a friend due to arrive any moment.”
“Good,” he nodded, “because unless you pay for protection, it’s a war zone out there.”
“I’ll be sure to watch my back.” I wanted to ask what he really meant, but my guess would mean paying off my family.
“Maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, in that case, I’m Salvo.”
“Sienna.” I sat a little straighter when I saw Ugo open the door. When I turned back to address my new friend, he had his back to me and was talking to another guy.
“Well?” I stood when Ugo approached.
“It took a bit of convincing, but after the story, I shared the DNA results. There’s now a car outside waiting to take you to the main house. They’d like you to stay with them.”
“Now?” I started to panic inside. I knew this was what I wanted, but it was happening too quickly. “Are you coming?”
“Yes.” He rubbed his face like he might be sick. “I wasn’t given an option. I think they’ll be watching us very closely, so from now on, we are who we came up with last night.”
“Did you call —”
“Not yet.” He cut me off when the driver stepped into the bar and made a show of watching us. “Time to go.”
I tapped the steering wheel with my thumb as I stared at the ivy-covered house. I leaned forward and looked up at the little window nestled between the green vines. It was the one Nonna normally would be staring out from. When she decided one day that she no longer wanted to leave my uncle’s house, they converted the entire upstairs for her to live comfortably. She had a window on all four sides of the house. It allowed her to keep an eye on people’s whereabouts. I never thought much about it…until now.
Grabbing my keys and phone, I slipped out from behind the wheel and made my way around the side of the house and up the back stairs. Voices stopped me before I reached the top landing, and I stretched my body to peek around the corner.
“You know what it means when someone of my stature requests your services, correct?
“Yes, Ms. Greta.” The Finder stood in the sun, while Nonna stood, nearly hidden, under a shade tree. Her rosary beads swung as she handed him a thick envelope.
“Abramo says you’re the best. Let’s see if that’s true.”
“It is,” he assured her as he looked inside, fingering the contents. “Am I to watch just Sienna, or your grandson as well?”
“Both.” She handed him what looked like a photograph. “I want to know everything you find out. Nothing is too small.”
“Understood.”
As I watched her step toward the house, my temper soared and the white heat of it burned. I almost felt lightheaded. She was as conniving as a fucking Coppola. The nerve of this woman having Sienna and me followed! I pushed off the wall and burst through the door, nearly knocking down the maid, who was shocked to see me.
