Page 49 of Doll Face

“Anyone who meets you could never forget you. He knew what could happen. Knew how deadly Pietro could be. This was his choice.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t stop my heart from hurting.”

“I know,” he murmured. “Remember the goal. Bring down the Romanelli house.”

****

The next morning, her eyes were puffy from crying through the night. She hadn’t slept at all because every time she closed her eyes, she pictured Tommy facing down the barrel of a gun. She knew exactly what had gone through his mind in those last few seconds. It haunted her still. She sat on the balcony eating her breakfast, reading through what Seth had uncovered, looking for any minute information that could be exploited. Pietro had his hands in many different pots, and Seth was following tendrils hoping to narrow down an offshore account or … something. Pietro had to have more skeletons in his closet.

Mauro stepped on the balcony and cleared his throat to capture her attention. “Matteo is here.”

She blinked. “You’re kidding.”

He just raised an eyebrow as if to say I never kid.

“Shit,” she muttered. “I don’t have my contacts in.”

“I’ll have him wait in the den. You can sneak up the servants’ stairs.”

She nodded and wiped her mouth before grabbing the reports and hurrying through to the kitchen. She made her way up the back staircase to her private bathroom. Slipping her contacts in, her turquoise eyes changed into brown. Brushing her teeth, she added lip gloss and took a deep, fortifying breath as she stared at herself.

“You can do this,” she pep-talked herself. “He’s just a man. A cruel, vicious bastard, but still, just a man.”

She turned and left, heading back downstairs. He stood when she entered, followed by Mauro pushing a tea and coffee tray. He set everything up as she greeted Matteo.

“This is a surprise,” she said as she sat. He followed suit and sat down on the couch opposite her.

“Thank you for seeing me,” he said.

“Of course. You will be my husband, after all. Coffee? Tea?”

“Coffee,” he replied.

She glanced at Mauro and gave him a nod, and he poured each of them a cup. Gianna relaxed into the soft cushions of her chair and studied Matteo. He studied her right back, an eyebrow raised. Her treacherous heart pounded with yearning.

“A sad cup of coffee is a depresso.”

His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

She waved her hand. “Never mind. Just trying to lighten the mood.”

Matteo stared at her in confusion for a moment before he took the cup Mauro held out for him. “Thank you.”

Mauro inclined his head in acknowledgment. He fixed her own cup of coffee before handing it to her. She smiled and nodded, and then he turned and left them alone.

“About our engagement—”

“I’m not changing my mind,” she said, interrupting.

“No, that’s not why I’m here. I just, uh, received some disturbing news and thought … well, not sure what I thought. I just wanted to visit with you.”

She connected immediately with his words. “I’m sorry.”

He pointed to her face. “Looks like you did, as well.”

“Yeah. I’m not a pretty crier.”

“You’re still beautiful.”

---