them down. Tomorrow was Monday, and I wanted to go back to my life. To classes and some kind of normal. As far as I was aware, there had been no further attacks, so maybe whoever was targeting the Marchetti had given up. Or maybe they had it wrong. Maybe it wasn’t related to Vincenzo at all.
A gentle knock at my door sounded like an explosion in my skull.
“Hello?” I groaned.
“It’s me.” Arianne slipped inside. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I drank my body weight in tequila.”
“I hate to be the one to say it, but you did.” She smiled but I found no judgment there. “He’s really under your skin, isn’t he?”
“What do you think?”
“Honestly?” Her brow lifted. “I think you’re too good for him, Nora.”
“It doesn’t matter now anyway. He made his choice.”
And it wasn’t me.
“Do you think we can go home soon?”
I didn’t want to spend a second longer here than necessary.
“Hopefully. Nicco is on the phone with his father right now.”
“How are the girls?” I asked.
“Bella looks as green as you.”
“Ouch.”
“Matteo is still railing at her.”
“At least I don’t have to worry about Gio being around to lecture me.”
Just then, my cell vibrated.
“Let me guess,” Ari said as I checked it. “Luca?”
“Maybe.” I smothered a smile as I read his text message.
When are you coming back? Turns out our other neighbors are awfully boring.
Hopefully later today.
Dinner at mine? I still owe you…
“What does he want?” Ari asked, trying to peer over my hands.
“He invited me for dinner.”
“Like a date?”
“No, like two friends hanging out,” I corrected her.
“Sounds like a date to me.”
“He knows I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”
“Just be careful, Nora. I know you probably want to get back at Enz—”
“That’s not what this is, babe. Luca is a friend.” And friends could have dinner, couldn’t they?
Only if I can help cook?
I hit send, and his reply came straight back.
Deal. See you around five?
“Tell me you didn’t just do what I think you did.” Ari frowned, concern shining in her eyes.
“What does it matter?”
“Even if we get to go home, you’ll have round the clock security until Antonio is satisfied that the threat is gone.”
“So?” I shrugged. “Maurice can protect me from outside Luca’s apartment.”
“And if Enzo finds out?”
“It’s not a secret, babe. It isn’t illegal to have dinner with a friend. Besides, he won’t care.”
“Because Enzo not caring has worked out so well for you in the past.” She gave me a pointed look.
“What happened to I’m too good for him?”
“You are, but love doesn’t always follow the rules. All I’m saying is don’t push him too hard, because you might not like his response.”
“There is nothing that guy can do to hurt me anymore than he already has,” I confessed. But the second I said the words, I felt the lie coil around my heart.
There was another knock at the door, and Nicco stuck his head around it.
“What did he say?” Ari got up and went to him.
His eyes moved past her to mine, and just like that we were back to me being on the outside.
I pulled the covers around me and let out a frustrated sigh. “Can we go home or not?”
“Yeah, we’re going home. But security will be increased, until we have a handle on this.”
“Great, I’d better get used to Maurice following every time I go for a pee again then.” In the days after my kidnapping, I’d had someone with me at all times. I couldn’t move without Maurice or another security guy leaping into action. It was tiresome, not to mention suffocating. But that’s what happened when you were Arianne Capizola’s best friend and she was married to the Marchetti crime family’s heir.
I didn’t get kidnapped because I was important, I got taken because I was important to her.
It was the same now. No one wanted to hurt me directly, they wanted to hurt people close to the Family.
“We’ll leave you to pack.” Arianne shot me a sympathetic smile. Life wouldn’t change for her. She’d stay at their well-guarded apartment in Romany Square with Nicco by her side. The girls would return home and be protected by their families, and me?
I’d go home to my apartment alone with Maurice for company.
Forty minutes later, after a quick breakfast, we were packed into the SUVs heading back to Verona. Only this time, Tristan was riding with us in place of Enzo. Matteo said it was because tensions were high and Nicco wanted to know Enzo was with his