Dive In

Chapter 28

She was supposed to come here long enough to have the twins and then he would send her on her way, make her disappear if need be, but he wanted to avoid that at all costs. Now... now I don't even know what he's thinking most of the time. He's gotten so caught up in the lie he's spun he seems to be believing it himself. She's unpredictable, a hard one to read. I can't tell if she's playing him and biding her time until she can run or if she's stumbling down the same path he is. They're a disaster waiting to happen and I don't want the aftermath to hit my family, don't want to watch Mamma mourn another son so soon after Raf. The last thing any of us needs is to bring an outsider in especially one who is followed by millions, her every move constantly being photographed and scrutinized. I only realized what was happening when he allowed her to kiss him in front of the paparazzi, I never expected things to go the way have.

I heave a sigh and push away from the desk, exiting my office and whistling for Cacciatore. His nails click on the wood floors as he comes barreling down the hall. He stops just before he gets to me and sits, his head tilting to the side waiting for a command. I reach out and run my hand across his glossy coat and his butt wags with glee. He follows me to the kitchen where I grab a few Anginetti Mamma made for me and pour some Bourbon in a tumbler. The dog walker comes to get Cacciatore for a walk and I take my cookies back to my office. I stuff a cookie in my mouth and take a seat in the chair placed behind my desk.

(Anginetti: Italian lemon drop cookies)

The door to my office bursts open and my best friend barrels in the room with a wary look on his face. "You are not going to like this."

Luca slaps his phone down on my desk with the screen facing up. I pick the device up my blood boiling at the sight in front of me.

"Who sent you this?" I snap, ready to sling the phone against the wall.

"It was sent by a burner phone that's already been ditched. We traced it."

Fuck. I stare back down at the device and my fingers tingle at the thought of getting my hands on the person that had the balls to send this. It's a picture of a page from a magazine, one of Giovanni and Nolani at the last gala they attended. They drew a large black X across Giovanni's face, circled Nolani's round stomach and the text simply says, 'we know'. 

"What the hell does this even mean?" I ask although I can already guess.

They know Rafael's the father.

"I'm not sure but my guess is they know who the actual father of the twins is." Luca explains.

This is not good, Giovanni's going to lose his shit. He's been waiting, impatiently might I add, for something to go wrong for months now. He's been driving himself mad over analyzing everything and worrying himself to death.

Before I can reply my phone rings and the sight of Marco's name sends a a chill up my spine.

"Speak." I demand.

"Sir the community has been compromised."

Luca pries his phone from my other hand as if he can read my mind when I get the urge to throw something in anger. Instead I jump up from my seat, my chair smacking the wall with an audible thud.

"How?" I shout the question.

It had only been ten measly minutes since Giovanni had called to check in and already things have turned to chaos. How the fuck is the entire community comprised?

Marco stutters. "I-I don't know. We only know because one of the motion detectors on the inside of the community alerted us. We're in the process of checking to see if the cameras caught anything. We've already put the entire community on lockdown, I've got men checking the perimeter, and Toni is searching all homes as we speak."