Chapter 21
Twenty-One
Amara
When Ciro pulled out of the parking lot, I squeezed my eyes together. Could I block out the building? The fact that Luka was still inside? The fact that I was the one leaving him behind this time?
“I need you to take me to the Hilton,” I instructed Ciro. “The one out by the interstate.”
“Why?”
“I need to speak to Enzo’s parents.” I scrolled through my phone absently. “They’re staying there. According to this article it’s where they’ve set up the central command tent.”
“You think that’s a good idea?”
“I’m his boss,” I shot back. “They should know the entire company is in shock and supporting his family. I’ll offer a public reward for his return.”
“That puts you in the spotlight.”
I shook my head. “I’ll offer it to them, his parents, as an anonymous contribution to bringing him home,” I explained.
Ciro made a U-turn at the next light, sending us in the direction of the Hilton.
We had twenty minutes in the car.
“What was in Philadelphia?” I asked.
“A connecting flight to Paris.” His eyes darted to the rearview mirror. “You know why I was going there.”
“I do, but you didn’t make it to France. So what else was there? It’s not a coincidence you were routed through there,” I commented. I knew he could be evasive, but I always expected the truth from Ciro.
“I was trying to tie up a loose end for your father,” he admitted.
I blinked. “My father? What are you talking about?” I had a chill. It had run from my shoulders to my wrists. He made it sound as if my father was still alive and giving him orders.
“It’s still not the time. We can go into it later.”
“Maybe it’s the perfect time.” It would take my mind off the one thing I couldn’t control right now.
Ciro exhaled. “There was something he wanted me to do for him four years ago.”
“I remember. It was when I was?—”
“Yes, that’s when it was.” Ciro didn’t like to talk about it anymore than I did. He harbored guilt and failure that I’d been snatched out of my own house.
“You didn’t finish the errand for him then?” I asked.
“No.” He made a sharp turn. “I found out about you and left without finishing what he asked me to do.”
I was trying to make sense of the breadcrumbs. “You weren’t able to get back to it until now?”
“That’s correct.” He turned the radio off, despite that it was too low to hear the station playing. “I haven’t left New Orleans. I haven’t left your side in four years.”
“And I appreciate that. But I’ve never asked you not to take a day off of work.”
“Protecting your life is not a job, Amara. It’s what I pledged to do. It’s my duty to you and your father.”
“Maybe you need more time off, Ciro. Time to go do something for yourself. I’m not talking about errands for my father.”
He pulled into the Hilton and parked. The car hummed. Neither of us moved.
“He’s going to ask you to marry him. I don’t think you should do it.”
“What?” My head flooded with anger.
“I told him not to propose. It would only end in disaster, and with you getting hurt.”
“You had no right to interfere in my private relationship.” I clenched my teeth. I was stunned by his admission. Stunned that Luka would have told him.
“The Novikovs are not good enough for you. They don’t have anything to contribute to Amato Global. They will only tear down what you have built. He is not good enough for you.”
“I get to make that decision. Not you.”
“Your father isn’t here anymore. There is no one who knows you like I do. And until I find…” He stopped.
“Until you find what?” I pressed. “What was that errand?” I demanded. I had had enough of this game. I didn’t want to blame Ciro as much as I blamed my father for making this man pledge his life to me, when I’d never asked for it. I was furious Ciro was still carrying out jobs for a dead man. I was angry that Ciro wanted Luka out of my life. This car was filled with anger.
He turned with a stiff twist to face me in the backseat.
“You have a half-sister,” he blurted.
“I do not.”
“She lives in Philadelphia. She’s twenty-four.”
“No. That’s not possible.” I shook my head.
“She doesn’t know about you. She doesn’t know the business.”
I looked out the window. There were several police cars parked near the front door. I saw volunteers walking in and out carrying crates of drinks and lunch. Some had banners. Some had stacks of flyers.
Ciro didn’t care that I stopped asking questions. “He thought her name was Simone. All I had to go on was a baby photo and the hospital where she was born.”
“He wouldn’t have left a child like that.” It wasn’t possible. My father was cold, but there was one thing that warmed him, and that was family blood. The ties and power it gave him. If he had could have collected five more children, he would have.
“The woman was married. Your father was a widower. He wanted the baby. She hid her and raised her with her husband. That’s all I have. The last names don’t even match, so I keep coming up empty.”
“Stop. Stop.” I shook my head.
“It’s true.” He reached in his wallet and withdrew a folded photo. He handed it to me.
I examined it. It was a picture of a baby. It was blurry and there were no features that stood out. It was just a baby. I didn’t feel anything when I looked at it. I gave it back to Ciro.
“I can’t do this now. I have to talk to Enzo’s parents.” I nodded toward the hotel lobby. “Tell them I have a few minutes.”
Ciro began to open his mouth. “All right. I’ll bring them to the car.”
“Thank you.” I picked up my phone and waited for what was going to be another hellish conversation.
A few minutes later, the back door opened and Ciro ushered the parents into the backseat.
“Mr. and Mrs. Barone,” I greeted them. “I’m so sorry. Please come in. It’s cool.”
They observed the interior of the SUV and climbed inside. Ciro shut the door and stood outside the vehicle.
“I’m Enzo’s boss. He’s very important to me. More than I could describe.” The three years he had worked by my side couldn’t be summed up in a quick meeting like this one.
His mother started weeping. Shit. I handed her a tissue. “Here. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. Everyone is nervous.”
His father had the same blue eyes as Enzo. “We just want our son home. That’s it. We appreciate you coming down here, Ms. Amato.”
“Of course.” I waited for Mrs. Barone to blot her cheeks. “I’d like to help with the search.”
“We have a lot of people in the city looking for him.”
“Not like that exactly,” I explained. “Please, use the resources I have. I’d like to offer reward money for his safe return, but anonymously. Just to keep the attention where it should be, and that’s on Enzo.”
The parents exchanged a look of relief or confusion. I wasn’t sure which.
“That’s very generous of you,” he responded. “But, we don’t want to put you out.”
“You won’t. I want him back. You can’t really put a price tag on that, can you?”
They shook their heads.
“All right. I’ll have my attorney deposit money into a trust with your names on it for the reward disbursement. Half a million should get you started.”
His mother sputtered. “Dollars? Half a million dollars?”
“Yes. And anything else you need.” I jotted my number down and handed it to them. “Call me. No matter what time of day it is. I’ll get you anything you need.”
Enzo’s father, tucked the phone number into his pocket. “Thank you, Ms. Amato. Enzo has said nothing but how much he loves working for you. We can see why.”
I pressed my lips together. Ciro opened the door. That was the cue for them to leave, but they seemed stuck in limbo. I’m sure it was a feeling like trying to walk through quicksand. There was no good place for them to sit and wait this out. For a minute, they were using my SUV as their refuge. For Enzo, I could wait with them a few minutes more.