Page 315 of Legacy
Dante.
And… Hope.
I turn toward Elena slowly. “What’s your middle name?”
She pauses mid-spoonful, raises a brow, and shoves the bite of ice cream into her mouth without blinking. A small, smug smile blooms at the corners of her lips.
“It’s Hope,” Riot answers beside her, nonchalant.
I shift slightly, glance at Angelo. “Was your mother’s middle name… Francesca?”
He frowns.
But it’s Santo who speaks. “Yeah. Why?”
I breathe out before I can stop myself. “Herwholestory—it’s just so sad. I had no idea.”
The room stills.
Elena sets her spoon down with a soft clink. “Why would you say that?”
“I-I…” I hesitate. My mouth goes dry. My heart pounds like it’s about to burst through my ribs.
“I found a book in Angelo’s office,” I admit, swallowing hard. “I thought it was mine at first. But when I started reading it, I thought maybe… maybe it belonged to one of the women you rescued. It didn’t have a name, but—”
“Where is it?” Elena asks sharply, all light gone from her face. Her voice slices through the air like glass.
I blink. “In my room. But—”
“She didn’t have a sad story,” Santo cuts in, voice low and firm. “Our parents met at a party. Fell in love. This life is hard, yeah, but it wasn’t tragic until the end.”
“No, I mean—beforeshe met your father. The traf—”
“Shut up,” Elena snaps, her voice trembling.
“Elena, keep your fucking tone in check.”
Angelo’s voice cuts, low and lethal, the kind of quiet that makes grown men flinch. His hand tightens around my thigh under the table, thumb pressing in hard, a warning and a grounding all at once.
His eyes meet mine. There’s confusion there. Concern.
“What are you talking about, Tesoro?”
My stomach twists. Every word feels like a betrayal now.
Fuck.
I swallow hard.
And I lie.
“I… I don’t know.”
“No.” His voice softens, but it’s no less commanding. “Don’t do that. You do know.”
I open my mouth, trying to take a breath—
Elena’s chair scrapes violently as she stands, the sound like a gunshot in the quiet room.
