Callie
“I hope you don’t mind listening to everything again when Imogen gets here,” I said to Gia as we looked at different art supplies in the art store we’d walked into. Gia liked to watercolor paint, and she said it helped her to destress when she was feeling upset. She’d gotten into it in the last few years, which led me to believe that whatever had gone down with her and Alessandro was explosive. It annoyed me that she hadn’t shared the whole story yet, but I understood that she was a private person. Growing up in her world, she had to be. And while I’d shared with her, I was patient about her sharing in response. I had a feeling that whatever had gone down with Alessandro had been deep. Maybe not as deep as the deception my father had been involved in, but maybe it had hurt as much.
“Girl, I’m just happy to be here for you.” She smiled. “Thanks for trusting me with everything. I can’t believe that bitch Valentina set you up like that.”
“I wish I could agree with you and say that I’m shocked she manipulated me, but I’m not, not really. She’s never been nice to me. I was in denial about our relationship. I’d always hoped we could end up as friends, but that was never really in the cards. She never respected me. She never tried to include me. She thought I was a loser.” I made a face. “She always said I had my head in the clouds, and I guess ultimately she was right.”
“Aw, Callie.” Gia touched my shoulder. “You’re an optimist. There’s nothing wrong with looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses.”
“Girl, I was a dreamer.” I was slightly embarrassed to admit how out of touch with reality I’d been sometimes. “When I watched a romance movie or read a romance book, it gave me faith in men. It made me believe that my Prince Charming was out there. But those men are figments of the mind. They don’t exist.”
“You never know,” Gia said half-heartedly. “There are some good guys out there.”
“There are?” I raised an eyebrow. “Name one.”
“Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,” she said with such a serious face that I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud. The sound jolted my entire body, and I shook my head.
“It’s a pity that more men didn’t want to be like him.”
“Isn’t it indeed?” She nodded. “We shall pray to him to send us the best men possible.”
“If you think it will work, I’m down.” I checked my phone to see the time. I didn’t want to miss Imogen’s text alerting me to her arrival in the Big Apple.
“Wanna grab a latte?” she asked me, yawning slightly. “I need some caffeine.”
“Sure.” I nodded. “I’m always down for a coffee.” I frowned as I noticed a cute blond guy with a buzzcut staring at me for a few seconds. Was he checking me out? I offered him one of my awkward hello smiles, but he just turned around quickly. I flushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. “Do you know where you want to go?”
“No.” Gia shook her head and pulled her phone from her cute black vintage Chanel handbag. “Let me check Google Maps and see what’s around here.”
“Sounds good.” I was grateful to be with Gia. It stopped me thinking of Antonio as much as I would have been if I’d been alone. I was starting to feel less used and angry at him. I hated that I was already softening toward him. “You know what I was thinking about?” I asked Gia as she scrolled through her phone.
“Hmm.” She didn’t look up, and I wondered if she was looking at reviews or checking out something else on her phone.
“Did you know elephants can now fly?” I said softly, waiting to see if she was actually paying attention to me.
“Mm-hmm,” she said again, her forehead wrinkling as she stared at the screen.
“And I found out that Dumbo was looking for a human wife, and I was thinking of volunteering as tribute,” I continued trying not to laugh.
“Mm-hmm,” she murmured again.
I cleared my throat and then continued. “So should I do it?”
She looked up then, her dazzling blue eyes clouded with confusion as she gazed at me. “Do what? Sorry, I missed that.”
“Marry Dumbo.”
“Who?” She frowned, and I started giggling. “Sorry, I was a bit distracted,” she admitted. “Elisabetta shared a photo online with her and Alessandro, and I was just wondering why.”
“Elisabetta?” I asked as my head tried to remember where I’d heard the name before.
“She’s Luisa’s daughter… Luisa, the housekeeper for the Marchesis.”
“Oh yeah.” I nodded. “I think I saw her at the pizza place with Antonio and Alessandro.”
“Weird.” Gia licked her lips. “I wonder what’s going on there.”
“I don’t know, but talking about the Marchesis…” I segued into what I’d been meaning to say earlier. “I still don’t know how Don Roberto knows my mom.”
“He researched her right, ’cause of your dad?” Gia asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Maybe.” I didn’t believe that was it, though. “But then how would he know the song she sang to me as a kid to comfort me?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe it was a coincidence?”
“I don’t believe in coincidences anymore.” I shook my head. “You know what Deepak Chopra said once?”
“I don’t know.” Gia shook her head. “The sky is blue and so are you?”
“No, he said I do not believe in meaningless coincidences,” I continued, my brain working overtime. “There’s a reason Don Roberto knew that song. And I know it has to be important.”
“Oh, why do you think that?”
“Because Antonio was surprised himself… shocked even.” I thought back to being in that room. All the candles. The dark purple velvet drapes. And Antonio’s face. He’d looked pissed and murderous and darker than I’d ever seen him.
“So how do we find out?” Gia asked as we made our way out of the store without purchasing anything.
“I need to get back into that house,” I said, my heart thudding. “I need to have a personal conversation with Don Roberto.”
“Are you crazy?” Gia’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “You do not want to mess with the Marchesis. Every single one of them is crazy and undeniably cruel.”
“I know that,” I said softly, my heart thudding as I thought about the plan that had been formulating in my mind all morning. “And they think I’m some sweet, innocent little fool. I can let them keep thinking that. I can pretend to Antonio that I understand why he did what he did, that I still want him, that I want to give him another chance, and then I can investigate and figure out what’s really going on.”
“I don’t know, Callie.” Gia looked thoughtful as we made our way down the street. She let out a deep sigh. “I hate to say this because I don’t want you to think I don’t think you’re strong, but isn’t it too soon for you to be back around Antonio? You really did like him, right?”
“I mean… kinda…” I swallowed hard as I thought about the connection I thought we’d had. He’d been my first. And I’d thought we had something special. I thought he could be the one. However, I wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.
“I’m just worried if you try and go in there with this deepfake persona that it might start becoming real and then you fall again and he breaks your heart…” Her voice trailed her heart. “He’s a wolf. All he cares about is himself and the famiglia. That’s how it is. You’re an outsider, and he sees you as the enemy.”
“I’m not the enemy, though.” All of a sudden, a wave of sadness hit me. “We’re just two people who are connected through two selfish people. I don’t want to hurt him. I just want answers. Real answers.”
“Can’t you get them from your dad?”
“My dad that’s been lying to me my entire life?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you really think my dad is going to tell me the deep, dark truth about everything?”
Gia stared back at me for a few seconds and shook her head. “I wish I could say that it can’t be that bad, but I know my own father, and I know he’s done countless bad deeds toward many people.” She sighed. “I guess we really can’t choose our parents.”
“Yeah…” I bit down on my lower lip. “But my mom was awesome. She was sweet. And beautiful. And loving. She didn’t deserve to die. She didn’t deserve to have her husband cheating on her while she lay in a hospital bed taking her last breaths.” I could feel tears welling in my eyes. “I need to know the truth, Gia. I hate my dad. I hate Antonio. I hate Don Roberto. I hate all of them. I just need to know everything.”
“And how will you find out?”
“Don Roberto.” I paused and thought for a few moments. “And Luisa. She’s been with him forever. If anybody knows where all the bodies are buried, it’s her. I bet she knows all his secrets.”
“I can see that.” Gia shivered. “Since I was a kid, Luisa has always kinda freaked me out. She’s never been maternal or loving. There’s a coldness to her.”
“Colder than the Marchesi men?”
“It’s different,” she said, frowning. “It’s almost like she’s hollow inside.”
“That’s creepy.” I shivered slightly, thinking about Luisa and how her eyes were always on Don Roberto. “How long do you think I should wait until I call Antonio?”
“Call him?” Gia’s jaw dropped. “Just yesterday you were telling him to kick rocks and leave you alone.”
“I know, but…”
“But nothing.” Gia glared at me. “You’re strong girl. You cannot relent this quickly, even if it is to gather information.”
“I know, but…” I sighed. “Fine, I’ll wait it out. And who knows? Maybe Imogen will go off on me and tell me it’s an absolutely awful idea, and then I won’t do it. And I really will never see him again.”
“That sounds like a good idea to me. In fact, I…” Gia paused. “What the hell?”
“What?” I asked her, confused as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
“That white van just nearly crashed into a taxi when it ran the lights!” she exclaimed as she pointed at a white van speeding toward us.
“Idiots.” I shook my head, but then my jaw dropped as it pulled over to the side of the road and stopped suddenly. “Whoa, what’s—”
“Oh fuck.” Gia grabbed my arm. “Let’s go.”
“Why? What…” I swallowed hard as three men dressed all in black jumped out of the back of the van, guns in hand. “Are they robbing a bank?” My face paled, and I looked around.
“Callie, let’s go!” Gia cried out and squeezed my bicep hard. She started running, and instinctively, I did the same. But then I felt arms around my waist, grabbing me, and I screamed. “Let her go!” Gia screamed, hitting the man, but he was too fast for her. He carried me toward the back of the van, and I found myself dropped to the ground, and the door slammed behind me. Before I could sit up, the van sped off, and my body flew back.
“Ow.” My entire body slammed into the wall. “Help!” I shouted into the back of the dark van as I shifted and tried to sit up. The van spun around a corner, and I went flying again. “What the…” I rubbed my arm, that was already starting to feel sore. I was too shocked and sore to feel scared, but the van stopped suddenly, and my heart didn’t stop racing. Who was going to be on the other side? What was going to happen? There was a banging on the door, and then it flew open. The blond guy from the art store stood there, an evil smile on his face.
“Hello, Callie,” he said, licking his lips.
“Who are you?” I shifted back into the darkness, my heart racing so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
“Tommasso Romano sends his love.” He cackled and then turned to the side. Two big, burly men were carrying someone. A bag was over their face, so I couldn’t see who it was. They threw the body into the back of the van, and I could feel myself shaking. The doors slammed again, and suddenly the van was off again. I had no idea what was going on or who was with me, but I certainly remembered who Tommasso Romano was.
The van turned another corner quickly, and I went tumbling into the body that had joined me in the dark space. The person started groaning, and I realized it was a man.
“What the fuck is going on?” a deep voice growled, and I froze in shock. Was that Antonio? Had he been kidnapped with me? Was Tommasso Romano going to kill us both?
“I don’t know, but we need to figure out how to get out of here,” I said softly, wondering if Antonio would recognize my voice.
“Is that you, little lamb?” The words sounded sinister in the darkness, and I couldn’t stop a shiver from running down my spine.
“Yes,” I whispered, and he chuckled loudly.
“Well, well, well, isn’t this a nice little surprise?”
“Not really,” I responded, unsure how this had happened. “If you hadn’t been such a pompous jackass, we wouldn’t find ourselves in this position right now.”
“If I hadn’t been such a pompous jackass, I never would have found myself buried in your sweet pussy, either,” he said huskily. “I don’t think I’ll change.”
I could feel my face warming at his words, and I was glad he was in the darkness with me. I shifted my legs slightly, suddenly feeling turned on by his words. I hated how my body reacted to him.
“I might not be able to see you squirming, Callie, but I can smell your scent,” he said in a hoarse tone. “I know you’re wet for me, but don’t feel embarrassed. I’m as hard as a tree trunk right now. Even through my anger. Men are going to die as soon as I get us out of here, and then we’re going to fuck as a victory dance.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. I wanted to tell him that I’d fuck him again in his dreams. I wanted to tell him to stop talking to me. But honestly, I was glad he was here with me. I wasn’t sure how he’d been caught unaware and kidnapped, but I had no doubt that if anyone could get us out of this dilemma, maybe he could. And maybe, just maybe, I could institute my plan as well and play his ass. He’d used me for his own needs and then upset Tommasso Romano. Now I would use him. I’d do whatever I needed to to get close to Luisa and his dad, and then I’d find out what I needed to know and leave him, never to be seen again. I couldn’t wait to see his face when he realized he wasn’t the only one playing a game.