Page 70 of Bartered Innocence

I grab ahold of Ricky’s arm and pull him out the door with me. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

He pulls away, glaring at me. “Luca sent me. He said he wanted eyes on our investment.” Then Ricky glances at the cries coming from inside the bar. “I didn’t know it wasn’t above board.”

I nod, not caring if he’s telling the truth or not, but him being here does serve a better purpose. “Where’s your sister?”

His face twists. “She ran away already?”

My patience snaps. I’m done with today. Grabbing him by his shirt, I shove him hard against the building. His head bounces against the brick and I pull my gun out, pushing it under his chin. “Where’s my fucking wife?”

I can see his skin paling, fear making his muscles tremble. “If you kill me, she’ll never forgive you.”

“I don’t need her forgiveness if I fuck an heir into her. She would love that child enough to stay.”

Ricky blows out a breath. “How would I know? She never went anywhere but home and the restaurant.”

The fuck? My skin crawls with unease. She can’t be that stupid. “Your father’s restaurant?”

His jaw tics. “Is there another restaurant she’d be at?”

I blink. Isabelle disobeying my orders never occurred to me, and maybe it should have. I’ve grown used to her attitude when it’s just us, but I never expected her to blatantly disregard me in public.

Letting go of her brother, I step back as he rubs the back of his head. I also expected her to not be stupid enough to test me and leave the premises without telling me.

“Why is your sister so hellbent on being there? I’ve offered her real schools and chef replacements.”

He sighs. “She didn’t want to be a part of this world. She wanted to help my father’s restaurant become successful enough to leave the Famiglia.”

“No one leaves,” I say, annoyed that she had the idea to begin with.

Ricky clears his throat, looking ashamed. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her that. My sister is stubborn, and if she sets her mind on something, there’s no stopping her. It's better for her to have that hope.”

I shake my head, amused but frustrated because Isabelle is more than stubborn. Checking we’re alone, I tilt my head and stare at her brother. “How much do you trust Luca not to stab you in the back?”

His eyebrows furrow. “What?”

My eyes trail over to my cousins. I knew them when we were younger, but we aren’t particularly close. “How’d you even get in contact with Johnny?”

“I met him at the wedding.”

I nod. “And Luca just happened to be okay with you coming to my territory? Today? When your sister was probably lured from my home?”

Ricky straightens where he’s standing. “Quit bullshitting me right now. Is Isabelle in danger?”

“I don’t know, but if she is and Luca is the reason, I better not find out you knew.”

He grabs my arm when I try to walk away. “I love my family and my sister.”

“Enough to betray Luca?”

His eyes stare into mine, the truth reflecting back, and I nod again. He lets go, slumping against the wall and pulling out his phone as I head back to my car.

Chapter28

Isabelle

“Try it.”António holds up the spoon near my face.

I let out a nervous laugh, uncomfortable with the intimacy of the act. He moves the spoon away with a click of his tongue when I try to reach for it, so I hesitantly part my lips as he slips it into my mouth. He pulls away with a smile, staring down at me with raised eyebrows.

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