Page 103 of Disarming Caine

Chapter 35

Antonio

“Dr.Ferraro?”saidAlessa,as I marched through the lobby of my building. “There’s a package for you.”

Her voice pulled me out of my head, out ofWith me out of the way. Could I have said anything worse? Of course I could. I could have said she never felt anything. That was a brilliant move.

I huffed at myself and detoured to the concierge desk, where she produced a small, nondescript brown box, along with a few letters. “You understand you can call me Antonio, sì?”

She grimaced and shook her head, her short blond hair swishing gently. “Marcus’s rules.”

“And you can’t call him grandfather, either?”

Alessa laughed, shaking her head again. “Not while I’m working.”

I collected the box and letters, making my way to the elevator. There was no return address on the package, which I turned over a few times while riding to my floor, hearing a soft thud each time I did. I hadn’t ordered anything to be delivered here, so it was a mystery. Except not. It had been a private delivery, which meant I knew not only who it was from, but what it was.

Lucy’s broad smile greeted me as I entered my condo. She sat on the bench by the door, lacing up her boots with her jacket and bag next to her. “Janelle just called.”

“Good news?” I hung up my jacket and removed my boots, at once grateful and regretful. When Samantha arrived—ifshe arrived—Lucy would have been an excellent buffer.

“You’ve been so nice, but she gave me the all-clear to head home. I talked to Paul’s sister, and things are looking better for him. He stabilized last night, so that’s really good.” She chomped on a piece of gum so rapidly, it made her more difficult to understand than normal. “I left a note on the breakfast bar that I was leaving—boy, am I going to miss eating here, you’re an amazing cook—but I guess you can just ignore it now!”

“You’re feeling better, as well? You don’t need to stay another day or two?”

“Are you kidding me? I’d love to!” Her eyes shot wide and she stood from the bench. “But I think you and Sam need some private time.”

A knot formed in my stomach. Did she know something? Had Samantha called her?

“I mean, if I was away from my boyfriend—if I had a boyfriend—did Sam tell you I met your brother?—anyway, three months is a long time, and you don’t need me around here spoiling that.” She threw on her jacket, wrapped her arms around me for a hug so quick I didn’t have time to return it, and picked up the bag. Then she paused, looking at the floor, and the gum chewing stopped. With a deep breath, she said, “I can do this.”

“Sì, you can. You’re a resilient woman, and you have a place here if you need it.” I kissed the air next to her cheeks and she headed out.

Once Lucy was in the elevator, I slunk through the great room and dropped the box onto the dining table. Before opening it, I pulled out a dozen of the battery-operated candles and set them out on the table. Maybe another dozen through the rest of the room. And another dozen in the bedroom. The sun was near to setting, so I turned off the lights and let the candles set the mood.

Samantha would come back. This was not the end, despite how my heart sat firmly in my throat.

And when she did, I needed to have the box taken care of and in the trash.

I grabbed a knife and sank into a chair, slicing the box open. Inside, I found exactly what I’d expected.

A cheap flip phone with a note—Dial 1—as though I could’ve forgotten. I hit the eighth speed dial, as I’d been trained.

It rang twice before Cristian’s voice came from the other side. “Cugino! I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“I’m preparing dinner for my girlfriend.” A lie, but one I should make reality. I made my way to the pantry to make noise, if nothing else.

“Smart man! Have you made her the salmon yet?” Something thudded on his end, then a squeak, as though he’d slid into a car with leather seats.

“Not yet.” I pulled out a bottle of Lambrusco, intending to pair it with a caprese salad. It would wait as long as she took, and we could figure out the rest from there.

“I won’t keep you.” He became muffled for a moment, providing directions to someone. “I made some inquiries after your call and came up empty until the incident yesterday.”

He’d already gotten the details. Not surprising, despite him being half a world away.

“And?” I uncorked the bottle and poured a glass for myself. The subtle frizzante danced over my tongue, highlighting the notes of black currants and blueberries. With the flame on high, I set balsamic vinegar and honey to boil.

“The man arrested yesterday was under consideration by some old associates of ours as a link in their shipping operation. As I hear it, they began cutting ties with him after the auction you and your girlfriend attended.”