Page 55 of The Fixer

“Exactly,” Ali says emphatically. “That was myinitial reaction. I was furious. I didn’t even think it was legal for him to sell to anybody but me, but unfortunately, it is. The buyer’s lawyer, Daniel, pointed out the section in my contract that allowed him to do it.”

Daniel. My suspicions deepen. “But you look happy now, so. . .?”

“Right! Well, this morning, I met with the guy who bought Simon’s share. He came here with his lawyer to sign all the documents. The moment I set eyes on him, I knew it wasn’t going to work out. He’s not a fighter.”

I might as well sit down; this is going to take a while. Ali settles next to me, taking a long drink out of her water bottle. “I was a little hostile,” she says. “No, scratch that—I wasextremelyhostile. I asked him who the hell was going to teach Simon’s share of the classes? Because it obviously wasn’t him.”

Okay, phew. It can’t be Leo she’s talking about. My future husband looks like he could break people with his bare hands. Nobody in their right mind is ever going to take a look at him and conclude that he’s not a fighter.

“Then this guy looks at me with his cool gray eyes and says that he thinks fighting is a waste of time, but he’ll sign a new contract with me.” Ali’svoice rises in pitch. “Get this. He’s only going to take twenty percent of the profits.”

Simon took half of the proceeds and did none of the work. No wonder Ali is excited.

“Even better, he’s injecting some money into the business. You know all the repairs I haven’t been able to afford to do? The broken tile in the women’s showers, the gross urinals, the uneven floor in the gym? He’s going to take care of it.”

I don’t like this. “Ali,” I say gently. “Are you sure this guy is on the up-and-up? Doesn’t this all seem a little too good to be true?”

She nods. “Trust me, I was absolutely sure it was a scam. But then I checked my bank account, and the money was there. He said he’d budget two hundred thousand euros for renovations, and it’s already in my checking account.Two hundred thousand euros.And after lunch, I took the draft copy of the contract to the free legal clinic, and they said everything looks okay.”

Curiouser and curiouser. “Does this mystery benefactor have a name?”

“Tomas,” she replies. “Tomas Aguilar. And the lawyer’s name was Daniel Rossi.”

Leo strikes again.Tomas is one of his friends, a fellow member of the Venice Mafia. I met him atValentina’s wedding. We didn’t talk much, but from what I remember, he was tall, lean, and very quiet. And Daniel is, of course, the Mafia lawyer.

“You said Simon gave you a bullshit story for missing class. What was it?”

Ali rolls her eyes. “Oh, he said he broke both his wrists in an accident and couldn’t teach.”

Leo did what? I massage my temples, not sure if I want to laugh or cry. A conversation with my future husband is definitely in order.

My friend catches sight of my ring. “Rosa,” she shrieks, grabbing my hand and examining the massive pink diamond, her eyes wide. “Are you engaged? Oh my God, forget Simon and the gym; who cares about that? Tell me everything. Who’s the guy? Do I know him? When’s the wedding? Have you set a date yet?”

I start to laugh. “It’s Leo, of course. And you’ll meet him soon enough. We’re getting married in three weeks. Clear your calendar.”

Her mouth falls open. For what surely has to be the first time in her life, Ali is at a complete loss for words. “Wow,” she says finally. “You know, if you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t be taking this particular class.”

“I’m not pregnant, just impatient. And when you see Leo, you’ll understand why.”

“I love it,” Ali declares. “I love everything about it. No doubts, no second-guessing, nothing. Sometimes, I wish I were more like you.”

If only she knew. Marrying Leo is the only thing I’m sure about. Everything else? Not so much. I keep staring at the black phone, waiting for it to ring. Hugh’s plan makes me nervous, and I have serious reservations about keeping secrets from Leo.

I might look pulled together, but inside, I’m a mess.

Just like hedid on Wednesday, Leo picks me up after class, and we stop for pizza on our way back home. Once we’ve placed our orders, I fix him with a stern look. “Do you want to tell me why your friend Tomas is buying the gym I work out at?”

Leo grins lazily. “I think it’s because he likes your friend Alina.”

“He does?” I lean forward, intrigued. “They didn’t exactly get off on the right foot. She told himhe wasn’t a fighter, and he said he thought fighting was a waste of time.”

He laughs out loud. “She said that to his face? That’s hilarious.”

“Why?”

“He’s an underground cage fighter in his spare time. Italy’s reigning champion.”

“Tomas? But he’s so quiet.”

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