“It’s his father’s house,” Joseph told me. “But Leo rarely comes here. Marco has had the place to himself for most of his life.”
That sounded kind of lonely. “What about his mother? Doesn’t he have any siblings?”
Joseph’s expression shuttered. “That’s for Marco to tell you, if he wants to.”
I wanted to ask why it was such a secret, but deep in my heart, I understood. I didn’t want people knowing about my estrangement from my mother, either. It was so much easier to plaster on a smile and talk about what a great surgeon she was, how proud I was of her achievements. When in reality, all I felt was resentment and abandonment.
“Oh. Okay.” I let the subject drop, but I would never ask Marco about it. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him, much less have heart-to-hearts about our families. Besides, I wasn’t sure if Marco even had a heart.
When we got to the kitchen, Marco was nowhere to be seen. Two perfect, fluffy omelets were plated and waiting on the marble-topped island. Joseph pulled out one of the barstools for me, treating me with the same gentlemanly consideration he’d always shown me when we were together in Cambridge. It seemed that part of him had been genuine.
Last night, he’d said he wanted to protect me and make me happy. I believed him, even if my mind was still reeling from the revelations about his lifestyle. It would take time for me to fully accept that my sweet Joseph was a criminal, but the fact that he’d tried to escape and make a new, better life for himself made it easier to swallow. If we just waited until the danger passed, we could go back to Cambridge together. He could start over. I could go back to my life, and Joseph would be at my side.
The knowledge made it much easier to accept my situation. Marco might have kidnapped me, but I wasn’t a captive here. Not really. Joseph was just trying to shelter me and keep me safe. It would be foolish to reject his protection.
And I wasn’t certain that he would give me the option to reject it. A part of me recognized that the dynamic between us might be very different if I’d continued to defy his decision to keep me here.
I remembered the way he’d wrapped his hand around my throat, pinning me down and kissing my desperate tears. I’d never seen that side of him before. It made my stomach drop and my pulse race.
“I guess Marco already ate,” Joseph said, breaking into my dark thoughts. He touched two fingers beneath my chin, redirecting my gaze to his. “You okay, angel?”
“Yeah,” I answered, and it was the truth. When he was looking at me with soft concern, touching me with such gentleness, I couldn’t be frightened of him. “I’m just hungry.”
He grinned. “Then we’d better eat before it gets cold.”
The eggs had already cooled a bit while we’d lingered in the bedroom, so I ate them quickly before they got rubbery. The omelet was delicious, just the right consistency and stuffed with bacon and cheese. Apparently, Marco really did enjoy cooking. It seemed like a weird hobby for a ruthless criminal, but I supposed even mobsters had to eat.
Although, given the opulence of his mansion, I suspected Marco’s family could afford a live-in chef.
I shrugged off my curiosity, deciding I didn’t really care what Marco liked to do with his free time when he wasn’t intimidating people and committing horrible crimes.
“Do you want to see the rest of the grounds?” Joseph asked when I set down my fork, my plate completely cleaned. It really had been delicious.
“Sure.” It would be nice to go outside. I’d spent most of yesterday sleeping, and when I’d woken up, it had been dark. Before my futile attempt to discover a tablet to access the internet and get a message to Jayme, I’d checked out the window as a possible escape route. Floodlights had illuminated the brick walkway below, at least a two-story drop. I’d definitely break something if I attempted to escape that way.
Other than that, I hadn’t been able to make out much more than a grassy expanse that disappeared into darkness.
I no longer intended to escape, but I’d still like to check out my surroundings. If I couldn’t leave this place, I might as well become familiar with my gilded cage. Because no matter Joseph’s good motives in keeping me here, I was still restricted to the confines of this estate for the foreseeable future.
I shook off the thought before the sensation of being trapped could set in. This wasn’t a cage; it was a refuge.
Joseph took my hand again, and all my worry melted away. I walked with him out of the kitchen, across the foyer, and out the front door.