Page 40 of The Virgin's Dance with the Devil
“I want you to increase the numbers keeping watch of the Castello.”
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“No. Just my gut.”
If there was one thing Rico trusted, it was his father’s gut. His father had an uncanny ability to sniff trouble when no one else could even smell the air. His instincts about people were second to none. “I’ll get on it now,” he promised, flicking his stare back to Marisa. She was looking at him, distress in her eyes.
“Good. Tell them to increase the reports to hourly.”
“Sure. Anything else?”
“No… Hey, where are you? I didn’t see you atbreakfast.”
“At the beach.”
A knowing tone came into his voice. “With the Rossellini girl?”
Rico made a mental note to kill his brothers. “Yes.”
His father chuckled and dropped his voice. “As rare and as beautiful as she is, don’t forget your responsibilities.”
“I won’t.”
He ended the call, apprehension rising in him. He had no way of knowing how much of that conversation Marisa had heard, but the distress ringing at him strongly suggested she’d heard and understood both sides.
Bracing himself, he at first thought he’d misheard her when she said, “My sister’s gone.”
His eyebrows drew together.
Her chin wobbled, and she held her phone out to him. “Luisa’s gone home.”
Chapter Eleven
Rico readthe message on Marisa’s phone before silently handing it back to her.
Have had an awful argument with Gennaro. Sorry to leave you in the lurch, but I can’t stay. Please tell Mum and Dad that I’m fine and that I just need some space to cool down. I’ll let you know when I’m safely home. Love you, L xx
“I need to call her,” Marisa muttered, clicking the screen and putting the phone to her ear. It must have disconnected quickly because she grimaced, tapped the screen a couple of times and put it back to her ear.
She closed her eyes. “She’s turned her phone off.”
Having learned how close the two sisters were, Rico knew better than to give false platitudes.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “This message is garbage.”
He placed a comforting hand on her knee. “What makes you say that?”
Taking a deep breath, she met his stare. “No secrets, right?”
“No secrets,” he agreed.
“But anything we share with each other we treat as if it’s as sacrosanct as what we share in the confessional?”
Although he hadn’t been to confession since he was confirmed into the Catholic church as a teenager, he nodded.
“Luisa and Gennaro’s marriage isn’t real; it’s a business arrangement. Gennaro needed a wife to complete a business deal in the Middle East. He paid off our parents’ debts in exchange for Luisa being his wife. The deal was to last two years. They’re due to file for divorce on Monday.”
She paused, as if expecting him to say something. He thought it best not to say this was information he already knew.
