Page 86 of Sinful Hearts

“Did you see himsick?” Antonio asks.

“Well … no …” Maggie stutters and then finishes, “But Liliya said he was.”

“I want to see him,” Antonio demands.

“Fine.” I slap my arms to my sides. “But you’d better not wake him up, Antonio. I swear to God.”

“Or what?” He raises a thick brow, pausing for only a second on his way up the stairs, going straight to Emilio’s bedroom.

I’m behind him.

Maggie is too, only moving slower than us.

Antonio bursts into the room, stalks straight to the bed, and presses three fingers to Emilio’s throat. I hold in a breath, waiting for Emilio to wake and freak out, but he doesn’t.

“See,” I say, walking backward until we’re both back in the hallway. “He has a pulse.” I cross my arms. “You happy?”

His eyes burn with hatred. “Be smart about the choices you make, Liliya.” He taps his temple with a hint of smugness in his voice. “Don’t do something stupid and get yourself killed. I have no problem getting rid of those who are a threat to my family.”

I stare at him, silent and stunned.

Oh my God. He knows.

27

“There’sno way Antonio can know,” Aleksy says calmly, lounging behind his desk as if there were no problem. “You’re being paranoid. We’re the only ones who know about this plan.”

I place my hands on the arms of the cracked leather chair, leaning forward. “Whatisthe plan?”

He scratches the back of his neck, not saying a word.

For the past five days, dread has been my closest friend. My appetite is gone again, sleep is a stranger, and I’m almost positive Antonio Lombardi has painted a target on my back.

Emilio’s fever broke that same night. He muttered a simple, “Thanks,” before leaving and not coming home for two days.

I’ve barely seen him, and when I do, he’s quiet and distant. I’ve caught him talking on the phone behind closed doors again, but at this point, I’m too scared to even question him about it.

What little connection we made is gone now.

After Antonio left that day, Maggie asked what he was talking about.

I told her the truth. “I have no idea.”

While not as much as Emilio, Maggie has also become distant. She still shows up every day, makes small talk, and helpsclean the home. So far, we’ve mopped and swept all the floors, cleared out all the cobwebs, and cleaned all the windows.

Emilio said he could hire a company to do it, like he does the outside, but I told him I wanted to do it myself. It gets my mind off the mess that is my life.

The night of Emilio’s fever, I texted Aleksy, telling him we needed to talk.

He never replied. Jerk couldn’t even give me a thumbs-up emoji.

We’re only speaking now because my mother called and demanded I attend Uncle Yaroslav’s birthday memorial party. She also insisted I bring Emilio.

He told me he’d rather drink bleach.

I throw my arms out, waiting for Aleksy to speak.

Someone knocks on the door, and Aleksy rocks back in his chair, relieved at the interruption. Anything to prevent him from answering my life-and-death question.