Page 46 of Sworn to Revenge
I really have to thank my sister-in-law after all this. I chuckle under my breath as Luca lets out a frustrated sigh. She’s left him speechless in an argument, and that’s no small feat. Few people have that kind of power.
The sound of a message notification on my phone draws all of our attention, and I’m relieved to see that Mateo has found something on my lead. I open the file, and suddenly all the problems around us shrink into the background as my face turns pale.
“Speak,” Luca growls at me threateningly, but Mariano snatches the phone from my hand before I can answer.
“Why is her name here? You’re not seri—” Mariano starts to ask, and I cut him off.
“Mariana, Angelo’s daughter, is the woman we’ve been looking for,” I inform Luca, who carefully moves Alin off his lap and strides over to Mariano, snatching my phone.
“Ever since you asked me to look into how the French handed her over to the Russians so quickly before, I’ve been tracking all communications with the French. I found a lead through one of our informants,” I explain to Luca before he can bombard me with questions. “But it wasn’t enough. Now that she’s made her move, Mateo managed to confirm her recent locations and matched them with the attacks. We’ve found our woman.”
“That junkie whore is a lot smarter than I gave her credit for. I never would’ve suspected her. Good work, Pedro,” he says, handing me back my phone and slipping on the black suit jacket draped over the arm of the couch. His icy gaze gives no hint of the storm we’re all feeling. “We let Flavio handle her before, but that could play to our advantage now.”
“Another visit to the De Rosa family? I’ll update Flavio,” Mariano doesn’t wait for instructions, already pressing his phone to his ear.
And somehow, there’s always something that comes up before I can talk to him about Bay.
Bay
“And here I thought the Spallo family’s building was enormous. What is this gigantic house?!” I exclaim, jaw dropped, as I step into the sprawling De Rosa family home—Cora’s family estate in Vegas. A woman raised among criminals—I’ve got to admire her mental fortitude. I’ve been living with the crazy trio for about a month or so now, and I feel like my sanity’s already packing its bags, ready to leave me behind.
“You might want to close your mouth in case my cousins come charging into the house,” she says, placing a finger under my chin, gently pushing it up to close my mouth. “They love innocent-looking women, and your face right now will make their day—they won’t stop pestering you.”
“What’s new? Males are the same everywhere,” Alin replies with a heavy sigh, as she strides toward the living room on the entrance floor, wheeling her small pink suitcase behind her. “But I have to admit, this place is enormous—even for someone who lives in a castle.”
I chuckle in agreement, knowing that the castle back in our city could probably fit at least five houses like this. Still, I never imagined humanslived in such vast spaces. Don’t their feet hurt from all the walking?
The entrance floor is so vast that, if it weren’t for the minimal white and gray furniture, one could easily get lost in here.
“This is Alin’s first time here too,” Cora informs me with a smile, leading me to a long white sofa in the living room, located at the center of the floor. It faces a strange opening in the wall, with a layer of gray ashes at the bottom and a small iron grate. “What’s that?” I ask curiously.
Cora laughs as we sit on the sofa. “It’s called a fireplace. In the winter, when it’s cold, you light a fire in it. It keeps the house warm. But they don’t really need it, they mostly use it for decoration in the winter,” she explains, and I wonder what winter feels like here. Underwater, our bodies are built to survive in the coldest depths. We don’t suffer from the cold or illness—not the kind humans get from bacteria, at least.
“Have you ever struggled through cold winters here?” I ask Alin, curious about what I should expect in the coming months. Fall is already just around the corner.
“Yes. Our human bodies are just as vulnerable to the cold as theirs are. It’s nothing like the water,” she turns to me, “We’ll need to go shopping for winter clothes—you can’t keep wearing shorts when it’s cold. Especially not in New York.”
I wonder when we’ll have time to go shopping. Alin mentioned that the guys are here for business, to deal with a few problems, and we’ll need to stay at Cora’s house for a while since it’s the safest place.
“Perfect! Another excuse to go shopping!” Cora exclaims, bouncing with excitement. Suddenly, a voice surprises us from the direction of thecurved staircase that starts at the side of this entry floor.
“You arrived faster than I expected,” a stunning woman, looking to be in her late forties, descends the staircase. Her hands glide along the golden railing that spirals down its length, using it for balance in her high heels.
Her blonde hair is elegantly pinned up in a neat bun, and her green eyes light up her fair face as the daylight streams through the large windows lining the entrance walls. Pearls adorn her neck and ears.
I used to love wearing pearls when I was younger.So did Elyr…I pause, my breath hitching at the thought.
“Mom!” Cora leaps from the couch, excitement clear in her voice as she rushes toward the woman with open arms. Her mother greets her with a warm, deep smile, pulling her into a tight embrace while gently stroking Cora’s hair.
“Why do you only come to visit when there’s trouble brewing outside?” She’s teasing Cora and pulls back from the hug, her tone now slightly reproachful as her gaze shifts to me and Alin.
“And which one of them is the famous Alin, Luca’s wife?” She raises an inquisitive eyebrow, looking between the two of us, but the question was meant for Cora.
“That, unfortunately, would be me,” Alin responds with a diplomatic grin; one that her own mother would be proud of. It’s hard sometimes to reconcile the rebellious Alin I grew up with and the one who’s now stepping into responsibility—it’s like they’re two completely different people.
“Your husband has no patience; he dragged my husband straight to thecasino without even stopping by to say hello,” she teases with a chuckle, but her smile is warm. “Welcome to the crazy family.”
Alin laughs now. “Thanks! And this is my cousin, Bay,” she introduces me, catching me off guard. I quickly stand up from my seat. “She’s staying with us in New York.”
