Shadow Storm (Shadow Riders 6)

“From what I understand,” Emmanuelle answered before Stefano could, “he thinks he does, but Dario isn’t as certain. Dario said that Miceli has been bribing even men Giuseppi has had in his organization for years. The younger ones like the money and access to girls that Miceli promises. He said there are a very few that are loyal to Val, but not many they trust with Giuseppi’s life.”

Emmanuelle braced herself for her mother’s biting, sharp tongue. Anything to do with Valentino Saldi had always been ugly between them. Eloisa glanced at Henry and then to Stefano and Vittorio.

“At least they had the good sense to call on us. Where is Giuseppi?”

“He and Dario are in the guest bedroom down the hall,” Stefano said, indicating it with his cell phone. “I can send you all the particulars. We’re all keeping in touch that way.”

Henry’s phone chimed first and then Eloisa’s.

“You gave blood, Vittorio,” Eloisa observed.

“He would have died otherwise. He was shot multiple times,” Vittorio clarified.

“Say what you want about that boy,” Eloisa said. “He does love his father. He would do anything at all for that man.”

She said it as if Val couldn’t love anyone else. And maybe he couldn’t. Emmanuelle already knew Giuseppi had ordered Val to get her to fall in love with him so he could learn the Ferraro family secrets. There had been another woman in his bedroom, and he’d actually said that to her. He’d compromised a young girl, made her fall in love and continued duping her. And then there was the binding of her shadow. He had known all along, and he had deliberately sought her out for that as well. Was that something Giuseppi had ordered?

If Miceli knew and went after Grace because of it, and Dario had looked at Nicoletta because of her abilities, then Giuseppi had known. Someone had to have clued in Dario and Valentino. She couldn’t look at her mother or Stefano another minute. She needed to be alone.

“I’ll go outside and look around, Stefano. I know we’ve got people out there, but it might be good to have one of us looking out as well.” She sent him an imploring look. She just needed to breathe fresh air. Be alone. Just for a few minutes.

“Good idea, Emme. Stay in the shadows. Let Enzo know.”

“Of course.” She nodded at Eloisa and Henry without really looking at them and stepped into a shadow, letting it carry her right out the door.

The minutes she was in the shadow she felt it tearing her apart, skin, bones, every part of her, just the way Val had. She knew if she got close to him again, if she looked at him, touched him, the terrible cravings would start all over again. They had something to do with the way the ropes coming off his shadow had bound hers to his.

The shadow took her to the lake itself. The moon was no more than a sliver, but it was bright enough to cast a ribbon of silver to stream a shadow trail for her. Dark purple clouds shimmered over the lake, an ominous portent of the storm advancing on them. She thought that very fitting. There was a storm brewing between Val and her. Between the two Saldi factions. Between the Saldis and the Ferraros. It was all coming together quite soon in a terrible clash of violence. She was used to violence. She had been raised on it.

She crouched low in the mouth of the shadow tube and stared out over the water, trying not to remember all the times she met Val at this very spot and watched the sun set over the lake, his arms around her. More than once, she had glanced over to see her shadow on the ground and those ropes swirling around it, tying it tight, only now they looked as if they were knots upon knots, impossible to pull loose.

Emmanuelle forced herself to remember looking up at Valentino’s face, catching him looking at their shadows with a look of intense satisfaction. Her heart had suddenly gone crazy with trepidation, an ominous warning rushing through her bloodstream. She’d wanted to pull back and reassess, think things through, but then his mouth was on hers and she wasn’t thinking anymore.

That was the way it always seemed to go. Once Valentino was kissing her or touching her, all her worries disappeared. The lessons she’d learned had been harsh. She couldn’t get near him, because the moment she did, something in his voice, in his eyes, always drew her back, always made her believe, no matter what the evidence showed.

She looked around before she stepped out of the mouth of the tube and then walked to the deck she was so familiar with. She’d spent time with Val here often—their secret hideaway. She’d fantasized more than once that this was her home with Valentino, and they were safe here. No one would ever get to them, tell them they couldn’t be together.