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Rafael smirks, and my panties start to melt. “Why don’t you tell me what you really think?”
“I just did.”
“It’s his privilege to lead the effort. Up to a point.” Rafael drums his fingers on the table. “There was a man gathering information about you for nefarious purposes. I promise you, Angel, your father is not going to let Russo go off half-cocked for too long before he steps in. And my patience on this front is even shorter. But Russo’s daughter is dead. He gets to avenge her death. That’s how it works in our world.”
“I know. And I would want revenge if it were my child too. I’m not complaining. I just hoped we’d be closer to ferreting them out before another woman was taken.”
“You need a break from this. Tamar too. If you spend too much time in that dark corner, it’ll suck all the life out of you.”
He runs his fingertip over the inside of my wrist, and a small shiver runs through me. I’m sure he noticed, but he doesn’t call it out.
“Take tomorrow off so you can clear your head and enjoy Antonio’s party.”
“I plan on it,” I say, my resolve softening like butter left in the sun.
“Good.” He pauses, fidgeting with a pencil. “Can I pick you up on my way to the party?”
“Daniela invited me to come over early. I said yes, because I know it’s going to be weird for her without Valentina. I promised the girls I’d help with the decorations.”
“Would you have said yes if you didn’t have a plan to go over early?” His gaze is probing.
Probably. But then I would have hated myself.
“I’d like to tell you that I would have found my own way there. But I don’t know.”
It’s the truth. I’d like to think that I can hold out forever, but he’s so tempting, and I’m having more and more weak moments—like now.
He drags my chair closer to him and takes my hand. “What will it take for us to have another chance? What do you need from me?”
Some assurance that you won’t walk away at the drop of a hat. That when it gets hard, you’ll put your fears aside and fight for us. “I don’t know,” I murmur.
“I think you do.”
I will myself to speak the words not of my heart, but of my head. “I’m not ready to try again. I might never be.”
“I can wait. But as to the second part, I don’t accept that. Never is nothing more than a challenge as far as I’m concerned.”
His arrogance should strengthen my resolve. I should hate it. But I don’t.
I’m in trouble.
He’s going to break my heart again. And I’m going to let him. I feel it. But there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
24
LEXIE
“Where’s Valentina?” Vivi, Antonio and Daniela’s youngest daughter, asks, and the chatter around the table stops. It’s the elephant in the room, although I suspect everyone, aside from the kids, knows why she isn’t here.
I glance at Antonio, whose expression is unreadable.
“Marco had business, and he needed her with him,” Daniela tells her daughter. “We’ve already talked about this.” Neither her face nor her tone gives away her true feelings on the matter. She’s too smart and poised for that, but she’s not happy.
I’m not happy about it either.
When I arrived, she peppered me with questions about Valentina—and Marco. I’m sure it’s why she wanted me to come over early. Helping the girls decorate was just an excuse. Oddly enough, she didn’t seem to blame Rafael or Antonio for Valentina’s absence, like I would have expected. But she’s worried.
“Didn’t they know it was Papai’s birthday?” Vivi presses on. “They should have told them the business is off.” She slices her tiny hand through the air to make the point. “I’m going to have a word with that Marco.” She’s so serious that the adults laugh, except for Daniela, who shoots her daughter a disapproving look that Vivi barely acknowledges.
