Page 206 of Marcello

HA.

Got ‘im.

Now it was just a matter of negotiation.

“I’m not going to make you pay for it,” I reassured him. “In fact, I’ll pay you back for last time, too.”

“How?!” he asked contemptuously. “Your father doesn’t give you any money because you never leave the house!”

I walked over to my dresser and opened the small wooden chest on top of it. “No, but he gives me lots of this.”

I scooped out a handful of jewelry.

Gold bracelets…

Pearl necklaces…

Rings with emeralds, diamonds, and rubies.

During my rebellious phase a couple of years ago, I’d demanded lots of expensive jewelry. I was so angry about being imprisoned, I’d tried to exact some kind of retribution.

Papa had ponied up without protest. I didn’t realize it at the time, but dropping thirty grand was nothing to him. Plus, it got me to shut up for a while.

I’d lounged around the house dripping in bling for a couple of months, then gotten bored and forgotten about it.

Until now.

Eugenio’s eyes went wide as he stared at the treasure in the palm of my hand. He knew he’d just stumbled into the motherlode.

Then, like the weasel he was, he tried to negotiate.

“I can’t resell it for what it’s worth, you know. The price will be much lower.”

“Then get what you can,” I said calmly. “I can always ask for more.”

That part was true. I could probably get as much jewelry as I wanted, within reason – and knowing my father, 50,000 euros was definitely ‘within reason.’

I knew Eugenio would try to bleed me dry, but I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about was seeing Romeo again.

“Alright,” Eugenio agreed, licking his lips as I handed over the necklaces and rings. “But I still need my phone.”

“Buy me a new one first. Then you can have your old one back.”

“Why wouldn’t I just buy myself a new one?” he complained.

“Then BUY yourself a new one!” I snapped. I was seriously losing my patience with him.

“They cost a lot of money,” he said in a tone of voice like Hint, HINT.

I sighed in disgust, then reached into the jewelry box and fished out a ring with a sapphire the size of a blueberry.

“Will that do?” I asked snarkily as I tossed it through the air.

He caught it with one hand, then gazed at it in a way that reminded me of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

The PRECIOUSSSSSS!

“That’ll do just fine,” he said with a grin. “So, when do you want to sneak out again?”