I know she tried to sound hateful, clever, but she didn’t. She just sounded sad and a little lost, actually.

I shook my head and took the pot of pasta off the burner.

“Don’t lie to me again,” I said without looking at her.

She stood back while I drained then plated the pasta and poured olive oil over it. After wiping down the kitchen table, I carried them over and set them down.

“Utensils are in there.” I pointed.

She looked as though she wasn’t sure if the conversation was over or not.

I went into the living room and found a bottle of wine, picked it up, and took it and two glasses back into the kitchen. Gia was sitting by then, silent, her gaze on me.

“Hope you like red.” After rinsing the glasses, I sat at the table, poured the wine, and started to eat.

Gia ate too, each of us silent, the clanking of forks and knives on the plates the only sound breaking the heavy silence.

“What now?” she asked when we’d finished. “I don’t want to hide.”

“I need to listen to those conversations. Where’s this library?”

“Philadelphia.”

“We’ll go tomorrow. Does Victor know about the recordings? Does he know that you know about them?”

“I don’t think he knows there’s a copy. I know he had a flash drive he destroyed. He’s dumb enough to think that’s the only copy. When he questioned me, he didn’t ask me outright about it, so I think Mateo told him I wasn’t involved and knew nothing.”

“Don’t underestimate him.” I didn’t think Victor was a stupid man. An asshole, but not stupid. Although arrogance tended to give one blinders. I’d learned that myself. Maybe his arrogance would get him caught.

After eating, Gia took the dishes to the sink and began to wash them. I watched her as I finished the wine. Neither of us spoke.

“I’m sleeping in Lucia’s room?” she asked once she’d finished and wiped her hands clean.

I nodded.

“Where are you sleeping?”

“Not in your bed. Don’t worry.”

She gave me a smirk. “I’m going up to bed, then.”

I watched her walk to the swinging door. “Gia,” I called once she’d opened it.

She turned.

“Don’t go anywhere else.”

“Like where do you think I would go?” she asked, a hand on her hip.

I crossed one leg over the other and smiled, tilted my chair, and balanced on its back legs. “Like don’t do anything stupid,” I said, mimicking her.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She turned on her heel and left the room. I laughed outright, knowing she would do exactly what I told her not to.