Page 101 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
Just that. One word. Half a word, actually. But I knew. I knew that wasn’t a message she would send unless something was wrong. I called her. Once. Twice. Again. Nothing. It went straight to voicemail. My throat tightened. My mind started running fast and messy. I didn’t even bother leaving a voicemail. My instincts already had me moving. I already knew something was wrong. Call it a gut feeling,
I drove like the city owed me the roads. I didn’t care who honked or flipped me off. I went to the Russo mansion first off, but it was locked, all the guards at the entrance were gone, and there was no one to open the gate. That made the sinking feeling in me worse. I tried calling the house line, but there was still no response. I tried Maria’s line, but still nothing. I wondered if Matteo was inside and if he was safe.
I knew there was only one person that I could call now. I was left with only one option.
There was one name in my head and one person who might be able to help me make sense of all of this, even if he wanted to break my face.
Luca.
I tried his line, and it went straight to voicemail. I got out of my car and peeked through the brass gate. Maria’s car was there, but Luca’s car wasn’t. I knew Luca enough to know he doesn’t go anywhere without his car. And being friends with him long enough made me know there was only one place he would be by this time, considering all that has been going on in his life.
It was a long shot, but it was better than standing here in front of this locked gate doing nothing. So I got into my car and drove, and just as I suspected, he was there.
He was outside some shady little bar, pacing, eyes wild, phone to his ear. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He saw me, and instantly, his whole face changed.
“What the hell are you doing here, Bianchi? Do you have a death wish or what?”
Great. Here we go. Another round of me acting powerless to avoid breaking his collarbone in a single punch and receiving several punches in return.
“Luca, listen to me. It’s Maria.”
He stepped toward me. His jaw was tight, and his fists were already halfway curled. “Don’t say her name. Don’t. You have no right. You ruined everything. You killed our father.”
“I didn’t.”
He flinched like I slapped him.
“You think I believe anything you say? You liar…Shade.”
“I don’t care if you believe it. Just shut up and listen.”
That got him. Luca hated being told to shut up. “You have some nerve, Bianchi, killing my father and now telling me to shut____”
“Luca, can you just shut up and listen for once.” He became silent, something one doesn’t often get to see from Luca. “She sent me a message. One word. ‘Enri.’ That’s not nothing.”
He blinked. His expression flickered.
“I think something’s wrong. I think Enrico has her.”
“Enrico? Why would he have her?”
“Yes. I think Enrico is the mastermind of all of this.”
I took a step closer, but I didn’t break eye contact.
“Last night, she told me everything. About that night. The night your dad died.”
Luca’s nostrils flared. “You mean the night you killed him?”
“She was with Shade that night. And Shade was me. We were together that entire night. In my office, we were…” I cleared my throat, the words choking out, “The point is, I wasn’t there. I didn’t kill anyone. Maria can testify to it. She is my alibi.”
He scoffed. “You expect me to believe that? That my sister, who loved my dad, spent the night with the man who killed him? That’s a damn soap opera.”
I took a deep breath.
“She didn’t know it was me. She wore a mask. I wore a mask. She left before either of us figured it out. And after, when she heard Dante call me Shade, she panicked and ran. But we got to put together all the pieces last night.”
His jaw twitched. But he didn’t interrupt.
