Page 28 of His to Honor

The light purple hair I’m gradually coming to terms with is tucked behind her ears. I hope she grows her hair long again, but don’t offer my opinion. Knowing Giulia, she’d shave it off just to mess with me.

“You’re back already,” she says as she reaches the bottom step.

“Yeah, I just needed a quick run.”

Giulia makes a show of leaning close and sniffing me. She grins mischievously. “Now you need a shower.”

“Yeah, that’s where I’m headed.”

She goes to walk past me and I put a hand out to stop her.

“You didn’t see or hear anyone while I was out, did you?”

“No.” Giulia frowns. “Should I have?”

“No. There was someone in the woods, but he ran off when he saw me.”

“You think it was something to do with the girl who was killed?”

I shrug. “Probably not. I’m going to give Damiano a call.”

“Okay.”

I can’t resist pulling Giulia in for a kiss before heading upstairs. Her lips are sweet, like cotton candy. When I get to the bedroom, I grab my cellphone from the nightstand and go to the window. The view from here is of the driveway leading up to the house. Everything is peaceful, as I expected it to be.

I call Damiano’s number. He takes his sweet time about answering it and when he does, his voice is husky, like he just woke. “Pronto.”

I forego the usual pleasantries. “There was someone here.”

“At the house?” Damiano instantly sounds more alert. My Italian cousins may do things at a slower pace than I’m used to, but with security they do not fuck about.

“In the forest.”

“When?”

“Five minutes ago. He was close to the house.”

“I’ll get my people on it.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before cutting the call. There’s no point in going for a shower until Damiano gets back to me so I use the time to go to the walk-in wardrobe and pick out clothes for the day. I’ve been living in sweatpants or jeans for the last couple of weeks, but with Giulia here I want to make more of an effort. Dark blue dress pants and a white shirt will do the trick.

As I lay them across the bed, my phone vibrates. It’s Damiano, so I answer immediately.

“What have you got?”

“It’s a boy from the village, Adamo Gianotti. One of my men recognized him.”

“Is he related to the Montalbano girl?”

“No. Maurizio says the boy’s a loner. He’s harmless.”

“You sure?”

Damiano snorts derisively. “Of course not. That’s why I sent my men to have a word with him. They’ll find out what he was doing there.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Before you go, I’m taking Livvy to Lorenzo’s new vineyard near Siena. You and Giulia should join us.”

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