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Salvatore’s face softens slightly. “Would I let her live if I didn’t?”
He turns and walks away, leaving me to process that piece of information. I sigh and pull my helmet back on, leaving the alley and heading to my bike.
As I drive back to the villa, I’m trying to figure out how to charter a private plane to fly us back home. I don’t have enough money to buy one and I have no way of getting in contact with Damien.
I urge the bike a little faster, loving the feeling of the wind tugging at my body as vineyards surround me on either side. As much as I love Italy and don’t want to leave this soon, we have to.
There are two more days to lie out under the sun with Aria and I’m going to enjoy them while I can.
* * *
“You came back late last night,”Aria says as she walks into the kitchen the next morning. “Where were you?”
“I didn’t think you were awake when I left.”
I stand at the stove, my shoulders tensing as she takes a seat at the dining table. I can feel her gaze boring into my back and I’m not prepared for the questions she is likely going to ask.
However, instead of asking me anything, she drums her fingers on the table and stares out the window.
“I’m making oatmeal with fresh berries and some cream. Do you want any?”
“I want to go exploring.”
“Aria, it’s not safe. You know your father is in the country and I have it on good authority that he’s close to us,” I say, looking over my shoulder at her.
Her eyes narrow and she shakes her head. “Unbelievable. I can’t go explore the fucking countryside but you can stalk my father. What is your goal exactly with him? Some vigilante shit?”
“He’s being charged with a variety of crimes.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Aria said, her tone cold as she got up from the table. She approaches me, looking like a lioness stalking her prey.
Yet again, I wonder if the most dangerous Russo is the one standing in front of me.
“What is your point, Aria?” I ask, turning to face her and crossing my arms. She smirks and I start to think that I just walked into her trap.
Although, I could argue that I walked into her trap the moment I kissed her. Nothing has been the same since that moment and nothing will ever be the same again.
“My point is that if you were really after my father and interested in putting him away for life, you would have called your shithead of a boss and gotten him on the next plane out here.”
I sigh and look down at her. “Aria.”
She stands a few inches from me. The corner of her mouth turns downward. “Don’t youAriame. You’re the one keeping secrets. I told you that we are going to be equals. If those terms are unacceptable to you, I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask, looking her over. “Go out there, guns ablazin’? You think you can bring your father to his knees on your own?”
She stands on her toes and reaches up to tap the space between my eyebrows. I swallow hard as Aria smirks.
“All it takes is one well-placed bullet to bring a man to his knees.”
Aria spins on her heel and leaves the room. As I watch her walk down the hall to her bedroom, I can’t help but think that I’ve underestimated her yet again.
19
ARIA
Ihaven’t spoken to Tyson in two days. If he insists on keeping secrets from me, I’m not going to go out of my way to try and be friendly with him. I’m tired of fighting with him every time I turn around.
“This is us,” Tyson says as he steers the bike into a hangar and stops beside a private plane. “I called in a favor with one of my friends.”
