Page 22 of The Thief

She jerks her head up. “What? Dio, no. I barely knew him in those days, and in any case, he’s not my type. When Roberto first asked me out, I was flattered by the attention. Then I realized what a piece of shit he was. I walked out the first time he hit me, but Domenico decided I should give him a second chance, and everyone knew you couldn’t say no to the padrino. Then I got pregnant.”

I wince. Valentina is my age, so all this stuff was going down shortly after my parents died. I believed—incorrectly—that she knew about my mother’s illness and hid it from me, and I pulled away for a couple of years. And while I was punishing her for my parents’ decisions, she needed a friend more than ever.

Not for the first time, I wish I’d been there for her.

“I knew I would never make it out if I stayed with Roberto. If it wasn’t for Antonio. . .” She takes a deep breath. “He made sure Roberto could never hurt me again. A few years later, he needed a hacker, and he asked me for help. I immediately said yes. I owe him a debt of gratitude I’ll never be able to repay.”

“You’re sure you’re not interested in Antonio?” I don’t even know why I ask her that. She’s already told me once that he’s not her type, and yet, something compels me to bring it up again. It’s like I really,reallyneed to make sure.

Her gaze narrows. “Lucia, I’ve never been interested in Antonio Moretti. Besides, I’ve learned my lesson. Hell will freeze over before I fall for someone in the mafia again. What I want to know is why you care whether I’m interested in him or not.”

That’s a really good question, and it’s one I don’t have an answer for. “I don’t care,” I reply, looking at my coffee so I don’t have to look into her eyes as I lie to her. “I was just curious about your dating life, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” she says, unconvinced. “If you say so. Onto more important things. I looked at your list, and I’ve ruled out four of the seven targets. I don’t have time today, but Angelica has a play date on Wednesday. Want to meet then, pick a painting, and get to work?”

An image of theMadonna at Reposeswims in front of my eyes. The piece is unique, not only because of its subject—Mary is rarely depicted as a laughing mother playing with her child—but because so much of Titian’s works has been lost. It rankles me that the painting will never be displayed again.

Consider this your first and only warning. The Titian belongs to me, and it’s going to stay in my possession. I will turn a blind eye to your crimes as long as they occur elsewhere. Just not in my city. Are we clear on that?

“Okay,” I reply reluctantly. “Let’s do that.”

12

ANTONIO

The two men responsible for the protection racket, Giulio Sartori and Paul Lanza, are old-timers, personally recruited by my erratic and undisciplined predecessor. I don’t really know either man—both are low-level grunts who work primarily with Joao.

“From what I’ve been able to find out, Sartori was the ringleader of this little operation,” Leo reports. “It sounds like Lanza was roped into it unwillingly. I have both of them under observation. Want me to take care of it?”

“No,” I reply, my voice hard. “Bring them in, Leo. I want to talk to them first.”

Once Leo leaves, I text Joao that I want to see him at my house. He shows up in ten minutes. “Good evening, Padrino. What can I do for you?”

I get right to the point. “Sartori and Lanza—what can you tell me about them?”

“Lanza is an okay sort. A bit weak-willed but fundamentally decent. Sartori on the other hand, can’t be trusted. Why, what did they do now?”

“They’re behind the protection money racket.”

Joao sucks in a breath. “I’m sorry, Padrino. I should have kept a better eye on them and?—”

I cut him off. “I’m not blaming you.” It’s beenyearssince someone in my organization openly defied me. Joao wouldn’t have even known to keep an eye on his men’s extracurricular activities, but he will now. I’m more interested in his assessment of Paul Lanza. Joao called him fundamentally decent, and he’s an extremely good judge of character. “Leo thinks Sartori roped Lanza into this scheme. Any idea why he’d cooperate?”

Joao frowns. “Lanza’s been a bit preoccupied lately. It’s his daughter. Lila is sixteen, and she’s going through a rebellious phase since her mother died a couple of years ago. Paul went on a couple of dates recently, and Lila lost it and tried to run away from home.”

“Lanza started doing the collection rounds a month ago,” I say thoughtfully.

“The timing seems to match. Lanza’s very protective of his daughter. If Sartori has something on her. . .” Joao sounds frustrated. “He should have come to me, the idiot. I would have taken care of it. Where are they now? Let me?—”

What sort of hold could Sartori have that would possess Lanza to go against my orders? It’d have to be something big—Lanza has been around for years, and he should know that defying me has consequences. Then again, I’m not sure it changes anything. No matter the reason, Lanza went against me, and I will not tolerate it.

“No. Like I told Leo, I’ll deal with it myself.”

* * *

Leo hasthe two men in custody the next morning, held in one of our warehouses on the outskirts of the city.

They flinch when I walk in. “We appear to have a problem, gentlemen,” I say mildly, my temper once again under control. “You’ve been collecting protection money from several local establishments.”

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