Page 62 of Sinner's Vows

“Starving.” I don’t use this word lightly anymore, but it’s a lie. After that conversation, I have no appetite, but I’ll eat. I need to regain my strength.

Portia is busy at the stove as we enter the kitchen, and with Bruno lying in wait for a handout, it’s the picture of homeliness. She’s the grandma cooking, and the island counter is set with a spread from fruit to pastries and more fresh coffee.

Toast pops, and she turns to us. “Excellent! Good timing. Let me fry the eggs.”

Dominic winks at me as soon as Portia is back at the stove and pulls out a barstool for me.

“She loves cooking,” he whispers, as if I haven’t picked up on this already.

We settle, and he pours us each some orange juice.

“Dr. Wong will come check in on Ariana this morning.”

“Good thinking, Nicky,” Portia says. “What else?”

“I’ve been going through the files in the Don’s office, but I’ve hardly made a dent. What I really need is for you to find Mom’sthings. We didn’t keep track. Do you know what the Don did with all her personal effects when she passed away?”

Portia stills, and in the quiet, the frying eggs pop and crackle in the pan. “Anything specific you’re looking for?”

“Her journals. The ones she kept during her last pregnancy.”

“Oh, Nicky,” she groans. “You know she’d never allow anybody to read them. She kept them so well-hidden.”

“And therefore the reason why we need them. Those journals could hold the key to finding Gabriella. You’re going to have to look in every nook and cranny in this house. If someone can figure out where they all are, it’s you, Portia.” He leans closer and squeezes my arm. “And Ariana’s going to help.”

33

DOMINIC

When I walk into Matteo’s place an hour later, the apartment is quiet. Rosalia is busy in the kitchen prepping a continental breakfast with coffee and pastries. I wave at her in greeting but head straight to Matteo’s office from where I hear my brothers’ voices.

I walk inside, and as I close the door, sweep my gaze over the vast room. Matteo, behind his desk. Luca and Benedict in the seating area, coffee cups still steaming with fresh brew. Benedict is on his laptop, Luca on his phone. Matteo is playing with a pen as if he needs to hide a nervous tic. I’m not sure what he’s told the others, but this thing with Gabriella needs to get out sooner rather than later.

“They know,” Matteo says, as if he read my mind.

“Good.” This type of secret isn’t one we should keep.

Benedict glances up from where he’s typing away at speed. “Whatever info I can scrape, we’ll have, and we’ll put this puzzle together.”

I nod as Matteo stands and comes around his desk. We both sit down with the others, Benedict puts his laptop to the side, and Luca shoves his phone into his pocket.

“I feel like we’re under an attack of sorts, and I can’t fucking pinpoint the source.” As soon as I know the origins, I’ll know how to protect my brothers—and their wives. We need to get this situation under controlpronto. “Steph?” I ask, just making sure we’re keeping our brother in the loop.

“He’s with Gigi and not coming in,” Luca replies. “I’ve already asked him to probe her about anything she could possibly know. It would seem the Trapanis had no idea about Gabriella. There’s no reason why Gigi would lie, and as she’s the eldest, we’ll leave it at that for now. She’s offered to ask Don Trapani once they’re back in Italy, but it will only be later this week.”

“Good. And fair enough. She’s Team Scalera now.” Matteo turns to me. “The question is, really, what do we do with Ariana Morelli.”

“If that’s even her real name,” Luca says.

“Yeah,” I say, knowing I’ll have to share the basics of what she’s told me in private with my brothers. She’ll never need to know, and keeping everything I’ve learned from them only opens us up to risks. I want to limit those as far as possible. “I didn’t get the feeling she was lying about anything she’s told me so far, but we need to double-check every detail.”

“And what has she told you?” Matteo asks, inching forward in his seat.

“Franco has some type of hold on her, but she hasn’t told me yet what it is, or was. She thinks people in Italy are at risk, and she prefers to stay missing in action for now.”

“With what she knows of us, she can’t go back to Italy,” Matteo says.

“Yeah, she’s pretty fucked, isn’t she,” Luca says. “Landed right in the middle of it.”

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