“Shit, now?” He sounded disoriented, but I knew it was from sleep and not liquor since he’d stopped after two beers while I’d kept going.
The door swung open revealing a half-naked Matteo. “Where?” He ran a hand down his face.
“Nora got a package at La Stella.”
“Fuck. What’s in it?”
“Maurice didn’t give me the details over the phone. Just said he didn’t think it was for Nora at all.
“If it’s not for Nora then who—oh shit.”
“We need to go, now.”
“Yeah, okay. Just let me grab some clothes.”
Five minutes later, we were climbing into Matt’s truck.
My leg bounced uncontrollably as we left Romany Square and made the short journey to University Hill.
“She’ll be okay. Maurice and his team are there.”
“Nora isn’t there,” I ground out.
“What do you mean, she isn’t there?”
“She stayed over at Luca’s.”
“Shit, cous, that’s rough. I’m sorry.”
I felt his eyes on the side of my face, but I didn’t meet his sympathetic gaze. “You and Nic were right all along,” I muttered.
“I’m not following,” he said.
“You told me she’d slip through my fingers.”
“So fight for her. You’re a Marchetti, E. Fighting’s what we do.”
My eyes flicked to his in a questioning expression.
“Oh, fuck you,” he chuckled. “I can fight.”
My brows hit my hairline as I smirked. “You fight like a girl.”
“I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“Yeah, you are.” But from where I was sitting, it didn’t seem like such a bad thing to be. He wasn’t harboring all the hate and bitterness I was. Sure, Uncle Michele wasn’t a traitorous lying cunt, but I’d been like this before.
Angry.
Bitter.
Cold.
I was my father’s son, and, deep down, I knew he was the reason I pushed Nora away. Not because of what I did but because of what I was.
A killer.
A cold blooded murderer.
A sinner.
She was too good, too fucking pure for this life. She deserved Prince Charming, not the villain.
She deserved someone like Luca. Someone who would be there and show up. Someone who wouldn’t bring death and destruction and danger to her doorstep.
I scrubbed a hand down my face, wishing Matteo would step on it.
“So, if the parcel’s for you, we have to assume he’s watching you, or has, at the very least, done his homework.”
“I don’t give a shit about me.”
“We can protect Nora.”
“Not the point, Matt, and you know it.” Nora was in this position because of me. Because whoever was fucking with us had some unfinished business all thanks to my father.
After what felt like a lifetime, Matteo finally pulled up outside of La Stella. I leaped from the truck not giving a shit that I was out in the open. I had to get to her. Now.
But Maurice intercepted me before I even reached the stairs. “He left it at the main doors. Security called me when they noticed.”
“They get any footage?” I glanced at the security cameras trained on the entrance to the building.
“Alexi is checking now.”
“Good, let me know the second you hear. Where’s the package?”
“Inside her apartment.”
“She still with Luca?”
He nodded. “How do you want to proceed?”
“Show me the package.”
I followed Maurice up to Nora’s apartment. My eyes narrowed as I passed Luca’s door. What I really wanted was to kick the fucking thing down and punish her for ever thinking she could pull that shit on me. But I knew better, and I knew Nora would only dig her heels in all the more if I went off at the deep end all because she’d done what I’d been doing week in and week out.
But those women meant nothing, they were a means to an end. Luca was different. He had boyfriend potential.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and follow Maurice into Nora’s apartment.
“It’s right over here.” He led me to the breakfast counter.
The small box was nondescript except for a hand scrawled label with Nora’s address on.
“Here.” Maurice handed me a latex glove and I pulled it on, carefully opening the lid.
“What the fuck is that?” I peered inside, paling when I realized what I was staring at. “That’s Gino’s chain.”
Now I could get a better look, I would recognize the heavy gold chain anywhere. The dried blood caked on the chain links confirmed it.
“Who is this motherfucker?” I hissed.
“What shall I do with it, sir?”
“Call our guys at local PD and have them run it for prints. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”