Page 48 of Broken Vows

I refrain from rolling my eyes. It’s always tit for tat with her. “We’ll talk about university later. As for this afternoon, you can only go if it’s safe.”

For this, I glance in Stephano’s direction.

“Of course it’s safe,” Tasha says as she stands. “I have Burley with me and a driver. We can have an extra security detail if youthink it’s needed?” She looks at Stephano for confirmation, and he nods. “See? It’s going to be fine.”

“Yay!” Carla hands Tasha some clothes to help carry, and together, they take the stairs, deep in cahoots. “Thank you, Steph, I love everything you and Tasha got for me,” Carla calls down as if in an afterthought as they reach her room. “I’m going to try on some of these and wear them now.”

“Any time, Carla,” he calls back.

Steph? Just like that, my little sister is on a nickname basis with him. Her bedroom door clicks closed, and then it’s almost eerily quiet as only the two of us are left.

Stephano turns to me, and there’s a wry smile on his lips. “Giving you hell, isn’t she?”

I poke at my salad. “I’ve never felt our ten-year age gap more than now, to be honest. She’s spoilt and reckless.”

“She’s just young, and you’ve protected her, with your life by the sounds of it.”

I blink, wishing he could make me angry instead of poking at my emotions that have been so close to the surface since Friday night. “She doesn’t understand. She’s grown up with so many layers of protection, she can’t fathom the danger—” I break off. I’m trembling, the lettuce leaf on my fork shaking as if there’s a breeze. “And even now, doesn’t she worry about Papa? I don’t know what happened to Don Trapani?—”

“We’ve had news,” he interrupts. “We should have told you first thing. Don Trapani is fine.”

I drop my cutlery to my plate and turn to him, desperate. “How do you know?”

“Matteo has a contact on that side who has an inside track on what’s happening. He used to work for this Randazzo, so Matteo reached out last night and had a message from him this morning.”

My heart pounds, lodged in my throat. They know someone who used to work for Randazzo. “What’s his name?”

“I don’t know, but I trust Matteo. He just calls him the mole.”

I search his eyes, trying to find the lie in his words, but there’s none. “And where’s my stepdad now?”

“He’s in Lake Como, under house arrest as Franco’s waiting to see if you contact him. Franco has no clue where you are, but the search is on.”

My stomach twists, and bile rises in my throat. I shiver and then it overwhelms me. I’m trembling uncontrollably.

“Hey,” Stephano says as he leans closer. His hand cups my neck, and he pushes my jaw with his thumb, forcing me to look at him. “Gigi. You need to be honest with me here. If there’s more to Franco Fiore’s urge to marry you than business connections, I need to know. Now.”

Gentle. Always so freaking gentle. And warm. I swallow, at a crossroads with this man.

“I can’t help you if you’re not honest with me, angel.”

“I know.”

I lean into his touch, and he circles my neck, pulling me closer. This has been pressing on my chest for ten heavy years, but to finally share this secret with a man I barely know…it’s pure madness. Evidently though, the secret about the Trapani family finances is out already, thanks to Vincenzo. At least, the Scaleras have no business in Italy, and by the looks of it, don’t need the money.

“I’m pretty lucky to be alive,” I whisper. “Franco offered to marry me, but what he really wants are my hands and my eyes.”

“What?” Stephano’s eyes grow dark, and he drops his head even closer to mine. “Why?”

“Ten years ago, when my mom died, most of Don Trapani’s unrecorded assets were put in my name, with the understanding that when Carla turns eighteen, we’ll split it again, as she wasunderage. I’d hope it slipped everybody’s minds, but clearly, it hasn’t. Vincenzo must have told Franco about the funds. I’m the only one who can unlock secret vaults the Trapanis have in the Swiss banking system without jumping through some serious hoops. With my fingerprints and retina scans.”

Stephano’s expression says it all. Shock and disbelief. “Why would anybody do that?”

“Don Trapani saw this day coming. Vincenzo isn’t a good man, and he wants it all for himself. I bet he’s in bed with Franco Fiore in more than just a metaphorical sense. This was always the Don’s way of keeping me alive.”

“And to protect you from your own brother?”

He drops his hand away, and I miss the reassuring touch.

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