“I imagine he needs a minute to think,” I say vaguely, but my worried face conveys what my words don’t.
“We’ll wait to see what his next move is, boss. He might just keep it to himself.”
My eyebrows furrow. “He’s sitting on a powder keg. He can’t keep it a secret. It’s out now, and he knows we can use it at any time.” And for the first time in my life, I think about my captive as a human being and not a number in an equation. It dawns on me I may have jeopardized Juliet’s life.
Riccardo takes a long draw on his vape pen. “True. He knows you’ll use it, too.”
“Exactly. Well, we’ll let him think on it. I’m sure we’ll hear back soon enough.” For the first time since becoming the don, I’m nervous as to which way Conti will go. He’s a mean fuck. I’d hate to be tortured by him.
Riccardo nods and gets up, indicating we need to be going.
“I’ll be with you in a few,” I add, enjoying the view of the pool for just a few more minutes as the morning breeze moves through the leaves of the olive trees and the sun warms my skin.
I need to shower and shave. It’s weird having another person in the house all the time. Juliet’s here because Conti will be less likely to fly off into a violent rage if he knows his daughter is not sleeping on the floor in some abandoned warehouse, but rather is being held in relative comfort. However, I hadn’t taken my privacy into account when I planned this.
I know he got one over on my old man, but if he thinks I’m cut from the same cloth, he’s wrong. I can spend the rest of my life thinking up ways to make him miserable.
I make my way upstairs and pass Riccardo, who is delivering jeans and a shirt to Juliet’s room. He said she asked for some art supplies, so I told him to buy whatever she wants. It will help keep her occupied.
Riccardo is holding onto her phone to monitor who is trying to reach her, so we don’t raise suspicion. Amazing how easy it is to pose as someone when you’re in possession of their cell phone.
I chuck my jeans, turn on the taps, and step under the showerhead that reminds me of being in a rainstorm. The side jets kick in and I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to have Juliet pressed up against the glass in this shower with my tongue in . . .
Cretino! I don’t have time for this. Turning off the water, I dry off, shave, and put on a suit suitable for a day of shopping.
I’m already sitting up front in the Rover when Juliet arrives and gets in without complaint. No doubt because the guard glued to her side has a gun under his jacket.
I turn around and see her eyes are wide with amazement as she gazes up at the front of the estate for the first time. I hear a tiny gasp escape her luscious lips, lips I can’t wait to claim.
12
Juliet
Dante is delicious. For any man to be that sexy, first thing in the morning, has to be a cardinal sin to the nth degree. I try to keep from drooling as I set his coffee in front of him, but it’s impossible to ignore that he’s only wearing jeans and his naked chest is covered in dark hair I want to stroke which is covering nipples I want to tug on.
I’m torn. He’s a criminal and I hate him for turning my life upside down, but at the same time, he took me away from my boring life and I feel more alive than ever before. I honestly can’t decide if I should despise him, or if I’m falling in like with him. But I do wonder what he’s packing in his jeans. He fills them out so well, I can understand why women throw themselves at him. No doubt they do. If I learned anything from Ava, it’s the subliminal cues of the mating process.
Mr. Secret Service says nothing as he hands me some different clothes. According to Dante, I have zero fashion sense. Maybe the red dress really did make me look cheap. I have no clue. I figured if it looked good on Ava, it would look good on me.
For a moment, I wonder how her romance with her boy toy is going, but then decide I need to worry more about myself. If I fall for Dante, what will my life be like? Will I be locked away on this estate and disappear from society altogether? I have to surface at some point, don’t I?
I look around, enjoying being in the car without a bag on my head this time. The car is state of the art, and the estate is even more impressive than I imagined. The stone edifice manages to be massive and welcoming at the same time. Maybe it’s the terra cotta pots full of lemon trees and the pink bougainvillea covering the terrace that give it a feeling of warmth. It’s certainly not the master of the house.
We slowly make our way past the rows of cypress trees lining the driveway and down a large hill. The switchbacks are vaguely familiar, but once we merge onto the highway, I recognize nothing.
Seeing a sign indicating an airport ahead, I panic. “What? Where are we going?” I lean forward too quickly in my seat and stop when I feel the seatbelt lock up and cut into my shoulder. I can sense the guard next to me tense.
“You said shopping. Who takes a plane to go shopping? Is this a trick to fly me to a salty grave somewhere?”
It’s the first time I hear Dante’s deep chuckle.
“Quite the opposite, my little artist. It appears your creativity lies in your artwork. You just need to think of yourself as that blank sheet of paper you sketch on in that school of yours.”
I let out a huff of frustration. He knows everything about me and my life, but I know nothing about his. I’m no Nancy Drew, but I need to figure my way out of this situation before it’s too late.
“How do you know what I do?” I challenge him.
“You’d be surprised.” The deep timbre of his voice tickles my lady parts and I feel a dampness between my legs. Why do I find this bad boy so wildly exciting?