Italian Undercover Affair Read online

Sabrina pulled out behind him, narrowly missing an elderly woman who was hobbling across the street.

  “Idiota!” the woman shouted at her as she sped off.

  Sabrina muttered another curse and focused her gaze on Adriano’s back. Her heart was racing after that near miss.

  Pay attention. Running over elderly ladies wouldn’t help her right now.

  Lucky for her, Adriano hadn’t noticed the near accident behind him. She followed him further from the center, beyond the ancient walls that encircled Rome’s inner suburbs. He drove onto a wide street—lined by boutiques, shops, and eateries—and she followed. Then, he turned off onto a side street and drove halfway up, before parking in front of a gracious fawn-colored building.

  Sabrina drew into the curb and parked her scooter. Quickly, she took out her camera and took a couple of surreptitious snaps of him as he locked up his bike.

  At that moment, a woman emerged from a shop further up the street. She was carrying a paper shopping bag. Upon spying Adriano, she called out to him. Sabrina watched the woman with interest. She was tall and slender with dark brown hair that flowed over her shoulders, smooth olive skin, and regal bone-structure.

  A classic Italian beauty, Sabrina thought, not without a stab of envy. Sabrina might have inherited her mother’s Mediterranean looks, but she would never possess the elegance this woman had. She was dressed casually in flowing linen trousers and a matching linen shirt and walked like a catwalk model.

  Sabrina hunkered down by the wheel of her bike and pretended she was fastening a lock and chain around it. Instead, she lifted her camera and took a few more shots of the two of them. Adriano hugged the woman warmly before kissing her on each cheek. Then, he took her shopping bag from her and carried it, along with the bags he had brought, inside.

  Sabrina remained hidden until they had disappeared within the building. Then, she straightened up and pocketed her camera.

  Who is she?

  Excitement curled in Sabrina’s belly. This was definitely worth following up. She approached the building and noted its number. Then, she took out her camera once more and took a quick photo of the surnames on the intercom. She needed to find out who this woman was and how long Adriano Bellini had been seeing her.

  Her work here was done, for now.

  Sabrina crossed the road, climbed back on her Piaggio Zip, and turned back the way she’d come.

  Sabrina reached for the television remote and unmuted the volume. A moment later, Adriano Bellini’s voice filled her apartment.

  “In BestChef Italia you need to give us your best. If you’re not willing to do that then go home.”

  Adriano glared down at a young female contestant who had tears running down her face. “Are you going to give us your best?”

  The contestant nodded. “Yes, Chef,” she sniffed.

  “Good—now for god’s sake stop crying.”

  Sabrina snorted in disgust and muted the volume once more. It wasn’t enough that the guy was a jerk in real life; he got paid to be one on TV as well. She’d just switched on the television to see the news, when the ad for the new season of BestChef Italia had come on. It wasn’t every day she saw someone she knew on TV.

  Still, the ad had done nothing to reform her opinion of Adriano Bellini.

  She glanced back at her computer screen and saw that the photos she’d taken earlier had finished downloading. The television forgotten, she opened the folder and clicked through the photos, studying each one carefully. Then, she enlarged the photo of the names next to the intercom.

  She paused when she saw the surname: BELLINI.

  Sabrina frowned. This wasn’t the address Helen had given her for Adriano. Was this woman his mistress? Had he moved, or was this a second home? If he’d been keeping a mistress, as Helen suspected, then the second home scenario made sense. His wife would never have known of its existence.

  Sabrina leaned back in her chair, a smile spreading across her face.

  Things were starting to get interesting. She had another day off tomorrow, so she would head back to that building and see if she could gather any more evidence about the woman she’d seen today. In the meantime, it was getting dark outside and she was starting to get hungry.

  Time to take a break from work and enjoy the eternal city.

  Sabrina put on a light cardigan over her t-shirt and changed out of her pants into a skirt and light sandals. She emerged from her building to find a gypsy couple playing at the end of the street; the jaunty strains of an accordion echoed high above the rooftops. The woman wore a long, colorful skirt and headscarf that together reminded Sabrina of an exotic tropical bird.

  Sabrina passed by the gypsies and wandered aimlessly through the streets of Rome’s historic center. She drank in the sights and smells of a balmy Roman evening. The rain had disappeared after that thunderstorm a few days earlier, and the weather had been gradually growing hotter ever since. Jasmine perfumed the air, mingling with the aroma of frying garlic and wood-fired pizza.

  Sabrina’s stomach rumbled as she passed by a pizzeria that was already filling up with patrons, mostly tourists at this hour. Like them, she was used to eating earlier. She decided to get herself an aperitivo—a before-dinner drink—on a bar terrace and do some people watching before dinner.

  Wandering across Piazza Navona, she spied plenty of bars but ignored the calls of waiters touting for business out front. Such places would be tourist traps, where a glass of wine was extortionate. Instead, she enjoyed watching the crowd in the huge rectangular piazza. She wandered amongst the gushing fountains that sparkled in the orange-hued light of the street lamps.

  A few streets away, Sabrina discovered a small piazza with a pizzeria on one side and a bar on the other. Greeting the waiter, she took a seat on the terrace and ordered a flute of prosecco.

  The waiter brought her drink, along with a small bowl of peanuts. Sabrina thanked him before sitting back to enjoy her aperitivo while watching the world go by.

  The dry, sparkling white wine went straight to her head on an empty stomach, and she felt herself relax—properly relax—for what seemed like the first time in months. It reminded her that, of late, life had lost its fun. Bennett Private Investigations was a lot of work, and the job was turning her into a cynic—an occupational hazard in this line of work.

  It shocked her to realize she didn’t want to return home. Maybe, it was the distance, or the change of routine, but the thought of going back to New York and the pressure of her day-to-day life, suddenly felt like a life-sentence.

  You’re just tired, she told herself as she took another sip of prosecco. Once this case is over, I’ll take a vacation—it’ll put everything into perspective.

  Not wanting to dwell on the life she’d soon return to, Sabrina forced her attention back to her surroundings. There were few things more beautiful than a balmy Roman summer night. The warm air caressed her skin and the rise and fall of voices echoed down the narrow streets. The last time she was here, she’d been a lot younger, and although she’d enjoyed it then, this experience was so much better. This time, she was seeing the city with adult eyes.

  Across the piazza, a young couple perched, entwined, upon a scooter. Raven-haired with sun-kissed skin, they kissed, devouring each other, not caring that the world looked on.

  A sigh rose up within Sabrina. This city was full of sensual promise—it was too bad she was here for work. Rome was somewhere to bring a lover; the city was a feast for the senses.

  Sabrina tore her gaze from the couple and looked down at her half-empty flute of prosecco. Forget about romance, she told herself firmly.

  Chapter Six

  Sabrina was putting on her apron when Daniele walked into the kitchen. He had just emerged from the staff cloakroom after changing into his chef’s whites.

  It was impossible to miss the huge black eye he was sporting.

  Sabrina gave a low whistle. “What happened to you?”

  Daniele answered with a sour look, not his u
sual flirtatious self this evening. “Nothing.”

  “Doesn’t look like nothing,” Mustafa, the new kitchen hand piped up behind them. “Looks like someone gave you a shiner.”

  Daniele crossed to the basin and started scrubbing his hands. “No one asked you. Get back to work.”

  Sabrina gave Daniele a searching look. Ever since starting work here, she’d seen more of the young restaurant manager than she had of Adriano. She’d initially thought Daniele was just cocky and ambitious, but the scene with the rose-seller a few days ago, and now this black eye, made her think otherwise. Something was up with him.

  Daniele ignored her and Mustafa. He scrubbed at his hands viciously, as if he was trying to strip away the skin. The young man’s expression was grim, his full-lips compressed into a hard line.

  Sabrina turned away and made her way out into the restaurant. Her instincts stirred.

  Daniele might be in trouble—and Adriano might have something to do with it.

  It was time to start keeping an eye on him.

  Adriano arrived later that evening, after spending time at Casa del Gusto, the second of his two Roman restaurants. Sabrina watched him cross the restaurant and greet a table of diners who called out to him. Nearby, a stunning woman with a mane of red-gold hair rose to her feet as he approached. Her skin was tanned a deep gold, as if she spent most of her life at the beach.

  “Adriano, darling. Have you been avoiding me?”

  He smiled—an expression Sabrina rarely saw him use, and one that made him devastatingly attractive—before he kissed the woman on both cheeks.

  “Never, Luisa. It would be like trying to avoid the sunshine. Why would I?”

  She laughed, her hand lingering on his shoulder as she stared up into his eyes. “Have a drink with me then?”

  He smiled back. “My pleasure. How about later?”

  Watching them, Sabrina gritted her teeth. Why wasn’t she surprised that he was a shameless flirt?

  Promising the lovely Luisa he’d come back to her table for a drink once things quietened down, Adriano continued across the restaurant floor. Sabrina watched him warily. Unfortunately, the background criminal check on Adriano had come back clear. If he was doing anything illegal, he was hiding it from the authorities.

  That doesn’t matter—I’ll find the dirt on you, one way or another.

  Sensing her stare, Adriano’s gaze met Sabrina’s. He raised an eyebrow, mocking her. Sabrina flushed, turned away, and busied herself with clearing a table. Great, now he probably thought she had a crush on him.

  Vincenzo called out to Adriano as he walked by. Adriano said something back before they both laughed, sharing a joke. Sabrina gritted her teeth. She hoped they weren’t laughing at her.

  Adriano’s good mood appeared only to last as far as the kitchen. Sabrina carried in dirty dishes to find him having words with his Daniele. They stood at the far end of the long kitchen, heads bent, voices low as they argued. Daniele appeared slightly panicked, and judging from the thunderous look on Adriano’s face, his nephew had erred in some way. She wondered if it had something to do with Daniele’s black eye.

  Sabrina wished she was closer so she could listen in, although she managed to catch Daniele’s words as she exited the kitchen.

  “I already told you it won’t happen again—just leave it.”

  “Service!”

  The bark of Adriano Bellini’s voice caused heads to turn toward the kitchen. Sabrina shot an apologetic look at the couple she’d just served before swiveling on her heel and hurrying across the crowded restaurant. Adriano didn’t usually shout—a steely gaze and cutting remark were more his style. His argument with Daniele had clearly pissed him off.

  Halina arrived at the kitchen just ahead of her, and reached for the two plates of Florentine steak and steamed greens waiting on the pass. Adriano appeared on the other side of the counter. One look at his face told Sabrina that he was not happy.

  “Halina, what’s up with you tonight?” he growled, his gaze pinning the young woman to the spot. “Any slower and you’ll be crawling.”

  “I’m sorry,” she muttered, a blush rising on her pale cheeks. “I’m just a bit tired.”

  “You’ve just had two nights off,” Adriano parried. “You’ve got no excuse for dragging your feet. This is the first dish you’ve picked up in ten minutes. While you drift around the restaurant pretending to be busy, the dishes are sitting here getting cold.”

  “I’ll move faster, I promise,” Halina replied quickly, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

  “Don’t just talk about it.” He gestured to the dishes in front of him. “Hustle!”

  Sabrina watched Halina grab the dishes and flee from the kitchen. The girl’s face was taut with panic. Sabrina turned back and met Adriano’s gaze, anger curling up within her.

  “Was that really necessary?”

  Adriano’s gaze narrowed further. “Excuse me?”

  Sabrina’s heart started hammering against her ribs but she answered him nonetheless. “Do you have to be so rude?”

  Adriano’s expression hardened. “It’s my restaurant, my rules.”

  Sabrina stared him down. Rage now pulsed within her, obliterating her fear of confrontation. She fought her anger, as she didn’t want to lose her job, but impulse overrode good sense.

  “Big deal,” she snarled. “So you own a few restaurants—that doesn’t make you god.”

  Adriano watched Sabrina storm, stiff-backed, out of the kitchen.

  I should fire her for that.

  She’d answered him back in front of his chefs and questioned his authority. Frankly, he’d fired staff for less. Yet, something in the way she’d challenged him, the way she’d held his gaze and stared him down, made him respect her.

  Her jade-green eyes had blazed at him fearlessly. Her full-lips pursed in anger and her creamy skin pulled tight over her delicate cheekbones. He should be furious at her. Instead, he fought a smile as he turned away from the pass.

  Dio, she was beautiful when angry.

  He caught Daniele grinning at him, and his own amusement faded. He was still annoyed with his nephew. “What are you laughing at?”

  Daniele hastily wiped the grin off his face and turned back to his work. “Nothing.”

  Idiot. Sabrina inwardly cursed herself as she crossed the restaurant. You’ve risked everything.

  Her fiery temper, which she’d inherited from her dad, was something she usually tried to keep a lid on. With just a few angry words, she’d put the whole case at stake.

  Maybe her frustration at her slow progress was shortening her fuse. She had spent most of yesterday waiting outside the building she had followed Adriano to the day before. Neither that woman, nor Adriano, had emerged during her long wait. She had returned home with nothing to show for a day’s stakeout. Helen Bellini was understandably starting to ask for progress reports.

  If Adriano fired her now, she’d have nothing to give her client.

  At around midnight, La Pasta D’Orata shut its doors for the evening. Sabrina removed her apron and hung it on a hook in the kitchen. Daniele was overseeing the clean-up, while out in the restaurant, Vincenzo was busy closing down the cash desk for the evening. Halina had already left, and Roberto was busy sweeping the restaurant floor.

  Sabrina took a deep, steadying breath. She’d had a stay of execution all evening, waiting for Adriano to fire her, but it still hadn’t happened. Eventually, she’d have to face him. It galled her to do this, but her position here was too important to let pride put it all at risk. If she was to stay on, she needed to apologize.

  “Where’s Adriano?” she asked Daniele.

  The young man looked up from wiping down the workbenches, his final task for the evening. His black eye looked even worse than it had at the beginning of the shift, and his expression was sullen. “He’s in the office, out back.”

  Sabrina nodded. “Get some ice on that eye,” she suggested. “It’ll make the swelling go down f
aster.”

  Beyond the kitchen, she made her way down the narrow hallway to the back of the building. Adriano’s office was at the end of the corridor.

  She knocked on his door.

  “Avanti.”

  Sabrina opened the door, her gaze sweeping over a cramped office space dominated by a large mahogany desk. Shelving, full of neatly ordered paperwork, covered the walls from floor to ceiling, making the space appear even smaller. What little wall space remained was plastered with awards and framed certificates of Chef Bellini’s many achievements.

  Adriano sat at the desk, behind a laptop. He looked up as she entered, a scowl forming. “What do you want?”

  The question was blunt and rude, and Sabrina found herself tensing. Anger resurfaced but she tamped it down. She’d come here to apologize, not to lock horns with him again.

  “I wanted to …” she began, forcing out each word, “I wanted to say sorry for earlier. I shouldn’t have spoken up.”

  Adriano closed his laptop with a snap and leaned back in the upholstered leather chair. He watched her lazily, with a gaze that made her feel like prey.

  “No you shouldn’t have … but something tells me that’s not why you’re here.”

  Sabrina’s stomach contracted into a knot.

  He knows …

  “You’re afraid of losing your job, Sabrina,” he continued smoothly. “You’re not sorry at all.”

  Her stomach relaxed, although his bluntness offended her. “Think what you want,” she replied, “but I am sorry. It’s not up to me to question how you discipline your staff.”

  Adriano continued watching her before a smile curved his lips.

  “No, it’s not—but don’t worry, I’m not firing you .… not yet anyway. You’re a very good waitress. I also liked the way you stood up to me. I get tired of sycophants.”

  Sabrina ground her teeth. His arrogance made it difficult not to respond sarcastically.

  As if sensing her annoyance, his smile widened to a grin. Then, he waved her away. “Go on, get out of here.”