Page 126 of Last Shot

‘And my father? He knew none of this?’

Vittoria sighed. ‘I doubt it. All he knew was that your mother wanted more than he could give her. She left in the dead of night while you slept, my money and my promise pushing her out the gates. Your father only ever saw the worst in her. People only see what they want to see. Like you with Giovanni – you saw him as a tyrant who gave you a second chance because he couldn’t risk you handing over Barbarani family secrets to the highest bidder. But he did everything he did to keepyou, Greyson, to have his son as part of his dynasty. He still believed I would keep my word and kill you if he told you the truth. He was so hard on you because you were his. Look at how he treated his own sons.’ She laughed again. ‘Honestly, if I had to put money on which of Giovanni’s children would snap and murder him first, I’d have said Tomaso or Luca over Francesca any day.’

Grey couldn’t believe she was able to joke. ‘He didn’t treat me like a son,’ he said, digging his fingers so deep into the chair he could almost feel the Italian leather crack. ‘He didn’t treat any of us like a son. But he sure as shit had more of a heart than you.’

‘What do you know about hearts, Greyson Hawke?’ Vittoria smirked. The memory of Max, gun raised, eyes blazing flickered like a tattered, haunting hologram between them.

I’m sorry. But I do love him.

‘I tried to tell Ms Conrad, in case it was relevant to why my children suddenly had targets on their backs. Gave her all she needed to work it out, but she was too caught up in herfeelingsshe couldn’t see any of him in you. But you do have him, Greyson. You’ve got all of his shadows.’

‘Did you make Max keep the note a secret from me because you knew I’d recognise Frankie’s handwriting, or because you thought I had something to do with the murder?’

Vittoria scrunched her nose, like she was about to scream or laugh. He couldn’t tell anymore.

But he didn’t wait for the answer. He hated Vittoria in that moment, but there was a piece of glass wedged into that hate he couldn’t dislodge. A piece of understanding, of sorrow for her. So when he picked up Giovanni’s glass trophy, some award the Barbarani Sangue had won some lifetime ago, and threw it against the office wall, he was not throwing it because of Vittoria. But the fist he slammed into the photograph of Venice hanging by the door was a different matter. The screaming pain in his hand felt like a first breath of fresh air.

As he kicked the door behind him, shutting out her gleeful, drunken laughs at his rage, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

He answered. ‘Not now, Jett—’

‘Grey.’ He would have hung up if it wasn’t for the panic in Jett’s voice. ‘Max is gone.’

‘What do you mean she’s gone? The cops told her to stay with you in the shed until the hearing. The doctor said—’

‘I know, Jesus, why do you think I’m calling? She snuck out a few minutes ago. Her bag’s in the back of Bessy and I saw her looking up directions back to the prison that Libby Johnston’s in this afternoon.’

‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

‘Why do you think?’

‘Where is she now? Where’s Bessy’s key?’

‘You never gave it back after your trip to Perth. I think it’s in your cottage.’

43

Grey

Max was trying to break into his house through the window.

‘Let me guess: you’renota criminal?’ Grey said.

She jumped at his voice, pulling a lavender dressing-gown over what looked like a white-lace singlet, but he deliberately did not look too closely at it. ‘I’m just—’

‘Running away?’

How was it that the sight of one person could drain away his pain at what Vittoria had said? He still felt it all, everything he’d been trying to process since he’d held Giovanni’s body, like the bullet had ripped through him too and dislodged some part of him that used to stem the tide of rage and other burnings. But staring into the eyes of Maxella Conrad, just knowing that she was here in this world was enough to simmer those feelings down so that he could breathe.

‘I need to see Libby.’ She wouldn’t look him in the eye. ‘I didn’t want to disturb you. I’m not trying to go over your head or whatever – I didn’t think you wanted to speak to me.’

‘Why would you think that?’

‘Because you haven’t spoken to me since—’

‘Since I found out I was Giovanni’s son and my half-sister was plotting to murder the entire family?’

Max stared back at him, the arm that had been wedged in the corner of the window falling limply to her side. ‘Greyson, I’m—’

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