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So when Alice comes to tell me that dinner is ready, I take a deep breath and follow her to the dining room. I’m wearing one of the many Italian dresses I’ve received since I came here; I was ignoring them till the last moment, refusing to accept any treats from the Messina Clan, but tonight is my chance to shine. I chose a black dress with tight-fit shoulders and bodice and a loose skirt covered with gilded flower patterns—and judging by the way Paolo’s gaze lingers on me when I enter, I made the right choice.
“You look beautiful, Jacinta.” Paolo even gets up from his seat, still looking at me, and I feel a shiver spreading from the inside.
It’s the first time I hear these words from someone who is not a part of my family, and I have to swallow the wave of embarrassment. He’s not serious, of course, it’s just politeness—but I can’t fight the memory of his gaze studying my body yesterday. Did he want me when he came into my room? Does he want me now?
I swallow, ignoring the wave of heat rising up my neck, and walk to the table with my heels clicking in the quiet of the room. There’s a modern fireplace in the wall, and its light is dancing on the dishes on the table. There are only two settings next to each other, and even though I knew Paolo wanted to talk to me only, it still feels too intimate to realize that there’s no one here to distract me.
There’s no one to save me from the magnetizing darkness of Paolo’s gaze.
“So where would you like to start?” Paolo gestures at the plates in front of us and turns to me with a questioning smile.
The dishes look and smell so delicious. I don’t know if he asked for it on purpose, but it’s clear that the dinner today is all about Mexican cuisine. Plates withqueso fundido,taquitos, andtostadasfor starters surround the choice of two main dishes—steakfajitaand beefbarbacoain the middle of the table. The finishing touches are two margaritas and a bottle of wine next to Paolo.
Everything looks fantastic, and any other day I wouldn’t stop before trying every dish on the table—but now, I feel the tension in my guts that doesn’t let go. In my family, it is important to share a meal with the people you care for. I can’t find it in myself to feel that way about Paolo, so instead of reaching for the food, I look at him.
“I’d like to start with your offer.”
Paolo doesn’t bat an eye, and his smile only grows wider. He hums and, quite demonstratively avoiding my gaze, reaches for the plate with taquitos.
“Interesting choice. But I’m pretty sure you know what I want.” He puts the plate back and looks up to meet my gaze. “Give me all the information on Gerardo, and I’ll let you go.”
Damn it. I try not to show my disappointment, casting my gaze to the table, but my hand grips the napkin on my lap tighter. I know that’s what Paolo wants—but despite my words yesterday, I can’t do it. Everything I said was nothing but a trick.
I hate my place in the family, and I’d give anything to never go back home—but I still love my dad. He’s obsessed with security, he never listens to me, and he has no idea what I truly want. But I know that he loves me in his own way, and I…I can’t do that to him. I’d rather die in this mansion than betray my family.
“How can you prove you aren’t lying?” I say just to distract Paolo from the obvious hesitance in my silence and take a sip of margarita. I’m still not used to the way alcohol burns my throat, but the sweetness is pleasant enough to ignore it.
“Should I?” Paolo chuckles in the meantime, digging into thefajita, and glances at me with amusement. “Why do you think I’ve kidnapped you? To kill you? To keep you here forever?” He shakes his head. “No, I don’t want another hostage. What I want is to get rid of your family and force your dad to give up on his attempts at climbing higher. He’s never gonna claim the throne of Chicago, and I’m tired of losing people to this pointless fighting.”
“It’s not pointless.” I feel the burn of fire in my heart and look up at Paolo with a frown. He’s talking about my family as if we haven’t been defeating them for the last few months—or at least, that’s what Dad says. “Dad is gonna kill you all.”
“Sure.” Paolo hums mockingly and looks at me with a cold smirk. “But then, we will killyou.”
That asshole—
“No, you won’t!”
“Yes, we will. Why else would we keep you? For your pretty face?” He chuckles, switching his attention to the food, but I keep glaring at him with my cheeks hot and my hands in tight fists. Does he think I’m gonna believe him? Or does he expect me to get scared?
But before I gather my thoughts into a furious response, Paolo clears his throat and shrugs. “Unless, of course, you help me kill him first. It’s really simple, isn’t it? Either you or he should fall—and it’s up to you to make the choice.”
Our eyes meet, and I can see that Paolo is serious. Despite the mask of carelessness, his eyes are piercing right through me, demanding the right answer. But what is right? I bite my lip and look away with all my rage deflating like a balloon in my chest. Is it right to get my freedom? Is it right to betray Dad?
I sigh and shake my head. “I can’t do that.”
“Take your time. Think about it.”
“No, I’m sure.” I close my eyes and shake my head even harder. “I can’t do that, not to Dad.”
There’s a beat of silence, and I can hear my heart pounding in my ears. What if I offered him someone else? What if I begged him for freedom? What if—
“Well, it is your choice, Jacinta.”
“Is there any other way…?” I whip up my head, but Paolo doesn’t even look at me.
He’s focused on making a taco for himself, but I can see how tight his jawline is and how grimly he stares in front of himself. Yeah. Nothing I have to offer will make any difference, and Paolo proves it by straight up ignoring my question and looking up only to offer a plate with taquitos.
“Are you sure you don’t want to try the food? It looks like you’re gonna stay here for a while.”
