Page 116 of His Tesoro

I quickly wiped a rogue tear as I nodded.

“Does he know?”

“No. I just found out. Dr. Amato said she wouldn’t tell him yet. But we can’t wait. He’ll find out soon, and I need to protect this baby from him.”

“Sofiya, he would never hurt your baby. The Boss was shown evidence that you had betrayed him by making a deal with Arben, and he felt he had no choice but to act. He didn’t mean for you to be in that cell so long.”

Anger flashed in my chest, and I pushed away Angelo’s hand. “Oh, so I should be grateful he only wanted me there for a short time? Just long enough for Il Diavolo to tell me all the ways my husband would torture the information out of me?” I spit the words out, my hands shaking. Noodle whined and laid across my lap.

Angelo’s eyes were wide. “The Boss would never torture you.”

“He already did,” I said, seething. “Are you on my side or not?”

Angelo swallowed and glanced at the door again. A pit of dread formed in my stomach as I waited for his answer. Had I miscalculated again?

“I’m on your side,” he finally said. “Always.”

I let out a shudder of relief. “I need a phone that isn’t traceable.”

He pulled out a flip phone from his pocket. “What’s your plan? You can’t go back to Chicago.”

“No,” I said, taking the cell phone. “Not Chicago.”

I grabbed my purse off the nightstand and slipped Leona’s card out from the hidden pocket with shaky hands. If her mother had escaped the Italian Mafia, maybe Leona would be willing to help me. I hated to trust yet another person, but what else could I do? I wouldn’t involve Mila, the Pakhan would never be on my side, and I couldn’t trust anyone else in the Family.

She picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Leona?”

There was a long pause. “Well, this is a surprise. I didn’t expect to hear from you, Mrs. Rossi. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Who are you loyal to?” I asked, trying to sound fierce.

She snorted. “What is this, a Gallup poll? I’m afraid I don’t have the?—”

“I need to know,” I snapped. “Who are you loyal to? The Italians or the Irish?”

I was half expecting her to hang up on me. She had no reason to talk to me, but maybe she heard something in my tone, because after a few torturous moments, she responded.

“Your husband’s uncle murdered my mom. What do you think?”

“Good,” I said. “Because I need your help.”

61

MATTEO

Sofiya was on the other side of the bedroom door. We were separated by mere inches of wood, but it might as well have been an ocean.

Dr. Amato had come and gone throughout the day, refusing to give me any information except that Sofiya was stable. She’d left for the night, telling me she’d be back in the morning.

And now Angelo was in my bedroom with my wife. He’d gone in there a couple of hours ago. She’d asked for him, wanted him, not me. Because he hadn’t been the one to lock her away in a cell. He wasn’t the one who’d betrayed her.

My men were stationed outside the front door. Romeo was the only one I’d allowed to stay with me. No one else could witness my shame, witness their Don fall apart over a woman.

Romeo rounded the hallway, his jaw tense and tie askew. He had a drink in one hand and his phone in the other. He extended the phone to me. “It’s Franco.”

I put the cell to my ear.

---