Eve opened the book and indicated she wanted him to start again.
“I think that means yes.” Mira said. Eve’s head shot up. Immediately she began to wiggle to be free of her father’s lap. He let her slip from the chair, and her daughter hurried across the room toward her. Mira lowered. Her bones ached but not enough to prevent her from picking Eve up into her arms. “Did she wake? Was she upset?”
Giovanni rocked back and closed his eyes. He didn’t answer. Mira walked over to the crib and placed Eve back in it. Her daughter whined in protest but she forced her to lie down. A mother’s touch always worked. She rubbed her belly and shook her softly until her lids fluttered and shut. Mira sang softly to her until she was certain her voice lulled her back to sleep. It was late, and she should have changed her. But Mira withdrew.
“We need to talk.” Giovanni spoke.
She turned and he stood directly behind her. Giovanni cupped her neck and drew her face to his forcing her to rise on her toes and brace for support with her hands to his chest. He kissed her. “We need to talk, Bella. There’s something you should know.”
“Okay.”
“Is she sleeping?”
“She is.”
“Then come with me.”
He took her hand and pulled her toward the door. They ventured out into the dark house. He led her down the hall and then Giovanni paused. Catalina crept along the hall. She didn’t see them before she slipped inside of her bedroom.
Giovanni frowned at her stealthy behavior.
“She probably went below for something to drink.” Mira whispered. Giovanni stared a moment longer. Mira silently prayed that Catalina hadn’t been where she thought she’d been. God help them all if Dominic appeared next. “What is it you want to talk to me about?” Mira said, hoping to draw his attention. It worked. He continued down the hall holding her hand tightly. They arrived at a door she hadn’t entered. He pushed it open and she saw it was a small office. More like a library because the walls were covered with books. The only one without them was a ceiling to floor window behind the desk. The moon spread a natural light over everything and she walked inside, bathed in its silver glow.
“Have a seat,” he said.
Mira honored his request. Giovanni paced. Why was he agitated? Last night he didn’t fall asleep in her arms angry. “What’s wrong now?”
“I got a call. That’s what woke Eve up.”
“Okay?”
“You left here today. Went into Napoli?”
“To do some Christmas shopping. Catalina and I didn’t—.”
“You know you aren’t supposed to leave here without my consent!” Giovanni’s voice was abrupt. His nostrils flared. “People think you are dead. You can’t walk around here and keep that secret!”
“Oh, calm down.”
“What did you say to me?” he seethed.
“I was careful.” She threw up her hands in defeat. “I said calm down. Don’t make this into something it wasn’t.”
“Who was the man in the trees?”
“Man?” Mira blinked at him. “What trees?”
“Dammit, Mira!”
“I don’t know what I’ve done. I went shopping nothing else.” She opened her mouth to say more then stopped herself. Her eyes stretched and her breath hitched in her throat. She remembered. “There was a man. Eve ran up to him. He didn’t do or say anything, but he kind of came out of nowhere.”
“He was Asian?” Giovanni said.
“Yes.”
Giovanni wiped his hand down his face. “You aren’t to leave here again. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Yes I understand.”
His head turned and his focus was centered on the desk in the room. Eventually he looked back at her again. “After the bomb went off in your penthouse, when the world thought you were dead, what did Kei do to help you?”
Mira moistened her lips, her mouth and throat went dry. She didn’t want Giovanni focused on Kei again. Whomever the Asian man was, he didn’t have anything to do with Kei. She smiled up at him to soften his heart. “He helped me. I told you.”