Page 36 of Enduring Caine

Of course it was true. That’s what Vin wanted to do after postgrad and Elliot told me they had a TPC agent inside. Fuck. Of all the men in Italy, why did it have to be him?

It was barely five o’clock and the sun had already set into the sea. Once it was down, the temperature fell sharply. Despite the chill, I sat on the small metal chair on my tiny balcony, staring into the distance.

How could Vin not have told me he’d joined the Carabinieri all those years ago? He’d just called it ajobthat was keeping him in Italy. He knew my life’s goal was to join the FBI’s Art Crime Team, so why not tell me the truth? It would have cushioned the blow because I’d have understood the drive to do something like that.

Then again, maybe I’d have continued to be the naïve young thing I was back then and moved to Italy, thinking we could be together while he did great things.

Thatwould have been a wasted life.

There was a knock at my door and I sprang up from my chair and dashed inside. It was hours before I expected Antonio, given the timing of dinner, but I said a little prayer, all the same.

I swung the door open, and there stood Antonio, all six-foot-one, wavy-haired, chisel-jawed Italian with his slung arm. My heart leaped, but then crashed immediately. He was missing his ready smile, which was a bad sign.

He mouthed,I need to speak with you.

Me, too, I mouthed back.

“I’m glad you’re still up, bella. I thought you’d be asleep from how you looked downstairs.” His calm words didn’t match the anxious look on his face.

“I was waiting for you to come up, so I could say good night.” I forced out a yawn. If Antonio was mouthing to me, there was either a guard somewhere nearby or the microphones on the security camera were that powerful. “Are you going down to dinner or turning in early?”

“Shower and bed, I think. The jet lag and my medication are taking all the strength out of me.”

“Good night, then.” I slid a hand around his neck and lifted on my tiptoes for a moment to kiss his cheek, allowing me to spot Johann across the open space, where the stairs began to the fifth floor.

Antonio mouthed,I’ll distract him and the camera, you sneak into my room?

I nodded and spoke just above a whisper, as though trying to be private, but ensuring the guard would hear me. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Antonio kissed my temple and left for his room.

I let my door close over, click shut, then immediately opened it a fraction, so the sound of both actions melded into one. And then I waited. Patiently. What was he going to do? It wouldn’t be something from his room, and I couldn’t open my door enough to peek out, so I listened carefully.

Not five minutes later, Antonio’s door opened. “Mi scusi, Johann, but I need some help.”

“Ja?” came the voice from much farther away.

“My arm is hurting quite a lot and I can’t open my pill bottle with the one hand. Can you do this for me?”

“Of course.” His footsteps grew nearer, and I heard a popping noise followed by a rattle of pills. “Is that everything?”

“No, it’s not,” said Antonio. “I wanted to say thank you. Samantha is having a difficult time here and you’ve been very kind to her.”

Making small talk had to be the signal. I inched the door open until I could peer out. Antonio stood against the staircase finial, blocking the security camera. And he’d stopped there so Johann was angled with his back to our doors. Clever man.

“It’s part of my job, sir.”

I opened the door only as far as I needed to slip out and eased it shut behind me.

“I know, but it’s also part of Leonardo’s job, and small moments like you asking for the apple cake or taking her on a tour of the gardens—”

I tiptoed next to the wall, thankful the floor was all stonework, so no creaky floorboards could give me away. Antonio’s door was wide open.

“—those helped relieve some of her discomfort. He even followed her to the washroom and waited outside it this morning. Did you know that?”

Maybe that was another hint, so I snuck into the bathroom and hid behind the door, just in case.

They spoke a few minutes longer, and I held my breath as slow and steady as possible, despite the blood pounding in my veins. It wasn’t like I was risking my life coming over here, but I needed a private moment with Antonio badly. Between Vincenzo, the TPC, being separated from Antonio, seeing the pain in his eyes when Leo hit his arm… If they caught me, they’d likely confine me to my room, and I’d have to content myself with visits from Henri with food.