Page 49 of Home Free

The helicopter landed with a jolt, and a few seconds later a man in sunglasses, a button-down shirt, and trousers opened the door and helped them out onto the helipad. Finn pegged him as security from his efficient movements, but he wasn’t like any security Finn had ever seen before.

The helicopter’s rotors came to a stop, the sudden silence every bit as deafening as the sound from the chopper had been a minute earlier.

“Follow me,” the man said in accented English.

They followed him down a gravel-lined path that wound through the trees and spilled out onto a patio sheltered by a pergola covered in grapevines.

Two men were waiting, as stylish as the guard who’d helped them from the helicopter. One of them indicated that Finn should step forward.

“Raise your hands please.”

Finn followed the instructions and waited while they patted him down. Ronan went next. Finn was bracing himself for the search of Elise, but when she stepped forward, the guard shook his head.

“That won’t be necessary, Signorina.” He looked from her to Finn and Ronan. “You may follow me please.”

They wound their way around another path, a child’s laughter echoing from somewhere on the property. The laughter got louder and was accompanied by the sound of splashing water as they approached the end of the path, something Finn understood when they spilled out onto a patio with a large classical pool.

A blond child stood at the deep end, speaking in Italian to a woman who was quite obviously her mother, sitting on the edge of the pool, her long legs dangling in the water.

The woman responded and the child dove into the water in a clean arc. The woman clapped, beaming when the child’s sleek head emerged from the crystal clear water.

The woman beamed. “Buon lavoro, tesoro!”

She must have heard them approach, because a second later she turned to face them, then jumped up from her spot at the edge of the pool.

“Hello!” she called out, hurrying over to them. She slid her sunglasses onto the top of her head to reveal startlingly green eyes and chiseled cheekbones. She wore a one-piece black bathing suit, her fair hair long and wavy around her shoulders. “You must be the Murphys.” She looked at Elise. “And Elise.”

Elise looked surprised the woman knew her name. “Yes, hello.”

The woman extended her hand. “I’m Angel Vitale. It’s nice to meet you, and so nice to have company from back home.”

Elise shook her hand and Angel Vitale made the rounds, greeting Ronan and Finn every bit as warmly.

After a couple of minutes had passed, Angel looked at Elise. “Can I get you something to drink? We can sit by the pool and chat, if you don’t mind keeping me company that is.” She laughed. “I’m desperate to speak English for awhile. I’m afraid my daughter Stella speaks better Italian than I do. Keeping up is a full-time job.”

“Something to drink sounds nice,” Elise said.

“Wonderful.” She looked at the guard. “Marco, would you mind taking Ronan and Finn to see Nico? We’ll be right here if he needs us.”

Marco ducked his head. “Of course, Signora.”

Finn looked down at Elise, who still looked a little unsure. “You okay?”

She smiled. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t want to leave her, but he had a feeling she was in good hands. “Be right back.”

He and Ronan followed the guard named Marco into the main house. Their feet echoed on the marble floor as they made their way past a gourmet kitchen and a massive but well-used living area. They started down a hall, then turned right and walked through a pair of open glass doors onto a wide piazza with columns wider than Ronan and twice as tall.

It was a breezeway of sorts, connecting the main house to a smaller structure. They reached the end and another pair of glass doors, one of them open, a soft breeze blowing through the sheer curtains on the other side.

Marco rapped on the doorframe.

“Yes?” The voice from inside was slightly distracted.

“The Murphys are here, boss.”

“Bring them in.”

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