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“Learn my place?!” I repeat in disbelief. “And I guess that would be to follow your every command? Dream on!”
He’s still smirking at me, clearly amused by our conversation. “Everybody follows my orders. It’s one of the perks of being the boss.”
I roll my eyes some more. “There are obedient little puppets all around you. Doesn’t it get boring?”
He laughs loudly at that. “Oh, Ella. We’re going to have a good life together. Keeping you in line will be fun.”
Bastard.
On the outskirts of town, we drive through an enormous set of gates in a fenced off, industrial-looking complex. Dogs on leashes attached to a pulley on overhead cables run along the perimeters. Without a doubt, they will scare off intruders. I’m frightened just looking at them from the safety of the car and I love dogs.
We arrive at a warehouse, and Gualtiero gets out of the car, but I stay seated. My lord and master hasn’t specifically told me to come, so I decide to wait here.
I have no desire to see what business Gualtiero conducts inside that building. Seemingly, it’s not what he wants though, as Alonso opens my door moments later and motions for me to follow.
When I’m by Gualtiero’s side, he places his hand on the small of my back and guides me through a set of steel doors. The air inside is cool and rows of large containers are stacked one on top of the other.
He ushers me into a small room with a desk and a sitting area. “I won’t be long. Wait here,” he tells me before turning and walking out.
I immediately spot the computer on the desk, and my heart leaps.
Maybe if I’m lucky, it won’t be password protected and I can alert Rhia. I rush over and sink into the chair, wiggling the mouse to bring the computer to life.
But before I can even look at the screen, the door opens, and Alonso enters. When he sees me at the desk, he raises a questioning eyebrow at me.
Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.
“Why don’t you sit over here, Miss O’Neil,” Alonso suggests, pointing to the sofa. We both know it’s really more of a command. “There are refreshments on the side table you might enjoy.”
“I’m quite happy right here,” I challenge him.
“As you wish, but you won’t be able to get into that computer.”
How kind of him to inform me. But I won’t believe him until I’ve seen it for myself. Boldly, I activate the screen and, sure enough, the little window pops up, asking for a password.
Damn.
“Well, I guess it’s your lucky day, Alonso. Now I won’t have to knock you out,” I retort, and Alonso cracks a smile.
Could I have knocked him out? I look around the room to see if anything here could be used as a weapon. Maybe the lamp on the side table? No, it doesn’t look heavy enough to do any damage.
Sighing, I resign myself to the fact that the computer is just there to tease me and not my ticket to salvation. Still, it doesn’t mean I comply and move to the sitting area. Defiantly, I lean back in the chair and put my feet provocatively on the desk, making sure though, my dress covers as much of my legs as possible.
About ten minutes later, Gualtiero returns. If he’s surprised to find me by the computer, he doesn’t show it. I take my feet off the desk but stay seated. Santino and a dark-haired Italian woman enter shortly thereafter.
Holy shit, I know her. My cheeks blush at the memory.
“Ella, this is Oriana.” Gualtiero motions to the woman standing next to Santino. “I believe you’ve met,” he says, half-laughing.
Jeez, Oriana is the woman who ended up with the lizard in her hair. So Gualtiero knows about the ball-sack-biting-lizard incident. She must have been there to keep an eye on me.
Great… just great.
We stare at each other, but I have no idea what she’s thinking. Her face is expressionless, a mask of professionalism, as her cold eyes study me.
Did she have a gun that day? But where would she have hidden it? From memory, she was the only one in our group who didn’t go swimming. And her quick reflexes when she tossed the lizard into the bush? It all makes sense now.
Do they train for shit like that?
