Page 142 of Mafia Daddy's Christmas Bride
“He was yelling at Isabella about talking to some lady. He kept asking what she told her."
My stomach tightens. The FBI agent.
"Did he say anything about papers? Documents?"
"Yeah." Angelica sniffles. "He kept asking about papers. He was really mad."
Marco moves closer, his expression grim. "Did Isabella give him anything?"
Angelica looks at him, then back to me. "I don't know. But…" She leans in, whispering like she's sharing a secret. "Before they came in, Isabella put something under the mattress. She was really fast about it."
I exchange a quick glance with Marco. It has to be the papers.
“I’ll check,” Marco says, going around the bed. He lifts the end of the mattress. “Here.” He pulls out the folder. "Is this it?" He begins leafing through the pages.
“Yes.” I take inventory of Angelica, needing reassurance that she’s okay, at least physically.
"Jesus Christ," Marco mutters.
"What?" I demand.
He shakes his head as he looks up at me. "We need to find Isabella before Salvatore does whatever he's planning."
"Salvatore?" Angelica's small voice cuts through the tension. "That's what Isabella called him."
My blood runs cold. "Salvatore took her?"
Angelica nods. "She said his name when he stole her."
Marco and I lock eyes.
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” I say, not worried about my language around Angelica.
Marco grips my shoulder. "We need to get Angelica somewhere safe first."
He's right. "Angel, we need to go to Elena's house. You'll stay with her while I find Isabella."
She wipes her tears with the back of her hand. "Is Isabella going to be okay?"
The honest answer would terrify her. "I'm going to make sure she is." It’s not the first time I’ve had to lie to her, but this one is a doozy.
I pull out my phone and dial Elena. She answers on the second ring.
"Elena, I need a favor. Can I bring Angelica to stay with you? It's an emergency."
"Of course," she says without hesitation. "Is everything alright?"
"No. But I can’t go into?—”
“I understand. Bring Angelica right away. We'll keep her safe."
I end the call and turn to Angelica. "Let’s go pack some clothes and whatever else you need.”
Unable to let her out of my sight, I follow her as she scurries to her room. I help her find some clothes and stuff them in a bag. “Find a few toys, okay?”
As Angelica gathers her favorite stuffed animal and a few of her art materials, Marco hands me the folder. "Read this."
I flip it open, scanning the photocopied pages of Isabella's mother's notebook.
