Page 92 of Mafia King: Matteo
“It’s more important now than ever to get married as quickly as possible. You need to be under my protection.”
“What’s happened?” I chew the chicken slowly. It’s delicious, but I don’t enjoy it as I’m still upset over yesterday’s events.
“My brother, Niccoló, has a girlfriend, and she was murdered last night. She visited her father in Southern Italy. He works the docks for us. She said she would return on the evening boat. She didn’t answer her phone that night. He went to check on her and found her dead. It looks like a home invasion.”
His words are slow and painful.
“Home invasion? I thought that was an American thing.”
“It’s uncommon, especially in Sicily.”
“You think this is related to your father, and that’s why we have more guards.”
“Yes.” Matteo eats a few bites of his meal and pushes the plate away. Federico swoops in and removes it from the table.
I lay my fork down, sip cold water from my glass, and sit back in the chair.
“You think the scene was staged,” I reply as the reality of the facts sinks in. A young woman is dead for no apparent reason.
“Probably. But we don’t know who would do such a thing. She was vibrant and full of life. She was a nurse.”
“A nurse who would know poisonous substances?”
“It’s not difficult to research anything today,” he says as if he doesn’t believe she’s capable of killing someone.
“I’m sure she’s a lovely woman if your brother loved her, but was there any indication that something was off? She might have been threatened. She could have been scared.”
“She was late to my father’s funeral, and usually, she’s early as she can’t wait to see my brother. She was very emotional. I didn’t understand it at the time. We all hated my father. He was a mean man.”
“I didn’t know that. How was she lately?”
“Niccoló mentioned she was working a lot and seemed to be distracted.”
“He knew her better than anyone?”
“Yes, they’ve been in love for years. He wanted to marry her.”
“How do you get a reluctant participant to do what you need?”
“I find dirt on them or bribe them.” He responds as if we’re best friends on a dinner date. I’m relieved he is sharing his pain with me instead of drinking another bottle of alcohol.
“How is your brother?”
“Torn up. He’s paying for the funeral. I’m sure he will take a long time to get over this. I hope our wedding will cheer everyone up.”
“March is fine. I understand.” My words are void of emotion. It appears fate has intervened again. The tentacles of the killer have moved closer to us. This is a hit on someone outside the immediate family but a beloved member who is close to them.
Matteo stands and takes my hand in his. “Let’s go watch some TV and take our minds off this. There’s nothing I can do tonight. I wanted to return home for the funeral. Niccoló forbid it. It’s safer for us to remain here.”
“Oh, Federico told me our costumes for the gala are upstairs. He lined up my support staff to beautify me. He’s a lovely man, very thoughtful.”
“You are the most beautiful woman in the world. You don’t need anything but clothes to wear, and that’s only because I’m a jealous man.” He kisses my lips, and I am relieved he’s beside me, now more than ever.
CHAPTER 31
MATTEO
I’m relieved Alena understands the situation and that the wedding will happen as I planned. With the news of Chiara’s death, the enemy moves closer and is tying up loose ends.
