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“You’re right, I don’t know much about the Coppola life.” I stepped forward and took a moment to play this part perfectly. “But I do know an awful lot about how the Capris live.” I watched the corners of her mouth fight not to lift. “I know how they run things, what their books look like, and,” I paused for emphasis, “who their next target is.” I lowered my voice to make my words stick. “You see a woman with a ring looking for answers, but what you should be seeing is a woman with a powerful ring who has firsthand knowledge on the enemy.”
“Would you really share such details of the people that took you in and on the man you say you once loved?”
“Love is merely a feeling, Nonna.” I stared straight into her cold eyes. “Blood is what gives you life.”
“We had a deal,” I snarled into the phone once he finally picked up.
“I know. I’m sorry, but—”
“No, there’s no but. You call on time or this is over.” I pulled the phone away from my ear but quickly put it back. “If you don’t, I strip you of your skin.”
“Understood.”
I hung up and stepped away from my car. I was about to blow the whole thing. I needed to settle my nerves but knew there were only two ways that could happen.
Sex or bloodshed.
My mind spun, my blood pounded, and my chest felt tight. I’d never felt this uneasy in my entire life, not even when we fled all those years ago and we barely escaped the faceless killer looking for my father.
I turned on my heel and stopped short as I saw Wyatt standing by the walk.
“Hey.” He looked uneasy. “Vinni helped me past the gates. Got a minute?”
I nodded, knowing whatever he had to say that had brought him all this way was for my ears only. I motioned for him to follow me away from the soldiers who were watching him. The gravel crunched under my suede shoes as I walked. The sun that hung low in the early evening sky still had warmth to it. Autumn was here, and I was thankful the heat would be backing off for a while.
Wyatt stayed quiet until we were deep in the vineyard. I turned to face him and noted his hands flexed at his sides. He was nervous, and I knew I wasn’t going to like this.
“Thanks,” he finally said and licked his lips.
“For what?”
“I know you’re a busy man, and I’m sure all of this can’t be easy on you, but I appreciate you taking a moment to speak with me.”
“Of course.” I tried to read his face, and as he struggled to start, I squinted at him. “Wyatt, you didn’t just come all the way here to see the vineyard.”
“No.” He let out a long breath. “Sienna is going to kill me dead.”
That caught my attention.
“If you don’t spit it out, I might beat her to the punch,” I warned.
“You’ve been looking for Mariano, right?”
I tucked my hands in my pockets and eyed him. “Yes. He hasn’t been around since we found out about Sienna. But apparently, he checked in this morning with his mother. He said he’d be back this week.”
“And you’ve had guys tailing him?”
“To a certain point, yes.”
“When did they start and stop?”
“Instead of piecing the puzzle together on your own here, Wyatt, just tell me what you know, and I’ll connect the dots myself.”
“Oh, God.” He blew out hard. “Elio, I know something, but I don’t want to make your situation any worse. But at the same time, the fact that you’re letting Mariano come back to the house means that, whatever the hell happened in the hotel room, Sienna couldn’t have told you this part.” I shook my head, trying to follow his rambling words. “Did Sienna mention anything about Mariano after you were jumped at the dockyard?”
“No.” My jaw ticked.
“And you didn’t notice anything about what she looked like when she arrived at the house that night?” I shook my head as I tried to remember just what she looked like that night. I remembered her face was red and puffy from crying, but everything else was a bit of a blur at the moment. “When was the last time you spoke to her?”
