Chapter 36
Tommaso
I finally leave Gina in our bed at three in the morning. It’s been hours since she fell asleep in my arms, but I couldn’t sleep. Not after hearing what she remembered.
I knew Vincenzo wanted her. But to use her in the way her father had implied? That doesn’t align with the man I know him to be. Still, I can’t ignore what her memory was, nor can I ignore the fact that Vincenzo is searching for her and knows things he shouldn’t unless Caruso himself told him.
Marco is in my office when I enter. He had rushed in when I shouted for Jerome or Salvo to call Johnathon, and he heard Gina’s fragmented retelling of the memory.
He rises from the sofa as I close the door.
“You could’ve gone to bed.”
“How is she?” he asks instead of responding to my comment.
“Sleeping.” I sigh and go to my beverage counter, but then decide against a drink. If Gina needs me again, I need to be as clear-headed as possible. “Where’s Papà?”
That is a field of landmines I need to defuse.
“Gone.”
I turn back to my brother with a frown. “Where?”
He sits heavily back on the sofa. “No idea. I called Riccardo to see if he knew why Papà came here, but he has no idea. He thought he was in Naples.”
“Did he have any idea of what Arturo could have over him?” I lean against the front of my desk and cross my arms.
“Riccardo is as clueless as we are.” He gives me a small smirk. “He’s angry that he wasn’t invited to the wedding, though.”
I huff a laugh and drag my hand through my hair. “How are Cecilia and Lorenzo?” I ask after my sister-in-law and nephew.
“Good.” He frowns. “But Riccardo worries Cecilia may be pregnant again.”
Usually, that would make a man happy. However, she had almost died giving birth to Lorenzo, and Riccardo insisted they were finished. But she always dreamed of having a son and a daughter.
Marco studies me. “I guess congratulations are in order for you as well, fratello.”
I can’t help the smile that splits my face. “Thanks.”
He turns grim. “I don’t think Arturo will let this slide. The marriage contract has been broken. He’s insulted.”
“There’s still one Santoro brother who isn’t married,” I joke.
He grunts. “Rosa is a piece of work. I pity the man who is saddled with her for life.” He shakes his head, regarding me seriously. “What are you going to do?”
“With the Altera family or Vincenzo?”
“Both.”
“I need to find out what Arturo has over Papà. Now that things are stabilized here with the Chamber and we’re no longer warring amongst ourselves, I can afford to kick the hornet’s nest and reveal that my signature was forged on the document.”
“You’d have to out Papà then.” Then he sees where I’m going with this. “To prevent that from becoming public knowledge, he’d be forced to tell you what’s really going on and what’s at the root of all this.”
“Hopefully.”
“And Vincenzo?”
I glance at my watch. “I imagine he’s en route here as we speak. Arturo would’ve called him like a little bitch to expose that I have Gina. He knew she was missing, and Vincenzo was looking for her.”
“I can’t believe that he would want Gina for the reasons Caruso told her. Not that I’m doubting Gina; it’s just that…none of this makes sense.”
“And it won’t make sense in the next four to five hours.” I incline my chin toward the door. “Go get some sleep.”
He reluctantly stands. “You need some rest, too. You have to bring your A-game with Vincenzo and Papà.” He walks over to me and pulls me in for a hug. “I have your back in whatever you need, Tommaso.”
“That means the world to me, Marco.”
“You need to get some sleep, too,” he repeats before leaving my office.
I stare at my closed door before I reach over my desk and grab my phone and dial Johnathon, even though it’s the middle of the night.
He answers on the second ring, “Tommaso? Is everything okay with Gina?”
“She’s sleeping. I need you to be over here, though, by seven.”
“In the morning?” he asks, clearing the sleep fogging his mind. “If Gina needs me, I can come now.”
“She’s fine, but when she wakes, I want a tracker put in her.”
Silence meets me before he exhales heavily. “Did Gina agree to this?” But he adds before I can reply, “Never mind. I know how this works. I’ll be there.”
“Thank you. Good night.” I hang up my phone.
It doesn’t matter if Gina agrees to having a tracker or not.
Because I have four potential threats against her—Arturo, Caruso, Vincenzo, and possibly my own father. Inserting a tracker in my wife is the least of the bad things I’ll do to keep her safe.
Because when it comes to protecting her, nothing is off the table.