I release her hip, letting her go. Everyone else but War and Tova have now left the dining room. Tova links her arm with Cosima, leading her out.
"You good?" War asks.
"Stop fucking asking me that."
"A no would have worked." I rub my hand across my skull. "Sal?—"
"I know."
"You know?"
"There are things we need to discuss."
"The same thing you mentioned earlier? You said it wasn't about Cosima."
"It's more about you." Well, shit. That could be a lot of things.
“Is there something you boys need to tell me?” Dario asks from the open doorway. “Like where you’ve been?” His attention is honed in on me.
“Working.” He keeps that hard stare on me that makes people squirm under it.
I’m not one of those people. I have never been. I'm uncertain if my past has played a role, but fear has never dominated my existence. The only thing that has ever ruled me is Cosima. That has really started to piece together for me over the past few months. I knew my obsession with her; I just didn’t know how essential it’s been to everything in my life.
"We all need to have a meeting soon." Dario checks his watch. "Where is Ronan?"
"I have him handling an issue for me," War says, and I know he's full of shit.
I don't think he knows where Ronan is. It has me wondering what Marks might be up to. I bet she might know where he is. Which I need to clue Ronan into. I'm not really sure how to handle that. I don't think she means harm, but you can never be too sure. I also know Ronan is a hard man to kill. The shit that man has done and lived to talk about is impressive. I'd almost call it superhuman.
"Come, Aldo is interested in the shore."
"It's not a topic I'm open to," War responds.
"Aldo has sold off any liquid asset he has," I inform them both. "And he did it quickly last year."
"Really." Dario ponders this.
"His accounts."
"The legit ones don’t have much in them. I'm not really sure about his offshore ones. I never felt the need to dig around to find them. He hasn't been on the radar for any reason."
"Did he push for an invite here?" War asks, already thinking what I am. Marrying Cosima would be a quick way to sink your hooks into this family. All kinds of opportunities would open up for him and his sons.
I fucking hate it. I'd give everything I own to have Cosima. These men see her as an asset.
"We've always been friends. I wish he would have told me he was having issues." Dario adds.
"Desperate people do desperate things," I remind everyone.
That clears out the other two men Dario invited to meet his daughter, leaving Sal as the only one with any potential. Not that it would ever happen.
"I'll speak with him," Dario says. "Come, make nice." He nods for us to follow. War and I flick each other a glance before we do.
I don't make it past the threshold of the parlor before I notice one person missing: Sal.
"War—"
"Go." I turn, not in search of Sal, not yet at least. First, I want eyes on Cosima, then I'll go find him. The asshat better be using the bathroom. When I step into the kitchen, I only see Tova and Rochelle along with a few staff members.
