Page 85 of Double Trouble for the Mafia Prince
The east salon is a sun-drenched chamber lined with tasteful paintings and marble busts that look like they’ve never been touched.
I find Rafa by the window, hands in his pockets, gaze sweeping over the neatly manicured grounds.
He turns when he hears me.
"Nice place," he says, nodding toward the garden. "I wasn’t sure they’d actually let me in."
I don’t smile.
"They didn’t. They let me in, which means you're welcome by extension."
His brow lifts slightly, but he doesn’t challenge it.
That’s the unspoken agreement between us—we both lie when it suits us.
"You look good," he says after a beat. "Settled."
"I’m surviving," I answer, arms crossed. "What is this, Rafa?"
He spreads his hands.
"Just wanted to check on you. It’s been a week. The city’s talking. Thought I’d hear from you by now."
"The city talks every time someone sneezes in the wrong direction," I say. "You didn’t come here for small talk. What’s going on?"
He walks toward the nearest chair but doesn’t sit.
His eyes don’t leave mine.
"I came because I needed to see it for myself. You. The girls. This place. I pushed for this, Gianna. If anything goes wrong here, it’s on me."
I tilt my head.
"You think something’s going to go wrong?"
"I think there’s a lot more happening behind the Salvatore smiles than you’ve been told," he says. "And I want to make sure you’re not being kept in the dark."
"I’m not a spy," I say flatly. "Not for you. Not for anyone. You made it clear this marriage was the safest route. So, I took it. That’s the end of it."
"For now," he agrees. "But you’re not stupid, Gianna. I know you’ve noticed it. The city’s too quiet in the wrong places. Some of the old names have gone quiet altogether. One of our runners got stopped two days ago—said the checkpoint was manned by Salvatore men, but they weren’t wearing Salvatore pins."
I become still. "You think there’s unrest."
"I know there is. And it’s not just the streets. There are cracks showing in their own foundation. You think Luca didn’t notice half his northern routes are being rerouted through allies he hasn’t vetted? You think Marco isn’t suspicious that the ones who’ve been with them longest are the ones dragging their feet the most lately?"
My blood runs colder with each word. But I keep my face calm. "You’re assuming I’ve been brought into the fold."
"You’re wearing the ring," he says simply. "They brought you into something."
I lower my voice.
"The only thing I’ve been brought into is this house. I don’t sit in on their meetings. I don’t overhear strategy sessions. Dante shields me from it."
"And do you think that’s going to last?" Rafa’s voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it now. "You’ve married into a family that lives and dies by information. You’re not just Dante’s wife. You’re a Rossi. That name still matters, Gianna. Whether they say it or not."
I press my fingers to my temples.
"You need to be careful what you’re asking, Rafa."
