Page 15

“It’s awesome what your dad’s doing,” she says.

“Yeah. We all just want to protect our neighborhood.”

She bobs her head. “But my mom and dad think we’re going to have to move in the end.”

“We won’t,” I say confidently. “No one can force us out of here.”

“My dad doesn’t agree. He heard that Gaviani is a mafia boss, or that his family is the mafia or something like that.”

“A mafia boss? Yeah, I heard that before. But are you sure that’s not just a rumor?” We hear about the mafia and their wars all the time, but we’ve never had any contact with them, or at leastIhaven’t.

If they were out in the open, it would be easy for the cops to catch them. Some people think that any super-rich person is inthe mafia, and maybe theydohave some similarities in the way they operate, but I doubt Gaviani is a mafia boss.

Bianca shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I heard. I don’t want to have to move either, but you never know. People like Gaviani are shady as hell.”

“I get that, but why would he want all the attention on him? If he’s a mafia boss, surely he won’t want to deal with the outrage.”

The mafia has its hands in everything, but they usually do it so that most people don’t know about it or don’t realize it. Mowing down a historical neighborhood for money laundering or some other criminal activities seems a bit too much. Too flashy. Too in everyone’s faces.

“Maybe he’s already bribed or threatened everyone to keep quiet about him. You know that house that burned in a fire recently?”

“Nora’s house?”

“Yeah. People are saying Gaviani did that.”

“Caused a fire?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Why would he do that? How?”

“Her family sold the property to him.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t prove he was behind it all. Nora left something on the stove and fell asleep. It happens.”

“So you’re saying Gaviani just got lucky?” She narrows her eyes at me.

“Probably, yeah.”

“Well, I’m suspicious about it all. Remember Agnelli? He said he wouldn’t sell and then he did and disappeared without a trace. People say Gaviani had something on him or threatened him somehow.”

“People say a lot of things.” Some of them true, and some of them pure invention. “And Agnelli maybe intended to sell all along, but he didn’t want to admit it because he knew a lot ofhis friends would be jumping down his throat for his decision. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to try to change his mind.”

“Maybe you’re right, but we don’t know. I think Gaviani is a threat.”

“My mom and dad will figure something out. If we have to go public about it, we will, but no one can take our homes. My family and I aren’t going anywhere. My home is here and always will be.”

“You already moved out once.”

“Yeah, and it was a mistake.” My house is the only place I’ll ever feel safe.

“It was a mistake only because you moved in with the wrong person. If it weren’t for that guy, maybe you would’ve liked your life in your new apartment.”

“It’s not only that. I never intended to stay in that apartment forever. I planned to eventually return here and run the restaurant.” Marry Filippo and build a house for us right next to my parents’.

Filippo even agreed to it. We had so many plans. But then it all turned out to be a lie. He wanted me to be his and only his, no matter what I wanted. He was only saying things he thought I wanted to hear.

“I’m sorry,” Bianca says. “I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“It’s okay.”

She places her hand over mine. “I can see it in your eyes that it still hurts you. That wasn’t my intention. I hope you’re right, and nothing will change here. Actually, do you think we could hire the mafia to chase Gaviani out of here?”