AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shiver as the unspoken implication hits me. With their main rivals also having intimate knowledge of this deal, it could propel the Ferraros to the top of the criminal underworld here. My head spins, imagining how this could play out.
"What does any of that have to do with me?" I ask carefully, my mouth dry as sandpaper.
Roberto's voice drops to an urgent whisper. "Get close to Antonio Ricci. Turn that simmering attraction between you to your advantage. Charm him until he spills the time and route they're making the shipment."
"And my father's debts?" I ask, a knot forming in my stomach.
"We'll settle your father's debts through our legitimate channels," he continues slyly. "Once you've discreetly discovered the vital details, find a reason to slip away from the estate again. Maybe another shopping trip. My men will be watching and we'll contact you."
I stand in stunned silence, unsure how I became a pawn stuck between two warring mafia families.
"If you truly want to save your father from these people, derailing this deal is the only way," Roberto presses intently. "Just imagine - you can return to your life. Finish your degree. Even with enough extra that you'll never have to waitress again."
Hot Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I consider his dangerous proposition. Could betraying the Riccis' trust be the key to securing our escape from this nightmare? It's tempting to believe it could be so simple.
No, my conscience corrects. It would never be simple. Only reckless beyond imagination. The Riccis are currently keeping my father alive. If I'm revealed as a spy in their own home, we'll both end up buried in the river.
Yet if there's even a chance at getting my father back safely...don't I have to try?
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Roberto says, "I don't need to tell you what will happen if you dare breathe a word about this to any of the Riccis. You've witnessed their cruelty firsthand."
I suppress a shudder at the implied threat as I hear Roberto slip out of the changing room beside mine. Message received, I think grimly. Now it's up to me to decide whose trust I can afford to break.
"I look forward to furthering our...professional relationship, Clara," his disembodied voice floats back to me.
With those ominous parting words lingering in the air, his polished shoes click across the marble floors until the sounds fade away, leaving me alone with my nerves and confusion.
I quickly strip off the cocktail dress I was trying on with trembling hands. The silken material suddenly feels constricting, as if it could choke the very air from my lungs. I can't concentrate on clothes now, not with the weight of Roberto's proposal pressing down on me.
My escort glances up curiously as I hurry to the register with an armload of items, not even remembering what I purchased. Dressed in an elegant suit, he looks like any other wealthy gentleman's bodyguard. Only the telltale bulge of a pistol under his jacket gives him away as Ricci's man. A constant, menacing reminder of just who holds my leash now.
"I apologize for the wait," I say breezily, hoping he can't hear the anxious quaver in my voice. "I think I have everything I need for now. Shall we?"
The man nods, seeming satisfied as long as we're leaving this boutique and returning to the Ricci estate. I clutch my bags of exorbitantly expensive new clothes, an outward mask of luxury and ease while turmoil rages inside me.
Because if I'm going to get close enough to the Ricci family's operations to betray them, then the role of sophisticated temptress must be played to perfection.
My hands tremble slightly as I slide into the back of the sleek town car. I stare unseeing out the tinted windows as we glide through the bustling streets back toward the looming Ricci mansion.
Unease churns inside me as I consider Roberto Ferraro's offer. Earning my father and my freedom. But at what cost? Under threat, am I someone who can dissemble and seduce, betraying another person to save myself? Or is that too high a price for freedom?
CHAPTER8
ANTONIO
Ipause in the doorway of the mansion's library, morning sun bathing the room in a warm, golden light. Clara sits curled up in one of the antique wingback chairs, a large leather-bound book open in her lap, completely engrossed in its pages.
Her chestnut hair glows auburn in the sunlight, the occasional freckle standing out on her porcelain skin. She absentmindedly tucks a stray wave behind her ear as she reads, revealing the delicate curve of her neck.
I can't tear my eyes away, enthralled by how the morning light envelops her in an ethereal glow. She is a dangerous distraction, but I can't seem to stay away.
She ran from our kiss in the garden a few days ago. Part of my ego still stings from the rejection. But I need to remember how very young she is, only twenty and quite sheltered compared to the company I usually keep. I probably came on stronger than she was ready for. And she's still an outsider, afraid of the danger that has always been a part of my world. I want to see if there's more between us, if I take her out of the confines of this house and take things slower.
Steeling my nerves, I take a step into the library. "Clara," I say softly, noticing how she flinched ever so slightly in surprise, her shoulders tensing. Those striking green eyes rise slowly to meet mine, widening as she takes me in. I can see the apprehension lingering there.
Moving closer, I lean casually against the edge of one of the bookshelves. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to the new art exhibition at the Cortland Gallery today." I keep my tone light, hoping not to spook her.
Her delicate brows arch slightly in question as she sits up a bit straighter in the chair, closing the book in her lap. "An art gallery?"
