Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Luca
I should lie.
She was asking questions I didn’t wish to answer and the words of denial burned my tongue. I couldn’t look at her. I focused on Segreto, promising retribution with every breath.
“He can’t even say it,” Segreto said, his mouth curving into a satisfied smile. “He knows and would rather lie to you, figlia.”
“Fuck. Off,” I growled. I wished we could have this conversation privately, in my own language, because I had all the words needed to threaten Segreto into silence.
“Luca, give me a straight answer.” Valentina tugged on my arm. “Just shut him up by telling the truth.”
“She will find out regardless,” Segreto said to me. “Do you honestly think you can keep it a secret forever?”
Maybe not, but I’d hoped to keep Valentina ignorant of everything happening with Rossi and Palmieri. “You know nothing, old man.”
“I know the don of a powerful family does not come across the ocean, put himself and his family at risk, for a simple reason. I know the ’Ndrangheta wants me dead and they have tasked you to bring me back. So why did you agree, Don Benetti?”
I didn’t owe him explanations. My reasons were my own. But was Segreto trying to convince me he was blameless? “You killed Palmieri’s daughter two years ago. Did you believe this would go unpunished? That he wouldn’t seek retribution? If so, then you are a fool.”
Segreto froze, his mouth parting slightly. I could see him thinking, but Valentina jumped into the silence. “You killed someone’s daughter? That’s terrible. How could you? Especially when you have a daughter of your own!”
Segreto still hadn’t moved. “When did this supposed murder take place?”
“Two years ago.”
“When my mom was dying? ” Valentina asked her father. “You said you were here, taking care of her.”
“I swear that I haven’t left New York since I arrived, figlia mia. And I wouldn’t have left your mother’s side for anything in the world during her last months on earth.”
“Look, someone is lying.” Her head swiveled between the two of us. “Who is this Palmieri person and what does he have to do with you, Luca?”
It was Segreto who answered. “He’s one of the top officers at the Guardia di Finanza. They oversee financial crimes in Italia, including policing the ’Ndrangheta and Cosa Nostra.”
“Wait. Luca, are you in trouble?” she asked. “Is this about, like, money laundering?”
“Amore, why don’t you go with my brother and I’ll explain later? I need to speak to your father alone.”
She took a step back, putting distance between us. “I want to hear whatever it is you need to discuss. Because it sounds like it involves me. ”
I didn’t want to do this. I much preferred speaking to Segreto alone.
Looking over my shoulder, I tiled my chin at my brother. He immediately stepped forward. “Val, why don’t you come with me back to the mansion.”
Segreto was on his feet, his gun pointed at me. “Touch her and Benetti dies.”
Valentina dragged her hands through her hair. “Everyone calm down! Luca, I want to know why you came to New York.”
There was no avoiding it now. I went to the table and sat down across from Segreto. Ignoring Valentina for now, I said to the other man, “Rossi approached me. He said Palmieri learned you were responsible for the car bombing that claimed the life of his daughter. He wanted you found and brought back.”
Segreto put his hand on his heart and began talking in our language. “In the silence of the night, under the light of the stars and under the splendor of the moon, I swear on my life. On our holy chain, on the holy society from which we all came, I did not kill that man’s daughter.”
It was a serious promise using parts of the oath we recited when inducted.
I believed him.
“What are you saying?” Valentina asked, her voice rising. “Speak in English, please.”
I said to Segreto, “Rossi told me my cousin Niccolò had been arrested and Palmieri was willing to trade him for you. Once here, however, I suspected Niccolò wasn’t in custody. And if that wasn’t true, then how could I believe anything I’d been told?”
“Rossi is a snake,” Segreto said. “He can’t let me live because I know who was really stealing money from the other ’ndrine.”
I rested my pistol on the table. “Are you saying Rossi was stealing from the other families?”
“Yes. Missing shipments, skimming payouts. Rossi has another family in Longobardi. He needed more money for the kids’ private school, capisce?”
“How did you discover this?”
Segreto waved his free hand. “I was the underboss. I used to handle the books. It wasn’t hard to get answers, once I noticed things weren’t adding up. But I kept quiet about it until . . . ”
“Until you found out about your daughter and wanted to leave.”
“I thought he would let me go.”
“You tried to blackmail him.”
He nodded once in confirmation and Valentina huffed. “That was incredibly risky. Why not just disappear?”
“Because this life never lets go, figlia mia.” He stared at her for a long beat. “Never forget that.”
“Wait.” Confusion marred the perfectly smooth skin of her forehead. “Luca, you said you had to bring my father to Rossi. But how did you know Flavio was here when no one else did?”
This was the part I dreaded. Once I said it, there was no going back. “I didn’t know he was here.” I inhaled and let it out slowly. “I knew you were here.”
“I don’t understand. You were watching me in the hopes that Flavio was in the area?”
“Not at first.”
“Figlia,” Segreto snapped unkindly. “He was planning on using you. He was going to take you back to Italia to lure me out of hiding.”
Valentina paused and I could see her brain working. Finally, her dark eyes studied my face. “Wait, is my father telling the truth?”
When I remained silent, her face dropped as her body recoiled. “You . . . You came here to kidnap me. This was about finding my father the entire time.” Her hand shot out and she braced herself on the counter, shoulders hunching as if she were in pain. “Oh, my god. This wasn’t real. It was exactly like he said.”
I didn’t know what she meant, but I could guess it was something Segreto said to her. “Valentina?— ”
“Oh, my god, Luca. You were going to kidnap me! What the actual fuck?” She stared at me like I was a monster, a bogeyman under her bed. “You’re an asshole. You made me think . . . and then we . . . Oh, my god. I’m the business you came to New York for. What a fucking idiot I am!”
“Stop it,” I barked. “And let me explain.”
“What was going to happen once you took me back to Italy? Were you going to let the police keep me locked up until Flavio arrived?”
“They wouldn’t have locked you up.”
“But they would’ve kept me somewhere. My god, I am stupid.”
“Fiore mio?—”
“Do not call me that!”
“You need to calm down and hear me out.”
“Fuck off! Do not tell me to calm down like I don’t have a perfectly good reason for freaking out right now.”
This was enough. I needed to get her alone where we could talk privately.
I started to rise, but found Segreto’s pistol aimed at me once more. “Don’t even think about it,” he said in our language. “I will slice your balls off and force them down your throat.”
“Get out of my way, old man, or I’m taking you out.”
“Give me the key to the ATV,” Valentina called. “Then you two can beat each other to death.”
“Fratello,” I said, knowing my brother would understand. I couldn’t let Valentina leave without me.
“He touches her, you die,” Segreto said softly, then he tossed a key to Valentina. “Do you know how to drive it?”
“Are you kidding? All the guys out here have them. I learned how in middle school.”
“Do not leave,” I said. “Per favore, amore. You must let me explain.”
“There is no explanation for this.” She grabbed the knob on the back door. “Other than I was a fool to believe a single word you said. ”
“I never lied to you.”
Pulling on the door, she threw it wide open. “Sure, Mr. DiMarco. Keep telling yourself that.” She paused and closed her eyes, chest heaving. I thought she might be willing to hear me out when she said, “Do not kill my father, Luca. Do not hurt him, either. If you have any shred of decency, any respect for me at all, you will not harm him. Give me your word on whatever honor you have left.”
My muscles twitched with the violence lurking just under the surface of my skin. I wanted to make Segreto pay for ever involving himself in my relationship with Valentina. Now she hated me, and it was unclear whether I could ever gain her forgiveness.
He deserved to suffer for this.
“Valentina,” I said, putting all my displeasure into the single word.
“No, don’t Valentina me. Promise you won’t hurt him. He said he didn’t kill this man’s daughter. That should be enough for you. The rest doesn’t matter.”
The rest? Did she mean the two of us? “If I agree, then you must listen to my explanation.”
“Is that your promise?”
I ground my back teeth together and spat, “Yes, I promise not to hurt him if you hear me out.”
“Okay, then. I’ll listen to your explanation.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Send me a text message and I promise to read it.”
Before I could comment, she disappeared out the door, making sure to slam it behind her. Seconds later, the ATV roared to life. She gave it gas and we heard the whine of the engine as she rolled away.
Segreto took a few steps back but kept the gun on me. “She deserved to know.”
I put my hands on my hips and pinned Valentina’s father with a hard stare. “You know I care for her, yet you poisoned her against me. I should kill you for it.”
“But you’re a man of your word,” he said. “So you won’t. At least one of us has her best interests in mind. ”
“I have her best interests in mind. It’s why I didn’t kidnap her, why I’ve been helping the restaurant. I would do anything for your fucking daughter!”
Segreto lowered his gun slowly. “Which is why you’re going to give her up. She deserves better than a life of prison and blood.”