Page 106 of Gin & Trouble

Mia and Ari were there.

I doubted one of Tommaso’s men could have followed them, snuck onboard, and planted a bomb.

But could they have been in on it? Did they buy off the guards or were they the distraction?

I ran a hand over Dante’s arm. I desperately needed him to wake up, to tell me everything would be okay. He’d know what to do. Wouldn’t he?

The boy came in with a fresh jug of the lemon and herbal mixture and some water.

I chose the water. “Grazie. Please stay.”

He looked from me to the door as if debating running away, or more likely wondering if he’d get into trouble.

“What is your name?”

“Casio.” He puffed out his chest and raised his chin as if his name was his most prized possession.

“I’m Frankie. This is Dante.”

His cheeks flushed. “You called for him.”

I smiled the concern out of my voice. “Does anyone know we are here?”

“My brother went to get the doctor from Panarea. He will be back today or tomorrow.”

“Is your father home? May I speak to him?”

He nodded and hurried out.

I debated what to tell them about the explosion. If I told the truth, they could very well throw us out. Dante couldn’t be moved, and I needed crutches to get around. Neither of us had shoes or proper clothing, we wouldn’t get far before someone would put two and two together and come up with a yacht explosion.

Still, I had no choice. I had to tell them who we were and what had happened in order to stress the danger—both to them for helping and to us if Tommaso learned we’d survived.

The elderly man came through the door, followed by his wife and the boy.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done.” I drew a deep breath. “My name is Francesca and this is Dante.”

The woman pointed to herself and then the man. “Maria and Tino.”

Rather than risking a misinterpretation because of our language differences, I turned to the boy. “Casio? Tell them there was a bomb on the boat.”

He chewed his lip and muttered in the dialect.

Although neither looked thrilled with the news, the couple nodded.

I nodded to Casio. “Please, tell them not to tell anyone we are here. The people who did this will come. We are all in danger.”

He relayed the message.

Maria’s eyes went wide. Speaking far too quickly for me to understand even the occasional word, she threw her hand up.

Tino pulled her into an embrace and whispered to her until she calmed. “Medico?” He glanced between Casio and me.

“Yes, we need a doctor. How far is the port? Can you call an ambulance or drive me there?”

Casio shook his head. “No cars, no roads.”

Certain I’d misunderstood him, I asked, “What do you mean there are no roads?”

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