Page 104 of Little Dove

“Put me down, Lazaro,” Amara orders softly. I hesitate to let her go. “Please,” she whispers. Reluctantly, I set her back on her feet, but I don’t let her far away from me; I curl my arm around her to keep her close. “Gia read an entry from her mother’s diary that was very upsetting,” she explains.

I look to my father for clarification because none of this is making any fucking sense. Pietro simply hands me the diary after opening it to a particular page. I take it, reading it silently. Then I read the part that clearly explains the issue. “What the fuck?” I blurt out. I don’t even fight Massimo when he pulls the thing out of my hands. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Wish we were,” Dante says tightly.

“Alessio and Nico are with their women,” Zeno adds with a grim expression. “Sienna tried to comfort Gia, but it didn’t quite happen.”

I hate these fucking DeLucas. Even from the grave, they’re hurting their daughters. I almost don’t want to pull any of the documents I have out of my pocket. Not with Amara around, for sure. I look at my father and Pietro, and I can see they share my thoughts.

None of us speak for a few long moments, until finally Amara says, “I want to see my mother’s diary, Lazaro.”

I stiffen. “Colombina,” I start carefully.

“No,” she says firmly. “I’ve been through so much more than you can imagine. To know that one more didn’t want me isn’t going to break me any further than I’ve already been broken.”

I don’t believe that for a second. “Let us look at it first, Amara,” I ask. “We believe your mother was the mastermind behind getting the girls out. You’re older than Sienna, so she got you out first, and may have told your aunt how to do the same. There could be information that helps us predict Giovanni’s next move. After that, I’ll give it to you.”

Amara doesn’t look like she believes me. “Why? So you can censor it, in case I might be hurt by something she says? No, thank you, Lazaro.”

“I won’t allow that to happen,cara mia,” Pietro says firmly. He gives me a hard look, knowing full well that is exactly what I would have done. “But Lazaro is right that we need the information your mother can provide to us.” Amara looks like she wants to argue further, but finally, she nods stiffly, even though I can feel the tension radiating off her. “Thank you, Amara. Lazaro.” He holds out his hand, and I pass him the documents I have.

I briefly explain what we found before finishing with, “There is also a document that mentions Ivan, and another word that Massimo translated to ‘Chameleon’. We don’t know what that means, but it must be important.”

“We’ll get on it,” Papa promises.

“What are our names?” Amara asks suddenly. I look at her in confusion. “On the certificates. Did our mother name me and my sister?”

Pietro examines them briefly before holding them out to her. “Yes, she did,cara mia.”

Amara takes them with shaking hands. She looks at the top one and reads, “Alessandra Gianna. This must be my sister. The birthdate is a couple of years after mine.”

“That would put her after the youngest boy,” Dante says thoughtfully. “Marcello, I think.”

Amara flips to the other one. Her mouth twists slightly. “Valentina Rosa. That’s a mouthful.”

I smile. “I much prefer your name now,” I assure her. Then I lean down to whisper in her ear, “And Valentina is far too long of a name to say when I’m deep inside you.”

Amara shivers delicately, making me grin. I note that she’s worn a high-necked shirt with her hair down, no doubt trying toconceal the marks I left last night. A part of me is annoyed that she would hide them, but the rest of me knows that this isn’t something she’s used to, and being around unfamiliar people without me probably feels uncomfortable. “Stop,” she softly admonishes me sternly, making me chuckle.

My father and brothers give me knowing smirks but thankfully don’t say anything to embarrass her. Instead, I say, “This will help us find Amara’s sister.”

“I’m already on it,” Zeno says. “Well, Urso and I. Urso started the search for Gia and Sienna’s. We have her name, so from there, we can start our traces.”

And pray that Leonardo and Giovanni haven’t found them first.I leave it unsaid, but it hangs heavy in the air.

“So we just have to wait?” Amara asks.

“For now, yes,” Pietro answers. “But we’ll find them, Amara.”

“Won’t my father and uncle be upset that we’ve gotten these?” she asks worriedly.

“We’re counting on that,” Massimo says with a grin. “We want them angry, little sister. Anger makes them rash, and they’ll make mistakes. That’s how you get ahead.”

Amara nods slowly, though she doesn’t look convinced.

Suddenly the phone on Nico’s desk starts to ring. I twist my head and see Giovanni’s name on the screen. “Answer it,” Pietro orders Dante.

Dante puts the phone on speaker. “Giovanni,” Dante says calmly. “I hear condolences are in order. Again.” It’s a deliberate taunt, and it does the trick.

---