Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Kathleen stared at Enzo. “Wait, we’re going out? I thought it was too dangerous for us to leave.”
She’d gone to her room after his big reveal and tried several meditation techniques to calm herself down.
Unsuccessfully, she might add. How the ever-living fuck had she gotten herself involved with the mob again?
Seriously?! She just couldn’t believe it.
It was like the gods were laughing at her.
She battled an overwhelming urge to destroy something delicate, or smash her fist into something, preferably her brother’s face.
It was all his fault, she reasoned. He’d sent Enzo to keep an eye on her.
She was under no illusions that he was unaware of Enzo’s occupation.
Hell, he’d probably used Enzo’s connections when he needed to.
In fact, he’d probably done that to help Kathleen when she was trying to get Connor back.
Shit. That sucked some of the wind out of her sails.
Still, she reasoned, Jamie hadn’t needed to send anyone, let alone a mobster. Former mobster, if he were to be believed. But why should she trust him? Once in the mob, always in the mob.
No, she had planned to remain hidden in her room until such time as Jamie could come get her, or she could figure a way out.
And then she’d gotten hungry, and Aldo said he would bring her a salad, but had not reappeared.
Hunger finally got the best of her, and she’d come downstairs only to nearly collide with Enzo in the foyer.
“Yes, we’re going out for lunch.”
“What the hell?” She stared at him. “Did something happen? Why all of a sudden are we going out for lunch? What about Vitale?”
“It’s precisely because of Vitale that we’re going out for lunch.”
His gaze raked over her, and suddenly she was very conscious of her long white skirt with a high slit and green tank top that clung to her boobs in just the right way to show them off without being obvious about it.
She’d put it on this morning when she hadn’t known Enzo was a mobster.
When she still thought he was sexy as hell and that she was leaving town.
Hell, she’d even kissed him and had enjoyed it immensely.
Heat filled her cheeks as she crossed her arms over her chest. “What?”
“Is that Loro Piana?”
“What?” she asked again, truly puzzled by his question about a fashion designer. At least, that’s what she thought he was asking.
“No matter,” he commented. “Just be ready to go in about ten minutes. I will explain everything once we’re out.” He frowned. “You didn’t unpack, did you?”
“What?” she asked for the third time and then felt like an idiot. Things were happening too fast, and she wasn’t getting details. “No, I didn’t unpack. What the hell is going on?”
“Okay, good.” He ignored her demand for a clue about this sudden shift in strategy. “I’ll be down in a few minutes, and then we’re off to lunch.” With that, he dropped a kiss on her forehead and then sprinted up the stairs.
She stared after him. “What the hell?” she muttered.
Danny entered the foyer, and she immediately returned to her original question, still sounding like the village idiot. “What’s going on?” she asked him.
He merely nodded at her and then spoke in Italian. She blinked, thinking he was talking to her, until she noticed he wore an earbud. He moved through the foyer, heading toward Enzo’s office. Kathleen sighed and then turned and moved toward the kitchen.
“Signora, I am sorry about your salad, but Signor Valardi informed me your plans had changed. Perhaps next time you are here, I can take you on a tour of the garden.”
“Er, sure. That would be great.” She didn’t have the heart to tell him there would be no next time.”
“Are you ready?” Enzo asked as he burst into the kitchen.
She spun to face him. “If I knew what was going on, I would know how to answer that question,” she snarked.
He offered her a quick smile and then turned and headed toward the door. She didn’t immediately follow, and he came back and grabbed her wrist, giving her a small tug, “Let’s go.”
His expression had sharpened and his jaw seemed to tighten with purpose, so she moved her feet after offering Aldo a quick smile and let Enzo pull her along in his wake.
He’d changed his clothes. He’d been wearing jeans earlier.
Now he was in summer-weight charcoal dress pants with a snowy-white shirt, sleeves rolled up showing off his tan.
When they entered the foyer, Danny was waiting for them.
She did a double-take. They actually were dressed identically and, from some distance, could pass as brothers.
After a brief exchange in Italian—and why the hell hadn’t she bothered to use her free time in WitSec to learn a foreign language—Enzo put on a fedora and then offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. What the hell was he up to? She walked forward, ignoring his arm, and went out the door into the sunshine.
After a short car ride, they pulled up in front of what looked like an alley entrance.
The alleyway was shaded by multicolored fabric awnings, making it hard to see more than a few feet past the entrance.
Danny came around and opened her door, offering his hand to help her out.
She was pretty sure that went against protocol, but she took his arm anyway.
The other security guy and Enzo came around the side of the vehicle, and she noticed they were all wearing the same clothes, hats, and sunglasses. They looked like triplets.
Enzo reached over and took Kathleen’s other arm, said something in Italian to Danny, and then propelled them both forward into what turned out to be a restaurant.
Tables filled the area, which opened up into a large square after the small entryway.
The walls were all brick, and a variety of landscape-themed artwork hung on the brick wall at the back of the restaurant.
Lovely floral-patterned linen cloths blanketed the tables, with flower vases serving as centerpieces.
The chairs were all white as a contrast. The effect was delightful. Kathleen loved it.
Enzo sent her a sidelong glance, and the corners of his mouth turned upward at seeing her face.
Damn. She hadn’t wanted him to see how much she liked this.
She was angry with him. Angry at the whole situation.
It wouldn’t do to have him think he could handle her or impress her by taking her to a nice restaurant.
And what the hell were they doing here anyway?
The ma?tre d’ immediately came over and chatted with Enzo in Italian. He nodded to her and then showed them to a table in the corner. There was a brick wall beside them and glass doors to what Kathleen assumed was the actual restaurant behind them.
They sat, and a waiter appeared, immediately filling their wine glasses with a lovely deep-red liquid. He nodded and then disappeared again.
“Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Kathleen said between clenched teeth.
“Take a sip of your wine and try to look relaxed, like you’re enjoying this.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she snapped.
Enzo offered her a smile, but his eyes remained cold. “Kathleen,” he said, his voice low, “I’m trying to keep you safe, but I need you to play along. I will explain everything.”
She bit back a retort and dutifully picked up her wine and took a large sip. It was divine because, of course, it was. She took another large gulp and then put the wine back on the table and met Enzo’s gaze. He cocked an eyebrow at her, glancing at the wine glass and back at her.
“You might want to take it easy.”
“You might want to start talking before I throw the rest of it in your face.”
Enzo barked out a laugh. “Fair,” he commented with a grin. This time, his smile was in his eyes as well. They damn near sparkled at her.
He was so friggin’ sexy when he smiled, and the chuckle did things to her insides, never mind the sparkle. She ground her teeth and mentally gave herself a cold shower.
The smile died in his eyes, but he kept a fake one pasted on his lips.
“As I told you earlier,” he began, “my contacts will be of no use now. I must find the treasure, and it will be mostly without help. Vitale has men watching my house, which I expected. I did not expect him to position gunmen on the roofs of nearby buildings.”
“Oh my God,” Kathleen breathed. “Is there anything you can do to get rid of them? Can’t you call the cops or something?”
Enzo gave her a rueful smile. “I could, but Vitale has friends in high places, and currently, I do not.”
“So, why are we out at lunch? Doesn’t this mean he can keep a closer eye on us? Get to us if he wants to?”
As she asked the question, two men approached the alley’s entrance. They were dressed in suits, but there was no mistaking that they were muscle. They appeared to look around the place and then took up spots at the mouth of the alley.
“And speaking of,” she murmured.
Enzo, whose back was to the entrance, glanced over her head, and she realized that he must be able to see the reflection of the opening in the glass doors behind her. “I see them.” He looked back at her. “Don’t worry, it’s to be expected.”
The waiter appeared with a bread basket and then retreated again after refilling Kathleen’s wine glass.
“I know where the treasure is,” Enzo said as he raised his wine glass and took a sip.
Kathleen stared at him. “Way to bury the lede. Where is it?”
He shrugged. “Okay, maybe I misspoke. I know what the map shows. I won’t know where the treasure is exactly until I get there.”
“Where is it?” Kathleen demanded. “What does the map show?”
Enzo smiled. “The map is of the gardens at Versailles.”
Kathleen stared, her heart racing, excitement shooting through her veins. “Really? As in Versailles outside of Paris?”
“Yes. It took me a bit, but when Aldo talked to me about taking you out back to tour our kitchen garden, it just clicked.”