Page 220 of Claimed At First Sight

“It’s from Luca.”

I move closer. “What does he say?”

The room falls silent as Mamma reads the message aloud.

Luca: I’m coming to Chicago tonight. I need to speak with Don Marco. Don’t tell anyone. I’ll explain when I get there.

Ari claps her hands together. “Yay, Isa and Luca are coming here!”

For one glorious second, relief floods through me. I can’t wait to see Isa.

Then the wording of Luca’s message catches up with me.

I’m coming to Chicago tonight.

Not we. Only Luca is.

My relief falters. Is Isa with him?

I lean over Mamma’s shoulder and read the message again.

“Why does Luca need to speak with Maximo?”

Aldo and Mamma exchange a look, and my unease sharpens.

Mamma forces a smile. “Sien, Ari, could you both please check with Simon in the kitchen and see how far away lunch is?”

Both their eyebrows rise, and Ari opens her mouth to protest.

“Now, please,” Mamma says firmly.

As soon as my sisters leave the room, I turn to Mamma and Aldo.

“Do you think Isa and Luca are on the run from the authorities and need help? Why doesn’t Luca mention Isa? Has he hidden her somewhere?”

My thoughts leap back to everything Mamma told me upstairs, and another possibility crashes into me.

“Does this mean he really is the Venom?”

Aldo turns toward the window and looks out over the garden.

“It’s possible they’re avoiding the authorities, but we don’t have enough information yet. And we still don’t know for certain that the man in that footage was Luca.”

“But why would he need Maximo if he hasn’t done anything?”

“I don’t know.”

The blunt answer does nothing to calm me.

“And Isa?”

His expression hardens as he walks to Mamma and takes her phone, studying Luca’s message before placing it back on the table.

“The fact that Luca doesn’t mention her concerns me.”

Mamma presses a hand to her chest. “You think something has happened to her?”

“We need to be prepared for any possibility.”