Chapter 3
L EILANI
“Something happened?” Nona asks as soon as she sneaks into my room.
One hand planted on my hip, the other running stiff through my hair, I try to make sense of what I had just heard.
My brain shuffles through a bunch of useless clues.
But it’s not all useless, is it?
The biggest clue of all is my aunt's involvement in this.
Why?
Never in my life have we had a female member of this family talk to a high-ranking member in a crime family.
Women have always played a certain role, and I’m about to find out what that role precisely is, but talking to a Consigliere?
No. No one has time for that.
So, Flavia’s presence here and her extensive conversations with her father must mean something.
She plays a role in it, which brings me to clue number two.
I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t play a role in this story, too. And since I didn’t volunteer to be part of it, as she did, the two of us must be connected somehow.
She and I, as well as the person she had talked to, must be entangled in some way.
“Yes. Something did happen,” I say as calmly as I can. “Do you know anything about a party in Taormina? Two weeks from now. It celebrates the beginning of the summer.”
Her eyebrows slide up.
“No. It’s the first time I’m hearing about this.”
She studies my frozen expression.
“What?” she murmurs.
“It was everything they talked about at lunch after they rambled on about some other unimportant issues. It felt like a setup.”
“I have no knowledge of this.”
I gesture weakly in response to her defensive stance.
“I’m not questioning you. I just need to know if you have heard anything about it. Something important will happen at this party, and I want to know what. I need to be prepared.”
The woman shakes her head in confusion, waiting for me to elaborate.
“What do you mean?” she eventually asks.
I ponder whether to tell her.
Do I trust her all the way? Is Nona safe from my family’s pressure? What if there is something they can hold over her and force her to play their games?
Will it serve me in any way if they know that I know about their secret conversation? No, I don’t think so.
It wouldn’t change their plans, but it might make my life even more difficult and stop me from fighting them.
I shrug.
“Nothing. I thought you could help me with this,” I say, and my eyes break away from hers.
She quickly closes the space between us and touches my arm.
“You do believe me, don’t you?” she asks, and I lift my gaze to her. “I don’t know anything about it,” she reiterates, eyes glinting with apprehension.
“I believe you. Don’t worry,” I say softly, the ghost of a smile pulling away from my lips.
The moment of distrust between us is brief before I shift the topic.
“I need your help with something.”
Her eyes enliven in response.
“Sure. Anything,” she says. “What do you need me to do?”
I sigh before I speak again.
“It goes without saying that this conversation stays between us. That’s one. And then, I need to know where I can find Callum. I assume he stays in town.”
An expression of defeat slides over her face.
“Is he still in Italy? I thought he’d left,” she says, and my pulse races.
“What makes you say that?”
“It sounded like that when he left the house last night.”
“Last night?”
I lean back against an armchair.
“How late last night?”
“It was well after midnight.”
A flicker of curiosity marches through me. Wait, he didn’t leave after he talked to me?
My eyebrows move up slowly, prompting her to nod several times.
“You saw him leave that late?”
“Yes. Cosimo had a midnight snack in the kitchen before he rushed outside…”
Her voice trails off, her eyes dipping as a pinch of red colors her cheeks.
“Cosimo?” I ask with a smile.
“Yes. I fixed him a plate after he––”
She stops, unsure whether to continue or not.
“He asked me for some new clothes for you.”
Softly, I tilt my head down.
“Go on.”
“That’s it. He spent some time in the kitchen, and then he left with his boss.”
“Huh. Interesting.”
Her smile vanishes.
“Have I done something wrong?”
“No, no.”
I ponder something, my stare blank.
“Can you reach Cosimo by any chance and ask him where his boss is?”
Her cheeks are engulfed in flames.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to do this. And for sure, he wouldn’t tell me.”
“Do you know this man?’
“We exchanged a few words last night. I never spend time with him or anything like that,” she says, more concerned with how it looks than what I need from her.
“You like him,” I say bluntly, and she chokes as she attempts to chuckle.
“Miss Leilani? How can you say something like that? I’ve never had that type of interest in a man.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
My joke puts a smile on her face.
She shakes her head.
“I like my life the way it is. I don’t need any more problems.”
“All right. You know better… But back to my initial question. Can you talk to him? I need to find Callum and have a word with him.”
A battle ensues in her eyes as she stares at me, not knowing what to do.
“I don’t think it’s safe to try to do that. I don’t even think it’s possible.”
“It will be possible if you help me.”
“Miss Leilani?”
I flick my hand up.
“I'll take full responsibility for it. And your name will never get dragged into this.”
“But you must know…”
She pauses before she continues in a softer voice.
“You must know that’s not how things work.”
“I do. But I’ll take precautions. If he’s here, and I think he’s still in town, I need to see him. This is extremely important,” I say, my voice affected by the gravity of the events. “All you need to do is talk to your new friend and ask him to give you some information.”
“He’ll tell Callum.”
“Even better. He’ll expect me then.”
She stares at me, frozen.
“You can’t leave the house without them knowing.”
“They’re napping, aren’t they?”
“For the most part, yes.”
“Good. I’ll change. You get me the information, and I’ll take a walk.
No one will know where I’m headed. They won’t ask for me before dinner.
I’m sure of that. If they do, you haven’t seen me, and I’ll deal with them later.
It’s important for the rest of the staff not to see me, so give them something to do in the other part of the house.
That’s all you need to do. Go,” I say, trying to pull her out of her frozen state.
“And hurry. The sooner I leave, the sooner I return.”
“What if he’s gone?”
“I’ll think of something else.”
With that, she runs a hand down over her skirt and pivots away, still not convinced that it’s a good idea.
Honestly, it’s the only thing that I can do at this point.
LEILANI
The minutes feel like hours as I wait in the walk-in closet, moving a tense hand over the hangers, my stare vacant.
I try to come up with a plan B.What if I can’t reach him? What if he left? What if he doesn’t care?
He doesn’t.
He sort of told me that. Not that he doesn’t care, but that I’m on my own. Be that as it may, I can’t get out of this situation without his help.
People might say an arranged marriage is not the end of the world. After all, most marriages in this type of life are more or less negotiated, an agreement.
It’s a matter of luck to be paired up with someone you have something in common with and end up caring for.
But doesn’t life do that sort of thing to normal people, too?
Unsatisfied with every piece of clothing I’m considering for my secret mission, I drop a hand into my pocket and pull out my phone.
It’s been fifteen minutes. Only?
She probably couldn’t reach that man, Cosimo. Or she did, and his answer wasn’t what I had hoped for.
I peer at my clothes again, struggling to focus, when a soft noise at the door makes me flick my eyes toward the bedroom.
In a flash, I tear away from the racks of clothing and dash into the other room.
I can tell from her expression as she enters my room that the news is bad.
Her faded light-green dress looks like a painful memory when our eyes meet.
“So?” I mutter, bracing myself.
It takes her a moment.
“The good news, depending on how you take it, is that he’s still here. The bad news is…”
Her voice trails off.
“I’m listening.”
“He couldn’t tell me the exact address. Callum has instructed him to keep it confidential.”
I plant my hands on my hips.
“In case I asked, I assume. I suspect Giorgio and Sylvia know where he lives.”
“They probably do.”
“Okay. Did you tell him that I needed to see his boss?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Did he ask Callum?”
“No. He didn’t have to. Callum’s instructions were pretty clear.”
“Hmm.”
I cross my arms over my chest, my eyes dipping to the floor for a second.
“Was there anything in the conversation that could’ve clued you in on where exactly he is staying? Is he in town? Outside? I suppose he’s renting, isn’t he?”
I see no reason why Callum O’Hara would own property in this part of the world.
It’s not like it wouldn't make sense. It’s just that there is nothing here to tie him to this place.
He and Bianca have never left New York.
He knew about my house, which was my mother’s childhood home, but had no interest in vacationing here.
My family has traveled to Italy quite frequently over these past two years, mostly to Tuscany, yet they've never bothered coming here. But him?
No.
I was shocked that he came to my birthday party. Although we all know what that was all about.
“I heard the church bells tolling as he was talking to me, which doesn’t say much, with almost one hundred churches and cathedrals within the historic island center alone.
He mentioned Piazza Duomo in passing, and I think he was heading to Callum’s quarters.
I don’t know if this can help you much. And I hope you reconsider going there.
It’s too risky, and there’s no point in doing it.
Callum might return. You could probably talk to him then. ”
Chewing on my lip, I ponder.
“When is Giorgio flying back?”
The corners of her eyes pull down.
“I haven’t heard them talk about going back.”
Of course. They won’t go back until they’re done screwing my life. How nice of them.
On the other hand. Oh, my God. Two weeks of this?
Having their incessant scrutiny in my life, like I’m some thug?
“I’m going,” I say, overflowing with determination.
“I have nothing to lose. If I find him, good. If I don’t find him…
Well, no one can scold me for looking for him.
And I don’t think he’s coming back. I don’t know his plans, but if you ask me, he won’t waste his time waiting for some party in Taormina.
What will he do during this time? Visit historical sites? No way.”
I gesture, annoyed, before I go on.
“I still don’t know what made him come to my birthday party.
I won’t bother to understand. All I know is that I’m going to town.
But first,” I say, lifting a finger. “I’ll go to Rory’s room.
I can’t find anything to wear, so I’ll ask her to lend me one of those cute, diaphanous dresses.
This way, if anyone’s asking, the last time you saw me, I went to Rory’s room, and they won’t be able to blame my absence on you.
I’ll do my best to return before seven.”
“I hope so,” she says, not even trying to hide her concerns.
“Okay. Let’s go then,” I say, looking around the room as if I’m leaving this place for good, and picking up my wallet.
I check the contents.
“Do you have any cash on you? I might need it, and I don’t want to leave a digital trail.”
“Sure.”
She reaches inside her pocket and pulls out a few bills. I grab them and gesture to the door.
A moment later, we both walk down the corridor. I’m heading to Rory’s room, while she soon pivots and turns right.
“One last thing,” she says with a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Cosimo may have been close to the Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti when he talked to me. The Church of the Jesuit College. Several historic buildings are in that area. It’s just a hunch.
Callum could’ve rented one of those places. ”
My gaze holds hers for a few long seconds as I read her eyes, trying to figure out whether she knows that for a fact from Cosimo and she’s trying to protect him, or it’s indeed a hunch.
“Okay. I’ll check the area.”
“And call me if you need me. Nothing is worth risking your life. I’ll take the fall for you if I need to. I just need to make sure you return home in one piece.”
Smiling, I give her a hug.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” I murmur before she quietly says a little prayer, makes the sign of the cross, and gives me her blessing.