Page 33 of The Broker

Dante starts to laugh. “Then the hacker can’t get anywhere near the computer in the farmhouse to access the keys. It’s too dangerous.”

It’s so nice to work with someone quick on the uptake. “Exactly. What do you think?” I already know what Dante’s going to say. He’s going to tell me it’s too dangerous to steal this money. Revenant knows my name. We can’t risk it. Blah, blah, blah. Days and days of effort, all of it for naught, because Dante Colonna will shoot me down. “If we take it, he’ll know it’s us.”

“He will, yes.” He smiles coldly. “He’ll also be a hundred million euros poorer, which will hamper his ability to respond. Do it, Valentina. Take the money.”

I gape, not sure if I’ve heard Dante correctly. “Did you just say—”

“You heard me.” He removes his cufflinks and rolls up his sleeves, exposing some of that glorious ink, andI’m riveted. “You did a great job, Valentina. Thank you.”

Did my fairy godmother just give Dante a personality transplant? What’s going on here? What am I missing?

17

VALENTINA

Should I have canceled the Viagra delivery?Yes.

Did I cancel the Viagra delivery?No.

Okay, fine.I admit it.I want to ruin his evening, okay? The idea of Dante going out on a date turns me into a seething ball of jealousy. Imagining him bringing another woman flowers, holding her hand across a candlelit table, and sharing dessert with her before he kisses her good night makes me want to explode.

I’m a bad person. A bad,terribleperson.

He said he wouldn’t bring his date back here, and I believe him. But what if he goes to her place instead? What if he doesn’t get back until two in the morning? What if he doesn’t get back at all?

I don’t even want to think about it.

After Tuesday’s late-night excursion, Dante hasn’t had any more long evenings in the office. Every day, without fail, he walks with me to pick up Angelica. He helps with her homework, eats dinner with us, and cleans up afterward. He’s still fairly useless in the kitchen, but his knife work is impeccable. No surprise there; he is pretty damn good at stabbing people.

I have no illusions about his sudden desire to spend more time with us. Dante let me steal Revenant’s bitcoins, and his presence at my side is more of his protectiveness. The security guards Leo has assigned to me apparently aren’t enough; Dante needs to be here personally. It should irritate me, butit doesn’t.I tell myself I’m tolerating the situation because of Angelica’s safety, but it’s more than that. I’m in the grips of a seductive illusion where Dante worries about my safety because he cares aboutme. One where he comes home early from work because he wants to spend time withme.

And it is just so,sotempting.

Then there’s his bed. Every time I go into Dante’s office, I’m forced to pass through his bedroom. During the day, before Marta comes to tidy up, his sheets are rumpled. It’s impossible to resist burrowing my nose in his pillow. I’ve had to rearrange my working hours so I don’t work late into the night because I am not capable of focusing when Dante is asleep in the next room.

And the flowers keep appearing in the office.

Every day, there is a fresh vase of blooms. Not always just daisies. Sometimes, there are roses in the palest shade of pink. Or bright, colorful lilies. But there’s always a daisy tucked into the bunch.

I didn’t even have to work that hard to plant a listening device on Dante. He leaves his phone lying around the house, and all I had to do was install a listening program on it. And I don’t have to crack his passcode. The other night, Angelica was watching a video of lion cubs playing on Dante’s phone, and when she needed to unlock it, he just told her what his passcode was.In my earshot.

I tell myself it’s his own fault he’s so damn trusting, but that doesn’t do anything to smother my guilt. He trusts me, and in return, I’ve planted a listening device on his phone. Like I said,I’m a bad person.

All in all, I’m a mess by the time Friday evening rolls around.

Much to my daughter’s delight, Mabel came over for the evening. They huddled in Dante’s living room in a makeshift pillow fort, ate pizza, and watchedEncanto. By the time Zadie picked Mabel up, Angelica was fighting yawns and didn’t even protest when I told her it was time for bed. Now she’s fast asleep in her room.

So it’s just me, in his office, earphones on, listening to Dante on his date.

Ugh. Ihatethis. The woman Dante is out with is Lara Zambelli. She is twenty-six, has a master’s degree in public policy, and works in the mayor’s office.

She also has a laugh that drives me insane. Every time she giggles, it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Admittedly, I am not an impartial audience.

“You look good enough to eat.” I can hear the lust in Lara’s voice through the phone.Down, girl.She giggles. “Are women supposed to say that?”

You have a master’s degree in public policy, Lara. You can do whatever you want. Own your horniness.