Inferno

‘Only in comparison to the others.’

‘No,’ I said, feeling surer now that what I was saying was true. ‘You’re like her.’ I remembered the last conversation I had shared with Sara, the way her eyes blazed when she spoke of a different life, another kind of existence she would forever be denied. He must have seen that in her, too. That’s why he picked her up that night, why he wanted to set her free. ‘You have the same heart.’

He snapped his head up and his eyes were so blue I almost lost my train of thought. ‘Are you trying to make it worse, Sophie?’

I offered him a sheepish smile. ‘I’m actually trying to make it better.’

‘You are not doing a good job.’

I shrugged. ‘It’s not exactly my forte. I’m good at changing the subject, though. Speaking of which, what the hell are you doing here?’

‘My grandfather’s brother was murdered in here yesterday.’ He gestured behind him. ‘Paperwork. I got the short straw.’

‘I heard about that.’ I tried to ascertain his level of grief but he seemed calm, his expression matter-of-fact. ‘I’m sorry.’

He tipped his head back so he was staring at the sky. ‘I’m sure you can guess what I’m about to say.’

‘“It is what it is,”’ I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. ‘It’s a pile of crap, is what it is.’

‘You’re so eloquent,’ he murmured.

‘You were right about the war,’ I said, wishing he would look at me and engage with the actual seriousness of his possible impending death.

‘Donata’s getting stronger by the day,’ he sighed. ‘There are rumours that the missing Marino twins have resurfaced. They’re rallying.’

I felt myself go pale. ‘What?’

‘Marino morale is high.’ Luca paused, chewing on his lip, before adding grimly, ‘and that is never a good thing.’

‘Where are they?’ I asked, wondering at the scope of revenge that was no doubt on their minds. Felice must be quaking in his expensive leather shoes.

Luca dipped his head further back, a groan of frustration catching in his throat as he exhaled. ‘If I knew that, I wouldn’t be lounging on this bench right now, Sophie.’

‘Are you worried?’ I asked, thinking of Donata and her troops, of all the ways she could hurt the Falcones. ‘About this … blood war?’

‘Yes, I am.’ He turned his attention back to me. ‘But I’m not worrying about my family, Sophie.’

‘Me?’ I ventured.

‘I don’t know what you were doing in Eden, or what your uncle wanted from you. I expect you won’t tell me anyway, but as long as Donata has access to you, as long as she feels you owe her something, you’re in trouble. I don’t know what your uncle bargained for that protection, but I’d bet it had something to do with you.’

The air was pressing down on us, and I could feel my back grow sticky with the rising humidity. ‘But what could I offer her?’

His jaw tightened, drawing hollows beneath his cheekbones. ‘I don’t know.’

‘I can’t give her anything.’

He inched forward, so subtly I barely noticed it, until I could make out the scar above his lip. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ‘Are you sure about that?’

Heat erupted inside me. I felt like I had been caught, but I hadn’t done anything. I knew about the safe, but it wasn’t like it had anything to do with me. It wasn’t like I was going to do anything about it. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’m sure.’

‘Valentino’s looking into you, you know.’

Alarm spread across my face. ‘Why?’

He turned and flopped back on to the bench, exhaling at the sky. ‘My mother’s been in his ear.’

‘Oh.’ What a charmer she is. ‘Well, he’s wasting his time.’

‘Donata’s going to come back for you.’ He said it casually, like it was a conversation about the weather, but it stuck in my throat and I gulped it down, knowing it was true.

‘I’ll be OK,’ I told him. An image of my mother and me cramming our car full of trinkets and duvets popped into my head. ‘I have a plan.’

‘What kind of plan?’

‘The secret kind.’

He pulled himself up. ‘Sophie—’ He stopped, chewing on his words.

‘Yes?’ I prompted.

He frowned at the ground, his lips twisting. He was considering something.

‘What is it, Luca?’

I was about to poke him when he returned his attention to me. Hesitantly, as if the idea was still forming, he said, ‘If you need help, you can ask for it.’ At my surprised silence, he splayed his hands. ‘I mean you can come to us, Sophie. If you need to.’

I almost fell off the bench with shock. ‘What?’ I asked, my eyes bugging out of my head. ‘Are you kidding?’

‘Why would I joke about something like this?’ His expression was stony. ‘I know what Donata Marino does to people who won’t bend to her will. You don’t.’

‘A month ago your family was actively trying to murder me.’

‘I know.’ He paused, his fingers drumming below his bottom lip. ‘But things are different now … We can protect you.’

‘Reluctantly,’ I pointed out, reading his obvious hesitance.