“You must see a doctor before you get on a plane. You don’t want to endanger yourself or the baby.”
She threw up her hands. “Your precious, longed-for heir. That’s the whole reason you’re marrying me. Your cousin pretty much said so.”
“I told you I loved you before I knew you were pregnant. Do you not remember?”
She did remember. The baby wasn’t the real reason for the doubt that crept around her heart. After a few moments, she said, “You still can’t tell me you love me more than Antonella.”
His eyes shifted from hers. “Does that matter so much?” Then he looked at her. “I have risked my life for you.” His voice grew hoarse. “What more proof of my love do you need?”
Her throat ached, and she willed herself not to cry. Not to show him how much he was getting to her. “You can show me you love me by letting me go instead of keeping me here against my will.”
“I would never force you to stay here. I only want you to be careful.”
“I can stay in a hotel until I’m better.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Hotels are hard to secure.”
Cold washed over her from head to toe, as if she’d plunged into an icy pond. Enrico had lied to her for a long time. And not without a damn good reason: if he let her go, his life was forfeit. If he’d killed innocent people to avoid jail, what was he capable of when his life was on the line?
Enrico was still looking at her, as if he was waiting to say something. “What?” she asked.
“Do you hate me?”
“There are lines I can’t cross. This is one of them.”
“I will prove to you that I am innocent.”
Enrico was about as innocent as a circus carny. She had to get away from him. “I need time, Enrico. Time to think. I got carried away when I accepted your proposal. Both of us had nearly died, we were both heavily medicated…. It was not the right time to be making such a decision.”
He looked pained, but he nodded. “Must you leave? Can you not think about it here, where I can keep you safe?”
“I need to be away from you.”
“I hate this.”
I hate it too. Anger sank its teeth into her. “I hate everything about this situation!” she shouted. Clenching her fists, she lowered her voice. “I’ve told you what I want, what I need. And you’re damn well going to give it to me if you ever want to see me again.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “I apologize. I did not mean to push.”
She softened her tone. “I don’t know you well enough to marry you. I’m not sure what kind of man you are. I need time to think.” She hated lying to him, but he’d let her leave more easily if he had hope.
“Whatever you need. I will always give you that.”
Her throat constricted. He did love her. But how much? And was it enough? Did he love her more than his own life?
She was going to have to use his love against him. A cold hard stone formed in the center of her chest, and Kate hated herself, just a little. What she wanted, what Enrico wanted, none of that mattered, as long as the baby was safe.
“I’m counting on it, Enrico. You don’t know how much.”
Hope flared in his eyes, and she hated herself just a little bit more.
Carlo listened to Fuente’s report, a smile on his face for once. Things were proceeding as planned. He’d been worried when Domenico told him of the upcoming marriage. “The American was upset?”
“Most certainly. I do not think Don Lucchesi can talk his way out of this.”
“You have done well, Silvio.”
“And my children? They will benefit from your generosity?”
“Most certainly.” Carlo ended the call, almost laughing at Fuente. The man was so predictable. Money was all he cared about. Carlo had plenty of that to go around.
Now all he had to do was wait for the woman to leave Lucchesi. And for Domenico to locate Rinaldo.
CHAPTER 27
Enrico insisted on putting Kate up at the Villa d’Este, despite her protestations about the cost. The choice was a bit ironic given his plan to propose to her there. His hand closed around the ring box in his pocket, his fingers sliding over its velvety surface. Would he ever get to put that ring on her finger?
Despite the ruined plans for his proposal, the Villa d’Este was the best choice for keeping Kate safe. It was close by, and because the hotel was a favorite of the jet set, it had better security than many others on the lake.
Kate and Antonio would check in under false names, as husband and wife. Enrico had booked them a suite with an adjoining door. The two guards he was sending with them, Paolo and Tommaso, were in the rooms on either side. Their job was to alternate guarding the suite. Enrico had threatened them with their family’s lives if anything happened to Kate. But he was much more blunt with Antonio.
Antonio was surprised by the summons to his capo’s study, and even more surprised by what his boss was telling him. And how he was telling him. “I love her. More than I know how to handle. If anything happens to her, it will destroy me.”
Don Lucchesi pulled a small black ring box out of his trouser pocket. “I had planned to give her this tonight. Now… God knows if I ever will.” The wounded look on his capo’s face was more than Antonio could bear. He studied the carpet, rather than look at that face.
Cristo. Antonio had never loved a woman like that. He was pretty sure he’d never been in love at all. Not if it was like this. He didn’t know what to say.
“You must keep her safe, Tonio. I’m trusting you with the one who is most precious to me.” Don Lucchesi paused. “With both of them. Look after her as if she were yours. Make sure she eats, that she takes the vitamins for the baby. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“I will. I swear it.” He meant it, but he’d say almost anything to get away from the intensity of that gaze, that pain. “I will guard her with my life.”
“I’m counting on that. If something happens….” He didn’t finish the thought.
Antonio wanted to comfort his boss, but he couldn’t embrace him the way he would a father, not anymore. The days when Don Lucchesi would accept a hug from him were long in the past. They hadn’t touched since Antonio was a boy at the Lucchesi Home for Children.
Something twisted in his gut. He wished he could do more for this tortured man in front of him, this man who meant so much to him, this man who had saved him from a life of ruin. But all he could do was take care of the signora.
Perhaps he could persuade her to forgive his capo. Don Lucchesi was the best of men; any woman who had his love would be lucky, and his child would be loved beyond measure. An ache spread throughout his chest. Don Lucchesi might never get to show that love to anyone. To his child, most of all. Antonio knew what it meant to lose everyone you loved.
“I will not fail you, mio capo. I swear it.”
Don Lucchesi nodded and seemed like he was about to dismiss him, but Antonio couldn’t go without knowing something. “Scusa, but what if you cannot convince the signora to stay? What will you do then?”
His capo met his gaze, his dark eyes flat. “I’ll do what I must.”
Alarm flashed through Antonio’s body. Was he talking about silencing her? Then Don Lucchesi said, “I’ll persuade her. If I can’t….” He was silent for a moment, then he said, “I will keep her safe, and someday she will be mine again.” He looked down at the carpet. “I must believe that.”
“Will you silence her?”
Again, his eyes were flat. “How can I?” His voice when he continued was strangled. “I love her.”
“But the vows—”
“I know my duty.” His tone said there would be no further discussion.
Antonio didn’t feel any closer to knowing his don’s heart than he had a few moments ago.
Worse, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear.
All he knew was that he must convince the signora to accept Don Lucchesi.
Antonio took h
is charge very seriously, hovering over the signora at the hotel to the point where he risked irritating her. He swore to himself he’d make her see reason. At the least, he could remind her what her future would look like if Don Andretti got hold of her. He didn’t want to frighten her, but he would if he had to. The stakes were too high to play nice.
In the meantime, he enjoyed playing her husband. Perhaps a little too much. Even with her current pallor, she was still a vision with that long auburn hair, those flashing green eyes, and that smooth, creamy skin he longed to touch. He took advantage of his role in public, touching her lightly at the small of her back, taking her arm in his, putting an arm around her chair when they sat down, playing with the dark red hair that hung down within reach of his fingers. She was intoxicating.
Not that she noticed any of his attentions. When she wasn’t with him, he often heard her weeping. He had to remind her she was pregnant, that she needed to eat.
He also had to remind her to take the prenatal vitamins they’d given her in the hospital. He’d taken to doling one out to her each morning at breakfast. On the fourth day, she looked up at him when he gave her the pill and said, “Thank you. You’ve been very good about all this.”
“It is my pleasure, signora.”
She smiled at him. “Your English is improving.”
He looked down, pleased she’d noticed his efforts. He’d spent all his free time since the break-in working on his English. It was time for him to grow up. If he ever wanted to be capo di società, his English had to be impeccable. Besides, it made it much easier to speak to the signora.
“Are you blushing?” she asked.
His face grew hotter, and he wished he wasn’t so fair. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
She nudged his arm. “Stop that. I was just paying you a compliment. You don’t need to be so modest.”
He collected himself. “I’m sorry, signora. I’m not used to attention from someone….” He let that trail off. Flirting with her wasn’t a good idea.
“Someone what?”
He shook his head. “It is nothing.”
“I’d like to know.”
He blushed again, unable to meet her eyes. “Someone so bellissima.”
She slowly let out a breath as she looked at him. Finally she said, “That’s nice to hear.”
He recovered enough to look at her. “But not wise to say, yes?”
“If Enrico heard you—” She cut off that sentence.
“Yes, I know, signora. He would kill me.”
Kate looked away from Antonio, a lump filling her throat. She toyed with the vitamin he’d handed her. She needed to take it, but swallowing the horse-sized pills was always a struggle. She set it next to her teacup. When was she going to get over Rico? It felt like an eternity since they’d last spoken. Why did she even care? He could very well be planning her death.
And yet she ached. Her baby would grow up never knowing its father. And she would never experience the joy of the marriage she’d looked forward to, however briefly. She’d thought she was marrying a good man, a different man from Vince. But she’d been wrong. Enrico was a mobster, just like Vince.
Except… he wasn’t like Vince. He wasn’t. He was… just in a terrible spot, wasn’t he? His anguish at letting her go seemed genuine. But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t marry another man she couldn’t trust. She had to be able to rely on her husband, and she had to be able to respect and admire him. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a marriage, not in any true sense.
She wished she could leave tomorrow, but the doctor had insisted on at least a full month of recovery time before she could fly, which meant she couldn’t leave for another three weeks. At least it gave her time to think up a plan of sorts.
But who could she trust? Who would help her?
She didn’t have many friends here in Italy. Mostly she and Vince had socialized with members of the Andretti family. Her co-workers at the orphanage all worked for Enrico, and the glowing tones with which they spoke of him meant they were unlikely to go against him. Besides, who among them had the resources or the know-how to get her out of the country without Enrico or Carlo being able to find her?
She looked at Antonio, returned the smile he gave her. He seemed to feel genuine affection for her. He would help her… except he would never cross Enrico. Ruggero she barely knew, and there was no point asking. He, too, would never turn on his boss. And no doubt they were under the same obligation as Enrico—to kill her to keep his secret.
Aside from her co-workers at the orphanage, there were only two other people she knew outside the Lucchesi and Andretti families: Dottor Beltrami and Silvio Fuente. But the doctor was clearly on Enrico’s side—he’d told Enrico about the pregnancy with no hesitation. Besides, would he even know how to keep her safe? She was tempted to trust Fuente since he was in the carabinieri, but as much as Fuente taunted Enrico at times, Enrico had easily bought him at least once. Fuente would probably turn her in to Enrico for a handsome reward.
So who could she go to?
She remembered something Enrico had said. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. She thought back over what Dom had said at the hospital, why he’d said it. If he didn’t want her and Enrico to marry, perhaps she could work with that. Of course, he was under the same obligation as Enrico and the rest of the Lucchesi cosca. But she’d run across something during the course of her work at the orphanage that might help. A secret she was sure Dom wouldn’t want made public. Trusting him was risky, but what other alternative did she have? Between them, Enrico and Carlo had her trapped.
She needed to get hold of Antonio’s cell phone. Once she contacted Dom, he could help her figure out how to leave without Enrico knowing. She had plenty of cash from the sale of her rings, enough to last her through the pregnancy.
The problem was where to go. She didn’t want to be far from her parents now that she was pregnant. But she also didn’t want to bring trouble to their doorstep. Perhaps New York City was big enough to hide her. Still, it might be risky being anywhere in New York state. Carlo would be sure to look hard for her there.
Kate sighed. How was she ever going to outwit Carlo? If Dom refused to help, she was going to have to crawl back to Enrico. Whether she liked it or not. Certainly he’d let her live until the baby was born, which gave her a little more than eight months to come up with an escape plan.
But first she had to try Dom. Unfortunately, Antonio kept his cell phone on him like it was a precious gem. How was she going to get to it?
She needed a distraction.
Maybe faking some morning sickness would work, though the thought of forcing herself to throw up wasn’t high on her list. But it was much better than ending up dead.
She waited until they had lunch. She made herself eat a Caesar salad with anchovies. She’d never liked the salty little fish, and her pregnancy-enhanced sense of smell made them even more revolting. Halfway through the meal, she inhaled too deeply and gagged. Antonio put his hand on her back, leaning toward her. “Signora, are you unwell?”
Kate set down the fork, shaking her head. She wasn’t going to have to fake anything. She looked at the salad again, seeing one of the little chopped up fish staring back at her, and her stomach churned. She pressed the napkin to her mouth, willing herself not to throw up here. That would wreck everything. “Please take me upstairs.”
Antonio jumped out of his chair and offered her a hand. He waved to the waiter and asked him to send up the bill. Then he hurried Kate down the hall to the tiny elevator—little more than a glorified shoe box, she thought—and impatiently pressed the button. The door trundled open, and they stepped inside the heavily ornamented space, Antonio stabbing at the button for their floor. Kate concentrated on looking down. When the elevator jerked, she felt her gorge rise and she took a deep breath through her nose, swallowing convulsively. “Signora, what can I do?”
She clutched his hand, shaking her head. “Just get me to my room. Please.”
&
nbsp; He put an arm around her, and she leaned against him as the elevator crawled up to their floor. When it opened, Antonio motioned her outside, then scooped her up in his arms once she’d crossed the threshold. She should object, but she was afraid to open her mouth again. The image of that little fish head came back to her, and for a second she could smell it all over again.
Antonio raced down the hall with her, and she buried her face in his neck, focusing on inhaling and exhaling. He smelled great—a light, citrusy cologne mixed with his own scent. With her eyes closed, she could almost imagine it was Enrico holding her, Enrico carrying her upstairs to their room…. Her eyes snapped open. No good would come of thinking about Enrico. Especially about having sex with him.
When Antonio reached the door to their suite, he set her down and pulled out the key, unlocking the door in a flash. He followed her inside. She beelined for the bathroom and sank down on her knees in front of the toilet. Antonio hovered in the doorway. “Signora, should I call il dottore?”
“No.” She actually wanted him to leave her alone with her roiling stomach, but her plan wouldn’t work if he left. “Please just stay with me.” She tried to give him a smile. “I’ll be all right. It’s just morning sickness.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “It is afternoon.”
She chuckled weakly. “It’s called morning sickness in English because it’s worst in the morning, but it can happen at any time.”
He crouched down beside her, touching her arm. “You are ill from the baby, sì?”
She nodded too emphatically, and her head felt woozy, her stomach roiling again. She forced herself to picture that chopped-up anchovy again, its dead glassy eye staring up at her, its companions swirling around in her stomach…. That was all it took. She lurched forward, heaving hard, the salad coming up in a flood of gastric acid and bile.
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