Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

“I’m sorry you don’t like my choice, Eloisa,” Vittorio said. “But she will be my wife and therefore a member of this family. I expect you to treat her with respect. You don’t have to love her or even see your grandchildren when we have them, if you don’t want to, but when you’re around Grace, I want her to feel as if you know she’s a member of our family. I also expect that you give her business your full support.”

“Her business?” Eloisa all but spat the words at him. “I believe it’s called KB Events for a reason. Katie Branscomb is the face of the business. Grace is a mere, very replaceable partner, and a not very good one at that, as I’ve pointed out to Katie on many occasions.”

“Actually, Eloisa,” Vittorio said, his voice pitched low. Ultra-calm. He knew every single family member could hear the lie in her voice. Eloisa had to know that. “Grace is a full partner for a reason, yes. Katie is the face of the business, talking and hand-holding difficult clientele, while Grace sees to every detail. It’s Grace that gives you the perfect event every time. I’m surprised you didn’t figure that out. Grace, because of Haydon Phillips, protected everyone by staying in the background, but as you’re usually so good at realizing what’s really going on, but didn’t, I’ll have to tell Grace she was particularly clever.” It was a compliment and yet not.

Eloisa scowled. “I can barely believe such a thing.” Her voice was caustic.

“You know damn well she’s a full partner for that reason, Eloisa,” Stefano snapped. “You investigate everyone. There’s no way you wouldn’t know.”

“Exactly,” Vittorio confirmed.

Unrepentant, but clearly reluctant to go into her reasons for lying, Eloisa shook her head and then turned her attention to her youngest son. “When did you ask Nicoletta Gomez to marry you? She’s too young for you.”

“She’s old enough.”

Vittorio noticed Taviano avoided his mother’s question and realization dawned. Taviano hadn’t asked Nicoletta to marry him. He’d proclaimed they were engaged and his voice had rung with truth only because he intended to marry her, not because they were formally engaged. He intervened before their mother could follow up.

“Stefano, what’s happened that we all needed to be here?”

Stefano glanced at his watch. “Giovanni is pulling up now and we’ll start as soon as he gets here. There’s been a few unsettling developments between the Saldi family and ours.”

Vittorio moved closer to his sister. Emmanuelle was seated in one of the larger wide-armed chairs, her legs drawn up tailor-fashion, a look Eloisa detested and often reprimanded her daughter for. Emmanuelle looked young and defenseless. Sad and very vulnerable. His heart went out to her and every protective instinct rose.

At Stefano’s revelation, Eloisa immediately looked at her daughter, her face a mask of accusations.

“Don’t.” Vittorio rarely used absolute authority in Stefano’s presence. “I’ve gone beyond calm to something else. Just don’t.” It was all the warning she was going to get.

Emilio opened the door to allow Giovanni into the room. He closed it after, no doubt standing in front of it on the other side to ensure they weren’t disturbed.

Giovanni greeted them all. “What’s up?”

Stefano waved him to a chair. The room had been set up with comfortable furniture in a circle with a table filled with refreshments in the center. Giovanni threw himself into the only chair available.

“As you all know, I gave Giuseppi the names of those suspected of working with their family in our territory. When we went to question those people, they had disappeared. Bruno Vitali was found murdered this morning, his body rolled in a carpet from his apartment and stuffed in a dumpster not far from his home.”

A collective gasp went up. Eloisa half rose. “I should go to Theresa. She must be beside herself. Has she been told?”

Stefano nodded. “Yes. Art Maverick and Jason Bradshaw caught the case and they called me, although, of course, I’d already been informed as soon as he was found. They know our family looks after Signora Vitale. Emmanuelle, Sasha and I went with them to tell her. As expected, she went to pieces. Sasha is with her now.” He glanced at his brother. “Sasha didn’t know until we got there what was going on.”

Giovanni nodded. “She told me she was going on an errand with you. I knew she was safe, so I didn’t ask anything else.”

“I left Tomas and Cosimo with them. I’m not taking any chances with Phillips on the loose.”

“Bruno was Theresa’s last living relative here,” Eloisa said. “She has cousins in Sicily, but no one in the United States. Bruno was so young.”

“He agreed to work for the Saldis, Eloisa.” Stefano’s voice was gentle. “He betrayed our family for money.”

“But to kill him when his grandmother has no one else . . .” Eloisa trailed off, looking down at her hands. “No matter what we do, how long we dedicate our lives to fighting murderers and rapists, there’s always more.”