Page 63 of Promise Never

“Hm.” I jab my fork into the sausage.“I know. But I’m at a loss.”

“I can help,” she says after swallowingwhat’s in her mouth. “I’ve been thinking about the other night in Trapani.Whoever hit our car must have followed us from the Cavalli event and knew youdidn’t have much security. Have you checked cameras in the area?”

I smirk. “Cavalli’s people had mostlikely deactivated cameras around the marina to protect everyone at the event.We don’t exactly run legal businesses.”

She blows a sharp breath. “Fine. Whatabout Zeno’s father? Did Vito own any property?”

“He lived with us, even in Spain. Buthe owned a boat in San Leone. I already searched it. Aside from a photo ofZeno, I found nothing else.”

“What about Zeno’s mother?” she asks.

I drink before answering. “Vito wasn’tserious about anyone. She was some random woman he met at a bar and got herpregnant. He took care of Zeno, but they weren’t together. I doubt she meantanything to him.”

Silence settles between us while weeat.

“You’re certain that was the man’sonly boat?” Tiana asks after a minute.

“Yes...” My voice falls as I considerit. “At least, the only one I knew about.”

“What if he had a backup? A safe spacefor plotting. I laid low at an abandoned house while I searched for Luca. Itwas out of the way, someplace I could hide. So, where would Vito hideinfohe didn’t want to risk you finding?”

“You have apoint,butwait.” I scowl while replaying her words in my head. “You stayed inan abandoned house?”

She shrugs a shoulder as if it’s nobig deal. “I was getting ready to kill Luca. I had to cut ties with everything.Work, the apartment, acquaintances.”

The thought of her being alone, givingup everything she owned, and sleeping in some dangerous, neglected housetroubles me. “You’re not going back. You’re staying with me.”

Tiana wobbles her head. “As I’ve toldyour mother, Alessandro, I don’t want anything from—”

“There’s no arguing this,” I stop her.“You’re staying. I’ll take care of you.”

She rolls her eyes and motions to myplate. “I’m all set. Are you still eating?”

“No. Tiana—”

“I’m going with you,” she decides,knowing what I’m about to say. “We’ll check it out together.” She straightensfrom the stool and carries our dishes to the sink. Coming back over, she saysfirmly, “Let’s go.”

I release a long breath, realizingthere’s no changing her mind.

“All right.” I retrieve guns from thehiding spot at the side of the island. “Let’s see if you’re right about thatsecond boat.”

29

We’ve been on the dead man’s boat forthe past hour and still haven’t come across anything useful.

“What about paperwork at the gate?” Iwonder. “Don’t you have to pay for the slots in the harbor?”

“They put his boat on sale after heabandoned it for so long without payment. As for paperwork, there’s none forany other boat under his name. The bastard was slick.”

“Hm.” I do adouble-takeat a space by the cabinet in the corner. It’s tight—a good hiding spot.

“How did you find out Vito was atraitor?” I ask Alessandro while sliding my fingers through the aperture.

“He’d worked with Domenico’s ex-loverto kidnap Solari.”

“Geez. Threats are endless here.” Igasp when my fingers graze the edge of a folded piece of paper tucked behindthe cabinet. “What’s this?”

I yank it out.

---