Chapter 40 Liana
LIANA
When we get to the restaurant, it’s packed so full of patrons I’m shocked when we don’t have to wait to get a window seat.
“Looks like you picked the most popular sandwich shop in Sicily,” I say to Massi as he pulls my chair out for me to sit.
“Only the best for you.” He winks, taking his seat across from me.
The server takes our drink order, then leaves, allowing us time to peruse the menu full of different sandwiches.
After she takes our order, I finally have a moment to focus on Massi and everything that’s happened between us.
“You know, had you asked me at the beginning of the year if I was going to be in Sicily with my husband Massimo Bonetti, I would’ve laughed in your face, then walked away.”
He chuckles, resting his forearms on the edge of the table. “Oh, yeah? And how about now? What’s that beautiful mind thinking of what this year has brought so far?”
“I’m still unsure if I believe it all. You and I? That’s not something I saw from a mile away.”
“How could you not? I gave you a six-year warning, after all.”
I laugh. “Yes, but I ignored you, thinking you were just a crazy person.”
Massi shrugs. “You’re not completely wrong for thinking that … I am a crazy person when it comes to the things I love.”
I shake my head, but my face heats with glee when he says love.
As much as that warms my heart, and as much as I can admit I’ve developed feelings for him, I’m not quite ready to say those words.
It doesn’t seem to bother him that I haven’t said it yet, but I’m not sure if that’s because he’s putting on a mask.
Our server brings our food and we thank her, then turn our attention back to each other.
“You don’t have to worry about you not saying I love you bothering me,” Massi says.
I choke, a piece of my panelle getting stuck in my throat. Grabbing my drink, I take several sips to flush it down. Massi is about to get up, but I wave him off. “I’m okay,” I cough out, then take another sip of my water.
I should’ve guessed he would be able to read my mind and figure out exactly what I was thinking at that moment.
“Damn, bro, are you trying to kill your beautiful wife on your honeymoon?” a voice says, and I snap my gaze to its source.
Without looking, Massimo says, “Gui, how did you know we were here?”
“I have your phone tracked, remember?”
Massi slides his gaze to his brother’s. “Fine, then explain why you’re here.”
“Because I’m hungry, duh. You know, I’m a little offended I never got an invite. You left me at the villa with no food. What did you expect me to do?” He grabs a crocché off Massi’s plate and pops it in his mouth. Then he looks over at my plate, takes a panelle, and does the same thing.
“Gui, you need to le—”
“Why don’t you join us, Gui?” I rush out, then give Massi a cute little smirk when he eyes me.
“What?” I say to him. “You can’t expect him to be cooped up in the villa with no food after dragging him on this unprecedented trip.”
“Aww, Liana, see, I always knew I’d like you,” Gui says.
“He is clearly capable of finding his way around,” Massi says. “There are plenty of other restaurants for him to dine at.”
“By myself?” Gui says, grabbing an empty chair from the table behind us. “That sounds lonely, Massi. You’d make me do that?”
“Of course I would,” he says, but it doesn’t stop the smile that’s shining on Gui’s face.
“Okay, okay, enough you two. We can all have some lunch together. Besides, there’s something important we need to discuss,” I say.
Massi raises a brow at me.
“What you overheard yesterday at Ignazio’s house,” I remind him.
“Overheard?” Gui asks with a lift in his brow as he takes another panelle off my plate.
“Uh, yeah,” Massi says, then clears his throat. “I don’t really know much. I just … I heard Mom and Dad talking in one of the rooms. They were saying there’s something they’ve been hiding from me.”
Gui’s brow furrows. “Hiding something from you?” His voice grows concerned.
“Yeah. I have no idea what, but they said they’ve been hiding it for quite some fucking time now.”
“What do you think it could be?” he asks.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Massi says with a shrug.
“But whatever it is must be serious. I could hear it in Mom’s voice.
Whatever it is had her distraught. Dad had to snap her into place.
” He shakes his head. “I’ve never heard him speak to her like that.
Usually, they’re so lovey-dovey and shit.
This time when he spoke to her, it was like it was an order. ”
The guys are silent for a moment, so I say, “Think, Massi. Has there ever been anything in your life that maybe you and your parents didn’t agree on? Have they ever mentioned anything about Sicily that you think this thing they’re hiding could pertain to?”
“No, not at all. I’ve never gone against anything they’ve said.”
Gui nods. “It’s true. Massi here is the golden child. This really makes no fucking sense. If our parents are going to hide shit, it’s going to be from me and Gio. Massi is the one who knows everything.”
“Yeah,” Massi sighs out. “I really don’t fucking know, but I need to find out while we’re here.”
“You gonna confront Dad?” Gui asks
“I don’t know. He was pretty fucking adamant to Mom about me never finding out. I need to … I need to catch them talking about it again.”
“What if you bugged them?” I suggest.
They snap their gazes to me.
“Bug them?” Massi says.
I shrug. “Yeah, I mean, I know that’s not a guarantee you’ll figure out what’s going on, but it’ll at least increase your chances.”
“We can get Cassius to hack into their phones and gain access to their microphones,” Gui says to Massi.
“Yeah, we can do that, but what are the chances they’ll talk about it again? They’re going to be extra fucking cautious now.”
“What if you confront them like Gui said?”
The guys snap their gazes to me again.
“Hear me out. If you bring it up to them, they’re most likely going to speak about it the next time they’re alone.”
“Ahhh, she has a point,” Gui says with a nod, pointing at me. “I like this idea.”
A smile tugs at the corner of Massi’s mouth. “Yeah, I like this idea too. Let me make a call real quick.”
Massi pulls out his phone and dials a number, then brings it up to his ear. After a few silent moments, he says, “Hey, Cassius, I need a favor.”
He’s quiet as he listens, then says, “I need you to gain me access to the microphones on two cellphones.”
There’s another pause, then he’s speaking again.
“Yeah, here’s the thing, I need it done tonight. I’ll pay extra for the inconvenience.”
More silence fills the air.
“Uh-huh. Yeah. I’ll get it wired over immediately and keep in contact about tonight.”
“Yeah, the app. Yes. Got it. Thanks, Cassius.”
Massi hangs up, then looks at me and Gui. “Cassius is going to get it done tonight.”
“How does that work exactly?” I ask.
“We’ll need to get both of my parents’ phones and download an app Cassius created. He handles the rest.”
“And how exactly do you think we’re going to get their phones without them seeing?” Gui asks.
“The masquerade ball is tonight. They won’t have their phones on them during the event, so we need to do it then.”
“So that’s the plan, then. Get their phones. Download the app. Massi, you’ll question them about this secret they’ve been hiding, then we’ll find out what’s really going on,” I say.
“Seems like a fool-proof plan,” Gui says.
“Yeah, theoretically, it should be fine,” says Massi, then his phone rings. “It’s Gio,” he says, then answers it. “What’s going on, Gio?”
I slide my gaze to Gui, who has a crinkle in his brow as he watches his brother.
“Is everything okay?” Massi says, a hint of urgency to his tone, which has Gui’s and my eyes widening.
“Yeah … Mm-hm … You sure?” Massi says.
There’s silence for a few moments.
“I can get on a plane right now and head back if you need me to.”
Gui mouths What’s happening? to Massi, but he ignores him.
“You’re sure, Gio?”
More silence, besides my heartbeat thrumming in my ears.
“Alright. Call me if you need anything. You say the word and I’ll fly back.”
I glance at Gui, who’s still focused on Massi.
“Okay, good. Thanks, Gio. I’ll talk to you later.” He stuffs his phone back in his pocket. “That was Gio.”
“Yeah, no shit. What the hell happened?” Gui says.
“He said there was an issue with one of the containers we got in.”
“An issue?”
“It was short some … product,” Massi says.
I roll my eyes. “It’s okay. You can talk about your business in front of me. I won’t run away.”
“He said it was missing a crate of guns, but he figured out who took it and was able to get it back.”
“Who the fuck took it?”
“One of our guys broke into the warehouse.”
“Why the hell would he do that?” Gui says.
“No fucking idea, but Gio handled it, so we’re not needed,” Massi says.
“Handled it?”
“Yes … handled it.” Massi raises his brows at Gui.
I have to admit, it’s kind of adorably hilarious how Massi is trying to speak in code to keep me from hearing the darker sides of his work.
Massi sits with his hand under his chin, looking like he’s deep in thought.
“What’re you thinking?” Gui says.
“I’m unsure. It’s just very interesting timing, is all,” Massi says, then his phone goes off again.
“What a coincidence,” he says, looking at his phone, then answering it. “Hey, Dad.”
Gui and I are quiet while Massi listens to the call.
“Yeah, everything is good, but I did just get a call from Gio. Said there was an issue with one of our men trying to steal a crate from our latest shipment. He handled it though.”
It’s silent for a few more moments.
“I spoke to him, and he doesn’t need me,” Massi says.
I exchange a glance with Gui.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’ll consider it … Yeah … Okay … Thanks, Dad.”
He hangs up the phone, stuffing it back into his pocket. “That was strange,” he says.
“What’d he say?” Gui asks.
“He was just checking in on the shipment. Wanted to make sure everything was set with the buyers.”
“And that was strange because …?” Gui says.
“I told him Gio handled the situation with the crate, but he told me I should still head home and make sure everything’s okay since I’m in charge.”
“I mean, that kind of makes sense,” Gui says.
Massi sits there deep in thought, clenching his jaw. “There was something about the way he said it. Like he was trying to get me to leave, and with what we know about him keeping something from me that’s here, I think that’s exactly what he was trying to do.”
“You think Dad had something to do with the dude trying to steal the crate?” Gui asks.
He shakes his head. “I know it’s a fucking outlandish idea, but there’s something off here, and if you guys had heard how my dad was speaking, you would understand. I don’t think he wants me in Sicily any longer so he can make sure I don’t find out about whatever bullshit secret this is.”
“This is fucking crazy, bro,” Gui says, but I can see the concern etched into the skin between his brows. He might be saying it sounds crazy, but there’s a part of him that believes him.
“I know,” Massi says. “I know …”
“Let’s play this out, then,” I say. “Let’s say your dad was successful in getting you to go home. That would mean you’d be missing the masquerade ball. Does that mean this masquerade ball is hiding whatever it is your parents are hiding?”
Gui looks back and forth between the two of us. “This is getting very confusing.”
“It doesn’t make any fucking sense, but at this point, I’m just throwing out any ideas that I can think of,” Massi says. “I just need to confront them tonight at the ball. Figure out what the hell is going on.”
“I have a feeling tonight is going to be a lot more eye opening than any of us thought it’d be,” Gui says, taking another panelle off my plate.
I sit in silence while the guys talk about tonight’s plan, worried what this secret his parents have been hiding from him is.
Because if Massi’s suspicions about his dad are true, then what could be so serious he’d set up one of their own men to steal one of their crates in hopes to get Massi back in New York?