Page 101 of Little Dove

I call Lucino to tell him to turn around, and then I call Papa. “We’re coming in hot,” I warn him sharply. “We got what we needed, but Giovanni sent his men and two youngest sons after us. All of them are now dead, but we need to be ready. Giovanni isn’t going to take this well, and Orlando will be pissed we took his hard drives and computers. We need a doctor for Alfonzo. Superficial wound on his arm, but he’s whining like a bitch.”

“Fuck you, Lazaro,” Alfonzo bites out, making Franco laugh.

“Got it. Get back here quickly and we’ll get the doctor here to patch you up. Good job men.” Then he hangs up.

“What did you find?” Massimo asks me from his seat in the back.

I pull out the journal, certificates, and papers I took. “We got the names of the other girls, and what I suspect is Bianca’s diary. It looks the same as the one I found in Leonardo’s office. And Ifound notes that have something to do with Ivan, and another Russian word. I can’t read Cyrillic but it’s in bold red ink so it must be important.”

“What’s the word?” Massimo asks. I find the paper and hand it back to him. After a moment, he frowns. “It translates to‘chameleon’. What the fuck does that mean?”

“No fucking clue,” I say with a shrug. “But it means something to Ivan and Giovanni if it’s written down.”

“Urso and Zeno will be able to figure it out.”

I nod. “If anyone can, it’s them and Papa.”

Whatever it is, I worry it will be something that truly fucks us over.

33

AMARA

A little earlier

“I thoughtI might find you here,” a deep voice says, startling me and making me spin around in surprise. I blink at Lazaro’s father for a second, and then give him a small, guilty smile.

“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have come back in here, but I just…I couldn’t help myself,” I say nervously. “I did make sure to close the door so no one would walk in, but?—”

“Do not worry,cara mia,” Aurelio reassures me. “It would be hard to be in your salon and not want to look at things more closely, wouldn’t it? And your mind, it likes puzzles, yes? So, seeing this, you would want to see if there is anything else missed. Right?”

“Right,” I say softly. “Still, I probably should have asked before coming in here.”

He waves that away. “Do not worry about it, Amara. Now, what is it that you are looking at? Perhaps I can help?”

I’m a little nervous around Lazaro’s father. Sure, we’ve talked briefly, but never on our own, and it’s nerve-wracking to think I might say something to upset him and he might tell Lazaro to get rid of me. Lazaro might care for me, but I don’t think he would ever disobey an order from his father.

“Oh, uh, well, I’m not sure if I’m looking for anything in particular,” I admit. “I just wanted to have a look at those pinholes again and see if there was anything else that I didn’t catch before. But I haven’t found anything.”

“It’s been an eventful day, so don’t push yourself too hard,” he cautions me gently, moving to sit in the chair behind the desk. I’m off to the far side of the mural, and from this angle, it feels like he’s giving me plenty of space. Uh oh. I tense, but tell myself to keep it together. Even if he’s here to warn me off Lazaro, I can handle it. I hope.

No, no I can’t. Panic fills me, terrified that he’s about to rip away a part of me that is growing larger and larger by the day. “Are you here to warn me away from Lazaro?” I blurt out, turning to face him fully, clasping my hands tightly together in front of me.

Aurelio’s brow shoots up at my question. “Of course not,” he says firmly. “What brings this question up?”

I swallow hard, not sure how to answer. “I-I’m s-sorry,” I stammer out. “I just, I thought you were coming to tell me that you didn’t want me to be with Lazaro. Maybe you had someone else picked out for him or something. I don’t know. I just, I really, really care for Lazaro, and I?—”

“Amara,” he interrupts firmly, making me shut my mouth with a snap. “I can promise you that I very rarely get involved in the love lives of my sons. They are grown men, and Lazaro especially, knows exactly what he wants. He wants you, and I want my son to be happy. I want you to be happy. To be clear, I think you are perfect for my son. You are smart, innovative,and you are not afraid to stand up to him when he’s being a downright stubborn bastard. I am sorry if I’ve given you the impression that I don’t feel that way.”

I am struck with horror. Oh God, I’ve offended him. Oh no. Oh no, I have to fix this. “No, no!” I rush to tell him, taking a panicked step towards him and then stopping. “No, it’s not that, Mr. Cattaneo. You never have. Please don’t think I thought that. I don’t know where that came from, and I didn’t mean to offend you. God, I’m screwing this up.” I slap my hands over my face in embarrassment.

I hear the creak of the chair, and then two hands gently take my wrists and pull my hands away. He releases them and then smiles at me. A real smile, one that makes him look so much like Lazaro that I instantly relax. “Cara mia, take a deep breath,” he urges. “You’re not screwing anything up. I am glad that I haven’t offended you in some way.”

“I’m sorry. I just, I have never had a partner or had to deal with their family. And yours is really wonderful, and I really like all of your sons, as well as Sofia. I wish I had that growing up. They all love and respect you, and I just know that if you didn’t like me, Lazaro would walk away. It’s selfish of me to ask that of you, but I really want to be with Lazaro. I have no idea what that will look like, but I know it with everything in me.”

“I only want you both happy, Amara. You know, wanting something for yourself does not make you selfish. I learned that recently myself. I loved, still very much do love, my wife, and when I lost her, it was like cleaving my soul in two. Being without her was nearly unbearable. Without my children, and the Carusos, I don’t know what I would have done. You and my son, you remind me of my wife and I. You don’t have her fiery temper, but you do have her stubbornness, her strength, and her heart.” Then he winks at me and grins. “And just so you know,if it comes down to choosing between you and my son, I will choose you over his annoying ass any day.”

I laugh, unable to help myself. “Thank you,” I say.

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