I can’t afford to love, or actualize sympathy-those translate into being vulnerable. It’s the one advantage I have over Conti. Finding out about Juliet’s existence is going to drive him insane, giving me an advantage. Then, I wait and watch him unravel as he realizes his options are limited.
Riccardo and I help Juliet up the steps and I give her the ground rules: “You try to run, I’ll shoot you, or Riccardo will, and even if you get past us, don’t fool yourself. This is an old estate that doesn’t have neighbors and the grounds are crawling with guards.”
We sit Juliet down at the kitchen table and my phone dings. It’s Alessia. Dammit. She’s a sweet girl and sexy as hell but I can’t see her again. I like her too much to waste her time. She’s getting older and needs to find a nice husband. Plus, I can tell she’s growing too attached to me.
I send a curt text that I’m too busy to see her and that she needs to hang out with better men, men who will treat her better than me. She’ll get the message.
How much of that was the truth and how much was because I’m fixated on the young vixen sitting in front of me? The one with dark eyes that dart around the room, no doubt counting the guards, identifying the exits and probably trying to figure out if she can reach the kitchen knives hanging on the wall before being shot.
She wants to escape. I’d be surprised if she didn’t try. The fact that she’s intent on survival impresses me.
“Escaping is a futile effort,” I point out, letting her know I’m onto her.
Ignoring me, she looks around the kitchen, seeming to find comfort in no longer being tied to a chair. She rubs her sore wrist and for that I’m sorry. I know how painful it can be.
Riccardo opens the microwave to heat up the baked ziti he picked up earlier. Finding plates and forks, he serves Juliet first before he places ours at the table and we both sit down.
Juliet looks at her plate and pushes it away. “I’m not hungry.”
“Eat,” I command, taking a seat next to her.
“No.” Her eyes challenge me but I stare her down until she lifts her fork and begins to take small bites.
I start to think this through. Normally I conduct my office work downtown where we have the headquarters for the Micheli family business, but I have a study here and encrypted computers and phones, so I don’t have to show up at the office tomorrow.
We normally say we’re in construction as it covers many things including a sister company that does renovations and other holding companies that make up one larger corporation. Our construction business is not just a simple front because we actually do legitimate work in the industry. But it accounts for little profit and most of that is under bidding our competition.
The amount of money we launder through dry cleaners and other small businesses adds up to massive amounts of funds but because they are small businesses we avoid unwanted attention. I have also been able to set up some other legitimate business, like restaurants and night clubs where it is easy to launder money and move product at the same time, mainly drugs.
Maybe I can extort money out of Conti, rub it in a little, let him buy his daughter. But I don’t want to always be looking over my back. How can I be certain that she is of value to him? The man I met seems to be lacking the fatherly instincts to protect a child, unless that child adds to his bottom line.
I’m waiting on the official word on Juliet’s mother. I suspect Juliet was a love child, from which affair I’m still waiting to hear, and the mother was forced to give her up when Conti’s wife got jealous — or maybe Conti’s wife never knew, and he wanted to keep it that way. I’m sure I will find out in due course.
It’s hard to keep a secret buried for twenty years. And the most unstable element in the mix is Conti himself. I’m not so sure if he can love anyone but himself.
I hope he agrees to strike the bargain we need. He would do well to do business with me because if we are quasi-partners it will make it more difficult for someone else to strong arm their way into his business. I don’t want his business; I just want to run mine alongside his. I need to make him see that I’m the lesser of two evils.
I put food on my fork and try to eat but it’s strange having others at the table.
“How long are you keeping me?” her dark, doe-like eyes implore me.
“Don’t know yet.”
“Who is my father?”
“It’s not safe to tell you that right now.” I pick up the glass of red wine Riccardo poured for me as I push back in my seat.
I lift it to my lips and take a much-needed gulp, not a sip. “Do you want some?”
“Sure,” she responds, her answer surprising me. I assumed she’d want to keep her sharp wits about her but maybe she realizes she’s better off playing nice with me. She’s young, I’m sure she has a lot to live for and all that.
Riccardo’s phone rings, he steps outside on the balcony to take it.
“What happens at school when I’m missing?” Juliet looks at me and I set my wine glass down. I need another refill.
“We came up with a reason for you to go home and left a message. Your roommate is busy with her new boyfriend, and thinks you are at your parents visiting a sick grandmother anyway, so she won’t be looking.”
Juliet is pensive and takes another small bite before pushing her plate away.