Page 73 of Blood Vows

“No.” At least she answered—that was progress.

“I need to talk to you,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she shouted back.

“That’s unfortunate.” Dante leaned his forehead against the door. This was ridiculous. He negotiated with killers more easily than this. “Elena.”

“What?” she spat.

“Luca doesn’t know who killed your father,” he said.

“How do you know?”

“He told me.” The lock clicked, and the door opened. Elena stood there with her arms crossed.

“That’s your proof?” she asked.

“No, not all of it,” he insisted. She stared him down, and he shook his head. “Okay, yes, that’s my proof.”

“Then don’t call it proof.” Dante stared at her. She’d changed clothes again. His shirt was gone, and he hated that more than he should have.

“Luca said he didn’t kill him.”

“And you believe him?” she asked.

“Yes, I do,” he said.

“Because he’s Luca,” she finished for him.

“Because he’s never lied to me about blood,” Dante insisted.

Her expression tightened. “That’s convenient. You believe him just because you trust him.”

“No. He earned his trust with me,” Dante said. “And that means something. Elena looked away, and Dante stepped closer. “But he also said something else.”

That got her attention. “What?”

“He doesn’t know whether another Camorra killed your father.” Her face changed, and he could see her fear and doubt again—all at once, and Dante hated every bit of it.

“Who could have done it?” she almost whispered.

“We don’t know.”

“Do you think that his father could have done it?” she asked.

“Maybe, but we don’t know for sure,” Dante said.

“Maybe it was someone working for them?” she said.

“Maybe, but his father’s dead, so we can’t ask him, and if someone was ordered to kill your father, no one would say. It’s not how things work in the family,” he said.

She laughed bitterly. “That’s a lot of maybes.”

“I know,” he breathed.

“No, you don’t.” Her voice sharpened. “You still have your family.” Dante went still, and regret crossed her face. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s fine,” he lied.