Page 52 of Let Vengeance Be Mine

“Matteo!” Stevan places his hand on my shoulder to stop me and I swing round to face him, raising my fist to punch his face. I drop it when I see how worried he looks.

“I have no idea what the fuck’s going on,” I admit, shaking my head weakly and letting myself drop to sit on the staircase. “Demitri is my best friend, he wouldn’t hurt her. He knows how much I love her.” I tell him what I’ve been telling myself, ever since I left Mother’s place. Even though I’m not entirely convinced of it. “I never gave that order,” I say my thoughts out loud again, shaking my head and having no idea what to do next. If they aren’t here, they could be anywhere.

“Matteo, think. Is there anywhere he could have gone, any reason why he’d want to hurt her?”

“If there was, do you think I’d befuckin’sitting here?” I get back on my feet.

“Calm down.” He holds his hand up in front of me. “I want to find her just as much as you do.”

“What’s happened?” Anita calls out from the top of the stairs, then when she sees how mad I am, she ties up her dressing gown as she rushes down them.

“Demitri left the party with Aria, he told the guards I ordered it, when I didn’t and now, I have no idea where they are. Therehasto be an explanation, he has no reason to hurt her,” I explain, pacing the floor and trying to come up with an explanation. Maybe, he got a tip-off and acted on it before having a chance to speak to me. Demitri always thinks ahead.

Anita closes her eyes, and I can tell from the look on her face that she knows something.

“What?” I stand in front of her. “Tell me!” I growl, as she looks up at me awkwardly.

“There’s something I think you should know. You need to speak to Gino.”

“I haven’t got time to speak to fuckin’ Gino, Anita. Tell me what I need to know, right now.”

Gino retired to Italy after my father died, no one hears from him anymore. The man doesn’t even bother with his own son, these days.

“There is a chance that Demitri is your brother,” Anita admits, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around her body.

“What the fuck did you just say?” I stare back at her, blankly.

“Your father used this house, more often than his Malibu home, before you were born, you know he liked his own space.” She drives me to the brink of insanity with more beating around the bush.

“Maria was a maid here, there was a closeness between them.” She lowers her head as if time isn’t of the fucking essence here and when I grab her and shake her, she quickly starts talking again.

“She kept the pregnancy a secret for as long as she could, and by the time she started to show, your mother had already announced the news that you were on the way. You were the legitimate heir of the family. But Demitri was the son, who was born first.”

“Fuck!” I drop the old woman from my grip as I take in what she just told me.

“He loves you like a brother, Matteo, he wouldn’t hurt Aria, not when he knows how precious she is to you,” she assures me.

“Are you sure about that, Anita? Because Stevan here didn't know anything about that bomb that was put in my car.” I question her judgment and when she looks to Stevan for confirmation, he nods his head back at her.

“You think that was Demitri?” Her hand trembles as it covers her mouth.

“He thinks he has the right to the power of this family, and power makes a man capable of anything. Did Gino know?”

“Your father was the one who ordered Gino to marry Maria, it was a security measure to ensure she never spoke out. Can you imagine the scandal if it did? Your mother, and her family, would have been furious, they were responsible for a lot of your father’s power. They could have snatched it away at any time.”

“And you never thought to tell me this?” I can feel my chest getting tighter when I realize this explanation resolves nothing, Aria is still out there somewhere and I don’t know where.

“I’ve watched your friendship grow, I didn’t ever think he’d hurt you. Up to now, he has shown you nothing but loyalty. I just thought it was a buried secret.”

“Would Gino know where he would have taken her?” I ask, desperately. I'm as sure, as I can be that, Aria is in danger now, and I need to find her.

“No. But I might,” Anita assures me. “Gino didn’t marry Maria until after Demitri was born, up until then she was given a place by your father, somewhere where she wouldn’t be seen. Your father trusted no one. As soon as Maria started to show, he moved her out of the staff quarters and into a cabin on the grounds, where he would visit her. He made her false promises about what would happen when the child was born. She was alone when she gave birth to Demitri. He wasn’t breathing when he came out and she revived him by herself. I was the only other person who knew about the child and that was because I was her best friend. Demitri knew that me and Maria used to be close. We spoke about his mother often.”

“How is this helping us figure out where Aria is?” I’m feeling completely helpless, I’m so used to having control, now it’s been taken away I’m a mess.

“About a week ago Demitri asked me to show him the cabin where he was born. I should have noticed that it was strange. Maria must have told him the truth before she died.”

“You think he has Aria at that cabin?” I check.

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