“Are you sure about this?” Leone asked for the third time, his tone carrying both doubt and mild exasperation.

Azzurra instantly regretted telling him about Marcello’s demand that she go out with him.

“I don’t want to go with him,” she said quickly, her voice low but urgent. “He looked furious when he left. What if he takes me somewhere isolated… and kills me? What then?” Her words spilled out in a rapid, panicked rush, her mind feeding her a flood of grim ...