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My phone went off, and I sighed.

“Duty calls?”

“Yeah.” I unwrapped my arms from around her and stood, but I had to stress the importance of our goal. “Tommy is going to be boss. I need you to help Divina come to terms with our endgame.”

Chapter

Twelve

Bianca

“I called my friend,” Divina said.

She came by this morning to help me do a walkthrough of the house and start my duties as Sandro’s wife. However temporary that was going to be.

A sitting room on the second floor made me sneeze the second we walked in.

“I only cleaned your room and Sandro’s when he informed me where he planned to stay,” she said.

“I’m sorry he made you do that.”

“He was making his moves without Gian noticing.”

“So only you and Tommy knew?”

“Pretty much, and Sticks. And of course, Raffa.”

We walked to the next room. It didn’t have any furniture, but could be used as another spare bedroom. There were six bedrooms on the second floor that were separated by the sitting room. It opened straight to a central staircase. The first floor was mostly functional rooms. Besides the kitchen, a study,game room, living room, formal dining room, and home theater completed the layout.

I approached the dusty windows. Grit and time weathered the glass opaque. A rustic ranch house stood diagonally across. “Is that where Sticks and the other guys are staying?”

“Yes. This used to be a horse farm, and that was a bunkhouse.”

“How big is the property?”

“Ten acres.”

Probably a horse hobbyist used to own this. “So, what are we supposed to do?” I asked Divina. “Sandro didn’t leave any instructions.” I didn’t want to waste energy prettying up this space if we weren’t staying long, but I certainly wouldn’t want to live in a place that made my skin itch with dust flying everywhere. “Where are we anyway?”

Divina didn’t answer. I turned to look at her and she dropped her eyes. “I’m not supposed to tell you.”

“So, I’m still a prisoner.”

“Bianca…”

“That’s fine.” I figured after I woke up with Sandro gone this morning that nothing had changed. I still wasn’t allowed a phone or any access to the outside world. “You’re aware Sandro is grooming Tommy to become the boss?”

“Yes.” Her gaze was still looking everywhere except me. Dammit, she wasn’t ready, and I had a sinking suspicion she never would be.

I walked to her side and gave her arm a quick squeeze. “What do you need from me, Divina?”

Her mouth trembled. “I wish I was less timid.”

I could see that as a problem. I wasn’t familiar with the Rossi culture, but I didn’t like that it appeared she didn’t have a life of her own. “In what way?”

“I don’t know how to contribute unless I am told what to do.”

“Is that what you think you should do? Contribute to the Rossi crime family? How about what you want?”