Page 88 of The One
Yeah, people who are stupid enough to let an innocent girl wander the streets of a big city without any way of tracking or contacting her. I’m still furious with Gustavo.
“My gut told me she shouldn’t be alone in Rome. And it turns out I was right.”
“What do you mean?”
I fill my brother in on everything that’s been happening with Antonio. His unannounced arrival at Carloso when he was meant to stay in Sicily, the way he assaulted his own daughter, and his demand that she spy on me.
“He’s losing the plot,” I say. “Mari thinks he’s acting this way because he’s anxious about his prospects for consigliere. I get her reasoning, but if we can’t trust him fully, is he right for the position?”
“Hmm, I hear you,” Tiero replies. “I’ve noticed he’s been erratic lately. That unauthorized trip to Switzerland when he thought Mauro was a Molinaro rat and went to handle it himself without telling us all to prove himself? It was against protocol, a protocol he helped establish, no less.”
“Antonio has always served us well,” I add. “His loyalty has been beyond question. But now?”
“I’m meeting with him this morning. I’ll see what I can find out. It would be a shame if his nerves undo him in the end.”
“Just make sure you don’t let on that you know he ordered Mari to spy on me,” I’m quick to remind him. “Naturally, she wasn’t supposed to tell me.”
“But she did,” he chuckles. “I’m not surprised. The girl has always had a crush on you.”
“What are you talking about?” I scoff. That’s ridiculous.
“You, my dear brother, were just blind to it. So was I, actually. But Ella pointed it out ages ago. She said it was as obvious as day.”
What?
Not to me.
“Anyway,” he presses on, “no more solo excursions to rescue damsels in distress. You have a team for a reason. They’re there to keep you safe. Last night worked out, sure, but both you and Mari nearly bought it. I don’t want a repeat of that.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mariella
“Where were you last night?” Sofia asks as soon as I enter her room. “I’m not used to the old dragon bringing me food anymore.”
I roll my eyes at her dramatic tone. “Giulia is not a dragon. She’s the sweetest woman ever.”
“To you perhaps, but she loathes me.”
I set the tray I was carrying down on the little table and turn to face her. She narrows her eyes, studying me.
“What happened?” she asks after a beat or two.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been all smiles the past few days, but not this morning. Did your father show up again?”
Sofia’s gaze is sharp, and I’m surprised by how attuned she is to my moods. I guess she doesn’t have much else to occupy her time, so she notices every shift.
Then again, it’s probably not hard. Last night’s events still weigh on me, though Mateo’s comfort helped more than he’ll ever know.
I remember falling asleep in his arms, and despite everything, I slept like a rock. The adrenaline crash must have knocked me out.
But I woke up alone this morning, not that I expected him to stay. It wouldn’t have been appropriate.
Mateo’s scent lingered though, and it was like he was still there with me.
“Yes and no,” I reply as I sink onto her bed with a sigh. “I went sightseeing in Rome yesterday, but just before I was supposed to meet Gustavo, my father showed up and pulled me into an alcove. He grabbed me from behind. I didn’t realize it was him at first. Scared the living daylights out of me.”
