Page 27 of Inferno
‘You better not go looking for him.’
‘Of course not,’ I lied.
‘You’re lying. It’s written all over your face.’
‘I’m not lying, I’m just stressed!’
Luca thought about it for a moment. ‘Isn’t it obvious?’ he asked, his voice half-sigh, half-frustration. ‘Where is the one place that Jack would go, the one place he would seek refuge from us?’
Oh.Oh.Well that explained the little history lesson earlier.
Luca watched the realization dawn. He pulled his lips back, revealing the feral tips of his canines. ‘And if he is there,’ he said, ‘if theyaretruly aiding and abetting a known Falcone enemy, then, once again, the truce is broken.’
‘Shit.’
‘The question is,’ Luca said, leaning back on his palms and hunching his shoulders, ‘if we’re right about where Jack is hiding, what exactly is Donata Marino getting out of the arrangement?’
‘So you really haven’t been following me, then,’ I muttered. I didn’t mention Purple Hair. If she was his enemy, the news would just unsettle him. I already had enough to worry about now, without confirming the Marinos had gone ahead and danced all over whatever truce they had had with the Falcones.
Luca’s eyes widened. ‘What?’ He stood up. ‘Why would you say that?’
I backed up a little. Now was not the right time to be pouring fuel on the fire – breaking open that old wound before I knew what it even meant. Besides, I could be wrong… Icouldbe. Purple Hair could be anyone. ‘It’s just… with Nic showing up in my garden the other night, I was wondering if there was a plan or something…’ I trailed off.
Yup. That ought to smooth things over.
Rage flashed across Luca’s face as he took a step towards me. ‘Nic didwhat?’
Or not.
‘Um, never mind,’ I said, turning into the main passageway. ‘I have to find Millie.’
Luca cut in front of me. ‘You need to tell me about this.’
‘Why?’
He blinked at me. ‘What do you mean “Why”?’
‘Why do you care?’
‘I care about the movements of my brother when they go against explicit family ordersandwhen they endanger someone else. Don’t be so smug about it, Sophie. This is serious.’
‘Oh,I’msmug because I won’t tell you my personal business? Well, excuse me.’
‘Sophie, this isn’t a game,’ Luca warned. I could tell he was fighting to keep his voice level. ‘Don’t be so stupid.’
Stupid. Stupid.Stupid. Why the hell was he always calling me stupid?
‘Oh, this isn’t a game?’ I repeated, seeing red. ‘You think I don’t know that? Did you forget who else was in that warehouse with you? I remember every damn second of that night!’
‘Then take this seriously!’
‘I couldn’t be taking it more seriously if I tried,’ I hissed, raising my palm so he could see the jagged cut. ‘I haven’t slept in weeks. My mother is azombie. Don’t you dare preach to me about the seriousness of all this. You have no idea what your family has done to me. And I don’t care who you are, you have no right to demand to know my business!’
He came closer, tension rippling from him. ‘I have a right when it involves my family.’
I had to tip my head back to look at him. ‘You’re notmyunderboss, Luca. I don’t owe you a thing.’
I pivoted around him, expecting resistance, but he let me go, his expression crumpling with something I couldn’t place.
