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Killian is in his own room at the hospital, his face covered in bruises and so swollen that it’s almost hard to look at. But he’s alive and awake, so that’s the important thing.
He glares at Antonio as we enter his room. “What are you doing here?”
Antonio sighs. “Killian, listen, man … I’m sorry for hitting you like I did. You’ve been a solid ally, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
“So, do you believe me?” His eyes flick to me and back to Antonio. “About everything I said?”
“No. But I don’t think you’re the spy. I don’t know what’s going on. If there even is a spy. I just know I need you at my side to take down Franco. What do you say?” Antonio holds out his hand to him.
Killian eyes it over before sighing deeply and shaking it. “Fine. We made a deal, and I intend to stick to it. But you need to know I don’t trust Petrov.”
“Understood. We’ll figure it out together.” Antonio’s phone rings. “I need to get this. I’ll be right back.” He walks out of the room, leaving Killian and me behind.
Killian watches me as I hover in the room, feeling incredibly awkward. “Are you the spy?” he asks me.
I jump. “What?”
“I just need to know.”
“No.”
“Is your father?”
I hesitate too long before answering. “No.” But by then, Killian is already nodding like he knows the truth.
“Just don’t get Antonio killed,” he says. “I need him to help me later after he’s killed Franco.”
“I—I … I don’t want Antonio to die.”
He frowns. “Why are you here, Nina? It’s not like you care about me. We’re strangers.”
Guilt. “Because you mean a lot to Antonio, and I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”
Killian smiles like he’s in on some sort of joke. “You really are kind if you’re being truthful. I guess we’ll see in time, won’t we?”
I smile tightly in return as Antonio enters the room again. “That was my sister Emilia. She wants me to meet up with her, Gemma, and Francesca. My sisters want to see me.” The awe on his face is part amazement and part disbelief. “They’re not supposed to be in contact with me, not if it means putting them in danger with Franco. I’m not sure why they reached out.”
I do.
Yesterday, while Antonio was out, I called Emilia. I remember Antonio telling me she was like a second mom to him, so I figured she’d be the best one to call. I got her number from Antonio’s phone.
I looked into it as I’d been thinking about calling for a while. Antonio misses his family dearly, but he can’t reach out to the family members still under Franco’s thumb. Emilia isn’t, though—not since she married the head of the Italian mob in LA. His three older sisters aren’t bound to Franco, but their husbands are because they have a deal with him.
I called her and introduced myself and told her Antonio could really use seeing his some of his family, even if it’s dangerous. She understood and told me she’d arrange a meeting without Franco finding out.
Now, here we are.
“I haven’t spoken to Emilia in … years. I made sure my sisters didn’t call because I didn’t want to put them in danger. Why call me now?”
“Maybe it’s just fate,” I tell him.
That’s one thing I’ve learned over these past few weeks, dealing with my father. I know what it’s like to not have any familial support. I don’t want Antonio to go through life alone anymore. It’s not right.
I can only hope that one day, I’ll have a family of my own I can depend on.
* * *
The meeting takesplace at the end of the week in a secluded part of Central Park where it’s mostly trees and barely any people. Antonio jiggles his leg as he sits on a bench, waiting for his three older sisters to arrive.
