Page 32 of The Broker
“This was not an isolated event,” the older man continues. “This is who Federico Verratti is. As for Salvatore. . .” He shrugs expansively. “The apple can’t fall too far from the tree, can it?”
Massimo insists I stick around for dinner. “What’s the rush? You have a wife waiting for you at home?”
“You know I’m single.”
“Let me guess. You like your freedom.” He frowns at me. “Can I give you some advice, Colonna?” Like Leo, he doesn’t wait for my answer before continuing. “Find a nice woman and get married to her. You’re young and think you have forever, but the years go by quick. Before you know it, you’ll be as old as I am now. It’s a lonely place to be without family.”
Right now, Valentina’s probably cooking dinner. A lavender candle will be burning near the stove because that’s her favorite scent. Maybe she’ll have brewed a pot of tea, and maybe she’ll sip from a cup while she chops vegetables. Angelica will be sitting at the kitchen table, doing her homework.
If I join them now, I could eat dinner with the two of them. When we finished our meal, I’d clean because Valentina cooked. Then, after dinner, Angelica would insist I watch a movie with them, something with princesses because that’s what she likes. When she’s in bed, Valentina and I would sit next to each other on the couch and talk about our respective days.
My heart tightens in painful yearning. But as much as I want it to be, this dream isn’t real. I’ve known Valentina for ten years, and before this threat, she never once stepped foot inside my house. They’re only living with me because of the danger. As soon as it’s safe, they’ll move away.
It’s a mirage.
I don’t need Massimo’s lecture to appreciate the importance of family. I want Valentina so much it’s painful. But the sooner things go back to normal, the better. She’s only been in my house for two days, and already, I’m starting to crave things I cannot have.
16
VALENTINA
On Tuesday, once I’ve dropped off Angelica at school, I make my second attempt at decrypting the data I took from Verratti’s computer. This time,withoutthe Internet.
I connect my phone to Dante’s excellent audio system, load up my playlist, and get to work. I’m taking twice as many precautions as I did two days ago, but the decryption goes much quicker this time. By the time Dante gets home at eleven at night—he’s such a workaholic—I’ve managed to crack the encryption. I’ve even made a start on analyzing the data on the computer.
I’m deep in Verratti’s financials and focused on what I’m doing, so I don’t hear the front door open. It isn’t until Dante knocks on the office door that I realize he’s back home.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
I will my heart to stop racing. “I didn’t hear you.” I look up at my nemesis. He’s leaning against the door frame, looking impossibly sexy. “You look tired.”
He gives me a faint smile. “It’s been a long day. And you look. . .energized.Let me guess—you’ve decrypted the data.”
“Am I that easy to read?” I ask, a little offended.
“I didn’t think it’d give you much trouble.”
Oh. Warmth fills me at his compliment and, with it, a twinge of guilt about my upcoming attempt to sabotage his date. “Do you want something to eat? I made tom yum soup.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “Marta knew where to buy lemongrass? Tell me you didn’t leave the house and traipse all over the city for the right herbs.”
Just like that, my guilt vanishes. “I didn’t,” I snap. “Contrary to what you think, Dante, I am not an idiot.”
He grimaces. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” He massages his temples, the telltale sign of a headache. “Thank you for the offer, but I ate already. I went to see Massimo Rinaldi. He insisted I join him for dinner.”
“In Brescia? That’s a long trip.”
“It is that.” He undoes his tie, and I have to tear my gaze away from his fingers. My throat is dry. I’m suddenly very conscious of my outfit: a pair of old yoga pants and a T-shirt that’s falling off my shoulders. “But Massimo isn’t likely to switch sides on us, so it was a trip worth making. Find anything good in the files?”
“I’ve only just started looking, but yes. They stored their crypto keys on this computer.”
“Help me understand why that’s significant.”
“If we have their private keys, we can steal their money. There’s almost four thousand Bitcoins here.” I give him a gleeful smile. “That’s a hundred million euros.”
I can see the wheels turn in Dante’s head. “This is Verratti’s missing money, isn’t it? Revenant hid the money from Salvatore in the Verratti server?”
“I suspect that’s what he did. Verratti can’t access his crypto because Revenant encrypted all the data on his server. But if he suspects Revenant is responsible—”