by Jayne Castel
“I need you to work tomorrow,” Bruno informed her as he handed Sabrina her pay for the evening.
Sabrina frowned, failing to hide her disappointment. She’d been looking forward to an evening away from Da Maria. “But it’s my day off.”
“Sandro can’t work for the rest of the week—you’ll have to cover him.”
Sabrina frowned. “He just started this week. Why are you giving him time off already?”
Bruno gave her a sour look. “I’m the boss. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
Sabrina inhaled deeply. She was sorely tempted to tell Bruno where he could stick his job. Keeping her temper was growing increasingly difficult. However, she’d been hoping to keep this job till the end of the month.
Not bothering to bid her boss, or any of her colleagues, goodbye, she stripped off her apron and hung it up behind the bar. Then, she put on her coat, wrapped her scarf about her neck, and stomped out onto the street.
Just two more weeks, she told herself as she strode away from the restaurant. Then you can tell him where to go!
Chapter Twenty-five
In the shadow of the building opposite Da Maria, just to the right of Fuoco, Adriano watched Sabrina leave work.
She was walking quickly, head bowed against the cold, although she appeared preoccupied. Adriano watched her walk away and wondered why he’d come back here after saying goodbye to Mario. He’d been halfway home when he’d turned his bike around and driven back. He’d had to wait a while for the restaurant to close and now felt frozen through.
Digging his hands deep into his pockets, Adriano muttered a curse under his breath. This was madness. He needed to get back on his scooter, drive away, and forget about this woman or she would be the end of him.
He was about to do just that when a man left Da Maria. Young and thin with buzz-cut dark hair and sharp features, the young man gazed up the street to where Sabrina had almost disappeared from sight. The look of hunger on his face was unmistakable. Pulling up his collar against the cold, the young man loped off after her.
His decision to leave well enough alone forgotten, Adriano followed him.
Sabrina arrived at the tram stop in the middle of Piazza Risorgimento and glanced up at the digital display. She’d just missed a tram but luckily there was another scheduled in ten minutes.
Wishing she’d remembered her gloves this afternoon when she’d headed out to work, Sabrina blew on her chilled fingers and glanced up at the sky. It was cold enough to snow, although she’d heard that such weather was a rare occurrence in Rome. Still, she wouldn’t have been surprised if there was a frost tomorrow morning.
Sabrina stood at the stop, her gaze travelling over the square. Piazza Risorgimento was a traffic and transport hub. Even at this hour, traffic still rumbled around the edge of it, and to her back rose the huge walls of the Vatican. The square had a vaguely seedy feel this time of night. Men loitered in the shadows, and the homeless took up all of the wooden benches. Other figures huddled under trees on the grassy island in the center of the square. Sabrina shivered, feeling cold on their behalf—this wasn’t a night to be sleeping rough.
It was then she spotted a familiar figure crossing the piazza toward her. Sabrina’s stomach clenched; Maurizio had followed her to the tram stop. She watched him approach but said nothing as he stopped before her. He wasn’t smiling, and she didn’t like the gleam in his eye.
“You left without saying goodbye,” he said, a note of accusation in his voice.
“Bruno was getting on my nerves,” she replied, her own tone cool.
Maurizio gave her a thin smile. “Oh don’t mind him. He’ll treat you better if you’re nicer to him.”
Sabrina tensed. “What do you mean by that?”
“You know—stop acting like you’re better than us all.”
Sabrina slowed her breathing and frowned. Her instincts told her that Maurizio was about to try to bully her into bed. Her time in the police force had taught her how to look after herself physically, although she didn’t want to go down that route. She hated violence and didn’t want to be forced into it.
“I don’t think I’m better than everyone else,” she finally answered.
Maurizio leaned close and a wave of cologne hit Sabrina, making her eyes water. He’d obviously just splashed some on before leaving work. “Yes you do—why won’t you go out with me?”
Sabrina clenched her jaw. He was really starting to get on her nerves. “A woman doesn’t have to give a reason. Isn’t ‘no’ enough?”
“Not if it’s because you think you could do better—because you can’t. You’re just some stupid waitress. I’m head chef.”
Anger settled over Sabrina in a red haze. Italian men were really too much sometimes. “You’re a creep, Maurizio.”
The young man’s face went pinched. “Bitch!”
Sabrina took a step back, her body coiling, ready to defend herself if she had to. “Go home.”
Maurizio swore again, a string of ugly words that made a chill that had nothing to do with the winter’s night settle over her. “I’m not going anywhere,” he hissed at her.
“Sabrina—is this man bothering you?”
A tall figure wearing a padded jacket approached. Even before she saw his face, Sabrina knew who it was. She’d recognize that voice anywhere.
Adriano Bellini stepped between them and turned to Maurizio. The younger man backed off slightly, although his face twisted with anger. “Piss off—this isn’t your business.”
Adriano pinned Maurizio in a hard stare. “I’ll give you a choice. Either you leave now and never bother this woman again, or I’ll shove your teeth down your throat. Capisci?”
Adriano held the younger man’s stare, his body dangerously still. Face still contorted, Maurizio finally backed away. He then spat on the ground and stalked off into the night. After making sure that Maurizio did not intend to come back, Adriano turned to face Sabrina.
She was about to thank him when his expression stopped her. His face was a mask of tight lines and angles, his gaze narrowed. He looked like he had the last time she’d seen him. The words of thanks died on Sabrina’s lips.
“You need to be more careful,” he eventually ground out.
Sabrina tensed, her anger rising once more. “I don’t need protecting. I could have handled him.”
“Didn’t look like it to me.”
Sabrina struggled to control her breathing, although her heart was now hammering against her ribs. She’d occasionally imagined what would happen if she accidently bumped into Adriano in Rome. She’d thought up a number of scenarios—but none of them had been like this. He stepped close to her and the faint scent of his cologne, the one she remembered so well, came close to undoing her. As upset as she was, his closeness brought all of it back. God, she’d missed him.
Focus, she told herself. He’s being obnoxious, you can’t let him get away with this.
“Well, you’re wrong,” she concluded shakily. “I was in the police, remember?”
Adriano folded his arms across his chest and looked down his nose at her. “What are you doing back in Rome?”
The accusation in his voice stung, and Sabrina hit back without thinking. “Is there some law against it? I have as much right to live here as you.”
“Rome is my city,” he growled back. “You’re an imposter, you don’t belong here. Go back to New York.”
Sabrina held his gaze and swallowed the angry words that swelled up within her. “I’m not an imposter,” she replied, attempting to keep her voice level. “And I choose where I belong. I’m trying to make a new life for myself here.”
“What, working at Da Maria?” There was no missing the scorn in his voice. This was the Adriano Bellini she’d first locked horns with at La Pasta D’Orata—the arrogant bully who always got his way.
Well not this time. Sabrina straightened her spine and lifted her chin slightly. “Where I choose to work is my business? I had no intention of
ever bothering you—it was you who found me.”
Behind them, Sabrina heard the rumble of an approaching tram and the squeal of ancient brakes as the trolley slowed down. Relief rushed through her. Just a few more moments and she’d be free of Adriano Bellini. To think she’d been harboring regret and guilt about what she’d done to him. A man this rude didn’t deserve her apology, or thanks.
“What happened is now in the past,” she said, hearing the tremor in her voice and hating it. “Are you going to be angry with me forever?”
“I’ll never forget what you did,” he replied, his voice low and threatening. “Or forgive you for it.”
His words made her feel like she was being buried alive, but she would not let him see just how much they hurt her.
“Never is a long time, Adriano,” she whispered, turning away from him.
The tram squealed to a halt before them, and the doors sprang open. A few people disembarked, wrapped in thick coats and scarves. Without even casting a final glance in Adriano’s direction, Sabrina leaped onboard. The doors swung shut behind her and the tram lurched forward. Sabrina staggered forward and sank into the nearest seat, her vision blurring with tears.
***
“He’s a rude bastard.”
Sabrina looked up in surprise and took the steaming cup of hot chocolate that Liliana passed her. They were harsh words but she wasn’t going to deny them. Still, guilt pressed down on her making it hard to feel self-righteous about how he’d treated her.
“He was angry,” she hiccoughed, scrubbing at the tears that were still trickling down her face.
“Don’t make excuses for him,” Liliana replied sternly. Her friend sat down at the kitchen table and fixed her in a level gaze. Sabrina had just finished tearfully recounting the whole story, from Helen Bellini visiting her office in New York to her encounter with Adriano in Piazza Risorgimento.
“Listen to me, Sabrina,” Liliana began, her elfin face more serious than Sabrina had ever seen it. “You were doing a job so don’t beat yourself up. Sure, you took it too far—it was a mistake to start having sex with a man you’re supposed to be spying on—but you need to stop there.”
Sabrina shook her head, tightening her grip around the warm cup as if it was her life preserver. “He was so angry though. I’ve made him so bitter.”
“No—that’s his choice. I’ll tell you why he was so rude, and it’s not just because he’s a jerk.”
Despite her tears, Sabrina’s mouth twitched into a half-smile. Liliana would make an excellent attorney one day. “Why’s that?”
“Because he cares about you, because he’s hurting and it made him lash out. Not that it’s any excuse.”
Sabrina sighed and stared down at the two marshmallows bobbing on the top of her hot chocolate. “It’s all such a mess—maybe he’s right—I should never have come back to Rome.”
Liliana gave an unladylike snort. “Rubbish. If you hadn’t, I’d never have met you. Ever since Carlo left me, you’ve had to put up with me moping around the apartment feeling sorry for myself. I can’t believe you never told me about this!”
Sabrina pulled a face. “I thought you’d judge me.”
Liliana rolled her eyes. “Surely you realize I’d never do that—anyway, I could never be as harsh with you as you are. It’s time you gave yourself a break.”
Chapter Twenty-six
“You’re in a foul mood today—what’s up?” Valentina Bellini walked into the kitchen and eyed up her brother as he made them coffee.
Adriano scowled down at the Mocha he was filling with freshly ground beans. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You sat through lunch without saying a word and then just bit mamma’s head off when she asked you about work.”
Adriano glanced her way, his scowl deepening. Valentina had never let him get away with anything—a trait that was highly irritating in his current state of mind.
“Okay, so I’m not in a good mood,” he admitted, screwing the top on the Mocha and placing it on the gas hob. “I can’t always be Santa Claus.”
Valentina laughed, leaning up against the doorframe as she regarded him. “There’s never any risk of that, even on a good day,” she teased. “So out with it—why the furrowed brow?”
Adriano leaned back against the window frame next to the stove. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Valentina faced him, her gaze never wavering from his. “It’s Sabrina, isn’t it?”
“If you knew the answer, why ask?”
Valentina pressed on, undaunted by his rudeness. “Has she been in touch?”
Adriano pinched the skin at the top of his nose, between his eyes, where a headache was forming. “She’s back in Rome … living here now.”
Valentina’s gaze widened. “Really? Where?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he replied irritably. “She’s waitressing in some tourist trap. I only know she’s back because I met Mario for a drink in a bar opposite and saw her.”
Valentina was silent a moment, digesting his words, before she spoke once more. “You’re clearly not happy about it.”
Adriano glared at his sister. Was she being deliberately obtuse? “Clearly. That woman deceived me, betrayed me. I thought she’d gone back to New York.”
“Rome’s a big city.”
“Not big enough.”
Valentina sighed. “Adriano … you’ve got to stop fighting it.”
He tensed. He recognized his sister’s tone—as the older sibling. It was the tone she used when she was about to lecture him.
“For what it’s worth, I liked her.”
“You only met her once.”
His sister shrugged. “It was enough.”
“It was all put on, Valentina. She played us all.”
Valentina shook her head, her jaw setting stubbornly. “Some things you can’t fake.”
Adriano folded his arms across his chest. “And what’s that?”
“Love.”
Adriano threw up his hands in exasperation. “For god’s sake—don’t start—”
“You know it’s the truth,” she continued, relentless now. “You were in love with her six months ago, and you still are.”
“I am not!” Adriano pushed himself up off the window ledge and made to leave the kitchen. He’d listened to enough. The last thing he needed was a lecture from his big sister. However, she barred his exit, her dark gaze fusing with his.
“I’m not saying this to hurt you,” she said, her tone gentler now. “It’s just that you’re stubborn—we both are—and it’s making you bitter.”
He gave a harsh laugh. “That’s not the cause.” He pushed past her then but had only gone a couple of paces when she called out to him.
“Keep telling yourself that and you’ll end up angry and alone.” Her voice was sharp, edged with frustration. “Lie to the rest of the world, Adriano—even to me—but not to yourself. It’s a one-way ticket to misery.”
Later, at work, Valentina’s words kept returning to torment Adriano. It was difficult to focus on the job—overseeing the preparation of four course meals for fifty expectant diners—with his sister taking up residence in his head. She’d always been bossy.
Angrily, he slammed a tray of chicken thighs marinated in olive oil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and lemon into the ovens with such force the whole kitchen vibrated. Behind him, Daniele turned and cast him a questioning look. Adriano ignored him and marched off to check on the work of his new sous-chef. The young man saw him coming and blanched.
Bitter. Angry and alone. Was that how he’d end up? Was it what he was already becoming?
His sister thought he was fooling himself, that his anger was just a smokescreen. Maybe she was right, but did it matter now? Sabrina hadn’t been remotely apologetic either when he’d confronted her in Piazza Risorgimento—not even a word of thanks for saving her from that creep.
Not that you gave her the chance.
Adriano snarled instructions at the s
ous-chef before stalking out of the kitchen. His office was his sanctuary and right now, he needed to be alone. He flung himself down onto his chair and glowered at the neatly organized shelves surrounding him.
Coming in here was a mistake; suddenly, all he could think about was that evening he’d pinned Sabrina up against the door and kissed her senseless. He’d wanted to take her then and there. He’d wanted her from the moment she walked into his restaurant. She’d made him feel alive. There was no escaping it—there was no escaping her.
Adriano raked his hands through his hair and got to his feet. Then he started pacing his office. He’d never felt like this before—out of control. He was lost and confused, and he hated it. This wasn’t who he was. Adriano Bellini had always known what he wanted and had worked hard to get it.
A few moments later, Daniele glanced up from pan-frying sole fillets to see his uncle storm past the kitchen. He’d changed out of his chef’s whites and was zipping up his jacket.
“Adriano!” Daniele called out, alarmed. They were in the middle of dinner service. “Where are you going?”
“Out,” Adriano shouted back.
***
Sabrina carried the basket of bread up to the counter and placed it in front of Bruno.
He looked up from checking his messages on his smartphone and frowned. “Why are you giving that to me?”
“It’s from table three,” Sabrina replied, careful to keep her voice neutral. “They’re complaining it’s stale.”
Bruno screwed his face up. “What?”
Sabrina picked up a hard piece of bread and handed it to him. “They’re right.”
Bruno shrugged and waved her hand away. “You must have given them yesterday’s bread.”
“I gave them the bread you cut up earlier,” Sabrina replied evenly.
Bruno was saved from answering by his phone starting to vibrate. He cast her a sour look and turned his back on her as he accepted the call. “Pronto!”