Page 90 of Enduring Caine
“It would be a blessing if it did.” I tapped a button on the control panel and switched to the wine cellar video from just before the lights went out on Samantha and me.
Leo scanned the other screens, also performing the duty of the man he’d chased away when we arrived.
I made a note of the timestamp when the lights went out, then switched to the cave camera, lining the times up. “There are only so many ways the lights could have gone off. The switch at the entrance, but it’s clear on the video no one was there. The breaker could have blown, but you turned the lights on with the switch, so that’s not it. That leaves the switch in the passage.”
“But no one was down there.” Leonardo stared at the cave display. “The breaker is possible, if someone else corrected it at the same time I arrived. It would be a big coincidence, but we should check the video of the electrical room.”
“There aren’t any other secret passageways I should know about?”
“Wait.” Leo hit a button, switching another display to primary. “Look at this…”
Vincenzo walked into the frame in the wine cellar’s live feed, his voice clear through the monitoring system. “Henri hides French wine down here underneath the Italian. There’s a Jean Foillard Beaujolais somewhere. Maybe that will help your mood?”
Was it my imagination or did his hair look different from when he escorted her away from the kitchen? Messier? Her fingers had not been running through it. They hadn’t.
Leonardo cocked his head. “They seem to get along quite well, don’t they?”
Samantha appeared on the screen, carrying a glass half-full of red wine. “Sounds good.”
“That’s enough.” I hit mute on the display. “What’s your problem?”
“Me? Problem?” He hit the button to resume sound.
Samantha’s laugh filled the room and I hit the mute button again.
“Is this still about that woman?”
He folded his arms. “It’s always about you, isn’t it? The amazing Tony Ferraro.”
“I go by Antonio now.”
“I remember Fat Tony wandering around these halls, slack jawed and drooling over what we did here.” His jaw clenched. “I also remember you following Cristian everywhere. You were his little pet back then.”
And I remember the boot licker you were, nothing more than Cristian’s bodyguard.
“Now you’reherlittle pet.” He unfolded his arms long enough to point at the screen. “She’s not much to look at, so she must be impressive in be—”
My fist headed toward his face faster than my thoughts processed the movement. But he was ready for it, countered with a dodge and swept my hand to the side. I stumbled forward, my right arm flinging out to catch myself on the desk before I fell. Pain screamed up my arm, even worse than when I’d been shot. “Vaffanculo a chi t’è morto!”
Leonardo shoved me into the wall and bit back, “She was my girlfriend!”
“Any woman who’d leave you that easily—” I spun to face him, bracing my bad arm, attempting to mask the agony. Preparing for him to come at me. “—was not worth your time!”
“What’s going on here?” snapped Giovanni, hidden behind Leonardo’s broad form.
“Nothing.” Leonardo rolled his shoulders and straightened. Once he was facing my uncle, he’d have been sporting an expression of innocence. “We were remembering old times.”
Gio scoffed. “Put on your best faces. Our guests are arriving.”
“She’s here?” asked Leo. Who wasshe? Unless this was my surprise?
“They just passed the gate. I want you out front to greet the car.” Gio sighed. “They’re guests whom I trust. Wand them but be polite about it.”
Leo hummed in assent and left without another word.
Zio Gio looked me up and down. “Did he hurt you?”
No, like the adult I was, I attempted to hit him for insulting Samantha. Perhaps I should tell her what Leonardo said and let her deal with him. “No, Zio, I’m fine.”