Page 95 of The Mastermind
‘I… don’t know. She was holding a gun. Another of my grandfather’s rules is that we weren’t allowed to leave home without security or our own guns. We learned to shoot when we were thirteen.’
Orazio’s eyebrow went up at that. Then he scowled.
Rafa stepped closer. ‘Did your sister shoot my mother. Or not?’
‘I don’t know,’ she answered. ‘And that’s the truth. I took the gun from her and told her and Mom to run because I was terrified of… of…’
She didn’t need to say it.
‘If she didn’t shoot, what the fuck was she doing next to her?’ Rafa gritted out. He was moments away from losing it.
‘I think your mother was saying something to her, or Giada was trying to stop the bleeding.’
‘You think? All this bullshit guessing is to cover your sister’s ass?—’
‘You’re saying your sister heard my wife’s last words?’ my father asked through lips gone white with tension and renewed grief.
A horrifying sound leapt from Rafa’s throat, and he turned abruptly, striding over to the kitchen island. From the corner of my eye, I watched him hunch over, breathing through his mouth.
‘Y-yes. Maybe,’ Maddelena replied.
‘What did she say?’ Papa pressed.
Misery etched deeper into her face and every bone in my body wanted to pull her close. But I couldn’t risk it with the tension in the room. ‘I don’t know. Giada never said. She hasn’t spoken a single word since the shooting.’
‘Where is she? Where’s your sister?’ Rafa demanded, voice as deadly as a viper’s venom.
She shifted her attention to him, eyes bold despite the pulse racing at her throat. I stabbed another warning look at him, but he ignored me.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I haven’t seen or spoken to her since that night. My grandfather took her away in the middle of the night and he refuses to tell us where she is. But even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.’
Fuck.
Rafaelle’s chest expanded, his tattoos writhing as his breathing grew erratic. My brother rarely lost his cool. It was always a little terrifying and a lot disturbing watching it happen. They stared each other down for an age. Then, probably guessing she meant every word, his eyes flicked to me. Then to the phone sitting on the coffee table.
‘Have you asked?’ he hissed.
Her head swivelled my way. ‘Asked who? Who’s he talking about?’
I kept my gaze on him. ‘No, I haven’t. And I’m not going to. Just yet.’
‘I’m interested to know who this person is too,nupito.Have you been holding out on us?’ Orazio asked.
Tell him or I will,Rafa’s gaze blasted.
‘He means the source who helped us find the moles in the team.’
Orazio’s gaze sharpened, ever hungry for an advantage. ‘Who is this source? Are they an asset we can cultivate long term?’
‘There’s been no contact since the Singapore race.’
Orazio tsked. ‘You sound like a girl waiting to be picked for prom. What’s stopping you from initiating contact?’
‘Because I haven’t needed to. Still don’t.’ This was directed at my brother. Whose fists bunched at his side.
‘Are you fucking serious right now?’
‘Giada was off-limits before this conversation started. She’s staying off-limits until I say otherwise.’ I squeezed Maddelena’s hand, lifted it to my mouth and kissed her knuckles, delighting in her hitched breath. ‘And fyi, that won’t be anytime soon because Maddelena is going to be my wife. Which makes her – if it needs spelling out – an Untouchable. Are we all clear on that?’
