I don’t see Stefan the next day and Miss Millie is gone too. A girl I haven’t seen before greets me when I come downstairs. When I ask where they are, she tells me that Miss Millie will be back later that evening and Stefan is out of town.
Thanks for letting me know.
On the upside, I notice the library door is still unlocked so I’ll call Gabe again later.
I finish breakfast and spend the next few hours sitting around reading when, around one in the afternoon, Rafa walks into the house with another man, the two of them laughing about something. He pauses when he meets my eyes and I remember the Rafa of the other night. The night he held a gun to Alex. The night he bruised my arm in his rush to obey Stefan’s order.
Without taking his eyes off me, he almost dismisses the other guy. I guess as Stefan’s cousin, Rafa’s high on the totem pole.
He makes his way to me, a wide smile on his face that I don’t trust for a second.
“Gabriela,” he says, his voice deep and smooth. Too smooth. “Morning.”
“Morning.” I turn to pick up my cup of tea.
He pulls Stefan’s chair out, turns it and straddles it, arms resting on the back of the seat. He’s more casual than Stefan. Dresses in jeans and T-shirts rather than suits. He’s got a holster on his shoulder, but his gun isn’t in it.
“How are you doing?” he asks.
“Fine.” I sip my tea, give him a fake smile. “Just great. What do you want?”
He narrows his eyes, but not cruelly. Or he hides it well, at least. He’s about as easy to read as Stefan.
“Millie mentioned you were bored. I figured you’d be tired of being cooped up in here.”
“Your concern is touching.” Jerk.
“I’m heading to Taormina in a little bit. You’re welcome to join me if you like. It’s about a three-hour drive but it’s along the coast. It’s pretty.”
“Why?”
“Why is it pretty?” he raises his eyebrows.
“Don’t mess with me, Rafa. Why are you inviting me?”
“Like I said, I figured you’d get bored being cooped up. And I guess I want you to like our little island. Not come to see it as a prison.”
“Why do you care how I see it?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “Just trying to do something nice for you, Gabriela,” he says, standing. He spins the chair around easily in one hand and replaces it. “You’re welcome to stay here if you prefer.” He walks away.
“Wait.”
He stops, turns to look at me expectantly.
“Did Stefan put you up to this?”
He smiles. “Stefan’s too busy to put me up to this.”
“What’s he busy doing?”
“Business.” He checks his watch. “Are you coming?”
I’m desperate to get out of here. Although it’ll mean calling Gabe later, when I’m back. But with the time difference, it may even be better.
I nod.
“Good,” he says, smiling. “I’m glad. Grab a bikini in case you want to swim in Taormina.”
“Do I have to?”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. There’s a private beach where my meeting is. I figured you’d want to lay around. You can go into town, but I’d have to send men with you.”
“It’s fine. Beach is great. It’ll be good to get out of here. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
I run upstairs to throw a bikini and a cover up into a beach bag, and grab my iPod Touch, which Stefan, true to his word, returned to me.
When I return, Rafa is waiting. We step outside to find a waiting SUV. He opens the passenger door and I get in and when he climbs into the driver’s side, I’m surprised.
“Don’t you have a driver?”
“Nah. I’m just an underling.” He checks the mirrors and pulls out.
I turn the air conditioning down a little and look around as we drive off the property and head onto a coastal road.
“Are you sure Stefan didn’t pawn me off on you?” I ask when he switches the radio to an Italian channel.
“I don’t think Stefan sees you as something to pawn off.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Are you the reason for the bandage on his hand?”
I nod, feeling guilty. “It was an accident. At least, I didn’t mean to do it, but I haven’t seen him to tell him. To apologize.”
“I’m sure you can do it when he’s back. He’s a pretty understanding guy.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I mean it. Listen, I’ve known Stefan all my life. Grew up with him. I’ve never known him to treat anyone unfairly.”
“So, what he’s doing to me is fair, then?”
Rafa goes silent for a minute. “You don’t know all the details, Gabriela. And besides, you have his protection. That’s something.”
I chuckle. “I don’t have his protection, Rafa. I have his wrath, simply for the fact of my parentage.”
His phone rings and he digs it out of his pocket with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel.
“Speak of the devil.” He puts a finger to his lips, and I wonder if he doesn’t want Stefan to know he’s taking me along to his meeting.
“Stef,” he answers.
Stefan talks and I strain to listen, but I can’t make out what he’s saying.
Rafa reassures him of something then asks how his trip is going. At Stefan’s answer, Rafa chuckles. They then disconnect and Rafa puts the phone in a pocket on the front console.
“Looks like Stefan will be gone one more night.”
“Where is he?” I ask.
“Here and there.”
I want to ask what that means but Rafa turns the radio up and starts to sing along so I shift my gaze out the window and watch the scenery which, like he said, is beautiful.
Rafa drives about twenty miles over the limit and we arrive in just over two-and-a-half hours. He explains that Taormina proper is about ten minutes farther, but we’ll go after lunch.
He slows the car once we reach a secluded restaurant and Rafa hands his keys to the valet. He slips on a jacket, which surprises me as this seems like a casual place.
“Grab your bikini. You can go to the beach after we eat.”
“Okay.” I bring my bag and step onto the sandy path leading to the building. Music plays outside and although there are about a dozen tables inside the cool building, most of the seating is on the beach under palm trees which are blowing in the breeze. Even in their shade, it’s hot.
I excuse myself to use the ladies’ room and when I return, I find Rafa talking to someone. When that man sees me, he gives me a cold look, then tells Rafa he’ll see him soon.
“Outside or inside?” Rafa asks me, still casual, as if he didn’t notice the way the man looked at me.
“Outside, if you don’t mind. I like the heat.”
“Me too.”
He puts a hand at my lower back, and we follow a hostess outside to an out of the way table.
When I sit down, I slip off my sandals and dig my toes into the warm, soft sand. I watch the kids playing on the beach while their parents sit with bottles of wine on their tables eating heaping plates of fresh seafood. The band is set at the far end and they’re playing an upbeat tune. Colorful lights are strung above our heads, so many of them that they almost make a canopy.
“It must be pretty at night,” I comment.
“It is. Especially with the moon on the water.”
A waitress appears with a bucket of ice and a bottle of white wine.
I remember my hangover of a few nights ago but feel like a child to order a coke instead so I let Rafa pour for both of us and I just sip from my glass.
I open my menu but Rafa interrupts. “They have a daily catch. It’s always amazing and fresh. Do you like fish?”
“Very much.”
“I suggest you take the special then.”
“Okay, sounds good to me.” I close my menu.
“Two of the fresh catch please,” he tells the waitress in Italian, giving her a charming, disarming smile.
I study that smile. It’s so at odds with the man of the other night.
A moment later when she walks away, there’s a momentary awkwardness.
“Stefan doesn’t know I’m here, does he?” I finally ask.
“I’ll tell him when he’s back.”
“He won’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“I accused him of being jealous of you.”
He smiles wide, showing off big white teeth. “Sounds about right,” he says with a wink. “Don’t worry about Stefan. His bark is worse than his bite.”
I’m not so sure.
“I’ll tell him I made you come with me, so you won’t be in trouble.”
“I won’t be in trouble. I’m not a child and I’m not afraid of him.”
“No?”
“No.”
“You should be, Gabriela. You should take care with him.” His expression has gone deadly serious and his words send a chill through me.
“Weren’t you just singing his praises? Telling me how fair and understanding he is?”
“Just stay in his good graces.”
“I don’t think I am in his good graces.” I think I already fucked that up if I ever had it at all.
“He’s being careful with you. You may not see it, but I do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said.” Before I can ask more, the waitress returns with a large plate of fried calamari, wedges of lemon and a shaker of salt. “Just smell those,” Rafa says, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply when she sets them down.
They do smell amazing.
We eat the calamari then the catch of the day, which is a white fish roasted over a fire. It, too, is delicious and before I know it, I find I’ve drunk two glasses of wine and eaten my entire plate.
A few moments later, Rafa wipes his mouth and checks his watch.
“Are you going to be all right here? I need to go to my meeting.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll just be inside if you need me.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say. “Is it all right if I go to the square there and just check out the market? I’m not going to go anywhere.”
“I’m not afraid of you going somewhere. I can’t leave you unprotected. You’re with Stefan now. You’re valuable, Gabriela.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean taking his fiancée would give his enemies power over him.”
“Like kidnapping me?”
“Don’t tell me it’s never occurred to you growing up a Marchese.”
Guards surrounded me 24/7 then. I guess it’s no different than now. And I never thought about it. Maybe I thought it would be a blessing if someone would take me.
And now someone has.
“Stay on the beach. I’ll take you myself once I’m finished. I’ll even take you into Taormina proper. This market is for tourists.”
“Who’s going to be watching me now?” I ask, irritated.
“See those two men?” he asks, gesturing to the two who stand just outside the restaurant doors. I wonder how long they’ve been standing there because Rafa didn’t even have to turn his head to look for them, he just knew they were there. “They’re with the man I’m meeting. They know who you are and will keep an eye on you.”
He must see worry on my face because he reaches out and squeezes my hand. The gesture is odd. Out of place.
“It’s fine. Just pretend like they’re not there. They won’t come near you unless there’s a threat.”
“There are kids here, Rafa. What are they going to do? Take out guns if they think someone may be a threat?”
He checks his watch. “Relax, Gabriela, they’re not inexperienced men.” He stands and signals to the waitress who comes over right away. “Order a dessert. And have another glass of wine. I’ll be finished before you know it.”
I don’t do either as I watch him walk toward those men, nodding to them as he passes into the restaurant. I see him cross the window and shake hands with someone I don’t see. I turn my gaze to the beach, to the kids building sand castles, to the parents all smiling and happy as the music plays and I feel sick to my stomach.