Page 19 of Vincenzo
“Because you’re planning—” I stop myself from saying the words she doesn’t know I know.
My brother laughed at their suggestion of an alliance, but if he knew her plan to kidnap Izzy and Lux, then he’d put a bullet in her headandher heart for good measure. I should fucking tell him. I should fucking tell him and get this shit over with so I can move on with my life… butdammit, there’s something holding me back.
Shaking my head, I force those words back down my throat and say, “Just get the fuck out of my city, Amalia. Go back to Miami and tell your uncle that if he ever tries this shit again, blood will be shed.”
She watches me for a few moments, then finally says, “Fine.”
As she walks toward me, her sharp eyes never leave mine, and just when I think she’s going to continue on to the door behind me, she stops right next to me.
When I turn my head to look at her, her penetrating gaze is already on mine. “I tried to make this easy for you. Just remember that.”
Without waiting for a response, she exits my office, and I’m left standing here wondering if I’ve made the right decision when it comes to Amalia Velasco.
11
AMALIA
“What else happened while you were in that office?” Carlos asks as I scan the card to unlock the door to our suite.
I stayed quiet the entire ride, replaying everything that happened in Vincenzo’s office. There was one thing he said—or didn’t say—that has stuck with me.
I’ve been questioning why he’s had such a strong negative reaction to me since the first time we met, and when I brought up all I’ve done is suggest an alliance, he was about to say something else.Something more.
He had to stop mid-sentence, and the look on his face was almost as if he had to remind himself not to say something.
There’s only one thing it could be: the plan to kidnap Luxtyn and Isabella DiMaggio.
I’ve racked my brain, trying to figure out how he could possibly know about that plan, but I have no idea. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.
“Amalia?” Carlos’s voice interrupts my thoughts.
“What?” I ask, taking a seat at the kitchen counter.
He furrows his brows and narrows his gaze on me. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing, why?”
He leans against the counter on the other side and faces me. “I just asked you a question.”
“Sorry, I was thinking about something.”
“I can see that. Everything all right?” He quirks a brow at me.
I place my elbow on the counter and rest my chin on my knuckles. “Vincenzo made an interesting comment in his office earlier.”
“And what’s that?”
I weigh whether to tell Carlos about what I suspect but decide against it. I don’t know if I’m even right about Vincenzo’s knowledge of the kidnapping plan. How would that be possible? Regardless of the things I know, my gut is telling me he does, and my gut is never wrong.
“I requested a meeting with his brother to see if we could work out an alliance, but he refuses.”
“And that’s interesting because…?”
“He’s not the boss. You’d think he’d relay my request and let the boss decide first.”
With a nod, Carlos says, “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” then shrugs. “It’s a good thing we have another idea then. Speaking of which, we need to start surveying Luxtyn and Isabella so we can come up with a plan. You know your uncle is expecting us to update him on that soon.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, sliding off the kitchen stool. “Let me think on it and then we’ll get to work.”
