Page 136 of Immoral

She tilts her head. "What kind of work?"

"Since when do you ask me that question?" I ask.

She crosses her arms and arches her eyebrows.

I freeze. "What?"

"I know you, Gianni. What are you going to do?"

My heart pounds in my chest. I stay quiet, afraid if I open my mouth, it's all going to come out.

"Gianni—"

"Cara, you know I'd die for you, right?"

She blinks hard. "Yes."

"Okay. Good." I tug her into my arms, murmuring in her ear, "No one, and I mean no one, will ever attempt to harm you in any way again. I don't care who they are. You have my word."

She pulls back. "You can't promise that. It's not something you should put on your shoulders, either. Things happen that are out of your control, Gianni."

Rage builds inside me. I hold her face, firmly restating, "I'm your husband. You are a Marino. Never again, Cara," I vow.

She sighs. "Baby, I love you, but that's a lot to put on yourself."

I kiss her lips and order, "Go to sleep and let me handle what I need to."

She hesitates, studying my face. In a lower voice, she demands, "Tell me what you're going to do."

I look at the ceiling, count to twenty, then take a deep breath.

"Gianni!"

I pin my gaze on hers. "All I'll say is I'm eliminating a threat."

Her eyes widen. "Is that smart?"

"Tesoro, don't worry about this. It's all under control," I assure her. "Stay in bed. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Back? They aren't in the basement?" she inquires.

I freeze. "What do you know about the basement?"

She bites her lip then cringes. "When Arianna was in her early twenties, I found her crying in her room. She had drunk quite a lot. It was your mamma's birthday, and she was having a hard time. She missed her and was struggling. None of you would let her work, so she complained about that and told me about the dungeon. She didn't mean to, but it came out."

Annoyance floods me. "Great. Who else did she tell?"

"No one. It was only her and me. But it was a long time ago, so don't go yelling at her," Cara insists.

I sigh. "Fine."

"Why aren't they downstairs? Why do you have to leave?" she asks.

I debate but finally tell the truth. "Papà didn't give the order. We have them somewhere else."

Cara gapes.

"So you see why I need you to stay in the bedroom and go to sleep?"

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