Page 53 of Empire of Seduction (New York State of Mafia #2)

“I’m fine,” I said, despite the damp circles under my armpits. “Is everything okay?”

He paused, his jaw stiff. “The winery, something has happened there.”

Wait, what? The winery?

I sat up straight, my heart thundering, slamming in my chest. His face told me this was bad. Very bad. I could sense it coming from every cell in his body.

I unbuckled my seat belt and angled toward him. “What do you mean? What happened?”

His voice was calm, quiet. “The cottage caught on fire last night. The fire spread. I don’t know the extent of the damage yet.”

Fire. Oh, my god.

The vines. Shit!

I turned on my phone, ready to make calls, but Vito put his hand out. “Bella, no calls in the air. We’ll find out the answers when we land.”

I clutched my phone, strangling it in my grip. “Was anyone hurt?” My voice cracked on the question.

“No. The cottage was empty. The other buildings were not affected.”

“Well, how much of the vineyard was affected?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Fuck!” All my fear and panic turned on him. “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? I could’ve called Mikey from the penthouse. You purposely kept this from me!”

“Your brother is dealing with the fire department. My men are also there to help. There’s nothing you can do at the moment but distract him from what’s happening there. My priority is your safety and making sure we get back quickly.”

He was so calm and reasonable. But I didn’t like secrets, especially when it came to the winery. Was he withholding more bad news? “We will be discussing this later. I’m really fucking pissed at you for not telling me.”

“That is your right, but I will sometimes make decisions that you do not like. Especially if I think it is important for your safety.”

That answer was bullshit, but I didn’t have the energy to fight with him right now. I was too mad and too worried. My mind was already dreaming up every worst-case scenario that I could imagine. A fire could destroy acres. Not to mention that people could’ve died.

I willed the plane to go faster. Though he remained silent beside me, Vito never let go of my hand.

The drive seemed to take forever.

I turned my phone back on when we landed, but there weren’t any texts or calls. My brother didn’t answer, either. During the ride, Vito was busy texting. When I asked for updates, he said there wasn’t any new information and we’d assess the damage for ourselves when we arrived.

One question kept bothering me. How did the cottage catch fire? Everything had been done to code and properly inspected. So, was it one of the renovations Vito had ordered? Did he leave the espresso machine on? Not clean out the lint trap in the dryer? It didn’t make any sense.

I prayed that the majority of the vineyard remained intact.

The Red Blotch was bad enough—and that affected a small section of only the Cabernet Franc vines, according to the tests results.

I didn’t know what I’d do if I lost more.

The good news was fire had difficulty spreading in a vineyard because of the open space and moisture.

I’ve heard that California wildfires often come up to the edge of vineyards and just stop.

So maybe it wouldn’t be bad.

Emergency vehicles and cars of every kind clogged the winery parking lot. My heart was racing. As soon as the SUV slowed, I pushed open my door and hopped down to the gravel lot.

Then I took off.

“Maggie!” I heard Vito call behind me—but I wouldn’t be stopped. I ran, my arms and legs pumping, with my mind solely focused on seeing for myself.

As I rounded the corner of the winery building, I smelled it. Burnt wood.

No, no, no. A tiny section, please. A row, maybe two. Not the whole goddamn?—

I jerked to a halt. My eyes could barely take it in.

Row after row of black, charred nubs. Ash. Soot. Smoldering smoke.

At least half the vineyard was gone.

I dropped to my knees in the soggy mud.

Air couldn’t enter my body. My lungs refused to work because a rage-filled scream was trapped in my chest. How? Why? What was I supposed to do now?

“Maggie, amore.”

Vito’s hands lifted me up and he was pulling me to his chest. I couldn’t feel it, though. It was like it was happening to someone else. I was locked in the horror around me.

He tilted my face up, his eyes desperate as he regarded me. “Breathe, baby.” His hand rubbed my back. “Please, Maggie. Breathe for me.”

I shook my head. “I c-can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Try to breathe.”

I began to tremble. My eyes were on Vito, but I kept seeing the charred remains of the vines I’d cared for my whole life. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to focus on anything else.

“I’ve got you, angelo,” he whispered. “I will fix this.”

Fix it? I nearly laughed hysterically.

“Maggie, you’re here.”

My brother’s voice. I tore away from Vito and saw my sibling there, his haggard expression matching mine. I threw myself into Mikey’s arms and held onto him. He understood more than anyone what I was feeling. Another loss. Another death. Something else ripped from our hands.

I began sobbing.

“I tried to save them,” he whispered brokenly into my hair. “I’m so sorry, Mags.”

He let me cry on him, the heaving of his chest telling me he might be doing the same. Murmurs reached my ears, conversation nearby. I wiped my eyes and tried to pull myself together. A few feet away Vito was talking quietly to Tommaso, their heads bent together.

I grabbed Mikey’s arm. “I want to talk to the fire chief. I want to hear what happened.”

“It was arson.”

My body jolted, that news affecting me like a physical blow. “ What? ”

“Come on.” Mikey dragged a hand down his face. “Last I saw him, Chief Kincaid was down by the cottage. I’ll let him explain it.”

The two of us started walking, but we didn’t speak. What was there to say? Arson. Someone had lit our property on fire purposely . The universe had dumped so much on us the past few years. More than either of us deserved. Were we cursed? Who in the fuck would’ve done this?

“Maggie, wait.” Vito was right behind me. “Let me talk to the authorities for you.”

“I need to hear it for myself.” I barely recognized my deep and scratchy voice.

“Then I’ll come with you.”

I didn’t respond. My mind was stuck, a refrain of what-the-fuck looping over and over in my brain. Arson. Someone did this. Someone burned my vines on purpose. Who? Why?

A group of firemen and other men were by the cottage. Some were picking through the half-burned structure, while the others were in discussion. Paloma and Massimo were huddled together with a few men I didn’t recognize. Were they Vito’s?

I couldn’t think about that now. I strode toward Chief Kincaid, whose son, Brett, had been in my graduating class. Chief Kincaid and his wife supplied Mikey and I with plenty of casseroles in the months following our parents’ deaths.

“Maggie, my dear.” Chief Kincaid broke free of his crowd and came toward me. “How are you holding up?” He gave me a brief hug.

“I can’t believe this. I’m shocked.”

Vito was there, extending his hand and introducing himself to Chief Kincaid. The fire chief nodded. “You were the one staying in the cottage?”

“Yes, I was.”

“What happened?” I croaked. “Mikey said it was arson.”

Chief Kincaid nodded. “That’s what our initial investigation suggests.

We believe an accelerant was used to burn the cottage as well as the vineyard.

The cottage was ignited first, then the fire spread to what you see here.

We won’t know for sure until the samples come back from the lab, but I would guess gasoline from the smell. ”

“I don’t understand.” I met my brother’s shell-shocked expression. “Why would anyone do this?”

“We understand there are security cameras.” Chief Kincaid looked at Vito. “We would like to see that footage.”

Vito folded his arms, but his expression was open, cooperative. “Of course. The footage is stored off site. I have a call into the company already.”

He did?

“Good. Mike and Maggie, I’m assuming you’ll want to press criminal charges on whoever is responsible.”

“Hell yes, we do,” I said at the same time Mikey said, “Damn right.”

Chief Kincaid passed out his card to all of us, including Vito.

“I figured. I’ll let Chief Olyphant know.

” To Vito, he said, “He’s the police chief.

We’ll be in touch to get that footage. With the motorcycle tracks we’ve seen around the property, I could hazard a guess as to who’s responsible, but I try not to guess.

I’d rather have facts, especially if it’s who I think it is. ”

“You think this is the Red Raiders?” Mikey asked. “They’ve never bothered us. Why would they?—”

He abruptly clamped his mouth shut.

“What were you going to say?” I asked, nudging him. “Finish that thought.”

“Nothing.” My brother shook his head. “We’ll learn more when the security footage comes in. Thanks, Chief Kincaid.”

“You’re welcome, son. You kids have had a rough go of it these past few years. I’ll have Marge bring something over to eat later,” he said, referring to his wife. “That way, you won’t have to worry about tonight.”

We thanked him and he walked away, returning to his group close to the cottage. My brother shifted toward Vito and lowered his voice. “I need a word.”

“Not now,” Vito snapped. “I want to look after your sister. This can wait.”

“No, it fucking can’t,” Mikey said. “I want to ask you about?—”

“You need to wait.” In one step, Vito moved closer, his lips flat and angry as he stared at Mikey. “I said we will talk, but I’m more concerned with your sister at the moment. Then I need to speak with my brother and sister, as well as my men. And the security company.”

Alarm bells went off in my head. There was something happening here. Mikey was acting strangely, like when he’d gambled the winery away. “What’s so urgent, Mikey? Is it about the fire?”

Massimo and Paloma drifted closer, both of them appearing concerned. Maz came and briefly wrapped me up in a hug. “How are you holding up, mia cognata?”

I was too distracted to comment on the sister-in-law reference. My brother didn’t answer my question, instead his gaze locked on the rows of burnt vines. In my bones, I knew what was going on. Mikey was keeping something from me, something important. Again.

And this secret also involved Vito.

I stepped out of Maz’s embrace and looked at both Vito and Mikey. “What are you two hiding from me?”

“I’m not the one hiding anything,” Mikey said quickly, his meaning perfectly clear.

So Vito was hiding something. And it might be related to the arson and the Red Raiders. Un-fucking-acceptable.

I turned toward the man I’d fallen for, the man whose fresh fingerprints were all over my flesh. His expression gave nothing away, though. He was cool, like a marble statue, strong and inscrutable, secrets buried deep, but I pushed. “You have something to tell me?”

“I will find out who did this, amore. And I will make them pay.”

Vito Speak. “That wasn’t what I asked.” Rubbing my eyes, I drew in a deep breath of smoky air—which triggered a coughing fit in my lungs.

“Let’s get everyone inside,” I heard Paloma say. “This air isn’t healthy.”

“Good idea,” Maz said as he patted my back, gently steering me toward the winery.

“I’ll be there in a moment,” Vito said, the only one not moving with our group toward the winery.

I regained my breath, so I dug in my heels and twisted away to face Vito. “I want to know what’s going on.”

“Later, bella.”

He put a heavy dose of mafia don in those two words, trying to both intimidate me and control me.

I wasn’t having it.

I was a fiery ball of rage, a woman on a mission. A woman standing in the ashes of her life—literally—who had no more fucks left to give. Stepping into his face, I practically growled like an animal. “Not later. Right fucking now, Vito.”

He must’ve read the feral expression on my face correctly, because he nodded once.

Over his shoulder, he exchanged words in Italian with a few of his men, then wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

Maz, declaring he was going back to bed, broke off from our group, but Mikey and Paloma trailed Vito and me into the winery building.

Someone burned my vineyard. Who would do such a thing?

What is Vito hiding from me?

It was all I could think about as the two of us went into Mikey’s office. When Vito closed the door, I edged away from him and wrapped my arms around my waist. The photographs on the walls—the vineyards lush and green during the harvest season—seemed to mock me. How would we ever recover from this?

I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths.

“Let’s hear it,” I blurted. “Why did Mikey get weird when the topic of the Red Raiders came up?”

Vito leaned against a cabinet, one hand in his pocket and the other rubbing his jaw. “I believe the Red Raiders were trying to kill me last night.”