Page 119 of The Hitman's Secret Baby
Gabriel looks up, beaming when he sees me. "Mama, he said he used to make puzzles too, with his brothers. Did you know that?"
"I didn't," I say, walking over, brushing the hair from Gabriel's brow. I didn't even know Enzo had brothers. I kiss the top of his head and look at Enzo. "Thank you."
"You should go rest," he says. "I have him."
But I do not rest. Instead, once Gabriel is distracted by a book in the corner, I draw Enzo toward the outer hallway, away from listening ears and soft, innocent questions.
We stand by the window where the vines are just starting to bloom along the stone. The estate stretches beyond the glass, shadowed and old, and the silence between us is heavy, not with anger, but with what must be said.
"There's talk," I say, watching his profile. "In the city. Even in the ruins of my house."
Enzo does not turn to me. "What kind of talk?"
"That Luca is not as strong as he once was. That there are fractures beneath the surface. Even the old housekeeper knew something was wrong. And she hasn't stepped foot inside these walls in a decade."
He says nothing for a moment. I see the line of his jaw tighten.
"Enzo," I murmur, "if you want me to survive this, if you want me to do more than just stay alive, you need to trust me. Icannot win Luca's favor blindly. If there is something tearing at this house, I need to know what it is."
He turns then. Slowly. His eyes meet mine, darker than I remember, not with anger, but with the kind of restraint that comes after years of knowing when to speak and when silence is safer. After a pause, he looks out over the hill, where the rooftops of Nuova Speranza curve against the horizon like ribs of a sleeping giant.
"Matteo said something similar," he says finally. "When I questioned him."
I look at him sharply. "Matteo?" I had been right, then. Hehadseen me, and news had traveled very fast from there.
Enzo confirms as much. "He was the one who saw you. Down near Volterra. He was moving cargo for us."
"What did he say?"
Enzo sighs, and his eyes meet mine once more. This time, the light in them is soft, almost sad. "That he didn't recognize you at first. Said it took time. But when it struck him—when he knew who you were—he had to report back. Duty."
I swallow hard. "And the rumors?"
Enzo frowns as he speaks. "He said people talk. That Luca's name doesn't carry the same fear it used to. That some of the younger crews don't flinch when they hear it." Enzo's eyes narrow slightly. "He said it like it didn't matter. Like it was just wind through the trees. But I've seen enough to know it isn't just talk."
I furrow my brows at him. "What do you mean?"
"The job before Luca sent me after you. A villa in Dubrovnik. Quiet courier run turned inside out. Stefano Amari. Ex-Conti muscle. Turned coat."
No guesses what's happened to him.
"He was being paid to watch the docks, but not by us. Someone else. Someone feeding him names. He laughed beforeI ended it. Said it was a gift from the inside. Said we'd see worse before it was over."
My hands grip the stone wall. "And you don't know who?"
"No. But I can feel it. Something's off." He sighs and rubs his face tiredly. "You think this matters for you. That knowing gives you a weapon. But Luca won't crumble from rumors. He has bled too much into this earth. He survives by turning the knife inward. If he suspects weakness, he will tighten the leash, not loosen it."
Before I can ask more, a voice cuts across the path.
"There you are."
Giovanni steps out from behind the nearest tree, his smile a touch forced. "I was looking for you, Enzo. Luca wants an update on the south docks."
Enzo nods once, his body already shifting into that posture I've come to recognize. Giovanni's eyes flick to me. He gives a little bow, theatrical but not mocking.
"Aria. Always a pleasure."
Something in his tone catches at the edges of my mind. I smile politely, but my spine stiffens.
