AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let me guess. We’re coming back tomorrow night.”
“That’s right.” I met Enzo’s gaze. “And every night after that if we have to.”
CHAPTER11
She Belonged to Me
Luca
“Good morning.” Alfred strode into the library and set a breakfast tray on my desk.
“Good morning.” I stared at the same wall I’d been staring at since last night.
“Don Gallo stopped by yesterday afternoon. He didn’t leave a message.” Alfred arranged a place setting for me and laid out my breakfast.
“Yeah, he found me.” I ambled toward the round table near the window, took a piece of toast off the plate and bit into it.
“What did he want? Seems he’s losing patience.”
“I can handle Uncle Jimmy, Alfred. Don’t worry about him. Anything else?”
“No, sir.” He cleared his throat but didn’t make an effort to move.
“What is it?” I cocked an eyebrow at him. Alfred wasn’t the type to hold his tongue. Unless he knew he was poking a raw nerve. Lately that raw nerve had a name—Donata Salvatore. “Out with it.”
“Ms. Salvatore stopped by as well.”
“Is that so?”
His tone alone said how much he disapproved of my relationship with Donata. If I could call it that. “You think I took it too far?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“I didn’t realize she was so young.”
“Yes, she is. But she’s also Signoria Vittoria’s only weakness.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Don’t let her beautiful angel face get to you. Donata Salvatore is as cunning and dangerous as her aunt.”
“Of course.” Alfred nodded. “The investigator saw her maid delivering a Plan B pill last week.”
“I didn’t force myself on her.” I winced because even I could hear the guilt in my words. “She came to me. How the hell was I supposed to know she was a virgin?” I rubbed the creases on my forehead.
I never should’ve agreed to this goddamn farce. Donata was all kinds of trouble. She was like a vortex, leaving devastation everywhere she went. Once, not too long ago, I stood too close to her, and she almost destroyed me.
“Oh.” The old man coughed, as if the last bit of news had taken him by surprise. “I didn’t realize. Jesus Christ. Signoria Vittoria will not take kindly to this. Don Gallo’s plan is going to get us all killed.”
“I explained that to him. But once Uncle Jimmy gets something in his head, no one can dissuade him. He’s set on seeing this through. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Trust me, I tried.”
“Getting Ms. Salvatore involved is playing with fire. I saw the way you look at her.” Alfred and his insightful observations could be so fucking annoying. “She gets under your skin.”
“I know what I’m doing, Alfred.”
“You haven’t been yourself since your new mandate started. Everything revolves around Donata these days. You haven’t even made progress on Ms. Conti’s murder case.” He pointed at the wall-size collage I’d been working on when he walked in.
“I have a new clue. Courtesy of Uncle Jimmy.” I handed Alfred the thick business card Uncle Jimmy gave me last night. “It’ll get me in.”
“You told him?”
