Page 70 of The Fixer

“He wanted to talk to Hugh?”

“Yeah, he showed up in Venice a couple of weeks ago and then left almost immediately. Now he’s back. Maybe he’s concerned about Spina Sacra’s impending destruction. Santini’s fending off assassination attempts, his son is dead, his daughter is missing, and the organization is on the verge of a civil war.”

“Wait, what?”

Have I concealed the truth from her? Not intentionally. But maybe subconsciously, I was afraid that if she found out how big a disarray Spina Sacra was in, she’d start asking questions. Questions like: if they’re on the verge of a civil war, are they really going to bother to come after Hugh? And if they’re not a threat, do we really need to live together? Do we even need to get married?

“The son is dead?” she continues. “When did that happen?”

She looks disturbed by the revelation. My principessa has a tender heart. “Sometime last week. Monday, I think. Why?”

“No reason. What time is it? Aren’t you late for your meeting with Guerra?”

“Probably.” I reach into my pocket for my phone and make a face. The club took it away, and now I don’t know the time. “I better try to find him. Will you stay in Liam’s office until I’m done?”

“Who’s Liam?”

“The manager. Irish guy. Trustworthy.” I frown. Liam Callahan is a good-looking man. “But if you tell me he flirts with you, I’ll break every bone in his body.”

“I’ll get right on that, orsacchiotto mio.” She rolls her eyes. “You do remember I love you, don’t you?”

I smile at her. I probably look like a lovesick fool, and I don’t even care. “It’s still sinking in. Tell me again.”

She laughs, stands on tiptoe, and presses a kiss on my lips. “I love you, Leo Cesari.”

“And I love you, Rosa Tran. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. Anh Yêu Em.”

She takes a step back and stares at me in disbelief. “Did you just say I love you in Vietnamese?”

“I looked it up on the Internet. I might have butchered the pronunciation.”

“You did, a little,” she says, laughing at me through tear-filled eyes. “But I love you for it.”

34

ROSA

Liam Callahan gets me settled in his office. He offers me a drink from his refrigerator, shows me where the snacks are, and tells me he has to go down to the club floor. That’s okay with me; I could use some alone time.

For a few minutes after he leaves, I bask in the afterglow of Leo’s revelations.

Leo loves me. I want to sing and dance around the room like a Disney princess, giggle from sheer delight, and also bawl my eyes out. I don’t do any of those things, however. I sit in the extremely comfortable armchair in Liam Callahan’s office and eat his chocolate.

Thinking about Leo’s first marriage makes my heart hurt. Leo loved her. I could hear it in his voicewhen he described every career that Patrizia wanted to pursue in her life. Underwater explorer, gondolier, detective, teacher. She sounded fun, adventurous, and imaginative. I’d have liked to meet her.

You’d have been so jealous of her that you’d want to claw her eyes out.

No wonder Leo didn’t want to talk about her. No wonder our impending wedding brought his trauma back. No wonder he’s been wound so tight. Annalisa warned me I was going to have to be patient, and now I understand why.

And I’m determined to do everything in my power to make sure he’s okay.

I don’t like being shadowed by guards, and the cameras and phone tracker are flat-out nuts. But Leo recognizes that, and I’m sure that once we’re married and his nightmares cease, he’ll back away. He might call himself a possessive asshole, but he’s not controlling. He might walk me to and from the gym, but he’s never once stopped me from going.

I finish eating my chocolate bar. Swiss dark chocolate with flecks of almonds and dried cranberries—delicious. I look around the room for something to do. While Liam’s office has a refrigerator filled with chilled water and prosecco, there are no books or magazines in sight.

Oh shit. Romeo Santini. I’ve been so happy that Leo loves me that I’ve totally forgotten about everything else. I need to talk to Hugh, tell him the news.

Their last conversation. . . My heart sinks when I remember Hugh’s harsh words.We’re done,he said to Romeo.I owe you nothing. Whatever we had is over.Hugh was justified in his anger—of course he was. Romeo Santini blew up his car and tried to kill him. But no matter how much he denies it, I’m pretty sure my brother loved him. And now Romeo’s dead, and that’s always going to be their last conversation.

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