“We don’t know what happened. Tino said it couldn’t be him.”
“Stop trying to sedate me, Nicky. We both know that’s not true.”
She rubbed my arms gently. “It’s awful of me to say what I’m about to say, but I really hope it’s him who took Leo.”
“Why would you say such a terrible thing?”
“Because if he did, Tino would find and kill him, and it’d all be over.”
“At what expense? You don’t care if Leo died?”
“Of course I do. But if Leo had to die so you could live, so you could be safe, I can live with that.”
A lump clogged my throat, and more tears fell down my face. “I can’t. I can’t, Nicky.” My whole body trembled, and I sobbed in her arms, feeling like I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.
“Angelina! Nicole!” Tino’s voice boomed as he entered the swimming pool area.
I jerked up, bracing for the worst.
He marched in our direction, his phone in his hand. “I found him.”
“Where? Is he okay?” I panted, my heart thundering.
“My men stopped him in San Francisco before he met the Lanzas. They’re bringing him back,” he said.
I fell to my knees, my face in my hands, a long sigh of relief wheezing out of me. “Thank God.”
“So he was going to break off the engagement?” Nicky exclaimed. “I thought this whole thing with my sister was a fling. I never thought it’d be so serious…”
“Fling or no fling, it needs to stop. We honor our words, and we’ve given our word to the Lanzas.” He gave me his phone as I wiped my face. “Call him.”
“And say what?”
“Fucking move on, for starters.”
I rose and nodded. Tino was right. I should push Leo away. I was no good for him. For anybody. He had to stay away from me for his safety. It was the least I could do to repay a fraction of my debt to Tino.
I tapped the green icon and put the phone on my ear. One ring. Two rings. Three… “Papà, I told you—”
“It’s me, Leo. Lina.”
“Oh amore, I’m so sorry I didn’t try to reach you earlier. You must have been scared.”
Amore? I wished I could have been loved by anyone without signing their death certificate. I wished I could have enjoyed hearing it from him, from anyone. I wished I’d been allowed to ever say it back. “I was. Very much.”
“I’m fine, Lina. Don’t worry about me. How are you doing, bella?”
“Leo, listen. You need to stop. We can’t be together. I can’t…marry you.”
“I know you still have school. We’ll wait until graduation—”
“Leo, you’re not listening!” I glanced heavenward. “You can’t break off your engagement for me. I can’t marry you ever. I can’t be with you in any way.”
There was a long pause. “Did Dad tell you to say this?”
“Yes, but I’m saying it, too. I’d have never said yes, Leo. I just can’t and you know why.”
Another pause. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have proposed last night. I did it all wrong.”
“Yes.” I nodded, assuring Tino. “Thank you for understanding. Now, you need to get back to your fiancé and honor your word. It’s the right thing to do. I’m sure she’s amazing, and unlike me, she can actually make you happy.”
“Lina…can you tell Dad I’m not coming home?”
I blinked. “Okay. So you’re going back to San Francisco? To Claudia?”
Tino narrowed his eyes at me and mouthed for me to open the speaker. I did as he asked, anticipating the answer.
“No,” Leo said. “There’s something I have to do, had to do before I proposed to you. I’m not coming home until I do it. It’s the only way you’ll give me a chance.”
My heart dropped on the floor. “Leo, what the hell are you saying?”
“I won’t rest until I find him and bring his fucking head to you.”
Chapter 33
Tino
“How could you not stop him?”
I stopped counting how many times Angel had asked me that question. She’d been killing herself with worry for no reason at all.
There was no way for me to put her out of her misery other than telling her the truth. Leo was chasing a ghost.
The only person who should worry was me. The only danger here was Leo finding out the truth and telling Lina.
I was the one who killed her father.
I was the psycho stalker creep.
I was the monster that terrified her.
“You don’t care about the safety of my son more than I do, Angelina.” I gave her the same reply every time.
“It’s been months. I’m dying every minute since this shit started. Every time my phone rings, my heart stops. Every call Leo makes to tell me he hasn’t found him yet but won’t come home until he does drives me crazy. You don’t understand how I feel. I’m losing my mind.”
I hated to see her like this, but any intervention on my side could make me lose her forever. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t lose Leo either. I was losing my mind.
My arms opened for her. I hadn’t touched her while she was awake since that moment I almost kissed her. She’d been so distant. She barely talked to me about anything but Leo. He’d taken up all her mind with his conniving move.
She stepped back, rejecting me. She never rejected me before. It stung like a slap on the face. “Why haven’t you found him? Didn’t you say you’d find him in weeks? It’s been months.”
I sighed and dropped my arms. “You want to know why I’m not concerned about Leo chasing that piece of shit? Why I haven’t found him?”
“Yes,” she hissed.
“Leo isn’t really in danger because he can’t really find him, Angelina. Neither can I.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” She jabbed the air with her index finger. “And don’t even think about lecturing me for swearing.”
I slapped her finger and grabbed her whole hand in my fist, pulling her to me. She yelped, staring at me with angry yet scared eyes until she dropped her stare. “You don’t tell me what or what not to do, understood?”
She gulped. “Why can’t either of you find him?”
Disappointed I couldn’t make her drop it, I had to lie. “Because I know his fucking kind. Patience is his game. He can wait as long as it takes for you to become vulnerable again before he makes a move. He won’t show up unless I use you as bait.”
“Bait?” Her head whipped up, her beautiful hair flowing off her face and down her back. “How?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll never do it.”
“You have to do it. I’m not scared of him. Not anymore. You have to do it, Tino.” Now she clung to me. “Please.”
“You’d put your life at risk for my boy?”
“I’d do anything to keep him safe.”
I’d counted each day Leo was away from her as a blessing, but I was wrong. His absence hurt more than his hovering around her. It was a silent curse that could cost me everything.