Page 69 of Luca

“You’re getting better. I think that’s the most you’ve hit in one go.”

“I have a good teacher,” I say, smiling at Alessia.

“So, what’s really going on? I sensed a little tension upstairs.” She nods toward the floor above us.

Letting out a sigh, I set the gun on the counter and turn to her. “Luca’s just being overprotective, and it’s starting to wear on me.” She offers me a sympathetic smile as I continue. “We’re safe, but he’s acting like Carlo is going to jump out of the shadows at any second and finish the job himself. Or I’m going to start bleeding out if I move wrong. I mean, I appreciate having someone worried about me, but I want a partner, not an overprotective father.”

“I can understand how that would be frustrating.”

“Was Finn like that with you after everything that happened with my brother?”

“Not to the same extent, no. But Luca isn’t Finn, and I wasn’t the one lying in a hospital bed. You didn’t see him when we brought you in, honey. I’ve never seen a man more scared that the woman he loves is going to die before he’s had a chance to live a life with her.”

“He’s never said he loves me.”

Alessia laughs. “That doesn’t mean shit.,” she says, waving her hand. “I knew I loved Finn way before I told him. I knew I wanted a future with him, not because I was tied to him for our business's sake, but because I couldn’t imagine another man on the planet making me feel the way he does. Physically and emotionally.”

I groan in frustration. “That’s another thing that’s bugging me. The doctor told me three days ago I was fine to resume normal activities, and Luca acts like we never had that conversation.”

“Ahh, I see.”

“See what?”

“You’re horny.”

“Oh my God, Alessia!” I exclaim with wide eyes. “That’s not what I said.”

Her laughter booms off the steel-reinforced walls. “You didn’t have to. Listen, talk to him about it. Maybe he’s taking his cues from you and he doesn’t think you're ready.”

“Talk to my husband? What a novel concept.”

When we’ve finished with target practice for the day, we head back upstairs in search of our husbands. My shoulder is a little sore, but that’s to be expected for a few more weeks yet. Not that I’ll tell Luca. He’ll just fuss over me some more.

Alessia knocks on the door to Finn’s office and opens it to find him and Luca.

“Fuck. I feel like we’re missing something. The asshole’s out there somewhere,” Finn says to Luca.

“What are you guys doing?” Alessia asks, rounding the corner of her husband's desk to have a seat on his lap.

“Trying to figure out where the hell Carlo is hiding,” Luca answers as I have a seat on the leather club chair next to his.

“Me and Mario have had guys on all his known associates, even the other capos, to make sure they weren't blowing smoke up our asses at the meeting, and we haven’t seen any sign of him. We’ve been searching every known Cataldi property and still nothing,” Finn says, frustration lacing his words.

“Can I see the list of properties?” I ask.

“Sure.” Finn hands me a piece of paper with all the businesses, houses and any other piece of land my family owns. I look through every listing, most of them I don’t recognize since I was never privy to the daily operations of the business, but I notice one missing.

“There’s a lake house we own that isn’t on here. My mom used to take Carlo and me there…” A memory I’d long since buried surfaces; it’s of the last time we were there. “We were there right before my mom died.” I look at Luca. “Marco was with us. I remember walking into the kitchen late one night because I wanted a drink. They were standing there, and he was holding her. I didn’t see them kiss or anything, but when she saw me, she pushed away from him and rushed over to me. I remember being a little freaked out from her over-the-top reaction, worried I was in trouble for being out of my bed. But Marco was staring at me with this big grin on his face.” My hand comes to my mouth. “Do you think she told him I was his daughter that night?”

Luca reaches over and grabs my other hand, kissing it softly. “She could have. Her letter made it sound like she was going to.”

“I remember my dad coming the next day with three of his men. He was so angry, not in a yelling kind of way, but with that quiet rage that used to scare me. He put Carlo, me, and my mom in the car, and on the drive home, I remember my mom crying silently in the front seat. I was so mad at my dad for not comforting her, but I was too scared to say anything. When I saw my mom later, I asked where Marco was and she told me he got another job. She died in a car accident two days later. Or what I thought was a car accident.”

“Why are there no property records for the house?” Finn asks.

“I have no idea. I don’t even remember exactly where it is. I know we passed through a little town called Shine to get there though. I thought that was a neat name for a town when I was little. That’s where we’d stop and grab groceries. The house was maybe another half hour from there.”

“I’ll call Ozzy,” Finn says. “He might know where you’re talking about. Fuck, he’s gonna be pissed. If that’s where Carlo is, he was right under their noses the whole time.”

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