Page 111 of Empire of Temptation

I paused, not certain how to start. “It’s about my father.”

“You don’t talk about him much. He left when you were young, no?”

“It’s the opposite. He didn’t know I existed until I was thirteen.” I sighed as we crossed the street, lowering my voice. “He is in a similar line of work as Luca.”

“Mamma mia,” Roberto muttered. “I did not know this. Is he American?”

“No, Italian. My mother met him over there while studying abroad in college, but she didn’t learn what he did for a living until a few months into their relationship. She immediately returned to New York and discovered a few weeks later that she was pregnant with me.”

“She never told him?”

“No. She didn’t want him involved in my life. But he found out anyway and has come here off and on since I turned thirteen. Every two or three years he pops up to see me.”

“Why are you telling me this, signorina?”

“Because he was at the trattoria last night. In the alley.”

Roberto stopped in his tracks and stared at me intently, his dark gaze filled with concern. “Did he hurt you?”

“No, he didn’t hurt me. He wanted to talk to me. To warn me away from Luca.”

Roberto slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and stared at the ground, the sunlight playing off the silver in his hair. “Does Mr. DiMarco know this?”

“God, no. And I don’t want him to know, either.” I grabbed his arm. “Please, please don’t tell him, Roberto.”

“Signorina, he should be told. Your father could be dangerous—if not to you, then to others around you.”

“Flavio won’t hurt anyone. He wanted to warn me, so I heard him out and told him to go away. But I needed to tell you because he might come back. He approached one of the line cooks on break to find me and tell me to go outside.”

Oh, Roberto didn’t like that. Not one bit. I’d never seen him angry, not once, his level-headed composure something I had relied on during the entire chaotic opening process.

But now? His jaw was clenched, every line of his face taut with fury. If I didn’t know better, I would suspect that steam was coming out of his ears. “Which line cook, signorina?”

“I’m not telling you. He doesn’t deserve to be fired?—”

“Cazzata! He should not be putting you at risk, sending you outside alone to talk to a man in an alley! Which line cook?”

“It doesn’t matter! I’m trying to warn you about my father, so he doesn’t catch you by surprise.”

He pressed his lips together and stared off into the distance. Finally, he gestured in the direction of Bev’s. “Andiamo, signorina.”

We started walking, but I wasn’t finished with this conversation. “Do not tell Luca, Roberto. Do not break my trust by going against my wishes.”

“There are bad people in this world, Valentina. You live here, in this small place, sheltered from most of the ugliness that surrounds us. And you are young, a good person. This is not a bad thing, but others will take advantage of you if they have the opportunity. Signore DiMarco, for all his faults, he will not let anyone hurt you.”

“I don’t need saving. I can handle my father.”

“All due respect, bella, but you cannot. It takes a lion to fight another lion, capisce?”

“God save me from Italian patriarchy,” I muttered as we approached the door of the pastry shop. “I’m serious. Take this to your grave. That’s an order from your boss.”

Roberto said nothing as we went in, his demeanor changing entirely as soon as he spotted Bev. “Ciao, ragazzi!” he called to the room, gaining the attention of everyone inside the café. Bev was cashing someone out at the register, but I saw the way her cheeks turned pink. Was she wearingmascara? Oh, this was getting interesting.

“Have you taken her on a date?” I asked Roberto under my breath as we waited in line.

“Do you think I should?”

“If you like her, then yes.”

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