ate for less than a week, yet she al

questioned in f

s coffee wi

er mother's death, something

as beginning to noti

gaze followed h

when she was uncomfortable, ev

ing outside her be

inner tonigh

d or ordered

vit

impre

ring of business associates. Some

ctly am I exp

e polite. Try not

prom

n a private dining room at

s, with her hair swept away from her face. She had chosen i

side him, conversat

hand lightly ag

oretti," he announc

approached them with

ly made an interesting a

smiled pl

nteresting decisions. Not

s smile

d, disguising what sounded

as the guests discussed shipping contracts, property

name from the doc

ta

company associated with

old ring clear

ent. Nothing wo

g why it appears in records co

htened briefly a

stared

n't the place fo

hould have answere

ersation, but Isabella noticed the

ned somethin

ro Vitale frighte

l determined to

ped onto the hotel's

the sounds of the gathering

enemies," Dante sa

u wanted me t

d you to

. I also aske

three men to leav

ey weren't enjoy

s expression caught betwee

impressive

rd him. "Was th

get use

d despite

e tension betwee

gently removed a loose str

la wen

ngered near

ok at me like tha

e wh

mething you have

ression

to take anyt

ugh marrying me gives yo

ered h

re ri

admission left

er mouth, then ba

I kis

beat painf

ld have

red, "If I tell you

edia

lla n

r, giving her time

di

ckly became intense. For one brief moment, Isabella forgo

nd settle gentl

emembered

ulled

ased her i

her

furious with herself for wa

es nothing,

kno

don't t

w that

oo

d toward

abe

but didn't

into anything," he said. "Whatever ha

d over her

hen things stop

returne

ded shortly b

rd their waiting car, a waiter

iss Mo

ately moved

ave yo

rance, where a man in a dark coat

rds hurried

envelope before Da

of her mother standing b

words had been wri

nd knows e

ly raised her

e had g

it mean?"

id no

race felt like another secret she