Page 45 of Devious Truth

Elana drags two hands through her hair and takes a shutters breath. “He shouldn’t have been at that restaurant. Why would he go there?”

“Which restaurant was it?” I drape my stole over the back of the chair.

I can’t sit still right now. My nerves are frayed, my mind is racing, and my soul is still trying to extinguish the fire he started at the museum.

“Vita Dolce.” Elana shoves out of her chair with such force it topples to the floor. “Roberto Orsini owns it.”

She picks up the chair.

“Who’s Roberto Orsini?” Megan asks.

“His son just got engaged to Maria De Luca.” Elana pauses, waiting for us to catch up with her.

“Do you know what that means?” Megan questions me.

“No idea.” I sink into a chair. “I’ve never heard of her.”

Elana rolls her eyes. “Marco’s father was her godfather.”

“Marco DeAngelo’s dead father is, or rather was, Maria De Luca’s godfather, and Maria just became engaged to Roberto Orsini’s son.” Megan raises her eyebrows. “Am I right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m guessing it’s the Marco DeAngelo being related to this Maria that’s the problem.” I point out.

Elana rounds the kitchen island and heads straight for the wine rack.

“Exactly. With that engagement it means that Vita Dolce is off limits until my brothers can stop this war they’re having with the DeAngelos.”

“Roberto probably called Marco to tell him that Kaz was eating there.” Megan’s fingers splay across her lips, her eyes widening. “Oh god, that’s how they were able to just walk into the restaurant like they did.”

Elana digs around several drawers, opening them and slamming them until she finally finds a bottle opener.

“Kaz should have known; he shouldn’t have been there.” She gets to work on opening the bottle of wine.

Megan pulls out three red wine glasses and places them beside the bottle on the kitchen island.

“What about the woman that was with him?” I move to the kitchen island, needing to be on my feet.

There’s something too intimate about sitting at a kitchen table in this house. It’s not meant for outsiders like me.

Elana shakes her head. “She’s fine.”

Megan continues, “She’d gone to the restroom just before the men entered the private room they were having dinner in. Probably scared out of her mind, but she’s physically okay.”

“Yeah, something like that could really put a girl off. Your date getting shot?” I try to push on a light smile, but the air is too heavy.

Elana takes a large gulp of her wine as her eyes sweep over me, as though really seeing me for the first time since I entered the kitchen.

“You were on a date with Ivan.” The glass clinks against the marble countertop.

“No, I mean, not a date really. I just went with him to the Children’s hospital charity dinner.” I smooth my hand down my hip, realizing our bathroom activities has torn the slip a quarter inch.

Megan chuckles, grabbing up a glass of wine and toasting it toward me. “That’s a date, Vee.”

“No, it wasn’t?—”

“If you went to a public charity dinner with Ivan, it was every bit a date.” Using the stem of the glass, Elana pushes the last glass of wine in my direction.

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