AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As usual, I sat by her side and made sure the speaker was on so that I could hear every word that was said.
Cate dialed the number, and her grandmother answered straightaway. Just like every other call, Cate soon moved on to asking her about her health. “How are you feeling, Nonna?”
“Fine, Cate. I’m all fine.”
“Are you managing to keep your stress levels down? Remember, you’re supposed to get your blood pressure regularly checked by the doctor now.”
“As if I could forget with you reminding me every time you phone,” she chuckled.
“I just wish I was there with you,” she said wistfully. I knew that Cate was anxious about everything she said to her grandmother in case it caused more worry. Cate was especially careful not to tell her anything about her issues with me. Given how close Cate was to her grandmother, I was sure the old lady could sense my wife’s tension—although I hoped that she would put it down to Cate’s nervousness that the FBI might be listening to their conversation.
“Mom’s birthday is coming up,” she said quietly into the phone.
“I know. May God bless her soul. At least she is with your brother and not alone.”
Cate sighed. “She’ll be with my brother forever in that urn on the drawing room mantlepiece unless we get around to scattering her ashes. “I would have insisted on picking up the ashes to take with us if I’d know I was being dragged to Italy and—”
Cate yelped as I seized her wrist and snatched the phone from her, disconnecting the call.
“What are you…” Her voice trailed off as she watched rage spread across my entire being.
She’d just given away where we were.
CHAPTER 31
ALESSIO
Without another word, I dragged Cate up to the bedroom.
I knew my actions were scaring her, but I couldn’t think straight with the fury that burned through me.
Her arm shook as I grasped her wrist. I could feel her pulse beating too fast. “Is this your way to get back to the US?” I hissed. “By outing our location to the FBI so that there’s no point in us hiding out here anymore?”
“No, Alessio, it just slipped out—”
“It just slipped out?” I gritted the words out.
“I didn’t mean it…”
“Don’t you realize how much danger you’re putting yourself in?” I spat out. “The FBI wants to talk to you because they suspect you of being involved in the drug deals. Fuck, I’ve been trying to keep you safe from them.” But she’d thrown my protection back in my face. I got that she hated me and would happily give me over to the FBI, but did she have no desire for self-preservation?
“I’m sorry.” She winced at my grip on her.
I let go of her arm, knowing that I was grasping her too tight.
I took out my cell phone and texted Marco to let him know what had just happened.
Then I looked back up at her. “You’ve just endangered all of us—not just you and me, but also my brothers,” I snarled. I could cope with me being in danger, but not her and not my brothers—my family meant the world to me, and anything that jeopardized their safety instantly made me see red.
She looked warily at me, like a deer facing its predator, her hazel eyes huge in her pale face. She knew that I wanted to punish her.
“Maybe the FBI wasn’t listening in,” she said desperately.
“Of course they were. They have so many wiretaps set up on our people that they can tell you what everyone in the Fratellanza had for breakfast this morning,” I snapped, irritated at her naivety.
“But wouldn’t Italy have been their first guess anyway?”
“They may have thought we were in Italy, but they had no proof until you let the cat out of the bag.”
