Chapter 4 The Test

Dante Romano sat in his armored Mercedes outside Marea restaurant, watching Lucia Castellano's taxi disappear into Manhattan traffic. He'd offered to have his driver take her back to her hotel, but she'd politely declined-too independent to accept help, or too cautious to get into a car with a man she'd just met.

Smart woman. In their world, paranoia was a survival trait.

He pulled out his encrypted phone and dialed his cousin Marco's number. "It's me. I need you to run that background check on Lucia Castellano immediately."

"How'd the dinner go?" Marco's voice carried amusement. "Fall in love at first sight?"

"Just run the check. Everything-birth records, school transcripts, employment history, travel documents, medical records, everything. I want to know what toothpaste she used as a child."

"That suspicious of the future wife? She must have made quite an impression."

Dante watched a homeless man shuffle past the restaurant's entrance, and wondered if the FBI had surveillance teams positioned nearby. "She's not what we expected. Too educated, too worldly, too comfortable discussing business strategy. Either Roberto Castellano raised a protégé, or we're being played."

"I'll have preliminary results by morning," Marco promised. "What's your gut telling you?"

Dante considered the question as his driver navigated through Midtown traffic. His instincts, honed by twelve years of surviving in a world where mistakes meant death, were screaming that something was wrong with Lucia Castellano. She was beautiful, intelligent, charming-and completely unlike any mafia princess he'd ever met.

"My gut says she's dangerous," he admitted. "The question is whether she's dangerous to us, or just dangerous in general."

"Want me to have her disappeared until we know for sure?"

"No." The answer came faster than Dante had expected, surprising himself. "She's under family protection until the alliance is finalized. But put surveillance on her. I want to know everyone she talks to, everywhere she goes, everything she does."

"Done. Anything else?"

Dante stared out at the glittering lights of Manhattan, thinking about the way Lucia's eyes had sparkled when she laughed, and the unconscious grace with which she'd moved through the restaurant. "Yeah. Find out if Roberto Castellano really has a niece named Lucia, or if we're dealing with an imposter."

Three hours later, Sofia Martinez sat in her hotel room, methodically removing the layers of makeup and hairspray that had transformed her into Lucia Castellano. The dinner had gone better than expected-Dante Romano was intelligent, surprisingly principled, and genuinely attractive. She could see why some women might fall for his combination of danger and charm.

Unfortunately, she could also see why the FBI considered him a priority target. His casual discussion of international criminal partnerships revealed the scope of Romano family operations, and his plans to involve "Lucia" in business expansion would give her access to intelligence worth millions in prosecutions.

Her encrypted phone buzzed with a message from Torres: "How did it go?"

Sofia typed back: "Target is suspicious but interested. Proceeding to Phase 2."

"Any problems?"

Sofia hesitated before answering. The biggest problem wasn't Dante's suspicion-it was her unexpected attraction to him. She'd spent three years hunting criminals without ever feeling personally drawn to any of them. But something about Dante Romano's combination of intelligence, honesty, and barely controlled violence appealed to parts of her personality that she preferred to keep buried.

"Nothing I can't handle," she finally replied.

"Good. Maintain contact but don't push too hard. Let him pursue you."

Sofia set the phone aside and walked to the window, looking out at Central Park where couples walked hand-in-hand under streetlights. Tomorrow she would continue her masquerade, gathering intelligence while pretending to fall in love with a man she was planning to destroy.

Just another day at the office for Special Agent Sofia Martinez.

Her phone rang-not the encrypted FBI device, but the civilian number Torres had established for Lucia Castellano's identity. Sofia checked the caller ID and felt her pulse quicken: Dante Romano.

She let it ring three times before answering, injecting just enough sleepy confusion into her voice. "Hello?"

"Lucia? It's Dante. I'm sorry to call so late-did I wake you?"

"I was just getting ready for bed." Sofia made her voice softer, more vulnerable. "Is everything all right?"

"I wanted to make sure you got back to your hotel safely. And..." He paused, and Sofia could hear traffic noise in the background. "I enjoyed our conversation tonight. You're not what I expected from this arrangement."

"Is that good or bad?"

Dante's laugh was warm and genuine. "Definitely good. I was dreading dinner with a spoiled princess who would expect me to worship her designer shoes. Instead I met someone I could actually have an intelligent conversation with."

Sofia felt an unwelcome flutter of pleasure at the compliment. "You weren't what I expected either. Uncle Roberto described you as... more traditional."

"Traditional meaning violent and controlling?"

"Traditional meaning focused on maintaining family honor through established methods." Sofia chose her words carefully, staying in character as a diplomatic niece. "You seem more interested in innovation than tradition."

"Innovation is survival in our world. The families that refuse to adapt get destroyed by those that do." Dante's voice turned serious. "I hope you understand what you're getting involved with, Lucia. This isn't the legitimate business world you're used to."

"I understand that marriage means accepting my husband's world completely," Sofia replied. "The question is whether your world can accept me."

"That depends on whether you're really who you claim to be."

The words hung in the air like a challenge. Sofia felt ice form in her stomach, but kept her voice steady. "I'm not sure I understand."

"You're intelligent, educated, sophisticated-everything I could want in a wife. But you're also completely unlike any other woman from our world that I've ever met. That makes me curious about your background."

Sofia's mind raced through possible responses. Too much protest would seem guilty, but too little might seem suspicious. "Are you having me investigated, Dante?"

"I'm having everyone investigated. It's not personal-it's survival. In forty-eight hours, I'm announcing our engagement to every major crime family on the East Coast. Before I make that commitment, I need to know exactly who I'm committing to."

"And if your investigation reveals something you don't like?"

Dante was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice carried a dangerous edge that reminded Sofia exactly who she was dealing with. "Then we'll have a problem. A potentially fatal problem."

Sofia forced herself to sound hurt rather than terrified. "I see. So much for trust being the foundation of partnership."

"Trust is earned, not assumed. You should understand that-after all, you're trusting your life to a man you've known for three hours."

"Yes," Sofia said quietly. "I suppose I am."

"Lucia?" Dante's voice softened again. "I hope you understand this isn't about not liking you. I meant what I said about enjoying our conversation. But if this marriage is going to work, there can't be any secrets between us."

The irony was almost painful. "Of course not. Secrets would be... dangerous."

"Exactly." She could hear him smile. "Get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow, and we can discuss the engagement party arrangements."

"I look forward to it. Good night, Dante."

"Good night, Lucia. Sweet dreams."

Sofia ended the call and immediately dialed Torres on the encrypted line. "We have a problem. Romano's running a full background check on Lucia Castellano."

"Expected and handled," Torres replied calmly. "We've been building her paper trail for six months. Birth certificate, school records, medical history, employment documentation-everything checks out perfectly."

"What about people who might have known the real Lucia?"

"The real Lucia Castellano was a loner who lived quietly in Switzerland for ten years. No close friends, no romantic relationships, minimal contact with distant relatives. Roberto Castellano himself only saw her twice in the past decade."

Sofia felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. "So we're covered."

"Completely. Romano can investigate all he wants-he'll find exactly what we want him to find." Torres paused. "How are you handling the personal side of this operation?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Dante Romano is an intelligent, attractive man who's showing romantic interest in you. Are you maintaining proper emotional distance?"

Sofia looked at herself in the bathroom mirror-makeup removed, hair down, wearing a simple cotton nightgown. She looked like Sofia Martinez again, but she could still feel the echo of Dante's interest and her own unexpected response.

"I'm handling it professionally," she said finally.

"Good. Remember-no matter how charming he seems, Dante Romano is a killer who inherited one of the most violent criminal organizations in America. Getting emotionally involved could compromise the operation and get you killed."

"I understand the risks."

"I hope so. Because tomorrow the real test begins. Romano will be watching everything you do, looking for any sign that you're not who you claim to be. One mistake, one moment of dropping character, and this operation ends with your body in the East River."

After Torres hung up, Sofia lay in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about Dante's warning that secrets could be fatal. He had no idea how right he was-her entire identity was a secret that would definitely get her killed if discovered.

But as she replayed their conversation, Sofia realized she was facing a problem she hadn't anticipated. Dante Romano wasn't just a target to be investigated-he was becoming a person she genuinely liked and respected. His desire to reform his family's operations, his intelligence, his unexpected honesty about the dangers of their world... these weren't the qualities she'd expected from a mafia heir.

Which made her job infinitely more complicated.

Sofia closed her eyes and tried to focus on the mission: infiltrate the Romano family, gather evidence of their criminal activities, and help the FBI build a case that would destroy their organization. Simple, clear, and absolutely necessary to protect innocent lives.

She just had to remember that Dante Romano, no matter how charming he might be, was still a criminal who needed to be stopped.

Even if part of her was beginning to wish he was someone she could save instead.