A Traitor's Debt

A few days later, Uncle Dante's call came right on schedule.

"Carmen Rodriguez. Twenty-four, immigrant from Mexico. Moved into a Malibu beachfront villa three months ago, valued at eight-fifty. Yesterday at 2 PM, Vincent was with her at St. Mary's for a prenatal check-up."

"What else?"

"I got security footage. Vincent putting the diamond necklace on her himself. In the hospital parking lot. They also kissed for seventeen minutes."

I hung up and looked at Vincent, still sound asleep. He looked so innocent, so trustworthy.

"Isabella? You're up early," he said, reaching for me.

I moved away. "Hitting the gym. Got an important business lunch today."

"With who?"

"A friend," I said, getting dressed. "I'll make you your favorite pasta for dinner tonight."

Vincent smiled. "I married the perfect wife."

Two hours later, I was in the VIP section of Lafey's Salon, the best place in the city to pick up high-society gossip.

"Isabella! It's been too long!" Sarah Wagner, the mayor's wife, walked over.

"Sarah, you're looking wonderful."

"Thank you. By the way, I heard Vincent's nightclub is doing great business."

"It's doing alright," I said, feigning indifference. "He's been so busy lately."

"Well, it's good for a man to be ambitious. But Isabella, there's something… I don't know if I should say anything—"

I looked up at her.

"I saw Vincent at Cartier with a very young girl. They seemed quite close. I was going to go say hello, but—"

"Oh, don't worry about it. She's probably a new employee. Vincent mentioned he was training someone for management."

Sarah looked like she wanted to say more, but she let it go.

At 3 PM, Uncle Dante sent me an audio file.

Carmen's voice was crystal clear. "Vincent says that old hag Isabella doesn't understand him at all. She's boring and dead in bed. Can't even give him a child."

Her friend sounded hesitant. "Really? But Isabella Marconi is a mafia princess. Her family's powerful."

"So what?" Carmen scoffed. "I have his child, she doesn't. The child is everything. Vincent said once our baby is born, he'll divorce her. Then I'll be the real Mrs. Romano, and I'll even get a piece of the Marconi family fortune."

"Vincent really said that?"

"Of course! Look at this diamond necklace. It's worth three million. He said it proves how much I mean to him. That boring old woman could never compete with me."

I turned off the recording and took three deep breaths.

Then I called my father's consigliere.

"Uncle Dante, I've changed my mind. I'm not waiting."

"What do you mean?"

"It starts tonight. I want his whole world to come crashing down."

"Are you sure? Once we start, there's no going back."

I looked at myself in the mirror. For three years, I had played the part of the docile, supportive wife. But there was nothing docile about the blood that ran through my veins.

"I'm sure. Put the word out to all our partners. Vincent Romano is no longer under Marconi protection."

"Understood. Anything else?"

"Tell my father his daughter is coming home."

After I hung up, I walked out of the salon. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the city.

But for some people, the night was just beginning.

And it was going to be a very long night.