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“Mr. Capri,” she quickly followed right on my heels, “Lady Greta is in a meeting right now. If you could just wait in the other room—”
I totally ignored her and continued. As I turned the corner to the study, I saw Aunt Noemi on the phone.
“What do you mean?” Her voice told me something was wrong. “Why would she do that?”
“Grandson.” Nonna’s tone made me whirl around in white hot rage.Hold it together.“I see you are up and doing well. I didn’t get a call that you were conducting business here today, so what brings you by?” I knew she could probably feel the anger that poured off me, but she didn’t comment.
Don’t snap.
“I…” I tried to contain myself. Now wasn’t the time to bring things to a head. Not yet. “I need a few things from the barn.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, we have two men at the warehouse who seem to know something about the bombing.”
“Please tell me you aren’t still fishing for answers over a girl who could have ruined your life.” My fingers drew into a fist. “She’s a liar and one ofthem.Don’t waste your time on something that’s no longer your problem.”
“A bombing happened in my town.” I stepped closer, vibrating with anger. “No one gets away with that, regardless of who’s involved.” She looked up at me, and her eyebrows lifted at my intensity. “That is, after all, what you taught me.”
“This’s true. I just want to make sure your head’s in the right place.”
“And where do you think it might be, Nonna? With Sienna, or with the note you left years ago on my car windshield stopping me from going back for her?” I couldn’t hold it back. The corners of her mouth dipped for a hair of a second, but she quickly regained herself.
“I would advise you to check yourself here, grandson. You’re accusing me of something I’d never dream of doing. Your happiness is everything to me. But I warn you, I’ll step in if you go after her again.” My heart pounded in my ears, and my mouth went dry. “I’ve cleaned up enough of your messes in the past. Don’t make me take care of her too.”
Messes? When had I ever made a mess and hadn’t cleaned it up myself? If she was referring to Sienna, I should snap her neck and drive her head onto a spike. That would certainly send a message that I was about to take over our syndicate and things were going to change. It was all I could do not to reach out and do it. Any love I ever had for her had drained away when I heard her and The Finder making that deal. The itch to kill was strong, so I turned and headed quickly for the door. I didn’t trust myself and wasn’t sure how much more I could take from her.
“Elio,” she called in her sharp, commanding voice. It made me stop, but I didn’t turn. “Don’t forget which family you belong to.”
I slammed the door behind me and pumped my arms on my way back to the car. Once on the road, I slammed my foot on the pedal and watched the numbers jump as I sped away. I took the corners tight and drifted in a few spots. I needed to feel something—anything but the urge to kill my own nonna. She lied right to my face, threatened me, and threatened Sienna. Regardless of our past, Sienna didn’t deserve this from my family.
Suddenly, I slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop just a mile from the gates. The Finder was leaning against his car as if waiting for me. I leapt out and crossed the street. He held up a photograph as I advanced toward him, drawing my gun from my waist.
“I need to tell you something.”
That slowed my step and helped curb the murderous anger. I slipped my weapon back in place.
“Somehow, your nonna got wind of who I am and has hired me to keep an eye on you and Sienna.” I snatched the photo from his hand and recognized it right away. It was taken at Vinni’s birthday party. My arm was wrapped around Sienna’s waist.
“What else?”
“She paid me this,” he tossed me a wad of cash, “and told me she’d pay that much again if I brought her anything.”
“Is that so?” His honesty and obvious loyalty had me rethinking his death.
“What do you want me to do here?”
My mind was working fast. If I was going to take Nonna down myself, I needed to find out all she knew. I’d need to regain her trust to do that. Having The Finder as the one she hired definitely worked in my favor, but at the same time I wondered if she’d also hired someone else. I certainly wouldn’t put it past her; she was a smart woman. Could this be a test? Did she really not know that we had been—and still were, I corrected myself—friends and working associates?
“You’re going to do your job.” I handed him back the photo. “Wait a bit, then tell her that I’m seeing someone else. Tell her Sienna is out of the picture and is just fine, wherever she is. You’ll report to me and share your conversations. I want to be in the know at all times. Understood?”
“Of course, but Elio, I should warn you.”
“Of?”
“Her mother, Elenora, is still in town and asking a lot of questions about Sienna’s whereabouts. If you don’t want her meddling in your plans, you might want to address that.”
“I figured as much.” I nodded, thinking Francesco needed to jump on that.
