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"Hello?" A voice answers, its tone laced with impatience.
"It's Isabella Torres," I say, struggling to keep my voice steady. "I need your help."
"We've been waiting for your call," she replies, a hint of amusement creeping through. "What do you want us to do?"
"Find out everything you can about my father's connections. For some reason, we trusted Juan when he said Conti was loyal to my father. I need you to discover who was truly loyal to my father, with a special focus on Felix Carlisi and Rosalie Battaglia," I recite my tale to Clara, urgency evident in my words. "I need to know who I can trust."
"Understood," she says. "If I learn we can trust the couple, do I have the green light to make them our allies on ground in America on your behalf."
"You do, Clara."
She cuts the call.
I go back to bed, and slide in next to Stefano. I stare at him, through the shadows in the dark. My heart wrenches. How long can I keep pretending, keep another secret from Stefano?
Dawn's first light creeps into the room, casting long shadows on the walls.
"Good morning," Stefano murmurs, his eyes fluttering open. He reaches out for me, but I pull away before he can touch me, feeling a pang of guilt as I do so.
"Morning," I reply, my voice strained. "I need to get ready."
If I am to betray Luca Conti soon, or seek revenge, I can't let Stefano get near again. One wrong step and my plan can blow up in my face. He could do something reckless to try and help me, or he could let something slip by error to one of Conti’s men.
What kind of a relationship am I building, based on lies and secrets?
In that very moment, I make a decision. This thing with Stefano has to be called off. At least until I can be honest with the man. I have to do this for him … for us if I want us to have a real fighting chance somewhere in the future.
Because I know Stefano Nitti well enough to recognize he might forgive me hurting him right now, in pursuit of truth. But not if I carry on like nothing is wrong now, only for him to learn the truth later.
If I continue the way we are, I could risk ruining my mission and will lose Stefano.
Stefano studies my face with obvious concern. "Everything alright?"
"Of course," I lie, forcing a smile onto my lips. "Just tired, that’s all. Let’s just go back to New York. I’m done with Chicago."
What I want to say, but don’t as yet, is I’m done with you too. I can only make this clear once I’m back in New York because I don’t want to be stuck in a long conversation on our flight back.
Chapter 32
Stefano
Thecarpullsupoutside the compound, tires screeching on the pavement. Isabella grabs her bag without looking at me and jumps out before I can even open the door for her.
I follow, a knot of tension twisting in my gut. She told me she loved me just last night, but everything feels different now. Off.
She hasn't given me more than one-word answers since we woke up this morning, and she's tried to stay as far away from me as possible. In the taxi to the airport in Chicago, she had her airpods on and she pretended to be asleep during the flight here.
And now, in the taxi? She was silently staring out of the window the whole time.
Isabella strides ahead, her heels clicking sharply against the paved pathway to my cottage. I jog to catch up, reaching for her arm. "Isabella, wait."
She jerks away. "I think the Capo is back." Her voice is flat, emotionless.
"We need to talk about this." I gesture between us. "Is something wrong? Did I do something that scared you off? Has something happened between us that I don’t know about?"
"There is no us." She looks away, a strand of inky black hair falling across her cheek. "Last night was a mistake. I shouldn't have said what I said."
The knot in my stomach tightens, throbbing with anger and disappointment. "I don't believe – What we shared – it meant something."
