Page 133 of My Dark Ever After
“I can help with that,” I offered, invigorated by the idea of doingsomething. I knew I would have done more harm than good, slowing them down, but it physically pained me to stay behind while Raffa, Renzo, Carm, and Ludo hunted down Leo. “You know I’m good at finding patterns and discrepancies.”
“True. I’m sure Raffa will want your help.”
“I could start now,” I suggested. Now that the thought was planted, I could not ignore it. My knee jumped restlessly under the table. “Maybe I could find something to help the guys hunt him down now.”
Martina’s mouth flexed into a thin line. “It’s four in the morning, Vera. You can take a look tomorrow.”
“It’s four in the morning, but there’s no time to waste, right?” I pushed. “C’mon, Tina. I have everything I need at the office in the main house. Walk me over?”
“Ah, what the hell,” she said with a heavy exhale. “I wasn’t going to sleep for shit anyway.”
“That’s the spirit,” I agreed, jumping out of my chair, landing hard on the blistered soles of my feet, the pain bright even through the soft slippers and gauze Stacci had helped me wrap them in. Running through a burning olive grove in bare feet had not been one of my smartest decisions.
Martina nodded to the two men standing guard at the rear entrance of the house as we passed by them and started along the path to the main house. The way was lit with twinkling lights that mimicked the stars overhead.
“I could spend my whole life here happily,” I said, staying close to Martina, who had her gun drawn even though we were surrounded by soldiers on the property. “And I intend to.”
A little smile flickered at the end of her mouth. “I am glad for you and Raffa both. For myself too. I do not like many people, and when I find a decent one, I like to keep them.”
I laughed a little even though it hurt my throat. “Thanks.”
“If Raffa and I can make it work, I don’t see why you and Renzo can’t too,” I added, knocking my shoulder into her.
Martina rolled her eyes at me, but she was quiet for the rest of the walk, and I had to wonder if she was really considering my words. Life was too unpredictable to waste a moment of it on indecision when what you wanted was within your grasp.
The villa looked like a broken, empty shell when we arrived. The windows and doors were all wide open to clear the space of lingering smoke, and the entire back side was smudged with soot. It was cold enough in early November that I pulled on a coat at the entrance, a large black barn coat that smelled of Raffa.
I chafed my hands together, breath white in the frigid air as we entered the office, and I hustled over to my workstation. The neat pile of papers I’d had at my desk was strewn across the tabletop and floor, probably because of a breeze from the opened window.
But when I went to type in my password, I realized the computer was already unlocked.
I frowned at the documents open on the screen, layer upon layer of open tabs. The financial documents, notes I’d taken, and even the websites I had searched to delve deeper into each business the Romano Group and Lupo Nero owned and operated.
“I didn’t leave this like this,” I whispered to Martina, though we were the only ones in the office.
“What do you mean?” she asked, leaning over my shoulder.
It was then I noticed the little flash drive stuck into the side of my laptop.
“What is this?”
Martina froze behind me, then cursed softly. “It’s a spyware flash drive. Ludo programs them and gives them to us when we need to break into someone’s hard drive or spy on their online activities.”
“Someone wanted to see what I was working on.”
Which meant someone knew I was combing through the Romano Group’s financials.
“This is why he set the fire,” I realized. “He looked into what I was doing for Carmine and discovered I was onto him.”
“Merda,” she spat. “I cannot believe that piece of shit.”
Guilt sucker punched me. If I had been more discreet, none of the family would have been at risk. Everyone was going to be fine, but the kids, Zacheo especially, were probably going to be traumatized for life.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Martina said. “It’s thatfiglio di puttanawho deserves all the guilt for this and everything else he has done.”
“True.” I straightened my shoulders and chafed my cold hands together again. “Okay, well as a royal fuck-you to Leo, I am going to spend the next few hours discovering exactly how deep his conspiracy goes. Pull up a chair and make some coffee, would you? We’ll be here awhile.”
Martina snorted but drifted away, hopefully to the kitchen to make coffee while I got to work.
