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"With her?" Kasey eyed the car, hearing how Mrs. Russi bitched out the driver for not opening her door correctly. This would be a long night, so I planned to do what Costas offered and get drunk.
As the evening went on, I found myself holding my glass out too often to Kasey in the car. Before we even made it to the restaurant, I was borderline drunk again for the second time today. Mrs. Russi had this unsettling ability to turn anything she said into something that wronged her. I could say I liked cats more than dogs, and she’d berate me because a dog she loved died. It felt like a race of endurance being near her and trying to tune her harmful words out. Thankfully, the alcohol made the trip go by a little faster as the car stopped on a small street.
The restaurant was beautiful, more than I could put into words. The villa we drove to had this lovely coloring of dim lights, enchanting us to enter. The establishment did too as we wandered into ambiance. Candles were lit at each table hosting people, adding to the fragrance coming from the kitchen. Feeling a little off kilter from the drinks on the drive, Kasey hooked her arm through mine to keep me upright.
She'd grown used to feeling drunk and learning to pretend she wasn't. Now I wondered if she could trick a cop into believing she was sober. Not that I'd ever want her to drink and drive to find out. Too many lost their lives to such careless actions.
Costas went to the hostess stand, giving them a name under a whisper. The woman's keen eyes widened at the sight of Mrs. Russi, making me wonder how she had so much power here. She scurried from her stand to head in the direction of the kitchen, alerting someone of their high-profile guest. It made me feel uncomfortable as I shifted in my stance. Mrs. Russi kept her nose turned up, making me dislike her even more.
This didn't set a great standard for our future interactions, but I knew I'd be nice on behalf of her son. My mind had been reeling on my devious adventures with them already, so I had to fight my sloshed brain for control now that she stood within earshot.
A man came out, with a big grin, arms open. "Giorgia Russi! Ciao."
"Marco," she purred back, entering his hug. His end held on tight, but she didn't lift her arms to finish it. Too posh to even hug properly.
"Come! I'll give you the best table in the house." He waved us to follow, knowing we were with her. Passing by everyone inside the place, they began to stare and whisper. Of course, I didn't speak enough Spanish to know what they were saying.
We were led outside to a balcony above the villa, seeing the hushed streets in the night below. My eyes kept bouncing between each streetlight against the stone buildings and cobblestone streets. Every time I left the compound, I felt like this had to be a mirage, being somewhere so perfect. Kasey sighed from her place, enjoying the light hum of music as a waiter began pouring wine into our glasses like they already knew Mrs. Russi's choice drink.
The bottle had the same labels as the ones in the cellar, so I turned my confused head to Costas as he finished scanning the area. "Do you buy their wine?"
He softly chuckled. "You have that backwards, Millie. They buy Draven's wine."
"That was their wine?" I swallowed hard, thinking about how much we drank.
"He has a vineyard an hour away from here. It's where his grandmother resides for her to find peace." Handing me a menu, he winked. "He'll be delighted to know you enjoyed it."
"His grandmother? The one who lost her hearing?" I leaned in closer as Mrs. Russi kept chatting with her old friend. I got a vibe that they were a lot more than old friends because she'd been nicer to him than her own son.
"That very lady. She's quite the charmer when she's up for company, but she prefers solitude. He doesn't go and oversee the work there unless she's up for it or there's an emergency." Costas read over the menu halfheartedly because he kept eyeing who might draw near.
"Just leave the bottle," Kasey whispered to the waiter, eye-fucking him as she did so.
"Are you talking about Gia?" Mrs. Russi turned her attention back toward us now that the chef left.
"Yes, ma'am. Millie recognized the label of the wine after seeing some in the house. I was filling her in about the vineyard and how Gia chooses her life over there." Costas never looked the woman in the eye, and I didn't like him feeling so submissive to an evil hag.
"Ah, Gia. Yes. I feel she must be to blame for Sofia's behavior now." Sipping her wine, she read over her menu like she hadn't said something so brazenly offensive.
"To blame?" I nearly scoffed. "And how would a deaf woman be to blame for the raping of a minor?"
"Oh, sweetie. You'll see much worse in our life than a raping of a young girl. Wait until it’s your husband buying them by the dozen to take their virginities, personally funding local traffickers."
Bile rose in my throat with how callous she spoke about it. When I didn't say anything, she glanced up with her hair twisted tighter in a bun than the stick up her ass. Pouting my way, she saw how surprised her comment made me.
"You thought any of them could be good men? Sweetie, I'm Tony's mother, and my standards are that he kills his boughten whores faster than mutilating their bodies for personal gratification."
Swallowing hard, I had to believe the two I fell for weren't like that. They'd never hurt someone the way this woman did. "But how does that tie into Gia and Sofia?"
"Don't be daft," she tutted at me like I annoyed her from being too simple. "Sofia hasn't had a strong womanly figure in her life since her mother died, and by that point, Natalie couldn't offer much before taking her own life."
My stomach rolled with learning about Draven's mother ending her own life, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he skirted around what happened. He had every right to, so it didn't bother me like this woman had hoped. Sitting still, I encouraged her to continue.
"Gia abandoned them to isolate when she lost her hearing. Both were failed examples of being a true woman in this life. Sofia locking herself in her room to wallow comes from the lack of strength from the women in her family. They ruined her before they could auction her off for a better place in our world." Waving her hand dismissively, she spoke like she only said facts and not ludicrous ideas about Sofia.
"I disagree. I work with girls who endure what she has, and she's doing quite brilliantly for how recent her wounds are." Some fresh bread got dropped off to us after I finished speaking. Thanking the server in Spanish, he dipped his chin like he appreciated my attempt.
"I'm sure you do see it that way, just like there's magic at the end of a rainbow and rain should be danced in." Her pessimistic views were tiring.
