Page 61 of The One
A flicker of defiance burns inside me, even as I stand before the man who holds so much control over my life.
“You are once again in the De Marco household, in the perfect position to keep your eyes and ears open for me.” He pauses, his gaze hard. “Mateo,” he spits the name like venom, “seems to have taken a liking to you.”
What?
How did he come to that conclusion? Just because Mateo helped me the other day doesn’t mean helikesme.
But then I think about the guitar. The lights around the tree. The bench with the horses carved into it.
No. He’s just being nice.
I stare at my father, my pulse quickening.
“I want you to get closer to him.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Mateo
Ithrow the car into park and leap out. Gustavo rushes toward me, his face anxious.
“Where is she?” I growl, venting my annoyance with him.
How could he let Mariella wander around alone, with no way to contact her, in a city she doesn’t know? Dammit, we’re in the middle of a war and have enemies lurking everywhere.
“She’s not here yet, sir. We agreed to meet at five, but she’s late,” Gustavo says, trying to sound confident.
I check my watch. Eight past five.
That uneasy feeling in my gut grows, as does my anger at Gustavo’s negligence.
Stepping closer, I grab him by the tie and freeze him with my stare.
“If anything’s happened to her, it will be your head,” I say, my voice low and deadly. I mean every word.
He swallows hard, still trying to hide his fear.
“I’m sorry, Signor De Marco. I didn’t realize she meant anything to you.”
That statement makes my heart stutter.
I shove him away, anger still boiling under the surface, and he stumbles backward.
She doesn’t mean anything to me.
I care because she’s under my protection.
“She’s Antonio’s daughter and hence part ofla famiglia. We protect our own,” I tell him and he nods.
“Of course, sir. It won’t happen again.”
Turning in a quick circle, I scan the area. That’s when I spot her, heading toward the taxi stand.
Something inside me settles, and for the first time since I learned she had left Carloso, I can breathe freely.
“Watch my car,” I tell Gustavo as I walk in her direction. She hasn’t spotted me yet and I take the opportunity to drink her in.
She looks different today, somehow more grown up and feminine.
