Page 54 of Code Name: Dante

“What was it like?” I asked.

“It wasn’t as though I’d ever seen much of my father, but once we lived in Manhattan, I almost never did. I didn’t see my brother, either. I’d ask those I did see—housekeepers and nannies mainly—when my mom was coming back.”

“What would they say?”

“Nothing. Dead silence.”

The pain etched on his face made me so sad. I wondered, if I’d ever known my mother, if I would’ve felt the same way.

“Tell me about your place on the lake. Unless you’d rather not talk about it.”

“It was a lot like here, except that lake is much bigger. As was the main house, which I was too young to realize was called a camp.”

I was awestruck. “It was bigger than this place?”

He nodded. “At least, it seemed that way.”

“Have you returned? You know, just to see it?”

“Never.”

“Would you ever want to?” I asked.

His eyes darted between mine. “You know, had anyone else asked, my answer would’ve been an emphatic no.”

“But?”

“I’d love to show it to you someday.”

A shiver ran through me, though whether from excitement or apprehension, I couldn’t tell. The idea of visiting a place so steeped in his family’s history, in the very mysteries we were trying to unravel, was both thrilling and terrifying. “I think I’d like that.”

His expression grew distant, as though trying to recall something just out of reach. “You know, there might be clues there about what happened. According to Tank, Joseph Rossetti’s murder took place in that area.”

“That seems odd, doesn’t it?”

Alessandro shook his head. “With its close proximity to Saratoga Race Course? No. Not at all.” His arms tightened around me, and I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head. The gesture was so natural, so right, it made my heart ache.

“Let’s talk about something else,” I suggested.

He let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized he was holding. “Please.”

“Have you thought about where you’d live when all of this is over? You know, once Vincent is in prison?”

“I have, except I spent more time crossing potential places off the list rather than adding them.”

I rested my hand on his chest, finally giving in and weaving my fingers into the downy hair. “Tell me some of the places you decided against.”

He leaned down and kissed my temple. “Let’s see…California.”

I shifted to look up at him. “It was on the ‘maybe’ list?”

“Only given how far away it is from New York.”

“Oregon and Washington are farther. At least, I think they are. Geography never ranked in my top fifty favorite subjects.”

He chuckled. “To be honest, I hadn’t considered either of those.”

“Hawaii?” I asked.

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