by J. L. Drake
It made me think about Elio’s loss of control. Talk about a mood change. I wondered how often he lost his cool. I couldn’t imagine it was the norm, so the staff probably weren’t sure how to handle it.
“There you are!” Mariano shouted from the end of the hall, sending my heart into my throat. His voice echoed over the marble flooring, making me cringe at the sudden intrusion. “You never texted me back.”
“I must have missed it.” I slapped on a smile and tried to act normal. “How was your day?”
“Better now.” He leaned in for a kiss, but I moved my head, sending his lips to my cheek. I felt his shoulders sag at my lack of affection. I didn’t care. I had reminded him many times that we were just friends. “Are you ready?” I loved how I didn’t even give him a yes or no, but he just made the assumption it was a yes.
“Where?” I shot him a glare.
“Drinks at my place.”
“Oh, that sounds fun.” I stepped back and called into the kitchen, “Vinni, drinks at Mariano’s?” And just like that, my perfect plan of flushing out a barely recovered Anna worked like a charm. There was no way I would allow myself alone with this asshat.
“I’m game,” she said as she cleared her throat. Mariano’s face twisted but soon smoothed out as something else seemed to come to him.
“Yeah, Anna?” He squinted at her red eyes. “You okay?”
“I’m fucking great.” She snickered.
“Great.” I made a halfhearted attempt to be cheery. “Let me grab my things, and I’ll meet you back here.”
Oh, boy, an evening with a woman who hated me and a man who would love nothing more than to get me alone. I was flirting with disaster.
Once inside my room, I ran a brush through my hair then paced the floor. I didn’t have much time, but I hoped if I could get them drinking, something just might come out. Besides, Elio’s house wasn’t far from his. I could just race up there if I needed to.
Sienna: I’m at Mariano’s. I’ll explain later.
With a plan in mind, I grabbed my sweater and purse and headed down the stairs.
“Finally,” Anna snapped, and I rolled my eyes as I followed them to the car.
Not even an hour later, Mariano and Anna were three quarters of the way into their beloved bottle of grappa. I had already tipped two glasses of wine into the planter next to me. If I was going to do this, I needed to act like I was holding up to their level of drinking. How anyone could drink as much as they did made my liver ache.
“So, Sienna,” Anna had sprawled herself out on the couch, her skirt hiked up her thigh, it was sure to gain Mariano’s attention, “I don’t know much about you.”
“That’s true, you don’t.” I made a show of downing the small quantity of red wine left in my glass and poured myself another.
“Why is that?” She rubbed her face.
“Because you chose not to like me.”
“That’s true.” She laughed, looking at Mariano, who chuckled while staring at his phone. “I don’t like most women.”
“I get that impression.”
“Mostly, I don’t like women I can’t read.” She leaned forward and blinked a few times, no doubt trying to clear her blurry vision. “And I find you very difficult to read.”
“It’s a safety thing,” I admitted, thinking if I said some truths maybe they would too.
“So, tell me, if you’re as quiet and reserved as you seem, why would you do something as risky as that article? Especially that half-naked photo on the front.”
“I am reserved to a point.” I felt the need to defend myself. “The article was about hope and strength. When you grow up the way I had to, that is all you have. As for the photo, that was me being brave enough to let people really see me, who I am and how proud I was of who I had become. I can see how it might make some women feel insecure, especially if they don’t see themselves as beautiful on the inside.” I held her annoyed gaze.
“Well, if you don’t mind the idea of that picture being in multiple men’s bedside tables, I guess.” She laughed with Mariano.
“Yeah.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me. I shook off their childish reaction.
“Tell me something about yourself.” Anna awkwardly poured herself another drink spilling more than a good shot onto the wooden table. “Tell me about why you won’t sleep with Mariano.”
So, he shared that, and we’re going there. Okay…
“I’ve rushed into relationships before getting to know the person well enough, and it didn’t end well. My last boyfriend reminded me I don’t need a man to be happy.”
“Are you gay?”
I squinted at her crassness; if I was or wasn’t, it certainly was none of her business.
“No, I’m not.”
“That would be a shame,” Mariano muttered.
“My turn.” I filled up her half-full glass. “You’re clearly interested in Elio. What’s going on there?”
Her face twisted into a painful expression, and she took a moment to lick her fingers free of the spilled grappa.
“We’ve been on a few dates.” My stomach sank. “We are supposed to…” She paused like she was stopping herself from finishing her sentence. “I’m too close to the family, I think, for him to see me as much more than a friend, though. At least at this point.”
“I see. Well—”
“But that doesn’t stop me from removing fake women like you from his life. He’ll wake up one day and see I’m the best fit for him.”
“That’s a great plan you got there, Anna.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at my sarcastic tone, which in turn made Mariano laugh too.
“You’re one to talk,” she tossed at him.
“Yeah,” I chimed in, “you’d need to break up with your phone first to even see the women around you.”
“I see you,” he shot back as he slid the phone onto the table then moved closer to me.
“And I need to pee,” Anna groaned, leaving the two of us alone.
Dammit.
“All right,” I turned to look at him dead in the eye, trying not to show any weakness, “what is it about me that you like?”
“Your smile.” He beamed like a child, but there was something else there I just couldn’t pinpoint. It was in his expression. “I like that you’re nice, but I do think you need to loosen up a little.” I swatted at his hand when it went for my shoulder strap. “And I think you’d be a good secret keeper.” That caught my attention. “Your turn. What do you like about me?”
Oh, boy…
“I think you’re nice, but you could work on your manners.”
“Meaning?” He studied my face as I leaned forward and snagged his phone.
“This is always in your face.”
“I have a lot of people who need me.” He slurred the last word. “I have many hats to wear, and some have to be worn at night.” He grunted the last bit.
I tucked that away.
“Okay, but what’s going on in here?” I stood and held up his phone. He stood too, nearly falling into to me. “Is it really as important as spending time with someone you claim to care about?”
He leaned back and had to grab the chair for balance. He was completely out of it. “My life is like a game.” He started to stumble over his words as he followed me over to the bar. He leaned to one side and grabbed some chips from a bowl and shoved some in his mouth as he spoke. “Like one of those teeter totters that children play on, each side has something I want. I’m just trying to figure out what side is better.”
“I’ve been there.”
“Not like this, Ace.” He laughed but started to choke on the chips and held the bar top as though to stop the spins. I worried he would pass out on me.
“You want to talk about it?” I tried to act sincere. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
He smirked and shook his head then took his phone from me. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
“I’m not following. What are you sorry for
?”
Anna came back then, in only a towel, announcing she wanted to go for a swim. He looked up from his phone and started to cheer.
“Yes,” Mariano tossed his phone on the bar, “let’s skinny dip!”
“Give me a sec.” I rolled my eyes and pretended to make myself another drink. “Ice?”
“Freezer.” He waved toward the kitchen as he followed Anna to the pool. Mariano didn’t even remove his shirt, he just fell into the water, with a naked Anna right behind him. Quickly, I scooped up his phone before it turned off and headed into the kitchen. With the fridge door as a barrier, I used my phone and started to record what I was looking at. Many contacts were made up of numbers or one letter. It was pretty cryptic, but I was hoping Elio could make sense of it all. After a minute, I decided to go into his pictures and scrolled through.
“Need any help?” Mariano was suddenly behind me, and I froze. “Getting undressed?” He sounded like he was a sleezy teenager.
“No.” I turned his phone over and quickly slid it under a bag of cherries while using my other hand to hide my own.
“Have you seen my phone?” He patted down his wet pockets then eyed me as he took a step toward me. I pulled the last weapon I had on me, thanks to Niccola and his little tip. Removing the packaging, I popped the round little red lollipop in my mouth and sucked on it loudly.
“No, I haven’t.”
He came closer, and water dripped off his hair and sent goosebumps down my arms. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” It took everything in me not to step away.
“Can I trust you?” His expression changed, and I was unsure of what he was about to say or do.
“I don’t see why not.” He pushed my hair back over my shoulder, and the other pushed the fridge door shut. I sucked louder, and for a moment my mind went to Elio leaning back in the hotel chair in New York.
“What would it take for you to open up to me? Just to give me a chance?”
Here was my chance.
“I’m not sure.” I pretended to think, slurping around the little white stick. “Maybe you could try to do the same with me. Sometimes sharing something personal can break down barriers.” He leaned closer, and I held my breath, not wanting to ruin the moment, his gaze dropped to the lollipop, and I saw his disgust and annoyance by the way his lip curled and his brow wrinkled.
“I hate those things. Let’s get rid of it.” He pulled it from my mouth and tossed it in the sink where it broke into sticky pieces. Then his hands moved up to my breasts, and I grabbed them, pushing them away.
“Personal boundaries are to be earned, Mariano. I’m not an Anna, and you should be thankful for that.”
“Anna is only here because of what her father did.”
“What did he do?”
“Her father figured out there was a going to be a hit on Piero. That’s what saved his life.”
“Who was behind the hit?” I shifted, and his eyes dropped to my breasts.
“There was speculation.”
“Oh, yeah?” I wanted him to keep going. “Do you know who it was?”
He smirked, but when he went to speak again, Anna came in looking fit to kill.
“I didn’t realize the party had moved to the kitchen.” She glared at me. “Can I cut in?” She dropped her towel, and her skinny body shone in the dim light from the other room. Her tiny nipples were taunt, and her ribs poked out from her chest as she sucked in a sharp breath. I had to admit she wasn’t sexy to me. I would think a woman needed meat and curves to grab my attention.
Mariano was like a cat in heat as he twisted away from me and moved over to her. As they went at it, I grabbed my purse then opened the fridge door to retrieve Mariano’s phone. I slipped out the side door of the kitchen and dropped the phone near the pool. There was such a part of me that missed the investigation part of my job. I really should touch base with Georgio to see if there’s anything small I could work on.
After finding Elio’s house empty, I raced up to the Hill House. It was midnight, and the place was quiet. A light in the study told me someone was awake. Removing my heels so as not to risk waking anyone, I made my way down the hall and found Piero bent over a stack of papers. He had his thick, black reading glasses halfway down his nose. I leaned into the doorway, thinking how nice it was to come home to a family and not an empty house.
“You’re out late, my dear,” he said quietly as he licked his finger to turn a page.
“I am.” I nodded. “Have you seen Elio?”
“He’s handling some…” he paused, “business and won’t be home until around noon tomorrow.”
I found myself disappointed that I hadn’t known that, but I remembered he hadn’t responded to my text about going to Mariano’s.
“Come, sit.” Piero indicated a chair.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“You’re not.” He smiled warmly. “Normally, Andrea spends the evening with me, but she’s tired after spending the day with Bria.”
“I can understand that.” I chuckled and moved into the room. Spending more than an hour with Mariano’s mother would drain anyone. I watched as his eyes scanned the pages and as he made little red marks by numbers. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course.” He slid the paper he had marked to the bottom of the pile as he moved another one on top. It was relaxing to watch how methodically he did things.
“Now that I know your family is the head of a…” I wasn’t sure how to word it.
“Syndicate.”
“Yes, a syndicate, does that change things between you and me?”
“In what way do you think it would change things?”
“Well, I mean, am I still allowed to call you Piero? Are there things I should and should not say to people? Should I really be here, or am I here because I know things?”
“Yes.” He nodded while keeping his head down.
“Okay.” I felt strange suddenly and made a move to get up.
“My dear Sienna.” He removed his glasses and pulled himself away from his work. “You’ve always been the exception to the rule with our family. I’ve always allowed you to call me by my first name. But yes, there are things you need to know, and we’ll get there. I haven’t pushed it because of your mother arriving. I know you wouldn’t share anything with anyone, because you never have. It’s not who you are. And as for your last question, you’re here because you are part of this family. Life may have kept us apart for a decade, but it also put us back together, stronger.”
“Thank you.” I played with my hands and thought about his lovely explanation. “Not to be bold, but I wonder if I might ask a question?” He nodded. “My mother mentioned something about a hit that took place back in the nineties. Would I be allowed to ask you about it?”
He leaned back in his chair and dropped his pen on top of the paperwork.
“I’m all right with that.”
“My mother said the reason she hates your family so much is because of a hit that was put on her brother back then.”
“Do you have a name?”
“Yes.” I pulled out my phone with the name and year he was killed and handed it to him. He said nothing but fixed his glasses on his nose and scribbled it down.
“I will look into it in the morning.”
“I appreciate that.” I stood then sat back down, and he looked over at me. I knew it was wise to share Mariano’s information too. I would never want him to think I would ever hold a secret from him. “I’m not sure, but I think Mariano might know who was behind the attempted hit on you.”
“What?” His face went from shock to no emotion while I filled him in on the conversation. “And there’s this,” I opened my phone and showed him the video I took. He absorbed the information being played out in front of him.
“It was very dangerous doing what you did tonight. The information you have is invaluable to us, but please, Sienna, you must be careful. You have no idea what evil looks like unti
l it has you in its hold.”
“He had no idea. He was drunk, or I would never have done it. However, please know that I did let Elio know via text where I was going. I was not trying to be reckless, only helpful.”
“I’m glad you did that. I know you were trying to help. Just please don’t do anything like that again. I don’t need my son losing his mind.”
“You have my word I won’t do anything careless. So, I’ll tell you now that Mariano is taking me out tomorrow. He says he has something he wants to share.”
“Any idea what that is?”
“No, but I’ve shared the location of my phone with Elio and Vinni, so they can track me whenever.”
“Smart girl.” He nodded with approval. “You might catch on to this life faster than I thought.”
I couldn’t help but glow at his comment. I wished him goodnight and headed to bed.
Time passed us by in funny ways. Some moved on quickly from the wounds they got along the way and learned from them, while others dwelled on them. I wasn’t too proud to say I dwelled, but I did for good reason. As anger festered below the surface, and I let my mind slip back in time.
I stepped out of the way of the stampede of students steaming from their last class of the day. Often, I’d wait outside his class and listen to the professor go on about the human body and why it did what it did at a crime scene. It was fascinating, and I only wished I had attended college, but I had no choice. My parents had insisted I work in the family business. No one enjoyed working for an insurance company, but it did pay the bills and then some. It was a very successful business. We had two main offices, one here in southern Sicily and another over on the central mainland. My brother and I raced to be the one to run Sicily, as soon as we were old enough to help manage the business. We both wanted to get away from our parents, but to our despair, our parents switched off and spent six months at one site and six months at the other. So much for some freedom.
“Hey, there.” Francesco tucked his book away then wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek with a sigh. “God, I missed you.”