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The heavenly smell of citrus fruit and sweetness of grapes hung in the air as we strolled between the rows of neatly lined trees. There was something so calming and hypnotising about watching these people and the process. I reached up and grabbed a lemon, bringing it to my nose. Closing my eyes, I inhaled its freshness and smiled.
“I would have never thought…” I muttered to myself, but Flo heard me and turned, cocking her head to the side.
“Never thought of what? That a mafia leader would own such beauty in nature?” she smiled. I returned it and continued to walk ahead. “He always loved the outdoors and anything that was vibrant and full of life. As a boy, he used to help me in the greenhouse, planting vegetables and fruits. He loved to watch something grow from a seed into such a thing of wonder and beauty.”
I kept quiet as I took in the amazing scenery Alessio had created here and my heart started fluttering against my will. This was the opposite to what I wanted. I wanted to hate him. To think of him as the man I had always been trying to avoid all my life. The violent, selfish mafia leader who only caused pain and destruction. But as Zia kept talking and I looked at the happy faces of the workers—who clearly were treated well and loved their jobs—I couldn’t help but wonder who this man really was. He was so far from what I envisioned already.
“And is this a lucrative business of his? What does he do with all the produce and wine he makes?” I asked, genuinely interested.
The large grin that settled on her face was one a proud mother would have for their child. “Si! His wine is one of the most popular in the region. And he sells his produce to local markets to help the economy. But he takes no profit from any of it,” she replied and I stopped walking, turning with confusion etched into my deep frown lines.
“Where does the money go?”
She started shaking her head and waving her hands. “No, no. I have said far too much already. Alessio would murder me if I said anymore. He is a very private person.”
“Murder you?” I repeated in alarm and she burst out laughing.
“Oh, my dear. No. Just a turn of phrase!”
I gulped and looked around for the soldier who was ordered to keep an eye on me and to stop me from escaping. He was a short distance away, standing firm. I couldn’t see his eyes behind his black sunglasses, but I knew he was watching me. We continued to walk further and past the vineyard until we reached a small lake with a wooded area on the other side. I could just make out the large stone wall through the trees. This must be near the end of his estate. I scanned the rest of the land, but I couldn’t see any more of his men. For someone who had one of the most dangerous careers in the world, he didn’t seem to have much security around his home. Apart from the workers in the fields, I had only seen three or four soldiers since I arrived here.
“There doesn’t seem to be many men around the house. Security?” I questioned, trying to keep my voice calm and nonchalant.
“No. Alessio doesn’t like many people in his home. He has trust issues,” she smirked at me over her shoulder. “But don’t get any ideas, signorina. The men who are here are his top soldiers and there are cameras all around the grounds.”
My heart dropped and my eyes scanned the gardens for any sign of them.
“You won’t see them of course,” she added with amusement. “So, Elenora. That is a beautiful name. What family has he stolen you from?”
“It’s just Elle,” I smiled, feeling slightly more relaxed in this woman’s company. “The North. My brother is Giovanni Buccini.”
Her smile faded on that name and her hand came up to her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at me.
“What?” I asked, suddenly panicking at her reaction.
“Oh, nothing my dear. Nothing at all,” she quickly hid her emotion and forced the smile to reappear. “Well, Elle. I hope you try to make the best of your time here. I know this is not ideal for you, but Alessio will do the right thing and hand you back unharmed eventually.”
“Eventually…”
After a delicious lunch Zia Flo had prepared for us on the veranda again, I was summoned into the open-plan living area that was just as beautifully designed as the rest of the house. It had open stone walls and exposed dark beams on the ceiling. Colourful rugs and cushions stood out against the calming, rustic charm of camel furnishings and cream furniture. As I sat on the sofa and waited for whatever reason Stefano had brought me here, I glanced around the room for any pictures of Alessio, but there were none. There was nothing in the room that gave any personal touch, except for a collection of Italian novels on a shelf and strange memorabilia from around the world. A conch shell. A surfboard on the wall. A strange assortment of rich spices in jars. And there were some paintings too. Stunning abstract art from some of my favourite artists.
“Buon pomeriggio,” a raucous voice boomed as a man entered with five or six women, all pushing clothing rails into the room. My eyes widened as the man grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out of my seat, kissing me on both cheeks. “You are bellissima! But I would expect nothing less as Alessio’s girlfriend!”
I gaped at the flamboyant man in shock, blinking rapidly as I looked over at Stefano. He remained stoic and unaffected like a robot as the man looked me up and down, studying every inch of my body with his eccentric gaze.
“Sorry, who are you?” I asked, baffled by this sudden intrusion of noise and activity as the women removed the fabric off the clothing racks to show hundreds of gorgeous outfits, shoes and bags.
“Oh, I am so rude. Forgive me, signorina! My name is Ronaldi. I am the designer for Signor Barbieri’s clothing label and I am here to fit you with a whole new wardrobe!” he clapped excitedly as I continued to gape at him. What the…
“Clothing label?” I repeated, my brain still not able to comprehend what was happening. Alessio owned a clothing label? And a bloody stunning one by the looks of these designs. Ronaldi strolled over to one rack and started to pull off some of the outfits, looking over his shoulder to check my body every so often. I slumped down onto the sofa as I stared at everything in awe and shock. So, this is what he meant by getting me some clothes?
“Up! Up!” Ronaldi ordered as he waltzed towards me with a tailored boho lace pantsuit that I immediately loved. “This will look glorious on you, my love.”
“I’m not his girlfriend,” I quickly stated as he shoved the hanger in my hands.
“Oh, I don’t know what you young ones call it nowadays. Now go and try that on in the bathroom, I need to check I was correct with my measurements. Oh and these,” he grabbed a pair of pointed stilettos and pushed them into my chest. As if on autopilot, I walked towards the downstairs bathroom, Stefano following every step. Once I was inside, I locked the door and dropped the clothes. This was too much. It was bad enough that I was under his roof, but now he wants me to wear his designs? While my family is at war with his? No fucking way.
The walls suddenly felt like they were caving in on me as I found it hard to breathe. No, now was not the time to be hit with a bout of claustrophobia. I turned on the taps and raced to the window, flicking up the latch and opening it as wide as it would go. Grabbing one of the stilettos as a weapon, I climbed onto the toilet and out of the window as fast as I could. I was at the rear of his estate and the rows of orange trees were directly in front of me.
