"I'm fine."I said with a sweet, practiced smile as Giovanni's concerned eyes searched my face. "You can go with him."He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You sure?"I nodded, forcing a light chuckle. "Positive. I'll scream your name if I start feeling too overwhelmed." José snorted, shaking his head. "I can give you a microphone for that. The singers might be willing to lend one." Giovanni sighed, but finally cracked a grin. "Alright. Stay safe and don't wander too far." I waved them off, my heart pounding behind my ribs like war drums. I kept my smile intact as they walked away, his boisterous laughter echoing at something José said. It was nice seeing like this with one of his brothers. The moment they were out of sight, my expression dropped and the tension I'd held back burst open. Without a word, I turned sharply and made my way through the hallway. I spotted Michelle just ahead, her back turned, chatting and laughing like nothing in the world was wrong. Liar! My jaw clenched
"Do you have a pass?"The girl at the gate barely looked up from her phone as she spoke, her jaw working furiously on a piece of bubblegum. The pop and smack of each chew grated on my nerves like nails like glass. "No," I said, trying to stay polite despite the irritation bubbling beneath my skin. The girl let out a long, exaggerated sigh and blew a pink bubble. "Then I can't let you in."Her voice had that classic valley-girl pitch drawled, nasal, and drenched in faux importance. I blinked, half wondering if I was being pranked. "I know the host. José Orlando." I said. "No pass, no entry," the girl repeated like it was a spell, wagging her manicured finger before snapping her gum again. "You people always say that."You people? My jaw tightened. Just then, a sleek couple in designer outfits pulled up in a convertible. The gum disappeared, literally and figuratively. Suddenly, the girl stood straighter, smiled wide and her tone shifted like a customer service chameleon. "Welcome
Dad and I stepped out of the house together, the front door clicking softly shut behind us. The air was cooler now, with a soft breeze that tugged at the hem of my dress. "Take care of yourself, okay?" He said, his voice gentle as he held both of my shoulders. "And if anything is wrong, anything at all. You tell me instantly." "I will, dad," I gave him a tight smile, hugging him briefly before stepping away. I paused by the car door, my hand resting on the door handle. Something in his tone made my chest tighten a little."Um..dad?" I spun around and he cocked a brow. "Yes, honey?""Has anyone suspicious been around?" I asked, my voice was cautious and low so the driver wouldn't hear. "Like, anyone strange lurking or watching the house?" He blinked, caught off guard. "No. Why? What's going on?" I looked away quickly, waving it off with a faint shake of my head. "Nothing. Just be careful, you know how it is."He stared at me for a second Ionger, like he wasn't convinced but didn'
On the drive back, I kept glancing at my phone, my fingers dancing over the screen before I finally typed. 'Are you up for it?'A reply came moments later. 'Up for what?' 'Golf,' I sent with a smirk. 'You golf?' Giovanni replied, immediately followed by a laughing emoji. 'I started today,' I typed back. Another bubble popped up. 'You're something else.' Then. 'I'll be late closing today, but I'll join you after. Don't finish all the swings without me.'I cocked a brow, furiously typing back. 'So I'm allowed to go?''It's Jose. I trust him.'My lips curved into a smile. 'Have a good day at work, Mr. Mafia Boss.'A red heart emoji came in return. I smiled, tucking my phone into my purse, and glanced up. The driver met my gaze in the rearview mirror for a second before quickly looking away. I blinked, unsure if I imagined the flicker of curiosity or something else in his eyes. I let out a soft sigh, resting my head against the window as we pulled up in front of my home. It looked
"Cristina is not involved."Enzo said flatly, his voice cutting through the soft hum of the bar's noise. I blinked, stunned. "What?" He didn't flinch. "My men ran a full sweep. Calls, movements, mails, personal logs. She's clean."We were seated in a dimly lit booth ticked in the back corner of the bar. The scent of whiskey and wood polish lingered in the air, mixing with the faint notes of Adele's voice playing overhead.The place wasn't packed, just a few people scattered about. Some guys were seated around the table in the center, bobbing their head to the music as they got lost in the large bottle of rum in the table. At the far end, there were two other people, a guy and a lady, whispering and giggling to themselves. I caught the guy's hand reaching up the lady's skirt and scrunched my nose in distate. Wasn't it too early for that? Overall, the bar wasn't too shabby but it wasn't luxurious either and I wondered how someone like Enzo Pavarotti knew of a place like this. He'
I jolted upright, my breath catching in my throat as the remnants of the nightmare clung to me like a second skin. My heart thundered against my ribcage, sweat slicking my brow. I'd dreamt that Giovanni had found out the truth about my identity and he kicked me out. Luciano wasn't satisfied with the punishment so he took a revolver and shot me square in the head. It was grueling and too realistic. I could still feel the pain throbbing right in my forehead. I turned quickly to the side, searching for comfort but the space was empty. "Giovanni?" I called out softly, my voice was scratchy with sleep and panic. There was no answer. My eyes flew open, wincing at the soft rays of sunlight gleaming through the window. I looked at the time at wall clock and sighed,7:15I'd slept for quite a while. I wondered why Giovanni didn't wake me up, but then again neither of slept early last night. I could still feel the evidence of last night's activity pulsing between my legs and I couldn't d