Page 27 of The Don

I nod, swallowing a lump of emotion.

His hand settles over my stomach, the tip of his thumb brushing my mound. I cover his hand with mine. He kisses me softly on the lips and then turns away, exiting the bathroom. “Bella,” he says, turning around in the doorway. “When I return,” he says, looking me over from head to toe again. “I want to find you just like this.”

I’m still shivering when I hear the front door close.

12SALVATORE

I leaveShae with half a dozen bodyguards who know that I’ll rip them apart with my bare hands without a second thought if she’s not safe and sound when I return.

I don’t threaten my men often. I’ve always found it easier to inspire loyalty in good men by giving it in return, which means they all know that when I do threaten them, it is anything but idle. There are frivolous mistakes I can accept, worrying mistakes I will correct, serious mistakes that might lead to…retirement. That is our contract. But now, there is a new measure. If anything happens to Shae, I’ll mete out a punishment they’ve never seen before.

I only climb into my car when I feel as if I’ve made my position crystal clear.

Lorenzo drives with Federico in the passenger seat. We maneuver through the city in relative silence, although every now and then, the sound of one of their aggravated grunts filters to me in the back seat, followed by a short argument about some turn Federico thinks Lorenzo should have taken or how fast — or slow — the car is moving.

Their bickering almost reminds me of Giulio and Alfonso, and it settles my nerves, easing the anxiety I feel about leaving Shae. It doesn’t matter how many bodyguards I’ve left with her; I’ll never feel that she’s safe unless she’s by my side, but that’s an illusion. She’s in more danger with me than ever, and at some point between yesterday afternoon and this morning, the goal shifted away from figuring out who’s trying to kill me to something else I won’t even allow myself to name just yet, not even in my mind.

But the closer we get to our destination, the sharper my purpose becomes.

Palermo is a tourist city, but the summer season is long over. In season, the streets are full of pedestrian tourists, making their way to and from the beach, dining on the sidewalks, shopping for mass-produced local knickknacks. It’s easy to hide in that throng if necessary. It’s one of the reasons I bought property here. In the off-season, it’s so much harder to hide who you are, but I’m not looking to hide. While Lorenzo and Federico bicker, I pull in all of the best parts of me — the parts I’ve only ever shown to Shae — and hide them somewhere so far down inside myself that no one besides her will ever find them.

By the time we arrive at our destination, I have become myself again.

Tommaso rushes from his front door to meet my car. He pulls my door open before Lorenzo can even push his foot down on the brake.

“Benvenuto, padrino,” he says, lowering his eyes respectfully. “I’m honored.”

I don’t require this kind of deference, but I don’t have time to mince words reminding him of that. I’m here on a mission.

I stand from the car and place my hand on his shoulder. It’s late fall, but the wind from the water is still warm enough that I’m happy I didn’t wear a coat. “You’ve done a good job of keeping this secret for me,” I tell him. “Until now.”

He grimaces, wiping at his shiny forehead as Lorenzo also stands from the car. I see the moment when he realizes that he’s trapped between us.

“Do you have something to tell me?” I ask evenly.

He nods quickly. Nervously. I try not to put too much stock in the fear in his eyes. That could just as easily be intelligence as guilt; if I were him, I would be afraid of me as well.

Lorenzo moves his hand closer to the gun in his holster.

I glance quickly in his direction, telling him with just a look to wait.

There’s always time to kill someone, but you can only do it once, so it’s best not to pull the trigger — literally — until your enemy has given you all the information you need.

Assuming Tommaso is an enemy, of course.

“Only some of my men knew that I was hiding anything. Even fewer knew what exactly or for whom. I’ve interviewed them all, but…” His voice gives out. His face has gone red, and he can’t mop at the sweat pouring down it fast enough.

“You have a leak,” I finish for him, “but you are still unsure exactly who it is.”

Tommaso nods slowly. “No, b-but I am still investigating,” he says, finally meeting my eyes. “I will find out who did this.”

One of the things I’ve learned in my line of work is to trust myself enough to trust the people around me. It’s a risk, but it’s worth it, which is why I believe him.

“Okay.”

Tommaso’s eyebrows bunch together. “O…kay?”

“Okay. We will find the leak together.”