SPD suspects there are no links to Addilyn, and that it was only a scare tactic to remind us somebody is in fact out there lurking.
Giulio doesn’t say a word during the briefing and arrives at Notti Designs before me. I know because my eyes remain on his vacated Porsche as I step out of my car. He only touched back down in Seattle this morning after a weekend work trip. I haven’t spoken to him properly since our moment on Friday night. I thought we were progressing well, I mean he was so close to kissing me, so why did he leave the house so suddenly after that damn kettle began whistling?
Why? Why? Why?
I conjure the confidence to brace for the day’s challenges and am met with Marcus’ open arms upon entering the lobby. It dissolves all the tension between us. Last week’s mishap with him was a disaster. We’ve never spoken to each other under such tense circumstances before.
Marcus takes one good look at me and immediately acknowledges my silent pledge with a longer hug. “I’m so sorry to hear about the news, Val. We all wanted it to be Addilyn.”
Despite his harsh words the other day and the disputes with his half-brother, Marcus has always been nothing but decent towards me. Giulio must have just told him about SPD’s update when he arrived.
I wish Giulio held me like this at the department.
If the diamond ring was on my left hand he would have, but eggshells are constantly beneath us. They dictate everything we do.
Dan, a junior architect, walks up to us and stops by Marcus with a curt smile my way.
My brother-in-law’s eyes soften as we pull away. “I shouldn’t have said those things last week. I was fired up and shouldn’t have taken it out on you. The separation is something between you two.”
“It’s okay, I get it. This is a hard time for all of us.”
“You have the right to be angry at me.”
I feel the urge to wrap him up in another embrace. “I don’t want to be, Marcus. I just want to go back to normal. Like it was before. That’s all I want.”
“You’re a good woman. You really are. I just have…” He pauses to rub the tip of his straight nose. “There’s a just lot going on now. Work, personal life, and you know, trying to make women happy. But I need to make this right between us. How can I make it up to you?”
“By allowing me to help you with whatever is going on. It would be a good distraction.”
Marcus smiles empathetically. “Appreciate it, but now’s just not a good time. Look, if I do need help I know where to go. You do the same, sound good?”
“Sounds perfect. Thank you.”
“Don’t worry, gorgeous. They’ll find whoever’s behind all this. They have to.”
“You believe me on this? That Addilyn’s still out there?”
He nods adamantly. “Of course I do, I always have. I think Giulio is just overwhelmed and is not thinking straight. He has a lot on his mind with work. He’ll come around eventually.”
I hope so too.
“Well, Dan and I better head to our site. You’ve got this! Keep your head high, alright?”
I nod with a faint smile, desperately needing it to be true.
Giulio
“That’s Scopa, baby! You lose some, you WIN SOME!” Lance hollers proudly beside me, slapping down his last card, the seven of spades, and begins fist pumping the air like a madman.
Hmmm. You shouldn’t celebrate quite yet, Hilton…
“Oh, I thought this was supposed to be a friendly game. No?” Sandro chuckles with that familiar Italian-New Jersey accent and pulls his cigar from his lips. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. Giannotti still has the final turn and let me tell you, that’s serious fire in his eyes.”
White clouded smoke hazes Sandro’s pointed eyes and sharply structured face. It clears to reveal the man who’s seen just about everything there is to see in the underworld. A few long scars above his brow and along his cheek have faded to white, yet the memories they evoke never will.
I can’t control my deepening smirk when the two men glance my way. It’s so obvious that Lance groans and covers his face with his hands.
Ha!
I have the last card of the round to close out the game, but Lance believes he’s already won with the seven he’s put down. He believes my card is lower and he’ll sweep up the last point and most likely win this round of the classic card game Scopa for the second time in a row. What he doesn’t know is I’ve collected not only more cards than him, but the single card I have left is golden.
“Don’t tell me you have the…”
“Alright, I won’t tell you then.” I smile, taunting my best man before turning to Sandro on my left. “Got a cigar for me? It may take a while for Lance to process his losses.”
“A long while.” Sandro takes another cigar from his case, lights it, and hands it to me.
“Grazie, Sandro.” I blow out a cloud of victory, grinning as Lance shakes his head. “Go on, Giulio. Put me out of my misery.”
I slap down the seven of suns and place Scopa. It takes a moment for the three of us to count our points and the second we converge our totals, I lean back in my plush dining room chair with a wolfish smirk. “Well, well, well. Look who won nine out of the twelve rounds played. What is it that I heard you say before, Hilton? Oh, that’s right. That’s Scopa, baby!”
“Shut up!” Lance fails to compress his dramatic frown and bursts out in laughter. “How do you win every time? It’s like you were trained to professionally kick my
