Page 49 of Stolen Queen

“I can’t imagine she doesn’t have help.” Elio rises to pour himself another cup of coffee from the carafe Anna, Elio’s head cook, delivered earlier.

“Why?” I ask before I can think better of it.

“Because she’s so sheltered. She has no money. And Rinella’s men aren’t idiots. They’re not leaving any stone unturned.”

I shrug. “She’s not an idiot either. She knows who her father is and the lengths he’ll go to find her. The fact that she got out of the house unnoticed proves she’s smarter and more cunning than anyone gives her credit for. If she stowed away some cash and got a fake identity, she could be halfway around the world by now.”

“I don’t know,” Elio says, sitting back behind his desk. “She always seemed so obedient to Vincenzo. Quiet. Cowering, even.”

My hands fist at my sides. “She only plays the part.”

Lana’s brow furrows at me. “How do you know so much about her?”

Fuck. I'm revealing too much. I shrug. “Observation.”

“Observation. You’ve met her, what… twice?”

I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. “It’s my job to assess people, especially ones about to be brought into the family. Ava understands her role, but if you look closely, you see there’s more to her.” I hold my breath, hoping they accept this response.

“Well, good for her,” Lana finally says. “I hope she’s sitting on a beach drinking Mai Tais and enjoying her freedom.”

“It’s not good for us,” Elio says.

“I don’t know why we have to keep trying to make this alliance work. Rinella is a fucking asshole. You know he’s only hassling you about the alliance to get closer to Caruso. He’ll stab you in the back if he has a chance to usurp your status in The Outfit.”

“Our father—” Lana starts.

“Your father is dead.” My words are blunt, but I know it doesn’t hurt them. He was a fucking asshole too. “Besides, his thought around Rinella was keeping his enemies close. He wanted you to marry Ava as a means to control Rinella.”

Elio nods. “Still, there is a benefit to having this alliance.”

“Considering how much we’ve been doing for him on the docks and looking for Ava, I have yet to see the benefit for us.”

Lana’s eyes narrow on me again. “Gee, Matteo, why don’t you tell us how you really feel.”

I glare at her. “I am.” I assess whether I’m being too bold. I'm family, but only a cousin. In the end, Elio is the boss, and I need to respect that.

“He’s not wrong, but we need to be smart. Rinella has age and experience on me?—”

“But you have Caruso,” I remind Elio. As head of The Chicago Outfit, Caruso is the top dog in our world, and he likes Elio, which is a bone of contention with Rinella, who's been in the business longer than Elio.

“None of this gives us ideas on how to placate the bastard,” Lana interrupts.

More discussion. More ideas tossed around. By the time we’re done, nothing is decided and no one's happy with our lack of progress. As we stand to leave, Elio catches my eye.

"You okay, Matteo? You seem… off."

I force a smile. "Just tired. Long night."

He nods, but I can tell he's not buying it. Guilt gnaws at my insides as I walk out. I’m supposed to be dealing with family associates today, but I’m compelled to check on Ava. Her father is turning over every rock to find her. I know it’s only a matter of time before he comes looking my way.

I park in the garage and take the elevator up. I’m thinking of all the cameras in the area and my building. Can Rinella access them? When I brought Ava into my home, I was careful that no one would recognize her. I’m tempted to pay someone to scrub the surveillance footage that might have caught me bringing her here, but the last thing I need is any other person knowing what I’ve done. So I’m living on a wing and a prayer that Rinella doesn’t come calling until I can figure out how to get me and Ava out of this.

I push open the door to my penthouse. The silence that greets me is oppressive, unsettling.

"Ava?" My voice echoes through the empty space.

No response.

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