Chapter 4 - Dinner With the Wrong Man
The man was Anthony Bellini.
Marco's father.
Natalie had seen him at the restaurant.
He had kissed Marco's cheek before leaving.
Now Luca's gun was pointed at his chest.
Anthony raised his hands.
"I came alone."
"Why?"
"Because Gabriel contacted me too."
Anthony claimed Gabriel was trying to restart the old war.
Luca didn't trust him.
Neither did Natalie.
But Anthony knew details from David's ledger that he should not have known.
He also revealed something worse.
David had been working with Luca's mother, Sofia.
They had been collecting evidence against Gabriel together.
Sofia died in a car accident fourteen years earlier.
Luca had always believed it was an accident.
Now he wasn't sure.
Natalie watched grief turn into rage behind his eyes.
Afterward, Luca drove her home.
Neither spoke until Natalie asked, "Do you ever get tired?"
"Of what?"
"Being the person everyone expects to be dangerous."
Luca considered it.
"Yes."
"Then why keep doing it?"
"Because dangerous men rarely retire peacefully."
Natalie looked out the window.
"You could change."
"I have."
"Not enough."
He glanced at her.
"There's requirement number five."
She smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
The next evening, Luca invited Natalie to dinner.
She refused.
He asked again.
She refused.
He sent groceries to Elena.
Natalie called him.
"Are you bribing my mother?"
"Is it working?"
"She likes you."
"Then yes."
She agreed to dinner.
It was not romantic, Natalie told herself.
It was information gathering.
That explanation lasted until Luca arrived without a driver.
He took her to a tiny family restaurant rather than one of his hotels.
Nobody bowed.
Nobody whispered.
The owner, an elderly woman named Rosa, smacked Luca's shoulder for not visiting sooner.
Natalie laughed so hard she cried.
"You're enjoying this."
"Immensely."
During dinner, Luca told her about his mother.
Natalie told him about growing up without her father.
The walls between them lowered.
After dessert, Luca reached across the table.
His fingers touched hers.
Neither moved away.
Then Natalie saw a woman watching from across the street.
Red dress.
Dark hair.
Still as stone.
"Luca."
He followed her gaze.
His face changed.
"Who is she?"
The woman walked away.
Luca stood.
"Stay here."
Natalie followed anyway.
They reached the alley.
Empty.
Only a red scarf remained.
Pinned beneath it was another photograph.
This one showed Luca kissing a woman.
Natalie stared.
The date printed beneath it was only two weeks old.
"Who is she?"
Luca's silence hurt more than it should have.
"Natalie—"
"Who?"
"Isabella Vescari."
Gabriel's daughter.
Natalie stepped backward.
"You've been meeting his daughter?"
"It's not what you think."
"Then tell me what I should think."
Luca looked toward the street.
"We need to leave."
"No."
"Natalie."
A car stopped at the alley entrance.
The rear window lowered.
The woman in red sat inside.
She looked directly at Natalie.
Then smiled.
"Ask him why he was going to marry me."
May you like
The car door opened.
And Isabella held out her hand.
