Marco’s eyes narrow. “How do you know that she wants you.”
“The fuck?”
“How. Do you know. That. Gia Rossi. The queen of flirtations. The one woman that I think would rather die than be tied down. How do you know that she’s interested in you as well?”
I don’t.
That’s the long and short answer. I know that Gia and I care about each other, and I know that she cares about me. She wouldn’t… seek me out for comfort if she didn’t.
“Gia needs me,” I say from between my teeth. “And that’s all you need to know.”
“Does she?”
I tilt my head. “Marco…” I growl.
He throws his hands up. “All I’m saying is that Gia Rossi isn’t just a spy. She’s not just in charge of all Elio’s intelligence for shits and giggles. She’s dangerous, Sal. And I don’t know that it’s because she’s smart or brutal, because both of those things are true. Gia’s dangerous because you can never really know her.”
That’s not true. “I know her,” I insist.
“You know who she wants you to know. But even Elio doesn’t know her,” Marco says softly. “He’s said multiple times that he wouldn’t be surprised if Gia betrayed him one day and tried to take over the Rossi empire.”
“She wouldn’t take it over. He would give it to her.”
Marco barks out a laugh. “You’re smarter than that, man. Come on. I know you’re smarter than that.”
I ignore him. “Are you going to help me or not?”
For a long, terrifying moment, I think his answer might be no. That he’s not going to help me with her.
That he’s going to turn me down and decide to send me away.
Finally, Marco sighs. “We won’t have enough time while Maeve is out. Meet me later, here,” he says, scribbling down an address.
I take the paper from him and pocket it. “Marco…”
“Just meet me there. But after this, Sal? No more.” He shakes his head. “You’re just as bad as Gia. Always have been. You’re nosy and have to know everything, but I’m here to tell you now that even you can’t control this,” he says.
The finality in his voice makes me feel like a kid, and I hate it.
“Marco…”
“Don’t, Sal,” he says quietly. “Just don’t. I’ve chosen this path. I know why. You don’t have to.”
But I do.
I very much do want to know.
If I don’t fully know why Marco is doing this, then I’m always going to wonder why.
Why he didn’t choose me.
Why he’s abandoning his family.
Why he doesn’t want to be part of us anymore.
There’s something inside my chest that aches, and it’s not until I get back in the car and look at the address Marco gave me that I realize what it is.
I am always overlooked.