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I clench my jaw. “You heard about that already?”
“News travels fast in our circles, Angelo. You know that.” He sighs heavily. “Alright, I’ll see what I can dig up. But you owe me one.”
“Done,” I agree without hesitation. “How soon can you get me the information?”
“Give me an hour. Meet Cecilia at the usual spot. She’ll have what you need.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “Thanks, Valentino. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he warns. “And Angelo? Be careful. This Jonah character sounds like bad news.”
“I will,” I assure him before ending the call.
I turn back to the car where Sofia sits, her face pale and tear-stained. My heart clenches at the sight. I’ve faced down rival families, corrupt cops, and cutthroat businessmen, but seeing Fee like this… it’s tearing me apart.
As I slide into the backseat next to her, she looks at me with red-rimmed eyes. “What now?” she whispers.
I take her hand, squeezing it gently. “Now, we fight back. I’ve got someone digging up information on Jonah. He’s not going to get anywhere near Lou.”
She nods, leaning her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close.
“Marco,” I call to the front seat. “Take us home. We’ve got an hour before we need to move again.”
I can’t help but glance back at the shop as we pull away from Perfezione. The place that means so much to Fee, now a crime scene.
We’ll get through this, I tell myself. We’ll rebuild. And Jonah? He’ll regret the day he ever set foot in our lives.
Because now it’s personal. And when it’s personal, I don’t hold back.
An hour later,Marco pulls up to a nondescript brownstone in Brooklyn. The peeling paint and overgrown shrubs give it the appearance of just another neglected property, but I know better. This is one of the Barrone family’s many safe houses, a place where business too sensitive for prying eyes gets conducted.
Fee looks at me questioningly as we exit the car. “What is this place?”
“Somewhere we can get answers,” I reply, guiding her up the worn steps. Marco takes up position outside, ever vigilant.
Inside, the contrast is stark. Plush carpets muffle our footsteps, and tasteful artwork adorns the walls. We’re led to a study at the back of the house, where Cecilia Barrone, Valentino’s step-sister, awaits us.
Cecilia is a study in contradictions. Her tailored suit screams corporate shark, but the vibrant tattoos peeking out from her collar hint at a wilder side. Her sharp green eyes assess us as we enter, a slight smirk playing on her lips.
“Angelo,” she greets me, then turns to Fee. “And you must be Sofia Saldano. I’ve heard… interesting things about you and your mother.”
Fee bristles slightly, but I place a calming hand on her back. “What have you got for us, Cecilia?”
Cecilia’s smirk fades as she opens a thick file on the desk. “Jonah Ansel. Age 29. And let me tell you, this guy’s a piece of fucking work.”
She spreads out several documents. “Hewasmarried, but his wife, Sarah, is currently in hiding from him. She has video affidavits on file for their divorce because she refuses to show up in person.”
Fee gasps softly beside me. I squeeze her hand reassuringly as Cecilia continues.
“Apparently, Jonah became obsessed with having children. When they couldn’t conceive, he started… fixating on other people’s kids.”
My jaw clenches. “What do you mean, fixating?”
Cecilia’s cat-like green eyes meet mine, hard and serious. “There was an incident at a park. Jonah started stalking a nanny and the kid she was watching. His wife managed to talk him down, but that was the last straw for her. She filed for divorce and disappeared the next day.”
I feel Fee trembling beside me. “Oh, God,” she whispers. “And now he’s after Lou…”
Cecilia nods grimly. “It gets worse. Jonah’s been diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder with psychotic features. He’s been off his meds for at least six months.”
