Chapter 3 - The Mafia King’s Question
Twenty minutes later, Cara sat inside a black SUV wrapped in a blanket.
Dante sat opposite her while a medic examined him.
Carlo stood near the door.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Dante said, “Start talking.”
Cara looked at Carlo.
“Does he always sound like that?”
Carlo almost smiled.
“Yes.”
Dante didn’t.
“Cara.”
She took a breath.
“Your wife was at Bellini’s.”
His expression didn’t change.
“With whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did he look like?”
“Forties. Dark hair. Gray suit. Gold watch.”
Carlo glanced at Dante.
Dante noticed.
“You recognize the description.”
Carlo hesitated.
“Maybe.”
“Name.”
“Victor Hale.”
Dante went still.
Cara asked, “Who’s Victor?”
“My financial adviser.”
That was bad.
Dante leaned forward.
“What exactly did you hear?”
Cara repeated everything.
The brakes.
The mountain road.
The words grieving widow.
Dante listened without interruption.
When she finished, he asked, “Why follow me?”
Cara frowned.
“Because you were about to die.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It seems like a pretty complete answer.”
“You knew who I was.”
“Yes.”
“You knew helping me could put you in danger.”
“Yes.”
“And you followed me anyway.”
Cara stared at him.
“What was I supposed to do? Finish table twelve’s dessert order while you drove off a cliff?”
Carlo turned away, hiding a smile.
Dante noticed.
“Something amusing?”
“No, boss.”
Dante looked back at Cara.
“Where is Vanessa now?”
“At Bellini’s, unless she left.”
Dante looked at Carlo.
“Bring her to the estate.”
Cara immediately spoke.
“Wait.”
Both men looked at her.
“What?” Dante asked.
“She thinks you’re dead.”
Dante’s expression changed slightly.
Cara continued.
“If she planned this with Victor, she might contact him.”
Carlo looked impressed.
“She’s right.”
Dante studied Cara.
“Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“Because yours is the only phone Vanessa won’t expect us to use.”
Cara slowly handed it over.
Dante called Carlo’s second-in-command.
“No one tells Vanessa I’m alive. No calls. No messages. Nothing.”
He disconnected.
Cara stared at him.
“You’re going to let your wife believe you died?”
“For a few hours.”
“That’s disturbing.”
“She tried to kill me.”
“Fair point.”
Dante handed her phone back.
“What happens to me?”
“You come with us.”
“No.”
Carlo blinked.
Dante said, “No?”
“I have an apartment.”
“Someone tried to kill me tonight. You’re the only witness.”
“I’m also unemployed now, thanks to you.”
“Thanks to me?”
“My manager fired me for leaving.”
Dante stared at her.
Then Carlo laughed.
Actually laughed.
Dante slowly looked toward him.
Carlo stopped.
“Sorry.”
Cara crossed her arms.
“I’m going home.”
Dante leaned back.
“You overheard a conspiracy involving my wife and one of my closest advisers. If they discover you survived the night, where do you think they’ll look first?”
Cara’s confidence disappeared.
“My apartment.”
“Yes.”
She looked out the window.
“Wonderful.”
Dante adjusted his torn jacket.
“You’ll stay at my estate until this is finished.”
Cara looked back at him.
“Do I get a choice?”
“Yes.”
“What’s the other choice?”
“I put twenty men outside your apartment.”
She sighed.
“So no.”
“Essentially.”
The convoy began moving.
Dante watched the mountain disappear behind them.
Then his eyes shifted to Cara’s scraped hands.
“You climbed down that cliff with no equipment.”
“Yes.”
“You could have died.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Cara looked directly at him.
“Because nobody deserves to die because someone they trusted betrayed them.”
May you like
For the first time that night, Dante had no response.
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