Page 74 of Till Death Do Us Part

“Just what I said. It was a warning to John.” He lifted his hands. Started backing away. “That’s all I’m gonna say. Forget I even said it.”

How could I forget when his words punched me in the gut? Only three people would want to send a warning to Felice. And one of them was my father.

* * *

The day dragged after Cassio left. I couldn’t stop replaying his words over and over. I kept wondering if me seeing Felice was enough of an insult to Emanuele Corvo that he risked his daughter and her friend to send a warning. But it was hard to believe. Especially after he started sobbing in my hospital room, kissing my hand.

Was it all an act?

Babbo wasn’t a crier, though. He had this extremely medical way to assess situations, especially when it came to the sick.

What Corinna had told me about him, how he had denied Sal Maggio care, had thrown me for a loop too. My father was a quiet man, and he liked things a certain way in his family, but I’d always been told what a caring physician he was. I was told he’d go above and beyond for his patient’s care. Some of his patients even called him an advocate.

This was all not adding up to me. And why hadn’t Felice mentioned the situation between Sal and Babbo? Did he think I wouldn’t believe him? Did he assume I’d defend my father because he was my father?

There had to be some explanation as to why Babbo did what he did. But I wasn’t going to get answers from Babbo. I already knew that. And what would I say? How would I even start the conversation?

Felice had disappeared on me and had never told me what happened in the first place.

It had only been an hour since the last time I checked the clock. I thought about going home, but what would I do there? It was just so hard to concentrate when my mind constantly tried to figure out what was going on.

Hayden came out of his office. “How about we order in? My treat.”

Elsa didn’t say anything, and Hayden knocked on her desk, asking if anybody was home.

“Hah?” She looked up at him.

He repeated himself, and we all decided on a place to order. Lunch was nice, but it seemed like we were all distracted and finding it hard to focus. The day seemed to go by faster after lunch, and I realized I didn’t want to go home. I was dreading it.

I texted Lo to see if she wanted to do dinner, but she had plans with Sandro. She invited me along, but I didn’t want to be the third wheel. Kerry had a date, and I had no clue what was going on with Elsa.

She asked me if I was ready to go when it was time. I’d been driving Mamma’s SUV, but Talia had borrowed it because they bought a new house, and she wanted a bigger vehicle to cart boxes. That morning, Talia had dropped me off, and Elsa offered to take me home. She said she was heading that way anyway.

We walked out of the office together, then Elsa slowed to grab her keys out of her purse. I stopped so abruptly that Elsa ran into my back. She caught my shoulders before I toppled over. A brand-new Fiat 500 Sport was parked next to Elsa’s car. It was the same color as Felicia, and the windows were tinted. I could see a dinosaur on the dash, though.

I turned to Elsa. She threw a set of keys at me, then lifted her hands. “Cassio told me to give them to you. You want me to wait?”

“No,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

I got in the new Fiat. The new car smell was strong, but I smelled my carnivore underneath it. I even had to adjust the seat to accommodate my shorter legs. There was another plush dinosaur purse on the passenger side, this one with a rose in its mouth. A card was tucked inside:

Dino,

This car can’t be traced. It was paid for in cash, but it belongs to you. You earned it with your finesse, even if you sting like a bee. Make sure you sign all the legal papers in the glove box.

I’m still with you.

Felice

I tucked the note back inside and pulled out of the spot.

I slammed on the brakes.

A moment of panic seized me. Felice had been right. The car was a matchbox. But I thought about what Cassio had said.The accident? It was no accident.It had been planned. Carried out as a warning. No one had tried to hurt me since. But I was dying a little every day. And so, I hit the gas and got over the fear, because another one had pushed it out of the way.

This one made my heart stop cold.

I might never see Felice Maggio again.

---