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They both smile. Eva lowers her voice. “His bark’s a lot worse than his bite when you get to know him. How about we just don’t tell him?”
“Suits me,” I say. “At least I don’t starve this way.”
“Sit down. I’ll make you some toast.” She puts her playing cards down, going over to the chopping board and then hacking at a huge loaf of bread.
I take a seat and look at the cards. “Happy Families?” I ask.
“You sound surprised,” Giuseppe replies. “Something wrong with that?”
“I just pictured a mafia household? Thought you’d all be playing poker for high stakes.”
He pours me out a glass of wine. “Lot of things here might be different to what you expect.”
I take the glass and sip at it, amazed by how good it tastes. “This is incredible.”
“It should be. Six thousand dollars a bottle.”
I nearly drop my glass in shock. “How much?”
“He’s kidding,” Eva says.
“Yeah, it’s only three thousand a bottle. Want to eat with us?”
“I might as well. I won’t be getting to sleep anytime soon.”
I sit at the table. Eva fusses around the food while Giuseppe pours himself a glass and then joins me. “The thing is,” he begins. “We know none of this is your fault, but once Marco has made up his mind, all we can do is support him.”
“So you don’t get to think for yourselves around here?”
“I wouldn’t put it like that. We happen to think that you and Marco are getting along all right.”
“Getting along all right? He kidnapped me.”
“He isn’t letting you leave. That’s not the same thing.”
“See how that stands up in court when I get out of here.”
“What’s the rush?”
“Excuse me?”
“As far as I can tell, and forgive me if I’m wrong, you haven’t actually got anywhere to go when you leave here. Correct?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it exactly like that.”
“Homeless and jobless, he said. Is that accurate?”
“Kind of.”
“Then why not stay? You have a roof over your head. No bills to pay. You can work on your art. I’ll have a load of clothes for you. It’s all arriving sometime tonight. We’re waiting up for it. You could wear a designer dress every day while you’re here. Jimmy Choos, Manolos? That’s not so bad, is it?”
“And all I have to do in return is marry Marco, right?”
“Would that be so bad?”
“Yes, it would.”
He looks across at Eva. “What do you think?”
