Isabella's eyes snapped open as the footsteps on the passage grew closer. She slipped out of bed silently, grabbing the knife Matteo had insisted she keep on her nightstand.
The footsteps stopped right outside her window.
Think, Isabella, she told herself. If they meant to kill us, they wouldn't be so loud.
She crept to the window and peered through a gap in the curtains. A figure in dark clothes was crouched on the platform, but something about their posture seemed familiar.
"Rafa?" she whispered.
The figure turned, and she saw his relieved face in the moonlight. "Open the window." He gestured urgently toward the latch. "We need to talk."
Isabella unlatched the window, helping him climb inside."What are you doing out there?" She stepped back, crossing her arms defensively. "You scared me to death."
"Sorry, but I couldn't risk the front door. We're being watched." Rafa brushed dust from his jacket, his expression grim.
"By who?" Isabella asked squinting her eyes.
