Page 13 of Reign of Fate

“Try me.”

“I like to knit and crochet. And when I have time, I like to sew,” she blurts out. “I know I sound like a nonna from the 1950s, but I find it gratifying to make something myself.”

I hold my laughter in check because she’s so cute as she sits primly wringing her hands in her lap, and because Elisa is already self-conscious and working herself up for no reason.

“It’s a lost art. You’re right, though. Most women have bypassed some of the most traditional hobbies for some more modern ones, but that doesn’t make what you do less interesting. Can you show me some of the things you’ve made?” I ask.

She walks over to the sofa, where a cream-and-taupe knitted throw lies on the arm. She brings it over and puts it in my hands. “This is just one of mine. I have others scattered around the house.”

I run my fingers over the soft wool. I see the diamond design throughout and the edging with tassels. “This must have taken you weeks,” I murmur. I know nothing about knitting, but I have an idea of the attention to detail and the patience it would take to make something like this.

“It did. And I had to take it apart twice because I messed it up. But I felt great when I finally finished it. It’s the last one I’ve made, and I think it’s the best one so far.”

“It’s beautiful,” I reply and extend my hands to give it back to her.

“Do you really like it?”

I look into her eyes and see that shining light of pride. “I do. It’s exquisite.”

She smiles and pushes the blanket closer to me. “Please take it. It’s not doing anyone any good in here, and you can use it or give it to Adriana. She might like it.”

“I think I’ll keep this one. You may have to make a purple-and-pink one for Adriana, though,” I tease. Elisa giggles. It feels good that I can make her laugh. It feels very good.

“I should let you get back to it.” She looks around the room. “There’s a ton of books on the shelf that Guido used to have me pull down for him too. I’m not sure they mean anything, but you should take a look.”

I stand and move back to the piles of papers on the desk. “Can you grab them for me? Might as well add them to this pile.” I busy myself sorting through another stack of files. Up to now, there hasn’t been anything of significance that would cause me to worry, yet Bruto’s behavior is out of character and leads me to think I’m missing something. I hear Elisa walking the length of the wall-to-wall bookcase, taking the books off the shelf. I glance over to find her stepping up on one of the lower shelves, reaching for a book just out of her grasp.

Immediately, I’m up and stalking toward her, just in time, as her foot slips and she loses her balance. I catch her before she topples to the floor, my hands at her waist, while the books she was carrying fall to the ground.

Elisa lets out a yelp as I grab her and move her away from the mess on the floor.

“Jesus Christ, you could have killed yourself!” I bite out. Elisa tries to move away from me, but I hold her tightly in place, then pull her so that her back is to my front, without any space between us. I wrap one arm around her, just below her breasts, and inhale the scent of jasmine from her hair.

I want to bury my face in her neck, take in her scent, press my lips to the smooth column of her neck. Her heart is racing. She places her hand over mine at her middle. “I…I’m all right,” she whispers, husky and breathless. “You can let me go.”

That’s the last thing I want to do. I’d rather yank her over to the sofa, tear off her top, and gaze upon her perky breasts. Then take a nipple in my mouth and suckle until she squirms under me, calling my name.

I can’t do that. I vowed to give Elisa six months, and my oath is my bond. I slowly let her go, but not before I brush my stubbled chin against her cheek, then place my lips near her ear. “You have to be more careful, regina mia.” I slowly release her, and I swear I hear her whimper as I move back.

I look at the books scattered on the floor, ready to bend and retrieve them, when I hear Elisa gasp.

“Oh my God!” she cries and runs over to a hardcover book that’s fallen open, revealing that the pages were cut out and something small was hidden inside it. “Look!” She picks it up and hands it to me.

“Whatever was inside must have fallen out,” I murmur. We both scan the area, and I see a black USB key next to the leg of the coffee table. “Found it,” I tell her, then more firmly, “Elisa, I need to be alone. Please stay clear of this room until I call for you.”

She doesn’t bat an eye, but picks up the empty plates from our lunch, sparing me a fleeting glance, then promptly leaves. I look up at the bookshelves. There are hundreds of books to go through. There’s no telling how many Guido’s used as hiding spots. I would think they would be on the lower shelves, but if he’s asked Elisa to pull down the ones on the higher shelves, it’s possible there are more to be found.

I send Raffaele a text.

Me: This is a two-person job.

Raffaele: Who do you want?

I give it some thought before texting back. It has to be someone in the inner circle, and there are very few that Raffaele truly trusts. I finally respond.

Me: Francesco.

Raffaele: Shit! He’s on his way.

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