Page 11 of Vincenzo (The DiMaggio Crime Family #3)

AMALIA

“ W hat else happened while you were in that office?” Carlos asks as I scan the card to unlock the door to our suite.

I stayed quiet the entire ride, replaying everything that happened in Vincenzo’s office. There was one thing he said— or didn’t say— that has stuck with me.

I’ve been questioning why he’s had such a strong negative reaction to me since the first time we met, and when I brought up all I’ve done is suggest an alliance, he was about to say something else. Something more.

He had to stop mid-sentence, and the look on his face was almost as if he had to remind himself not to say something.

There’s only one thing it could be: the plan to kidnap Luxtyn and Isabella DiMaggio.

I’ve racked my brain, trying to figure out how he could possibly know about that plan, but I have no idea. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.

“Amalia?” Carlos’s voice interrupts my thoughts.

“What?” I ask, taking a seat at the kitchen counter.

He furrows his brows and narrows his gaze on me. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing, why?”

He leans against the counter on the other side and faces me. “I just asked you a question.”

“Sorry, I was thinking about something.”

“I can see that. Everything all right?” He quirks a brow at me.

I place my elbow on the counter and rest my chin on my knuckles. “Vincenzo made an interesting comment in his office earlier.”

“And what’s that?”

I weigh whether to tell Carlos about what I suspect but decide against it. I don’t know if I’m even right about Vincenzo’s knowledge of the kidnapping plan. How would that be possible? Regardless of the things I know, my gut is telling me he does, and my gut is never wrong.

“I requested a meeting with his brother to see if we could work out an alliance, but he refuses.”

“And that’s interesting because…?”

“He’s not the boss. You’d think he’d relay my request and let the boss decide first.”

With a nod, Carlos says, “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” then shrugs. “It’s a good thing we have another idea then. Speaking of which, we need to start surveying Luxtyn and Isabella so we can come up with a plan. You know your uncle is expecting us to update him on that soon.”

“Yeah,” I mumble, sliding off the kitchen stool. “Let me think on it and then we’ll get to work.”

I still have zero desire to follow through with kidnapping Luxtyn and Isabella, and now that Vincenzo might know our plan, this is going to be a lot more difficult—nearly impossible—to do.

“I’m going to bed,” I say.

“Already?” Carlos asks, and a smirk draws at his lips.

“It’s one in the morning. What else could I possibly be doing at this time?”

“Aww, come on, Amalia,” he says expectantly and in a playful manner.

My forehead creases as I consider what he’s trying to say. “Come on what, Carlos?”

He pushes himself off the edge of the counter and walks around the island so he’s directly in front of me. “Dancing at that club tonight brought back some memories.”

“Memories,” I repeat, not understanding where he’s going with this.

“Didn’t it remind you of the fun times we’ve had back home?” he asks.

Oh my gosh, is he seriously trying to hint at us fucking right now?

“Carlos, I’m really tired, so again, I’m going to bed.”

I turn around and head for my bedroom, but before I’m able to open the door, Carlos calls out, “You know where to find me if you change your mind.” His cocky tone has me rolling my eyes and pushing through my door.

When I get out of the shower, I’m still bothered by how Vincenzo knows about the kidnapping. Or maybe I’m just paranoid. I don’t fucking know. I keep going back and forth between the two.

If he does know about it, how did he find out? We weren’t in public when Carlos and I were on the phone with my uncle, and we haven’t spoken about it outside of this suite. It’s as if he’s…

Wait a second …

The thought going through my mind is ridiculous. Absolutely fucking ridiculous. Yet, knowing even the smallest amount that I do about Vincenzo, it does seem like something he’d do.

There’s only one way someone would know about the kidnapping plan, and that’s if they’d overheard it themselves.

Picking up my phone off the nightstand, I bring up the app I use to detect radio frequency signals. If there are any cameras in this room, I’m going to find them.

When the app takes over my screen, I watch the dial shift up and down in small movements. Not enough to tell me there are any hidden cameras within a few feet of me, though.

I slowly walk the perimeter of the room with my eyes glued to the phone screen. The range on this app isn’t great, so I do my best to cover every inch.

When I’m about to think I’m just a paranoid fuck, the dial on on my screen jumps, and I nearly jump with it.

This motherfucker.

I glance up at the wall and see a large black-and-white photo of the New York City skyline. As I run my eyes over the picture frame, I make sure to take in the edges, wondering if…

Holy shit. There it is.

I continue to run my gaze across the picture, ignoring the smallest camera in the top right corner of the frame, doing my best to make it look natural in case he’s watching me right now.

That fucking asshole bugged our suite.

So he does know about the plan to kidnap Luxtyn and Isabella.

It all makes sense now.

But then why are we not dead yet? And why the fuck is he taking his anger out on me ? This wasn’t even my fucking plan.

Heat rises up my neck until my face is boiling with rage. He’s been fucking spying on us for who knows how long, and in my room ?

I walk over to the bathroom. I swear if this fucking asshole has a camera in here too…

Pushing the door of the en suite open, I walk in, and the dial on my app shoots up.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as realization dawns on me.

He’s been spying on me in my bedroom. He’s been spying on me in the fucking bathroom.

What the hell is wrong with him? I should feel violated, but I’m really just fucking pissed at this point.

Setting my phone down on the counter, I press my hands into the smooth marble and gaze at my reflection in the mirror.

Think, Amalia.

He knows about the kidnapping plan, which my uncle is going to be livid about. He’s been spying on you, most likely while you’re naked, and to top it all off, he’s a fucking asshole.

I rack my brain, trying to figure out what the best course of action will be. Now that he knows what my uncle wants us to do, it’s only a matter of time before they come after us. I’m surprised they haven’t yet. That couldn’t be because…

My mind flashes back to the desire that fills Vincenzo’s eyes whenever we’ve been in the same room.

The memory of his words comes back to me.

“Look, do I find you physically attractive? Of course. What man wouldn’t?

It’s human fucking nature, sweetheart. I have eyes, but don’t make it something it never would be, because my level of interest in a person like you, even if it’s just to fuck, is nonexistent. ”

I let out a humorous scoff and shake my head, gazing at myself in the mirror while my wet locks kiss my bare shoulders.

Ignoring the neon sign going off in my head telling me I need to alert my uncle that we’ve been compromised, I decide to do something I’m sure I’ll regret.

Something strictly driven by my pettiness and fucking frustration with Vincenzo.

I walk back out to my room and open the door. Carlos is still in the kitchen with the refrigerator door open. What the fuck could he possibly be looking to eat this late at night? He turns his head and makes eye contact with me.

Ignoring the reasonable side of me, I do what any bitch would do when she finds out an asshole who’s been making her life more difficult than it needs to be has been spying on her and being a piece of shit.

Giving Carlos a look I know would put any man on his knees, I say, “I changed my mind.”