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I shook my head. “Find a wife, I suppose.”
I saw the look they shot each other. “Dario,” Sofia stood as well, and took a step closer. “I meant what I said.”
I gazed at her, then let my eyes widen as if I understood her meaning. “After I humiliated you? Why don’t you hate me?”
“Because as I said, the fault was mine first. You reacted to the position I put you in.”
“If he is so insistent,” Elisabetta said, “It may be an answer. Your reputation would be helped by turning to your originalbride. We could even put a spin on this if we reacted quickly enough.”
I tried not to laugh or vomit. It was a toss-up between either reaction. “I would...behonored,” I finally settled on. “But I have to speak to Alessandro first to make sure he isn’t being coerced.” I scrubbed my jaw. When was the last time I had shaved?
“The only meeting I am allowed is with a lawyer. If I could see him on my own for even a minute, so I knew this was what he wanted…”
I let the sentence hang. There, it was up to them. I would overplay my hand to go any further.
I took my leave apologetically.
But prayed. Prayed to a god I didn’t believe in. I was totally convinced Alessandro was being blackmailed, coerced, whatever. But unless I could discover where his brother was, none of it would matter.
It wouldn’t matter at all.
27
Dario
Lucio drove me back from Elisabetta’s and we discussed what had been said. As always, I’d had my phone on so Lucio could not only hear the conversation but would know immediately if I needed help.
I thought furiously. I was a hundred percent convinced that with Gabriel Amato’s backing, Elisabetta and Sofia were behind everything. Gabriel wanted Alessandro, and Alessandro was being threatened with his brother’s life. Sofia had obviously decided she wanted to be married to a Don, and wanted the money and power that went with it, and I imagined Elizabetta wanted her daughter to have the same plus a healthy dose of revenge.
But if I died…
I grabbed my phone and pressed speed dial for Gia. “Where are you?”
“I’m with Marcello, actually,” he laughed. “I thought of something a little more secure than what you promised him, and I’m just walking him to the escort we arranged.” My mind wentblank. Gia. My brother. The only family I had left and one who would immediately step into my shoes if I was taken out. With the one person we knew who also had a huge target on his back. “Gia,” I barked. “Get back in the hotel. Do it—”
Gunfire erupted.
Lucio heard because he slammed his foot on the gas so hard the car lurched, tires squealing before it took off. “Gia,” I bellowed.“Fratello!”
He didn’t answer. Horns blared as Lucio ignored irritants like stop signs and red lights. He didn’t care, and neither did I. Not Gia. I closed my eyes. Please. He never wanted this life. Growing up, the first time Papà had shot someone in front of him, he’d vomited and almost passed out.
I flashed back to that moment. It was the only time Papà and I had argued, and as a twelve-year-old boy, with the Don that took some doing. Papà’s word was law, but I promised him there and then that I would do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it so long as Gia never had to be put through that again.
Papà was silent for a long time, and I thought he was angry, but then he’d surprised me. “Who will be your underboss, then?”
“Lucio,” I said promptly.
“He can never be the Don,” my father cautioned. “Wrong family, and he is the son of a traitor. He has reason to hatela famiglia.”
I met his gaze. There were a million arguments I could make, like that Lucio had to stand and watch while his Papà beat his mamma, long before my Papà had put a bullet in the man.
“Is he loyal tola famiglia?” Papà asked.
I shrugged. “He’s loyal to me, and that’s all that matters.” It was three days before my birthday. The day my life changed. Papà smiled.
“Then you are fortunate, because that sort of loyalty can never be bought.”
I’d been about to point out he had that with Rocco, but something had held my tongue.
