AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And I’m not fully lying this time. Though I want him to go, I imagine the feel of his heavy, masculine palm in mine. I’d feast my eyes on the tendons in his forearms, the corded muscles that I could imagine wrapped around me, while I—
But no, it’s only part of the innocent act.
“Maybe some other time,” he lies, as the curtain falls heavily behind him and he leaves. Good. I should be glad he’s left. I can breathe more easily now that he isn’t taking up all the air in here. Why do I stare at the swinging velvet with a vague feeling of disappointment?
I shake my head and stand. I’m unsure of the air quality in the little hidden passageway. What if she’s smothering to death in there? My hand itches to yank up the little carpet, but I can’t risk opening the trapdoor quite yet. I need to be sure he’s gone.
After I count a full sixty seconds silently, I pull aside the curtain and look to see if he’s really gone. Instead, I catch Amadeo’s furious gaze. If looks could kill… Thankfully, I see no other customers.
I hold up a finger to tell Amadeo I need just one more minute, but of course he doesn’t care aboutthat. Ugh, no respect. He marches straight toward me and backs me into the small enclosure.
“Oh, there you are,” I begin, but he ignores me and instead grabs my wrist and begins to yank me as if to physically drag me out of the store.
“Let me go,” I hiss, fruitlessly trying to pull away from him. When he doesn’t budge, I try to step on his foot. “Let me go or I’ll tell on you to Romeo!” My oldest brother doesn’t like any man to put his hands on me, which is decidedly in my favor right about now.
“Oh, good,” Amadeo says. “How convenient. That’s exactly who I’m going to.”
I successfully stomp on his foot. He hisses out a breath and releases my wrists long enough that I’m able to run back into the little room.
"They don't pay me enough for this. Theydo notpay me enough for this!” Amadeo grunts behind me.
“I’ll tell Romeo to give you a raise,” I mutter as I open the door. It’s then that I realize it isn’t a storage room, but aladdershe’s standing on.
“You okay?” I ask her.
She nods, her eyes wide and terrified, and whispers two words that are impossible for me to ignore. “Help me!”
* * *
CHAPTERTWO
Marialena
Romeo pinches the bridge of his nose, closes his eyes, and exhales.
“Amadeo, you’re getting a raise,” he says. I nod in agreement. Yes, it sounds quite fair for Amadeo to get a raise even if he is a jerk. “Dario will be in Tuscany,” Romeo says thoughtfully, almost to himself. Dario, an inductee into The Family and newly married, has been assigned to a job in Tuscany. He and his wife leave the next day.
Wait. Why does he mention that? Is he thinking of sending me away?Again?
Romeo opens his eyes and shakes his head. He’s been looking older in recent years with hair graying at the temples, lines around his mouth, and eyes that remind me a little bit of my father. He’s nothing like my father though. Some call him harsh, yes, and he’s no pushover, that’s for sure. But he leads our family with honesty and loyalty and has never used any of my father’s bullying tactics.
“Marialena,” Romeo says on a sigh. He beckons for me to draw closer. I sit in the chair and fold my hands on my knees. I do feel badly that I’ve caused Romeo any grief. I didn’tmeanto.
“Romeo,” I begin, but he holds up a hand to stop me. My brother may love me, but he is, at the end of the day, still the leader of the most feared mob family in all of New England. Maybe even the US, especially since we’ve joined forces with our cousins, the Montavios, and solidified our bond through marriage when cousin Vivia married Dario, a Rossi not related by blood.
I sigh and wait for the lecture. I know what he’ll say before he does. I know this so well I could recite it. He’ll pull out the same words my father used to say, and my mother and my other brothers still say as well.
Your own good
Protection
Dangerous enemies
Blah, blah, blah.
I try to look repentant, but I’m still back in Namaste. I see myself handing the little blonde whose name I never got all the cash I had as Amadeo reluctantly but in no uncertain terms explained the ladder led to a secret night club which I was, underno circumstances,ever to enter without express permission from Romeo. Didn’t stop blondie, though. It was really her only escape.
I hope she made it. I hope blue eyes didn’t know more than he let on.
