Page 28 of Sins and Secrets

Alessio disappears into the house as excitement about the internship starts to course through my body. I couldn’t ask for a better experience to get me prepared for running my own company.

However, the way that the opportunity fell into my lap makes me feel a bit suspicious.

Does Alessio know what I’m trying to do?

I roll off the floater into the cold water, trying to shock away the suspicion. There is no way that he knows what’s going on. I’ve kept everything a secret.

Maybe he is just a man trying to do something nice.

While I don’t necessarily believe that either, it’s got to be closer to the truth than his knowing about my plan.

Everything is going to be fine, and if it isn’t, all I have to do is run like hell.

As I get out of the pool, I make a mental note to find somewhere on the property to hide some of the money so I can grab it if things go wrong.

Though Alessio doesn’t know what I’m up to, I need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice if he ever does find out.

10

ALESSIO

Monday mornings deserve their own circle in hell. Even though I’ve been working since I was fourteen — first for family businesses and then for my own company — they never feel any better.

It feels like I have to use all my willpower to drag myself out of bed. At least two cups of coffee have to be consumed before I can even think about heading to The Fortuna.

However, this morning is different. This morning, I wake up to the sound of Billie’s screams echoing through the house.

Her shrill scream has me jumping out of bed and grabbing my gun. I flick off the safety and head downstairs, gun pointed at the floor. As I walk down the stairs, I’m careful to avoid the floorboards that squeak.

I don’t know what is going on downstairs or who might be in my house, but I’m not taking any chances.

The shrieking turns into sobs. I turn a corner at the foot of the stairs and see Billie covered in blood and bent over a body in the front hall. Her shoulders shake as I turn the safety back on and tuck my gun into the back of my waistband.

Through the window near the front door, I see my security detail starting to circle the house. If there is someone at my house, they’ll find them. Right now, I need to focus on Billie.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my tone soft as I watch her try to give compressions to a man who is clearly dead. “Are you alright? You’re covered in blood.”

Billie doesn’t answer me, trying to give the man breaths before starting compressions again. Blood continues to seep out of a gunshot wound, pooling onto the floor.

“Billie, he’s gone. I’ll call the doctor but you need to step away from the body. He’s gone.”

She looks at me over her shoulder, her glare chilling me to the bone. Billie says nothing as she turns her attention back to the man, still trying to save his life even though it’s useless.

I step around the blood to get a look at the man’s face. My stomach turns when I see the blank gaze of my youngest capo. His face is pale, though there’s an old bruise still on his cheek.

“Billie, he’s gone. You need to let him go. I’m going to call the doctor and he will come to get the body. I’ll make sure that he has a proper funeral, but you need to let him go.”

She ignores me again, still giving CPR. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. I don’t know how to help her right now.

“He’s not gone,” she says, her voice a little more than a growl. “I felt a pulse. He’s still alive.”

I know she’s wrong and there is nothing that she is going to be able to do about it. No matter how many times I tell her that he’s gone, she’s not going to believe me.

As she continues compressions, I send a message to the doctor. I won’t be able to bear the look on her face if I don’t. She’ll be crushed to think that I didn’t do everything in my power to get someone here to save him.

I can’t hurt her like that.

It doesn’t matter that he’s already gone.

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