“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” I knew my cheeks were flushed, but I didn’t have time to try to come up with a lie to explain why I was acting this way. “Bye, Ben.”
I rushed out and closed the door behind me, hoping he wouldn’t follow. I felt terrible, but I had no choice but to leave the way I had. I raced through the vineyards and up the hillside. When I walked into the casina, I saw Brand standing in the bedroom doorway.
“I’ve been so worried,” I cried, running into his embrace.
Brand stroked my hair and kissed my forehead. “It’s okay, passerotta.”
Brand’s nickname for me, which translated to “little sparrow,” was an Italian term of endearment for anyone metaphorically “learning to fly.” I couldn’t remember when he’d started referring to me that way, but I loved it.
“Come,” he said, pulling me into the bedroom. “You’ve been a very bad girl, Tara,” he said, his expression darkening.
“What do you mean?”
“I told you we needed to talk when you returned to New York. Instead, you’re here.”
“But, my dad—”
Brand put his fingers on my lips. “You need to go home, Tara. Now. If not tonight, tomorrow.”
15
Halo
When she went out the front door of the farmhouse, I followed out the back, keeping far enough away that she wouldn’t hear me, but close enough that I could see her. I’d anticipated there would be someone waiting for her at the casina, but not my reaction to seeing it was a man close to my own age—particularly one she looked so happy to see.
I clenched my fists when I saw the man in the casina, with Tara, put his arms around her, but when I saw them go into the bedroom, it was all I could do not to break the fucking door down and put him through a wall.
I crept around to the other side of the structure so I could see in the window of the other room and watched as they sat on the edge of the bed and talked. I wanted to rip his arms off when I saw him touch her.
I took out my phone and captured several photos, hoping I’d get at least one that would allow someone from K19 to identify the man.
They stood and turned off the light in the bedroom, so I crept back around to the other side of the casina. I got there just in time to catch the end of their embrace. When the man brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, I assumed it was because she was crying.
In what felt like a mixture of sorrow and trepidation, I watched as she flung herself back into his arms. I looked away, knowing that if she kissed him, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.
The front door creaked, and the man stepped outside. “I’ll see you tomorrow in Florence, passerotta,” he said, shaking a finger at her. “Do not forget what I told you.”
Florence. That’s where she said she was going tomorrow, evidently to meet up with this man. I could say one thing with absolute certainty. I was headed to Florence tomorrow too.
When I returned to the farmhouse, I called Striker, but he didn’t pick up. Wanting answers as soon as I could get them, I called Doc directly.
“Halo,” he said when he answered the call. “I was about to send you an email.”
“About?”
“I haven’t been able to find anything on AISE’s investigation into the accidents at Valentini, but wanted you to know I’m still working on it.”
“Copy that.”
“Why’d you call me?”
I told him about the scene I’d just witnessed up at the casina.
“Any idea who the guy is?”
“Negative, but I’ve got images.”