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Ana smoothed her expression, even as her hands clenched around her purse.
Asshole.
She adopted diplomatic silence. Grandfather’s long-held biases were the least of her concerns. Her mind remained stuck on Gio.
In all the challenges they’d faced thus far, his cool confidence had never wavered. She had become accustomed to his strength, his ability to anchor them amidst any storm. But this morning, he’d been lost.
The moment Gabriella had collapsed, he had gone completely numb. He hadn’t moved or said anything as his sister cried over and over again that it was the same man.
Ana had been the one to step in and take over the call, calming Gabi down until she’d been able to recompose herself nearly a half hour later. Ana had directed the P.I. to summon Luke and then asked his men to escort the girl home before they returned to Pittsburgh.
All while Gio had stood paralyzed.
By the time they’d disconnected, he had slumped down onto the ground with his head in his hands. Completely unresponsive. Flummoxed by the sight of such a strong man coming undone, Ana had rushed to his side, kneeling next to his hunched form. She’d touched his shaking back carefully as he’d shuddered all over, fury and grief battling for control.
It was all for money, Ana.
Her chest wrenched with a terrible, bottomless ache, remembering the raw pain in his voice. Gio had curled in on himself, tearing at his hair, until she’d wrapped her arms tightly around him. Restraining him.
It was all for money…That was the only thing he’d uttered before lapsing into silence for hours.
There was nothing she had been able to say. How could anyone accept something so terrible? So treacherous?
Gio had always suspected there was a larger plot behind his parents’ deaths. Perhaps a deal gone wrong or a power grab by a Capo. But neither of them could have ever imagined that it was merely a coverup for Vitello’s financial mismanagement.
It was hard to determine how far back his payroll fraud dated. But Gio’s parents must have discovered it when they’d met with him–on their last and fatal visit to Pittsburgh.
“If you go any closer to that truck, we’ll be flattened before you can get your head out of your ass!” Grandfather barked sharply as the poor driver apologized profusely.
Ana stifled a sigh.
Why was she here? She should be home with her husband instead of on this wretched hour-long car journey with this detestable man.
But Gio had insisted on her going and maintaining appearances. Her last-minute cancellation would draw too much notice, and he wanted to catch Vitello off-guard.
“All the pieces are in place…the fraud, the murders, the guard. Destroying my parents, my sister–and you.” Gio’s eyes teemed with molten fury, piercing through the numb veil he’d fallen into.
“Each one of those offenses would have warranted death all by themselves. But all together?” He laughed cruelly. “For that, I’ll skin Vitello alive and hang him out in his yard. Then everyone will see what happens to traitors.”
The deadly promise sent fear down her spine even now. Vitello deserved what he had coming. But she was scared of the danger awaiting her husband.
“I have a man stationed outside his house, keeping surveillance. As soon as Luke’s men return from Jersey, we’ll strike.”
“We?” she whispered fearfully. “You’ll join them?”
Gio would accept nothing less. “I have been waiting for this moment for over a year, Ana. To get my revenge. I am going to gut that spineless man until he burns in hell.”
Terror laced through her.
She glanced nervously over at Reggie, who sat up front with the driver. If their appointments ended early enough, he could also join the men in the attack. Gio would need all the manpower he could get. He was away from home and had to rely on Luke’s team for support. But she was still apprehensive.
Was Luke reliable? Were any of the men?
At every turn, she searched for traitors.
Largely because of the many questions still left unanswered. Had the guard, Robert Lilin, acted alone in orchestrating the car bombings? Or had he been in cahoots with other staff? Everyone had blamed the Bernardi guard on duty that day, the one driving their car. But it was unclear whether the driver was an accomplice or an innocent bystander.
And why had Robert set his sights on Ana after the murder? Was that also under Vitello’s direction? Or had he gone rogue?
