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My mind is still in a daze when I get to the coffee shop to meet Drew the next afternoon. I walk inside to find him waiting for me at our usual table. He makes a show of checking his watch and I do the same on my new phone.
“I’m barely seven minutes late,” I say, setting my purse down and pulling out a chair.
“Oh, nice,” he says, taking the phone from me and looking at it. “What happened to your old one?” He sets it down. The phone, a rose gold, came ready to go and had one phone number programmed in it. Sergio Benedetti’s.
No strings my ass.
“Long story,” I say, not wanting to lie. Drew’s my best friend. I’ve known him since I was a kid and we even dated through senior year of high school. But he was always more into boys than girls. Him coming out to me was the same day we broke up and I just remember feeling so happy for him that he knew, really knew, and was deciding to no longer hide it.
He was supposed to go to the warehouse with me, but canceled at the last minute. I’m glad now that he wasn’t there.
“Rough night?” he asks.
“Is it obvious?” I wave to Mandy at the bar. I work here, and I pretty much never deviate from my double shot cappuccino, so she gives me a nod to let me know she’s already working on it.
“Only because I know you. You went to that warehouse, didn’t you? I told you to wait for me.”
“I don’t really want to talk about it.” And I don’t want to think about how things could have gone if he was there.
“Did something happen?”
Mandy calls out my name and I go to the coffee bar, grab my drink and hand her a $5 bill. “Thanks.” Back at the table, I take a sip. “Can I ask you a question?”
His eyebrows rise. “Sounds serious.”
“It is. Do you know a man named Sergio Benedetti?”
Drew all but spits out his coffee. “Benedetti?” he asks too loudly.
I glance at all the faces suddenly turned in our direction, and lower my voice. “Can you say it any louder?”
“As in son of Franco Benedetti? Next in line to take over the family business?”
“That’s him.”
“Why?”
“I kind of ran into him last night.”
“You kind of ran into him? How do you kind of run into a man like that?”
“That’s the long story.”
“Nat—”
“Don’t push. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You mean at the warehouse?” His eyes go huge.
“Let’s just say he was there conducting business.”
“Nat—”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” I’m not fine though.
Drew eyes my new phone. I should have scratched it up or something. He knows I could never afford a brand new, latest model iPhone.
“What exactly happened?” Drew asks.
“I really can’t say, Drew. Please don’t push me.”
“Did you see—”
“Listen, I just want to know about his family. I tried to Google, but I can’t find much about him. I know you hear stuff.” Drew works at a gentlemen’s club. It’s a high-end strip joint and he’s mentioned the clientele sometimes includes men from the local crime families.
“So you want to know about Sergio in particular, not the family.”
I nod, bite the inside of my cheek.
He gives me a little history. “But this is where his story gets juicy.”
“It’s already juicy.”
“Ever hear of the DeMarco family?” he asks.
I shake my head.
“Crime family. They were loyal to the Benedetti family, but then they weren’t. Franco Benedetti, Sergio’s father, took Lucia DeMarco, the youngest daughter, and essentially has her locked away at some nunnery until she’s old enough to be given to Sergio.”
“What?” My heart sinks into my belly. “What are you talking about?”
“It sounds Medieval, right? He took DeMarco’s daughter to punish him. Make him pay for rising up against the Benedetti family.”
“I don’t understand. Who is Lucia DeMarco? What nunnery? And what do you mean she’s to be given to Sergio?”
“She was sixteen when it all happened. That was two years ago. He literally had her sent to the nuns in some private school or something. She’ll be a gift for Sergio.” Drew looks almost mystified.
“What year is this? That’s not legal.”
“Tell that to Franco Benedetti.”
“Will he marry her or something?” I almost choke on the word and can’t figure out why I’m so bothered.
“He’ll own her. I don’t think finding a bride for his son was what Franco was going for.” Drew waggles his eyebrows.
I feel a shudder run along my spine. Drew’s phone rings and he gives me an apologetic look before answering. I’m too caught up in what I’ve just learned to care though. To do much of anything but digest this piece of information.
He hangs up. “Shit, totally forgot my meeting with the counselor.” He stands, finishes the last of his coffee and stuffs his text book into his backpack. Drew attends University of Pennsylvania with me. “Speaking of, did you decide what you’ll do with the Dayton internship?”
