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“It’s fine,” I said, taking a sip of the cool water he’d provided to me. “I appreciate them sending you.”
His gray eyes met mine in the mirror, and he smiled slightly, the action causing the skin around his eyes to wrinkle even further. “It’s no trouble. Mrs. Blanchi felt particularly terrible. She wanted to be at the airport to greet you herself.”
The water tasted like ash in my mouth. Three months ago, my mother and brother were murdered, and now, I was on my way to live with my father’s friends—the Blanchi family. A bunch of strangers I knew next to nothing about.
“Have you been to New York before?”
I shook my head. “No,” I said. “I’ve never been this far east.”
“Well, you are in for a treat. The city had a great deal of things to offer.”
The neck of the bottle I was holding crushed under the weight of my fingers. I didn’t want to be rude to this man, but New York was more of a prison to me than a home. After I got out of the hospital, my father kept me confined in a condo that he owned as he got things prepared for me to head to the Blanchi family.
The driver continued yammering on about random topics. Luckily, he didn’t require me to engage too much in the conversation. Occasionally, I grunted in response to a question, but I didn’t offer anything up. I didn’t have the energy to do that.
I hadn’t slept a wink on the plane, too nervous about what it would be like to meet the Blanchi family to turn my mind off, and now, despite the fact that my nerves were a wreck, I was exhausted.
“We should be there soon.” The sound of the driver’s voice jerked me awake. The motion of the car had started to lull me to slumber, and when I looked out the window, I realized that we were slowly cruising down the streets of Manhattan.
Large skyscrapers were starting to give way to smaller brownstones. I held my breath as we got closer and closer to the Blanchi home. I only knew where they lived because my father gave me the address before I departed. I’d looked it up online. It was the only thing I could find about the family.
“Here we are.”
The breath I’d been hiding came out in a whoosh, and I crushed the plastic in my hands so hard that it crunched up loudly.
The driver swung the car around, so that he was parked parallel to the street.
I said nothing as he opened the door. For a moment, I wondered what would happen if I simply sat in the car and didn’t get out. This old man didn’t look like he would hurt a fly, but sometimes, looks could be deceiving.
“Is everything alright?”
Sighing, I placed my hand in his and allowed him to help me out of the car. Not that I needed the help. I’d dressed comfortably in black leggings, white sneakers, a jean jacket, and white t-shirt. There was no point in dressing up. After all, I was a prisoner.
“That’s the house.” He pointed to one of the brownstones. There were potted plants on the step, filled with green herbs. I could smell them even from the street, and the door was painted red with a large wreath hanging on the hook.
This did not look like the home of a mob family. It was so…normal.
“You can go inside. I’ll bring the bags to you.”
My chest tightened, but I did as the driver said, forcing my legs to walk up the stairs. I felt animatronic as my hand reached up to press the bell.
A woman, younger than my mother but older than me, opened the door in a second. She was tall and slender, dressed in a mauve-colored sheath dress. Her dark hair was tied back in a bun with a few pieces curling around her face. “You must be Carla!” Her voice was high and excited, and before I could say anything, she reached out and took my hands.
Hers were strong and warm, and as she pulled me in for a hug I could smell the scent of her shampoo, like honey and apples.
I stiffened. She must have felt it as she released me immediately.
“I’m sure that you must be tired,” she said, grasping my hand. “Why don’t we get you settled in.”
She practically dragged me through the foyer of the house. My eyes looked around, stunned by how normal this house seemed. Growing up on a compound, I expected to see something similar when I arrived in New York.
“Everyone is waiting to say hello.”
“That’s not necessary,” I said. The idea of meeting this entire clan made my stomach flop. “I don’t want to disturb you or Mr. Blanchi. I’m sure that everyone is busy after your trip.”
Mrs. Blanchi laughed. “God, please don’t call me Mrs. Blanchi, it makes me sound old.”
Her jovial tone made me smile. There was something about Mrs. Blanchi that made me quickly like her. Besides, I couldn’t be angry with her. She wasn’t the one who sent me here.
