Page 20 of Enduring Caine
Like me, her Italian sweet.
I shook my head at myself. That might have been too cheesy, even for her.
The new patron stopped next to me, his deep voice quiet. “We need to be fast.”
I looked up, startled he’d spoken to me, let alone in English. Warm brown skin, short goatee with gray highlights, navy blue jacket and pants. Special Agent Elliot Skinner. Samantha’s FBI mentor.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Speci—”
He put a finger to his lips, eyes darting to the door Samantha, Leonardo, and the staff woman had exited through.
“Sì, we’re alright.”
“Why is Sam being followed like that?” Elliot knew things about my family—had revealed some of them to Samantha last week—but how much did he know?
How to answer this question without revealing things I shouldn’t? “Long story.”
He lowered his voice, so quiet I could barely hear him above the sounds from the kitchen. “Is your visit related to the rumors about your uncle getting out of his business?”
“My what?”
The woman returned with a tray of zeppole and slid it into place. The fried dough balls were covered in powdered sugar, with dollops of lemony curd on top of them, which should have caused my mouth to water. Should have had me thinking to buy them for Samantha. Instead, I was half a step behind the conversation, my brain—and tongue, apparently—a whirl of questions.
Cristian had said Zio Giovanni wasshifting the business.Did that mean getting out of the smuggling trade altogether? Or did this FBI agent and my cousin mean different parts of the business? Extortion? Bribery? Interfering with local elections to ensure his businesses carried on without challenge?
Elliot leaned closer to the display and whispered, “I need to talk to her. Have her call me.”
“She can’t.” I pointed to the biscotti, as though he and I were having a debate on what to order. “They took all of our electronics.”
“Then I definitely need to talk to her. I’ll be here at ten and two every day. Come as soon as you can.”
“They’re watching her like a hawk, Ell—”
He put the finger up again, but it drifted across his face like he was brushing something away. Was this an undercover job? He’d silenced me on his title and his name. So clearly, it was. “You’ll have to provide some sort of diversion.”
What could I possibly do to keep Leo’s eyes off of her? A female guard I could have distracted, but not him.
The woman closed the back of the display and ran her hands over her white apron, mouth opening as if to speak.
Before she could, Elliot shook his head and said to her, “I’ll be back later.”
As he vanished between the tables outside the café, Samantha and Leonardo returned from the washroom in the back.
“There’s not even a window in there,” Samantha hissed. “Whatexactlydid you think I was going to do that required a bodyguard?”
“Maybe choke on your venomous tongue,” Leo shot back.
I pulled Samantha to me, providing Leo with my most patronizing smile possible. “Just as successful at charming the ladies as ever, I see.”
“She’s a harpy. Just what you deserve.”
Samantha cocked her head, a smirk crossing her face. “Not used to a woman who stands up for herself?”
“I’m used to women who know their place.”
It was wrong to insult him so much, but perhaps if we pissed him off enough, he’d insist on another guard taking over for him. “Do you know your place, bella?”