Page 46 of Tesoro: Mayhem Makers

“She left Italy a week ago, landed in Houston and checked into The Walnut Hotel where she stayed for four days.”

“Houston?” Angelo questions, a perplexed look on his face.

Reaching for his laptop, Frankie turns the screen around, pointing to a line in the center. “Kate Romano is now Dr. Kate Romano.” His voice reflects the pride which was growing inside my chest,

“She passed her boards,” I smile, my heart swelling with more love than I thought possible..

“Of course she passed her fucking boards, our girl is brilliant.” Angelo reaches over, slapping me on my shoulder. His smile is contagious, as I find my own.

“Where is she now? In Houston still?”

I don’t care for the way Frankie’s smile fades or the deep crease between his brows. “I’m working on that part.”

“What do you mean? Did she check out of the hotel?” Angelo prods his concern for a woman he knew for all of ten seconds enduring. Kate was important to me, therefore, him as well.

“Security footage shows a woman coming to her hotel door.” Frankie uses the mouse, clicking several times until he brings what looks like a hotel hallway into view. I watch as a slender woman exits the elevator, a bouquet of flowers in one hand, wiping her eyes with the other.

“I’m still working on identifying the woman, but as you can see?—”

“What the fuck just happened?” Jumping from my chair, I pull the computer closer as I rewind the footage. My attention is locked on the screen as Kate’s eyes grow wide in recognition, then she immediately covers her nose and mouth before turning and running into the room.

“There are no cameras inside the room, but as you can see, a few minutes later the woman places them in the hall and closes the door.”

Returning to my chair, I try to think of a reason why a woman would want to get rid of a bouquet of flowers? “Maybe she’s allergic.”

“I thought that at first as well, but it's clear the woman in the hallway is a friend.”

My mind shifts to the conversation about the best friend who she claimed now hated her.

“Check the woman’s face against hospital employees, this may be a friend she spoke about.”

“Does this friend have a name?”

“Andi, if I remember correctly.” God I hope it is, I add inside my head. Kate deserves to be surrounded by people who make her happy. If I have anything to do with it, I’ll be one of them soon.

“There is one more thing I need to show you before your meeting.”

Angelo made the decision to focus on his healing and pass the ring to me. I resisted, just as I had when he went into surgery. He reminded me this was for the good of the Family, and something Joseph would have wanted.

“You’ll need to show us in the car, Frankie. It takes me longer to get in the car these days.” Angelo backs his wheelchair away from the table. We’d found a doctor who’d given us a bit of hope, making certain we understood it would be a long and, at times, painful road.

Everyone standsas we enter the room. Twenty-five chairs surround a table which dates back a hundred years to when the first Cavaletti came to America. The room is ostentatious, withgold filigree adorning almost every surface. It smells of age and cigar smoke.

“Angelo,” Marcus calls, separating himself from the others as he makes his way toward us. Hand outstretched and the fakest smile on his face I’ve ever had the displeasure to see. “Glad to see you up and about.”

“My legs may not work, but the rest of me is perfectly fine.” Extending his hand forward, I have to hold back a laugh when Marcus places a kiss to the ring on his middle finger.

“Let’s get on with this, shall we.” Angelo rolls himself to the spot at the table reserved for the Family’s current leader. Moving the heavy chair to the side, Angelo steers his chair into its place.

“It’s no secret I have found myself no longer in a position to lead this Family.”

The rules governing the Family were created long before the table was constructed. Those rules had never been challenged, archived or revised. Our Family was unique in its lineage, holding these rules as unchangeable vows.

“According to our laws, it’s within my right to pass my title to a blood relative.”

It was a clever caveat. Joseph had to die to pass the torch, so to speak, but because Angelo was alive and trying to be kicking, he could pass to a blood relative.

“My brother?—”

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