Page 89 of Valentino

I nod.

“Does Anna know about Chiara?” he asks.

“No, and she’s not to find out. I don’t want her scared.”

“Okay.”

“I’m going to move us back into my apartment tomorrow.”

“Probably a good idea.” He thinks for a moment. “Why don’t you move Anna into your apartment, and you stay somewhere else?”

He thinks he’s going to get her.

“So…I’m safe?”

“I just mean….”

“Shut the fuck up, man.” I hang up on him, how dare he. How fucking dare he worry about my safety and not Anna’s.

I drag my hands through my hair as I pace, willing myself to calm down.

I scroll through my contacts.

Eliana.

I dial her number. “Val,” she answers. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I reply. “I have a job for you.”

“Of course.”

“There’s a new chief of police; his name is Mauro Sartori.”

“Just let me get a pen.” I hear a drawer open and then close. “Okay, Mauro Sartori.” She repeats the name out loud as she writes it down. “What do you need?”

“I want you to seduce him.”

Silence.

“Bug his house. I need one in every room; I’ll have the boys drop off the equipment tomorrow.”

“Can’t you drop it off?”

I swallow a lump in my throat; it would be so easy.

“I can’t, babe.”

“I miss us,” she murmurs.

I don’t reply.

“Is that all?” She sighs, annoyed that she’s not going to see me.

“Make him fall in love with you.”

“Ha,” she huffs. “I clearly don’t know how to do that,” she fires back. “You seem to be the only one who possesses that skill, Val.”

I roll my eyes, here we go.