The next day I regretted last night’s wine when a splitting headache woke me from sleep. I sat up, groaning. Pressing a palm against my forehead, I took a few deep breath, hoping it would help with the nausea. Something red caught my eye. A small parcel lay on Dante’s side of the bed. I snatched the card propped up against the parcel.
‘I would have given this to you last night but I didn’t want to wake you’ was written in neat script on the card. Delighted, I grabbed the present and unwrapped it. Inside the small velvet box rested a delicate whitegold necklace with an emerald pendant. I stumbled out of bed and hurried toward my vanity, holding it up against my eyes. The emerald had almost exactly the same color. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. I sank down on the chair and fastened the necklace around my neck with shaking hands.
***
I probably wouldn’t have gone to work at all that day – Leo could take care of everything without me – if I hadn’t told Frank to meet me there.
After we’d dropped Bibiana off at her home and I’d made her promise to call me the moment Tommaso was home, Enzo drove us to the casino and we went inside as we always did. Luckily for me Raffaele was screaming at one of the girls, which wasn’t a one time thing either, but today it was the distraction I needed. I turned to Enzo. “Could you please have a private word with Raffaele and make it clear that I don’t appreciate him manhandling our girls?” Enzo looked only too eager to comply.
He headed straight for Raffaele and shoved him into one of the private rooms. Leo was making a beeline for me but I shook my head and told him that I was busy. He seemed confused but didn’t try to stop me when I stepped into the elevator. Guilt almost stopped me in my tracks a couple of times. My secret meeting with Frank could be construed as a betrayal of Dante’s trust. After this morning’s considerate gift, the idea of going against him like that made me feel even worse. He seemed willing to try, and I was risking it all because of Frank.
Three minutes later, I hastened away from the storehouse. I glanced around my surroundings nervously; not only because I worried about being followed but also because this was a deserted and creepy area. It was already getting dark, which didn’t help my anxiety at all. At least I was wearing ballet flats so I could have run if someone attacked me. In the distance, leaning against the wall of another empty warehouse, I could make out a tall figure. I hurried toward it, then slowed because it was hard to make out much. “Frank?” I whispered. “Is that you?”
He took a step away from the wall, looking as nervous as I felt. “Hey Valentina.”
I bridged the remaining distance between us. “What’s going on? Why do you keep showing up in front of my home? Do you want the Outfit to find out about you?”
Frank rubbed his hair, his eyes darting around. “Of course not.” His obvious nervousness was making me nervous in turn. “I need to talk to you.”
“Then talk. I don’t have much time. Don’t you realize what kind of risk we’re taking by talking right now?”
“I think it’s dangerous that you agreed to marry Dante Cavallaro.”
I was taken aback. That wasn’t what I’d expected when he’d told me he wanted to talk. “Why do you care? Your connection to the Outfit died with Antonio.” I realized a moment too late how insensitive that sounded, but Frank didn’t seem to notice. He was busy checking our surroundings, especially the darkness spreading out behind us.
“Can you stop that?” I asked impatiently. “You’re making me nervous.”
“Sorry. I’m not used to sneaking around in dark alleys. That’s Antonio’s thing.”
Was he still not over him? His words made me believe it. Maybe that was why he was here. Maybe he couldn’t let go of his former life and I was the only connection he had to it. “It wasn’t my decision to marry Dante. You should know that marriages are often decided by other people for reasons of power or strategy.”
“You don’t love him.”
“I’m not going to discuss my feelings with you, Frank. What do you want?”
“Did you tell Cavallaro about Antonio and me?”
“I told him that Antonio was gay.”
“Why did you do that?” Frank asked angrily, taking a few steps in my direction, startling me with his outburst, but not enough to back away. I was used to other kinds of men. Frank really wasn’t scary enough.
“That’s none of your business.”
“But you promised Antonio to keep his secret!”
“I know, but he’s dead, Frank, and I’m trying to move on. If Antonio were still alive, I’d take his secret into my grave, but the truth can’t hurt him anymore. And Dante won’t tell anyone in the Outfit anyway.”
“He won’t?” Frank asked hopefully. “What about me? You didn’t tell him my name?” The anxiety returned to his face with full force.
“No. I won’t. You are safe, but for it to stay that way, you need to stop hanging around in our street. It’s only stupid luck that none of Dante’s men has noticed you yet. And when they do, you’ll be in huge trouble. So do us both a favor and move on.”