Page 32 of Illicit Throne

“So if it wasn’t your men, and it definitely wasn’t my men, who do you think it was?” he asked.

I let out a sigh, tracing my thumb over our entwined fingers. “I don’t know, Tristan,” I mumbled. “But I do have a hunch.”

His hand stilled under mine, his gaze sharp on me. “And?” he prompted.

“Let me call my sister,” I said. “I want to confirm this before I start making wild accusations.”

I could tell he was holding back the urge to roll his eyes. “Fine,” he said. “Just don’t tell her where we are.”

“I won’t,” I promised, extracting my hand from his.

His hand lingered in mid-air for a second longer before he dropped it back to his lap. He watched me intently as I retrieved my phone from my bag. As much as Tristan grated on me, I had to admit that there was something comforting about his protective gestures.

Navigating to Carmen’s contact, I pressed call. It was still early morning; hopefully, she would be awake. She answered on the third ring.

“Carmen?” I asked tentatively.

“Adriana? Is that you?” Her voice was filled with relief and worry. “Where are you?”

“I can’t tell you,” I said regretfully, casting a glance at Tristan. “It’s a long story. Are you okay?”

I continued looking at Tristan as I waited for Carmen to answer. His lips were pressed in a thin line, his gaze fixed determinedly on the window, but I could tell he was listening intently to my side of the conversation.

“I’m fine,” Carmen assured me, but I could hear the strain in her voice.

“What happened last night?” I pressed.

Carmen sighed heavily on the other side of the line. “You heard about the attempted attack on the Callahans?”

“A bit, from Tristan.” I looked at him as I spoke his name. “But I need details.”

“You heard from Tristan?”

“Carm,” I said. “Not the point. Tell me what happened.”

“Honestly, it sounds like you know as much as I do,” Carmen replied, sounding frustrated. “It was a mess, Adriana. The Rossi family attacked out of nowhere.”

Tristan’s gaze snapped to me at the mention of the Rossi family, his piercing blue eyes wide with shock.

“But why?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

“No idea,” Carmen replied, sounding as bewildered as I felt. “Like I said, it was a mess. I overheard Dad talking with his capos; they’re equally confused. It makes no sense, Adriana. The Rossis have never shown an interest in our turf.”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my racing thoughts under control. The Rossis…why the Rossis? What did they stand to gain?

And most importantly, why now?

“Be careful, Adriana,” Carmen’s voice was quiet but firm. “Whatever you’re doing, wherever you are, just…be careful.”

“I will,” I assured her. “Look after yourself too, Carm.”

I ended the call and set the phone down on the table between Tristan and me. Our eyes met across the breakfast remnants strewn on the table.

“The Rossis?” he whispered, disbelief evident in his bright blue eyes.

I merely gave him a nod, unable to find the words to articulate the sense of foreboding that was curling around my heart. Something felt wrong, more wrong than it ever had before.

Tristan ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, a look of indecision passing over his sharp features. Clearly, this news was as unwelcome to him as it was to me.

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