Page 122 of Broken Mafia Bride

“What the fuck is happening on that island?”

“That’s what I want to find out too.” I hang up.

The truth is that a part of me became suspicious of Lucio a while back. With the endless power he seems to wield in Sardegna, it should have taken him a few days at most to findNoemi, or at least get some useful information. It just felt like he wasn’t putting as much effort into finding her.

After Matteo told me about Martina being on the plane and the cover-up around her movement, a part of me immediately suspected him, but I told myself that there was no reason for him to be involved in this. Now, I see that I was wrong.

Which brings me to another issue.

Who else knows about it? Who else is involved? I want to believe that Pepe would never go along with kidnapping a child, but I also know that the mafia world isn’t all black and white. Morals lose against loyalty and are weighed against profit.

I have to speak to him.

Pepe’s house is just across the road from Casa Bianca. I have no doubt that Re Ombra gave him the property. The question is, is he trying to keep Pepe close because he genuinely likes having family around, or is it as part of his sick plan to control everything and everyone around him?

Caterina is just leaving the house when I arrive, and she lets me in with a smile.

“Raffaele!” She smiles happily. “You know, we haven’t really gotten a chance to talk since you came to Sardegna.”

I blink at her, wondering what we have to talk about.

Her smile only widens, and she lets out a breezy laugh. “Don’t look so frightened. I like Giulia a lot; she’s like the sister I never had. And I know you feel for her.”

I don’t hesitate. “I love her.”

She nods knowingly. “I know. And I know you’re good for her. When she came to Sardegna, she was a mess. I thought it was solely because of her daughter, but I now realize a lot of it had to do with you too. She’s been a lot lighter; her smiles aren’t as stiff.”

Then she steps forward and clutches my shoulder tightly, voice dropping. “When you find your daughter, take them both and get out of here.”

A shiver works its way through me, and I freeze. “Why? What’s going on?”

Caterina steps away, her smile back in place. “Pepe is in the garage, tinkering with one of his cars.”

Without another word, she walks past me, her warning ringing in my head. Rolling my shoulders to relieve the tension, I go around the side of the house, following the sound of a revving engine.

My cousin is halfway under a car, whistling an unfamiliar tune. Stepping forward, I kick his feet to call his attention. He stills, and a second later, he’s sliding out from under the car, a gun pointed at me.

“It’s me, asshole.” I raise an eyebrow, and he drops the weapon.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, rising to his feet and trying to dust off his cargo pants.

“We need to talk,” I tell him, dragging a folding chair out of the corner and settling into it.

He leans against the side of the car and crosses his arms over his chest. “Then talk.”

“How long have you worked for Lucio?” I ask carefully.

He looks momentarily surprised by the question. “Twenty years. But before then, I was the eyes on the ground for his right-hand man. I joined Lucio’s ranks after his second died in a warehouse explosion. Why?”

I shrug, acting nonchalant. “Just curious.”

“Hmmm.” He looks suspicious now, and I rethink my strategy. I need to get him to talk without revealing too much of what I know or my suspicions. I don’t know how loyal he isto Lucio, and if I don’t play my cards right and this gets back to him, it’s game over for us.

“You’re loyal to him.” It’s a statement more than a question. “How well do you know him? He’s Giulia’s grandfather, and I just think there’s a lot we don’t know about him.”

“I know about as much as you,” he replies evasively. “Believe it or not, we don’t sit around gossiping about our personal lives. Giulia will have more luck than me there.”

“She’s idolized him, and I’m just afraid that she’s eventually going to find out that he’s not the perfect man she’s built him up as in her head,” I tell him. “It’ll break her heart.”