Page 44 of Devoted

She shrugged. “Well, you got Marcello, I got Rocco, and Emberline got Giovanni, so we all have our handicaps in life. Just makes us play harder. That’s a golf reference, by the way.”

Since I didn’t play stupid games, I didn’t quite understand, but I supposed I got the gist.

“He’s a mean old vulture, but he’s family.” She blew out a long breath. “If I’m honest, I saved Rocco for my own selfish reasons. Had I left him to die, guilt would have eaten away at me. This way he’s free to be a mean, manipulative bastard, but he’s not commanding an entire empire. The worst he can do is terrify the staff.”

I slanted her a sideways look. “He’ll be good at that.”

Then another thought struck me. “Have you seen Luca today? Granted, I wasn’t looking for him, but I expected him to make an appearance before nightfall.”

Her smile vanished instantly, her perfect brows coming together in worry.

“No. I can have someone check his room, if you’d like.”

“That won’t be necessary. He’s probably still sleeping off last night. We ran into some… opposition, and he doesn’t have a lot of experience in hand-to-hand fighting. I expect he may be in shock.”

But my stomach tightened. The kid should be up by now.

And the way he kept rubbing his arm, all that dark magic flying around…

I turned, intending to go check on him when a staff messenger in Demente colors emerged from the villa, crossed the terrace, reaching out an envelope sealed with a wax seal the exact color of dried blood.

Without a word, Valeria took the delivery, dismissing the messenger with a nod.

I recognized the red wax and my stomach dropped.

If he’d found us…

Instinct had me turning toward Emberline, fear and readiness crackling in my veins, a plan already forming on how to get my wife off this island in the next twenty seconds.

Valeria broke the seal and began to read, her eyes flying over the paper, mouth forming an ‘o’.

“Blackwood’s inviting me to sit on the council. Said he was… impressed with my rescue mission.”

Bullshit. “Let me see that.”

She handed me the letter, and I scanned the short, to-the-point message quickly. The jagged handwriting was so precise and vicious, I saw his anger etched in every word.

Lady Demente,

Congratulations on your recent success.

I admit, your rescue of Rocco exceeded my expectations. Such daring is rare these days.

Venice requires strong leadership. I would like to formally offer you a position on the new council.

I look forward to working with you.

-Lord Cesare Blackwood

My blood ran cold, the paper crumpling in my fist.

No mention of Giovanni. Maybe the bastard really was dead.

“There is no way this isn’t a trap, Valeria. Blackwood’s trying to draw you out, like he did with us. Go to Venice, and you’ll never set foot on this island again.”

“It’s only a trap if I allow myself to get caught,” Valeria folded her arms. “Think of the upside.”

“There is no fucking upside,” I growled. “Only a downside, dragging you all the way to the grave.”