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“We need to go back home for your safety. I can’t just have you wandering off, you’re obviously not well and there’s too many dangers in the city,” he jeered in a mocking tone of concern. He knew full well there was nothing wrong with me. Well, there might be, but if anything, he was the cause not the cure. “My family can watch after you back home, you know just how many eyes we have.”
And that was exactly what I was afraid of. Because I knew the underlying meaning to his seemingly caring words. I saw them for the threat they truly were. Despite us living in one of the wealthiest towns in America, there was still a lower class, and men like Tommaso preyed on those he could buy, those he could own, wielding his money like a weapon. At the end of the day, that’s what it was. That was the way with the Barones, anyone that crossed them either got paid off or killed. Everyone knew that, so most just took the money and looked the other way.
Families with wealth and riches guarded it like dragons hoarding their treasures, not because they’d ever spend it all. No, because it kept everyone else down, kept them subservient. Men like Tommaso craved power, and money was the best weapon they had to achieve it.
“I emptied your account too,” he proclaimed, chasing my lingering inner thoughts away. My face burned with anger as I stared back at him incredulously, hating that he’d insisted to be put on my account to begin with. But before I could get out a word he continued. “We’ll be getting married, so there’s no need for you to have a separate account. But you’ve also lost the privilege of having a job after this. I decided to indulge you and it backfired. I won’t let that happen again.”
I couldn’t get a job?He gave me a self-satisfied grin, clearly reading the loss and despair across my face. I shut down my emotions at that, letting him think he’d won.
“I might let you go back to work once you earn back my trust. But for now, you’ll stay at home. You’ll go to parties and wear pretty dresses,” he explained nonchalantly, as though he had the final say. Which he did, for now. “Can someone get my fiancée a drink? We have a lot to celebrate,” he called out and the third guard rushed to the drink cart to pour a glass of rosé. Just the sight of it turned my stomach, having become the symbol of the life I was trying so desperately to escape.
The guard handed me the drink and I took it without argument. I could do this. I could let myself slip into this role once more. Let him trust me, let him think I would be an obedient wife.
“Cheers to our upcoming nuptials. I love you, mi amore,” he professed, his face softening. I didn’t let myself fall for it though. Instead, I gave him a sweet smile, willing my eyes not to show the venom coursing through them, and took a long pull of the wine.
He’d caught me, and I thought that would’ve broken me. I thought I’d be an empty vessel right now, ready to retreat into myself just to numb the pain, but to my surprise, that fire still lingered inside of me. It only grew hotter now that I was about to be plunged back into East Haven. I couldn’t allow him to chip away another piece of who I was. I had a taste of freedom, however brief it was, and I couldn’t let go, not now.
“Oh, and don’t you dare let me catch you near them, otherwise I’ll slit their throats and make you watch.” I internally balked at the casual declaration, but he just continued sipping his whiskey, completely unperturbed by the thought of murdering two innocent people.
Rage burned in my veins as my grip tightened on the cool wine glass, reminding myself not to show my emotions openly mere seconds before I’m sure the glass would’ve shattered in my hand. This would end, one way or another, and this time, I was willing to die to escape him. I would build myself up piece by piece, becoming the woman I once was. The me from yesterday was dead now, but I couldn’t let him see that, not yet.
And I would kill him before I let him touch them. I’d get away from Tommaso on my own, no matter what it took. In the end, one of us would not be walking away.
Chapter three
Giana
Six years ago …
“Orderup.”Greg’sgravellyvoice echoed out the small pickup window while placing two plates of burgers and fries down.
I glanced around the small diner and grimaced when I caught sight of the only table with customers seated around it.Of course Pam is nowhere to be found, I groaned inwardly as I tied the apron around my waist. My jaw clenched in anger when I saw her on the other side of the large glass windows, smoking what had to be the last of her pack. Her thin frame was illuminated by the flickering, fluorescent lights above the door. But knowing her, she had a stash squirreled away somewhere in the storage room.
She was supposed to be watching the front while I cleaned up in the back, but of course, she had to take every opportunity for a break that she could, especially when she had me here. Huffing out a breath of annoyance, I stomped over to the window and pushed down the irritation clawing its way up my throat.
“Where’s your mom?” Greg grumbled, the annoyance clear in his own voice … and that was another reason why I couldn’t say anything. Greg and Pam were my parents, not that they acted like it most of the time. Using their first names was my small act of rebellion against both of them. They treated me more like an employee than a daughter most of the time anyway so it was only fitting.
“I’ll give you one guess,” I muttered, grabbing the ceramic plates off the metallic counter. His eyes narrowed on me as though he was about to reprimand me for the disdain in my tone but he muttered something under his breath and stalked back to the flat top.
“Table ten,” he said over his shoulder, as though I wouldn’t be able to figure out that the two meals went to the only two people in the diner. Turning on my heel, I attempted to collect myself as I maneuvered around the sage green and chrome counter, my white sneakers squeaking on the aged linoleum floor. My parents hadn’t decided to do many renovations to the old diner when they bought it over twenty years ago, choosing to leave it as a retro throwback. They still took care of it though, keeping up with the maintenance, but only so that they wouldn’t have to open their pocketbooks for a massive remodel anytime soon.
They thought the matching sage green booths and tables were an ode to simpler times, but in reality, it just looked dated, sterile, and lacked character. Just like them I supposed.
I inhaled sharply as I approached the two men seated at our only table, steeling myself for having to deal with sleazy Jim. Forcing my best customer service smile on my lips, I slid the food before him and his friend, creepy Bob.Sure, my nicknames weren’t the best, but they were accurate.
“Good evening. Here are your usuals,” I said as sweetly as I could muster, before stepping back out of their reach. It wouldn’t be the first time one of them had tried to grope my ass while pretending to whisper something to me, and I really wasn’t in the mood for their sexual harassment tonight. Especially knowing my parents wouldn’t say a word to their best customers.
“Well now, I thought it was supposed to be dinner before dessert,” Jim slurred, apparently already drunk off his ass at nine o’clock at night.Lovely. His glassy eyes leered at me, and I suppressed my shudder of disgust as they dragged their way up my form. Giving a weak chuckle, I took another small step away from them, not willing to take any chances.
“Are you stillssseventeen,sssweetheart?” Bob asked, slurring. He clearly had more to drink than his friend, especially since he could barely sit up straight in his seat.
Fabulous.
My smile widened, teeth clacking together with strain, and my skin crawled at their lascivious looks. Judging by the way Bob’s face blanched slightly, I’m sure the expression looked like I was baring my teeth at him more than a friendly gesture. This wasn’t the first night they’d been overly … friendly, and I didn’t want to have my parents berate me again or potentially take this job away from me. Despite relying on me almost every night and weekend, they held this position over my head, knowing I needed the money for college and to get the fuck away from them. Pulling in an exaggerated breath through my teeth, I willed my jaw to relax.Only a few more seconds and I could back away, I reminded myself.
“Yes, sir,” I ground out, doing my best to keep the repulsion from my tone.
“That’s a damn shame,” Jim said, drawing my attention back to him. “You be sure to tell us the minute you turn eighteen.”
