Quiet Wealth by J.L. Drake

Still tired after last night’s events, I felt like a robot as I moved around the kitchen, making coffee and burning my third slice of bread.

“Morning.” Mariano came in and settled himself at the bar top in front of me.

“Hey.” I couldn’t look at him, feeling strange about being in his house after having such an intimate night with Elio.

“How was last night?”

“Good,” slipped off the tip of my tongue as I forced my eyes to look at him. “You?”

“Eventful.” He grinned, and I assumed he didn’t know when I actually got home. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?” I went to pour my coffee, only to have him slide his cup under the flow, then when my toast popped, he pulled the cream from my hand.

He handed me a piece of paper that had a time written on it. Ten a.m.

“Okay…”

“Wear something nice and maybe show a little.” He pointed at my breasts as he hopped off the stool. “Thighs, too,” he called over his shoulder as he left for his office.

“Why? Where are we going?”

“To get your story,” I heard as the door shut.

“Oh.” I toyed with the small piece of paper and felt an excited surge rush through me as I grabbed my coffee and headed to get ready.

When I came down an hour later, Mariano flicked his keys around his finger as his eyes raked down my front. “Wow. You look really good.” He brushed down the edge of my dress to my cleavage just the way Elio did. I stepped out of his touch as he lifted my chain to expose the pendants. “Do you ever wear anything else?”

“No.”

“Well.” He pulled out a thin box and opened it to reveal a gold chain with a large heart at the end. I cringed, hating any heart-shaped jewelry.

“Mariano.” I hesitated, unsure if I could go even a few hours without my necklace. “Do you remember our conversation at the restaurant?”

“Yes, but I’m not asking you to wear it every day, but it would be nice if you would wear it at least for today.”

“It just feels strange…” I tried to quickly come up with an excuse, but before I could, his hands were on the clasp, removing a piece of me and replacing it with a cold, heavy steel heart.

“Perfect.” He smiled wide, and I suddenly felt as if I had been claimed by him. “Come on, we can’t be late.” He took my arm and pulled me out the door, but not before I took one last look at my necklace on the table.

A marble waiting room was not exactly where I imagined such a meeting would take place. A juvenile part of me expected the Finder to only want to meet in a dark garage or maybe a rundown motel. A two-story building that sat in the middle of the city with frosted glass doors, cucumber water, and expensive artwork simply didn’t fit. I was glad about my outfit and used the reflection of the glass to make sure everything looked just right. The white dress with purple buttons hugged my body, and my matching purple heels and handbag paired nicely. The only thing that looked off was the heavy, inch-long heart that sat above the crease between my breasts.

“Sienna.” Mariano patted the spot next to where he was sitting, but I shook my head and stayed where I was, not wanting to be so close. “Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Good, because here he comes.”

A short, bald man dressed in an expensive suit moved toward us. He glanced over at me with a warm smile that widened further when he spotted Mariano.

“You must be Sienna.” He came froward and offered a handshake. I slipped into work mode and introduced myself and complemented him on the artwork I had seen as we entered the building, being sure to mention the Teresa Cox original. It showed my attention to detail and that I wasn’t afraid to show off my knowledge.

“You know your artists. I do love her paintings.” He seemed impressed. “Are you a fan?” He motioned for me to follow him.

“Of some, but I enjoy Lee Herring more.”

“I see.” He pulled out a chair for me, and I took it as Mariano took one in the corner, his phone glued to his face. “I have to be honest with you, Sienna, I have never done an interview like this before, so I will tread very carefully.”

“And like Mariano promised, I will keep my word and will not use your name, or anything that will connect you to this article. You are simply ‘The Finder’ to me, and that’s it. I’m looking more for how you got wrapped up with the Santoro brothers and what it was like working for them.”

And like most interviews, if more comes out of his mouth, then fantastic.

“Very well.” He glanced at Mariano for a moment then moved his attention back to me. “It was roughly ten years ago. I was hired by the Coppola family to find the person who killed one of their cousins. As you might know, they have a history of unexplained disappearances.”

I sat forward in my chair and began to scribble on my notepad. He sure had started out with a bang.

“The cousin was connected to a mass murder that happened the year before, and the Coppolas suspected the northern syndicate had done it.” I shifted in my seat, wondering if he meant Elio’s family. “They wanted to know who they needed to go to war with. I started to dig, and—”

“How? Can you tell me where you even start such a process?”

“I start with the murder and work my way backward. First with the bodies, bodies don’t lie, unlike the living, and how I see them and where tells me a lot. Then I find out where they were that day, the day before that, and so on and so on. Plus, people tend to be chatty when beer is involved.”

“Okay.” I urged him on with a quick look.

“It took me about three days to connect all the dots, and it brought me to a local pub in Vasto. I sat down and had a drink to check the place out. I had come up with a theory on who I might be looking for, and rumor had it he hung out there from time to time. Two men soon drew my attention when I realized they were planning something. They spoke in code. Being the man I am,” he sat back, wanting me to appreciate his skill, so I granted him a nod and an encouraging smile, “I started to decode what they were saying. I saw a flaw in one of their ideas and pointed it out. A black eye and four drinks later, we got talking, and by the end of the night I was hired to help them plan the takedown of the Rosario family.”

“Wait?” I held up a hand, trying to follow. “What about the Coppola family?”

“I found out who killed their cousin,” he shrugged, “and also who was behind the mass murders the year before.”

“Did you turn that information over to them?”

“No.” He ran a finger along his chin without a shred of remorse. “Instead, I joined forces with the killers.” He laughed at that.

“So, it was the Santoro brothers who killed the cousin and did the mass murders a year before?” I eyed him as though amazed.

He smirked through another shrug and nodded. “They made me a better offer, and to be frank, the Coppola family are stupidly ruthless and are getting worse as time goes on.”

Every one of them is ruthless, in my opinion.

“Was there any blowback from the Coppola family? I can’t imagine they would just let you off the hook.”

“A little, but part of the deal was that the brothers would protect me and have ever since. Plus, at that point, the Coppola family suddenly went quiet. Their attention moved off me and focused elsewhere.”

“Lucky for you.”

“Yeah,” he nodded in agreement, “it made things easier.”

“What do you think happened?”

“There was a rumor that someone from their family had been spotted that they thought was dead, but nothing really came of it. Whatever it was, I never heard. They kept a tight lid on it within their family.”

“I see.” I scribbled more notes down and drew a quick timeline while more questions bounced around my mind. “So,” I held my hands up with my pen balanced between two fingers and my thumb. “So just to clarify, you’ve now joined forces with the Santoro brothers, and their focus is the Rosario family. Not the Coppola family.” I tried to move the story forward.

“Correct.”

“Did the Rosario family do anything to you?”

“Personally? No.”

“Then why help kill innocent people?”

“There’s no such thing as innocent people. Everyone has crimes, guilt, skeletons in their closets. The Rosarios were ruthless, showed no mercy to those that probably deserved some. They did terrible things to good people and bad. That’s life.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what Elio’s family was considered. Were the Capri family as ruthless, or were they as bad as the Rosarios and Coppolas? Did they kill innocent people to get what they wanted, too?

“Let me explain my involvement with the brothers, as I can only imagine what’s running through your head right now.”

“Please.” I welcomed any more information he could give me to make sense of all this.

“It’s not about the power or revenge for me, Sienna. It’s the thrill of the game. I got a certain amount of time to find a person. If I didn’t come through, the brothers would find someone else who could. I was replaceable, and that meant I was also disposable.”

“So, you couldn’t just walk away from them?”

“No.”

“Because you knew too much?”

“Because of how things work, how you are accepted in.”

“Meaning?”

His forehead rested on his hand, and his finger tapped his temple as he thought.

“I can’t divulge that.”

“Okay.” I shook my head, understanding I was pressing my luck, and tried another tact. “Can you tell me anything about the brothers? What they were like?”

“Ah, you ladies always want the personal stuff.” He chuckled. “Well, let’s see. Tieri is the charming one, takes on any lady who looks his way. He would be the fun one, if you will, while Zazzero is more the brooding type, which, of course, all the ladies love.” His smile made me squirm.

“Anything else?” I wanted him off this subject. I didn’t like where it might go.

As he leaned back in, the leather on his chair sounded like snow being crunched under a boot. I didn’t interrupt him with another question, and a few quiet seconds ticked by.

“No matter what, they won’t kill woman or children.”

“Killers with a conscience?” I snickered. “How nice.”

“We all have a conscience, Sienna, it just lives in people in different ways.” He tapped his chest as he said it, almost as though he wanted me to see he had one, too.

I folded the corner of the page with a lingering question I debated asking.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you speak in present tense about the brothers.” I noticed his eyes shifted to Mariano’s. “Would that mean they are still alive, that you’re still in contact with them?”

“And if I was?” he challenged.

“Then my story just got a whole lot more interesting.”

“Mm.” He rocked his chair as he studied my face. The buzz of his intercom had me leaning back and taking a breath for the first time since I arrived in his office.

“You have someone here who wants to speak with you.” A voice came through the tinny speakers.

“Be right there.” He checked his watch. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course.” I stood as he did to be polite, and when we were alone, I beamed at Mariano.

“So, do you think you have a story here?” He put his phone in his pocket as he spoke.

“Yes, for sure. How The Finder works and how he met and started working with the Santoro bothers is huge. It’s more than anyone else has ever gotten.”

“Good, but I think you’ll like the next part even more.” Just as I was processing his words, the door opened, and in walked The Finder and a very tall man with a very charming smile.

Wait…

“You must be Sienna.” He offered his hand, and I nearly blanked on how to move. “You might know me as Tieri.”

I swallowed back my fear and somehow shifted my gaze over to Mariano, who simply smiled a smug smile that didn’t at all mirror my inner terror. It was one thing to research and meet informants; it was a whole different matter to find yourself in the presence of a known assassin.

“H-hi,” I stumbled and didn’t care.

“I take it you weren’t aware I was to attend this meeting?”

“No, I was not.” My voice had a bite to it. “Forgive my manners.” My heart was in my throat, and my stomach had left me high and dry.

“No need.” He waved me to sit and sat on the corner of the desk, casual as could be, while I sat like a stone, knees pressed hard together and my heart on ultra-speed. “So, Mariano tells me you’re a journalist.”

“I-I am.”

“And that you’re writing a story on my brother and me.”

“Well, yes and no.” I stumbled again. “Yes, I am, but you weren’t necessarily my main focus. I was going to focus more on The Finder, as I had no idea you were even still alive.”

“I can assure you we are very much alive,” he chuckled, “but of course Tieri is merely a stage name, if you will. He has died at least four times now.” He laughed again like it was some inside joke. “Also, Zazzero isn’t my brother. That was merely to throw the hunters off the scent. I’ll answer a question if you have one.”

I wasn’t sure if I was happy about this at all. I wanted to murder Mariano for not giving me at least a heads up and for not giving me a chance to say “no way” to meeting a stone-cold murderer.

“Um.” I tucked my hair behind my ear, and I knew he saw how shaky I was. “Why?” popped out of my mouth, and my eyes bugged out at how blunt it must have sounded.

“Why what?”

I was in too deep now to backpedal.

“Why did you do it? Kill all those people?”

“Why isn’t the question you should be asking me.”

“I’m the journalist.” I shrugged trying to remain calm. “I don’t see why that wouldn’t be a standard question.”

He cleared his throat as he rubbed the button on his jacket.

“Because the why isn’t something you could comprehend.”

“Try me,” I shot back, and I heard Mariano chuckle from behind me. If I could nut punch him, I would.

“In order for you to understand, you need to be vetted. In order for you to be vetted, I would need to take you somewhere and show you some things.” He stood and towered over me. “And that could result in a whole new bloodbath.” He chuckled.

I thought I might faint with how close he got to me, and I swore I could smell blood on his breath.

“However, Sienna,” he leaned closer, and I pulled back, “if you want the why answers without the vetting, Zazzero would be the one to answer that.” He tucked a small piece of paper inside my notebook.

“Then why did you come and not him?”

Seriously, was I asking to be killed? Shut the hell up, Sienna!

“For the same reason you wanted to meet me.”

“I didn’t know I was meeting you,” I reiterated with a sharp tone.

“This is true.” He chuckled again. “I guess I should say, it was curiosity.”

“Curiosity? I still don’t understand.” I let my mouth go. “Who am I but a small journalist? A girl with a past not worth remembering. I fail to see the level of curiosity.”

He tilted his head as he thought. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Sienna.” He seemed to drink me in for a moment longer than was necessary, then he stood and whisked away, disappearing out the door.

I quickly gathered my things, gave somewhat of a goodbye to The Finder, then I rushed outside. I needed to get the hell away from the building.

“Hey!” Mariano came rushing up behind me. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong!” I shouted, and a man stopped to stare at us. “You set up a meeting with one of the Santoro brothers! Holy shit, do you know how scary that was? How incredibly bad that could have gone and still could?”

“Nothing would have happened to you, Sienna.” He caught my arm as I reached for the car door. “I know them, and they won’t hurt you.”

“How, Mariano? How could you possibly know that?”

“Okay.” He pulled out the paper Tieri had given me and held it up. “I’ll prove it.”

“I’m not going to meet Zazzero.”

“It’s not an address, it’s a phone number, and I want you to trust me. So, trust me.”

“Trust is earned, Mariano.” I snatched the number from his fingers in fear he’d make the call anyway. “It’s not something you can force on someone. What I want right now is to go home.”

His lips pressed together hard, and I could see his anger, but at the same time, I knew he was also upset.

“Fine.” He motioned for me to get in the car, and he didn’t speak as we drove in the direction of his home.

As we left the city limits, he tried to cover my hand with his. It wasn’t a smooth or tender moment. It was one of a man who knew he had screwed up and was now nervous of where my head was.

I immediately pulled away and wrapped my arms around my stomach in hopes it would calm the butterflies that were in a fight to find a way out. My hands still shook. It wasn’t only fear, but anger and disbelief at the unbelievable carelessness of his actions that had me in such a state. I wondered if he truly understood the dangerous position he had put me in.

Snap! Snap! Snap!went his annoying elastic band.

“I’m sorry,” he called after me as I opened the car door and raced inside his house. Tires squealed as he peeled off back down the driveway.

It took me about twenty minutes to gather all my belongings and put in a call to Elio’s mother. Andrea was always my first thought when I needed someone; sadly, Elio used to be.

“Hi, honey, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. Not really. Andrea, would it be all right if I spent the night with you and Piero? I’m at Mariano’s.”

“Of course, I’ll send Vinni right down to get you.”

“Thank you. I’ll be ready.”

Within minutes, I was standing in the Capris entryway, feeling like a teen again waiting for Elio to come downstairs.

Andrea took one look at my face and wrapped me up in a hug and rubbed my back.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“I just…” I sniffed. I wanted to share everything with her, but what would that mean? The family had spent years keeping their secrets from me, and if I told them what Mariano had done, would they freak out and make me leave? “I just need a break from Mariano.”

“Music to my ears, sweetheart.” She brushed a stray hair off my face. “I don’t like the thought of you two together alone in his house.”

“You are a bit biased.” I tried to smile.

“I am.” She nodded with her arm wrapped around my shoulders. “Come, let’s get you something to eat.”

When I lifted a glass of water to my lips, my traitorous hands gave away my nervousness. Andrea’s eyebrow arched as she looked into my eyes. There was a time when the shakes were second nature to me. The urge to crawl out of my skin with fear would take over and paralyze me. My friendship with Wyatt over the years had calmed my nerves, and I was much more settled. That was until today.

“Sienna,” she sat down and leaned into me, “if something happened, you know you can talk to me, right?”

I nodded, not wanting to lie to her but still not ready to tell the truth of what had happened and where I had been, and—even worse—who I had been with.

The door opened, and I felt Andrea take a deep breath of relief. I knew she must have texted Piero when Dante was dishing up our meals.

“Sienna, did he hurt you?” Her voice broke my thoughts.

“Did who hurt you?” Elio’s commanding voice made me yelp.

“Jesus, Elio,” I jumped, “you scared me.”

“Who hurt you?” he asked again, his voice sharp but much lower in tone.

“Calm down, son.” Andrea held up her hands. “She just needed a break from Mariano tonight.”

Elio came around to sit in the chair next to me, turning my legs so I’d face him. The look on his face told me now wasn’t the time to lie, but it also told me he was on edge, ready for a fight.

“Mama, would you please give us a moment?”

“Of course. I’ll be right over there.” She squeezed my hand and shot her son a warning to be nice. I missed that look, but it struck me as funny because Elio would never hurt me. Ever.

“Bella,” he cleared his throat, “tell me what happened.”

“No. I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can tell your mind isn’t in a good place, so no matter what I say, you’ll fly off the handle, and we don’t need that tonight.”

“Sienna,” he warned.

“Elio.” I mimicked his tone and rubbed the side of my head, feeling worn out.

“Just tell me if he hurt you.”

“He didn’t hurt me.”

“Then,” he pressed his hands against my knees, “what happened?”

“He just…” I treaded carefully. “He put me in a position I didn’t like. I got nervous, so I packed my bags and left.”

“Nervous about what?”

“Elio, please.” I closed my eyes, just needing a moment, and I could tell he was growing frustrated, so I changed focus. “What’s wrong with you tonight? You seem very edgy yourself.”

His dark eyes moved to mine, and I saw something flicker across his face.

“Just a rough night.”

“I hear you.”

“You could share yours…” His eyes bored into mine.

“So could you.”

He nodded. He knew neither of us was going to budge.

“You’ll stay here tonight, and we’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”

“I think I’m going to go home tomorrow,” I whispered, and he shot me a confused look, but before he could speak, I put up my hand to stop him. “I got my story. I just need to write it and turn it in. This isn’t my life, Elio, it’s yours.”

“I want you in it.” His voice was soft and raw.

“Elio.” I lowered my head, feeling the pain that came along with that topic, and tried to deflect the emotion. “I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Mariano. It was a freak accident that I’m here at all.”

“So?”

“So, I don’t fit here.”

“Why are you pushing me away?” He stood and ran a hand through his hair. “Is this because of what I told you at the cemetery?”

“No.” I stood on shaky legs and held on to the side of the chair. “That is a whole other can of dark that I need to process. I just need to go home, regroup, and get my head on straight. Between the article, Mariano, and feelings I have spent a decade trying to bury, I think I just need a few days to breathe.”

“I can’t lose you again, Sienna. I won’t.”

“Elio…” I stopped when I saw his eyes narrow in on something.

“What the hell is that?” He lifted the heart-shaped pendant off my chest and studied it, his face unreadable.

Dammit.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing isn’t heart-shaped jewelry.”

“I think he just wanted me to wear it when I met…” I trailed off and bit down on my lip, upset I almost misspoke.

“Met who?”

“It’s nothing, Elio. Let it go.”

“It’s ugly.”

“Yes, well.” I reached for my dishes and started to walk into the kitchen. “It’s not me, but then, I didn’t buy it.”

“But you are wearing it?” He was right on my heels.

“Yes.” I rolled my eyes at Dante, who glanced my way when I reached for the dish soap.

“Why?”

“It was a gift, and I felt bad saying no.”

“Why a necklace?”

Drying my hands, I turned around and reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and handed it to him. “He’s your best friend. Why don’t you ask him?”

“You drive me crazy,” he gritted through his teeth.

“Pot, kettle, black.” I spoke each word carefully to be sure he got my point that this was how we used to be. We would banter, we would fight, and we would make mad, passionate love afterward. Whose fault was it that we no longer had that?

I quickly turned around and went back to cleaning my dishes.

“Dante,” Elio said quietly, and seconds later the room was quiet, and I knew we were alone. He came up behind me, pressing his strong chest into my back and locking his arms on either side of me. The smell of him made my knees wobble and my stomach roll up into a tight coil.

“Of all things he could have gotten you,” he whispered against the back of my neck, raising goosebumps to the surface. “Of all things to remove.” His hands on the counter flexed into fists. “He chose that.”

“Elio—”

“Where is it now?”

Damn. I closed my eyes, remembering where it was and how I was in such a hurry to leave that I forgot it.

“At his place.”

I barely felt him push away, and when I turned around, I found the kitchen empty.

Needing some time alone, I finished cleaning up and headed for the guest room to be sure I had privacy.

I pulled out my phone and called Wyatt, hoping he’d be up for a chat.

“Hey,” his soft voice flowed across the line and made me feel like I was home again. “How are you?”

“Alive,” I chuckled, “but I’m getting homesick.”

“Homesick or Wyatt-sick.”

“Wyatt-sick.”

“Well, as much as I love to hear that, I’ve decided not to come home for a bit. Georgio gave me some bullshit article that links here in New York. As much as I appreciated where he was coming from, it’s a joke. The upside is I get to spend a little more time here, though.”

“I’m jealous.”

“Jealous?” He laughed. “Two men are after you. What could you possibly be jealous of?”

I fumbled with the blanket and pulled it over my bare legs then pushed the pillow further behind my back, getting comfy. Really, I was just stalling for time.

“Come on Si, give it.” His tone changed, as he sensed something was off.

“Mariano just pulled a dirty card and put me in a dangerous situation. He didn’t see any harm in what happened, and given what I now know about Elio’s family, I’m not sure if I should be mad or not.”

“Dumb it down for me.”

“Let’s just say they are not just in the oil business.”

“I kind of wondered.”

“You know how when you do bad things all the time, it doesn’t seem bad anymore?”

“Yeah.” His voice rose, and I knew he was concerned.

“I think that’s what happened with Mariano.”

“Bad things are bad things, Sienna. If he can’t see that, maybe he’s not safe to be around?”

“Yeah.” I hated that I understood the situation from both sides.

His phone made a noise as if it shifted against something. “What did Elio say?”

“He doesn’t know.” I felt funny saying it out loud, which confirmed I should have told him.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just trying to navigate all the new things I’m learning since I arrived here. It’s a mind trip, to say the least.”

“That’s because this isn’t just an article for you anymore. This involves your past and your heart.”

“I agree with that one.”

“What did Mariano do, exactly?”

I opened my mouth to tell him then wondered if I should. Wyatt would worry even more than Elio would, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for another watchdog. I hated to lie, though.

“You know how he helped me get that new article? The one to do with the Santoro brothers?”

“I do, and may I say, lucky you.”

“Mariano knew their finder, the guy who helps locate their next hit. And, well, with that interview came a surprise.” I swallowed to try to relax my throat.

“I’m literally on pins and needles here. Spill it.”

“Let’s just say I got to meet one of the devils, face to face.”

The line went quiet, and I had to check the screen to see if we were still connected.

“Wyatt?”

“I’m here. I’m just processing that and trying not to pee myself. Which one?”

“Tieri Santoro, and yeah, try not to do that while standing three feet away from him.”

“That’s fucking terrifying and yet intriguing, and you have the chance to wrap all of that up into one magnificent story.”

“Little bit, yeah.”

“Well?”

“I handled it and did my job, but I hated Mariano for not seeing how terrifying and dangerous it was.”

“What about the other brother? Did either mention him?”

“No, but I did get his number.”

“Have you called it yet?”

“And say what?” I laughed and rubbed my suddenly cold hands. “’Hi there. I got your number from your brother,’ who isn’t his brother, by the way, ‘and wanted to do an interview.’ That would be the quickest phone call ever.”

“Yes. But, girl, think of the article.”

“Article.” I gripped the phone tightly. “Or my life.” I held the other hand in the air as I weighed my options. “Not sure here, Wyatt.”

“If Tieri gave you his brother’s number, it must mean it’s fine to call. I really think you should, and here’s the thing, you’re staying seconds away from Elio’s house and his parents. Most likely the safest place to be if you want to risk it.”

Oh, he has no idea…

“True.” He had a point, and I dwelled over it in silence as he did the same. I just wasn’t sure if I should tell Elio. It would be an easy bet that he wouldn’t let me if I did.

“You know, that ticket to New York you had from last winter is still valid for another few months. Just saying.”

I knew he was right. I did need a break, and I did have to use that ticket soon or it would expire. My work had, as usual, gotten in the way of the trip back then, and I never made it to his sister’s for Christmas. I would consider it.

“Just go for it and make the call and let me know how it goes. It’s not like you to hesitate on something like this. You’ll always wonder if the article could have been so much more if you’d done it.”

“All right.” I pulled the piece of paper from the book on the nightstand. “I’ll call you back.”

It was around ten that I heard a car door open and the sound of Elio’s voice. I was still debating whether to hit send on the number. I knew Wyatt was right. I never would have hesitated a year ago, but then, he didn’t know all the details of what was happening here either. I moved to the balcony and watched Elio. He was on the phone with someone. He leaned against the car beside Vinni, who had his own phone to his ear. Both looked relaxed, their voices level. I saw Elio hold up his hand as he talked to inspect his knuckles, then he flexed his fingers.

I don’t want to know.

With a deep breath, I called the number, not caring it was way past business hours. I guessed he didn’t have any, anyway.

As the call connected and started to ring. I saw Elio push off the car and pull out a different phone. The gold case caught the porch light.

I watched like a train wreck, not believing what I was seeing.

“Zazzero.” His voice made my blood run cold, and my heart froze on the spot. “Hello?” He held the phone close to look at the screen again.

I quicky hung up and pressed my back into the wall, keeping my hand over my mouth in fear I would out myself.

So many things raced through my mind, including the endless pictures of the bloodshed caused by the Santoro brothers. Articles I had read flipped through my brain like a deck of cards. Small things popped out, like how the press always wondered if they were real brothers or not, and faces of those killed filled my mind with horror. I knew there was hardly any proof of anything, but there were a lot of accusations. Only bits and pieces that were fed to the press gave any hint of who was behind it.

I slumped to the floor, unsure how to process it all, and without even really thinking, I pulled up the airline and re-booked myself that ticket to New York.

Sienna: Sent you my info. See you tomorrow.

Wyatt: Oh, no. All right, see you soon.

My body felt like stone as I sat on the side of the bed and watched the numbers count up each hour. When it finally read five a.m., I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and quietly headed downstairs. I had texted Vinni twenty minutes ago with a bullshit story about work, and he was waiting in the kitchen, finishing off a pastry.

“Morning,” he murmured as he took my things and headed outside.

I was glad he wasn’t talkative today. I wasn’t in the mood and just wanted to get the hell out of there so I could breathe again.

“Sienna.” Dante came up holding up a to-go bag. “Something for the road.”

“Thank you. How sweet of you.” I gave him a hug. “I’ll see you soon,” I lied. Would I? I really had no idea.

“Let me walk you out.” He tossed his dish towel aside, and as we passed by the entryway table, I spotted my gold bracelet I had misplaced a while ago.

“Oh, my bracelet.” I slipped it on, happy that it had turned up. It was a favorite of mine.

“Pretty.” He smiled politely as he leaned forward and opened the car door for me. I waved at him through the window as we drove away, and I wondered when I would see him again.

“Music, Sienna?” Vinni asked, and I shook my head with a smile. He nodded in the mirror as I leaned my head back and thought about the journey ahead.

Two planes and a small layover later, I touched down on the JFK tarmac. Wyatt didn’t say much as he scooped me up in a bear hug and pointed to an Uber waiting outside for us. A little small talk on the ride about what was going on at his sister’s place soothed my achy head. I was glad we were such good friends. He totally got me. We’d always had an understanding about knowing when and where to discuss things. Once we arrived at his sister’s place and we were out by the lake sipping cocktails, he cleared his throat, and I knew it was time to fill him in.

“Well?” He addressed the subject with an arched eyebrow, daring me to fib.

“I called.” I used the straw to move the ice around in the frosted glass.

“And?”

“And he picked up.”

“Okay, we’re making progress here.” He dripped with sarcasm. “Now, did you take a breath or just hold it in?”

I shoved his shoulder, but when he tuned in to my stressed expression, he eased up.

“Sienna?”

“Elio picked up. Zazzero Santoro is Elio Capri.”

He stopped drinking and blinked at me while he processed.

“Yeah.” I nodded at his stunned expression. “That was my reaction, too. Although, add heartbreak, utter confusion, and a dash of pure terror, and that about sums up the moment.”

“Wait, so you called, and—”

“Hung up.”

“And then left with no explanation?”

“No, I told his cousin I had to go to New York for work.”

“Oh, that makes it better. Send the hit man to my sister’s place.”

“Please, Wyatt, tell me what I was supposed to do?” I tossed up my free hand.

“No, you’re right.” He sighed and scratched his chin. “They wouldn’t hurt you, anyway. He’s completely in love with you.”

“How do you know that? You’ve never even met him.”

“It’s guy-dar.” He pointed to his forehead. “Like gay-dar but for straight people.”

“The shit that comes out of your mouth.”

“I know. I’m entertaining.” He huffed with a shoulder shrug. “But really, how are you with all of this?”

“No clue.” We went back to staring out over the water, watching a duck as it paddled about in the glossy lake. I wondered what my life would have been like if I had disappeared into the wind along with Elio and his family. Would I have been this messed up inside, or would I be at peace and happy with life? Like, truly happy with a heart full of warmth instead of frozen in a layer of frost like it was now.

“Are you looking forward to tonight?” Wyatt split a blade of grass with his nail and held it between his fingers.

“VIP access to one of the best whiskey rooms New York City has to offer?” I playfully flicked my hair over my shoulder. “I am, and I can’t wait. I have the perfect dress to wear for it.” I smiled over at my best friend. “I really do enjoy your friendship with Leo.”

“Me too. He’s a good friend.” He matched my fun, but like the setting sun in front of us, it soon faded, and we were left wondering what was next. I could tell Wyatt was struggling with something, but I wasn’t sure what.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” he answered too quickly.

“Yeah?”

“I just need a little more time before I share.”

I struggled to my feet from the deep Adirondack chair and offered him a hand to join me. “Whenever you’re ready, you know I won’t push.”

“I know.” He stretched as he stood and rested his arm around my shoulder, kissing the top of my head as we walked back up to the house. “So, what exactly are you wearing tonight?”

“Let’s just say black lace.” I grinned at him.