Page 82 of Angelo

"Valentina has found Father Boselli."

Elyse's mind immediately dove toward the worst possible scenario. "Is he dead?"

"No," Alessandro replied, "the priest is alive, but he has been badly hurt. My men tried to interrogate him the other day. He is too scared to talk. I have reason to believe that Father Boselli is being threatened. Someone really wants him to keep his mouth shut about the church fire."

16

Elyse was elated toreunite with Alessandro, but the battlefield between the clans had only intensified during her time in New York. Danger was everywhere, rife in the air, like the cold in winter, invisible to the eye but undeniable to other senses. She could feel it prickling across her skin, chilling her to the bone. Returning to Sicily felt like stepping back into a prison cell after being handed the key.Elyse couldn’t help kicking herself a little.

Shortly after landing in Palermo, Alessandro escorted her to one of their villas outside city limits. A problem needed to be resolved. Elyse was told to bring her Glock and medical supplies. On the drive over, she glanced down at her handgun and stethoscope, and a realization hit hard. She wasSignora Vitale. But she was also Dr. Romero. There was no need to choose anymore. It was possible to excel as bothSignora Vitaleand Dr. Romero.

Inside the cramped villa, Elyse followed Alessandro, Monte, and Luca up the stairs to a small guest room. Upon entering, her gaze locked on to the frail, gray-haired man who was laying in bed.

Right away, she recognized him from Vincenzo’s funeral. Father Boselli was a tragic sight to behold. The elderly priest's eyes were swollen shut. Nasty gashes and bruises marred his body everywhere. A hum of despair seemed to radiate from his entire being.

"He still won't talk?" Elyse asked Alessandro under her breath.

Alessandro clenched his jaw in frustration. "No."

"Why don't you all step outside for a few minutes? Let me handle it."

Alessandro side-eyed her. Uncertainty clouded his face. "I feel like I should stay with you."

Elyse's expression hardened with determination. "No, you go. You will only terrify the poor man even more."

"I see," Alessandro grunted with displeasure. "You have your gun?"

Her Glock was safely holstered beneath her camel-colored trench coat. She nodded. "I do."

"Good girl."

Elyse wasn't planning to use it, though. The injured priest needed medical attention. Not more threats of violence.

Her husband made a gesture for Monte and Luca to follow him outside.

"Call if you need me," Alessandro murmured to her as he left. "I will be right outside."

"Of course."

The three men left the room in a clamor of footsteps. The door closed behind them. Then, there were two. Elyse looked at the priest. He gazed back at her. The man still looked very afraid.

She tried to assure him, "I'm a doctor, and I’ve come to help you."

The priest didn't offer a response. He only eyed her with distrust as she got to work, cleaning his wounds, and bandaging him up. As Father Boselli watched her work, some of his fear seemed to ease, but leeriness lingered on his face.

Elyse removed a thick leather-bound book from her purse. She placed it on the end table by his bedside. "For you, Father."

Father Boselli's eyes drifted over to the Bible, he said nothing, and Elyse didn't press him for more. It was too soon. Elyse knew the man had already suffered enough trauma. She didn't want to add to his stress.

According to Alessandro, Father Boselli had been found in a nearby motel a few days prior. Valentina was the one who located the priest. She’d traded him in for her mother's freedom. In the motel, the poor man had been beaten and tormented and confined under lock and key.

For now, Father Boselli needed to rest. He needed to recover first before they could talk. In gentle tones, Elyse said, "I'll be back later this afternoon to check on you."

Elyse left the villa with her husband and their bodyguards and returned to care for Father Boselli in this professional, dutiful manner over the next couple of days. During this time, he continued to give her the silent treatment. But Elyse didn’t mind. Words weren’t always necessary. She took this opportunity to observe him in other ways. Father Boselli appeared to be a real man of the cloth. Even in his obvious state of distress and pain, he still prayed seven times a day. The Bible she’d gifted him rarely left his hands.

Elyse sensed that he was studying her as well. By the fourth morning, the priest no longer tensed up in Elyse's presence. Father Boselli appeared to be more comfortable around her.

"I'm happy to see that you're making such a quick recovery, Father," Elyse remarked.

---