I wonder who my hero was, will I ever see him again? I touch my lips, the lips he kissed so fiercely, and they feel a bit swollen. What did he mean“you are mine?”
“Did you take any pictures tonight?” I ask Laura, hoping she says yes, so I can look for the kiss thief.
“A few of the food mostly and the art, to show Daddy. Why?”
“I wonder if either of us have a picture of the man who saved me. There was that handsome man, remember he wore a coat.”
“You really think a vigilante would be there tonight waiting to save you? Besides, there were a few people who kept their coats, just dropping in and not wanting to check them.”
“Not that many,” I disagree.
“True, okay, let’s look.” She swipes her phone from her bedside and crawls back in with me. We pull the covers over us like we did as kids, thinking it would keep us safe from the boogieman under our beds.
I usually don’t photograph people, but we flip through my pictures just in case.
“Well, if he was someone important, he’d be savvy enough to not have his photo taken.” I sigh and put my phone down.
“True. Let’s get some sleep. Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be. If I act any different, everyone will know what happened and then we’ll be in a shitstorm of all shitstorms. And Papa will look vulnerable. You can’t mention this to anyone.”
“Duh, I’m the one that helps you, not the other way around,” Laura scoffs as she lays her head on the pillow next to mine.
“Right.” I pull the covers tightly around my shoulders even though I’m not cold.
I replay what I know about the man I want to thank. His smell, his voice, his tattoo, all clues. But he could be anyone.
And how did he know I was there?
And why would someone be after me?
“I bet it’s the last time you get to go anywhere with me. I can’t be sure if they wanted to kidnap me or kill me. What do you know, Laura? Your dad doesn’t keep you in the dark.”
“I have no clue. Kidnappings are big, maybe someone wanted money from your father. But when he finds out who’s behind this, he’ll make sure they pay.”
“I wonder if he’ll ever find out,” I murmur, staring at the wall and at the same time, focusing on nothing at all.
“It’s late, go to sleep.”
I can’t sleep. I’m trying to remember details. I don’t remember much in the way of visuals, but smells...
The stranger wore cologne because I got a whiff of it as he lurched over me. All colognes have bergamot and musk, but the sweetness of pineapple is more of a clue because it’s unusual. It might be my only clue as to his identity. He must be in the mafia to have a weapon like that hidden in his umbrella. What a clever way to get his knife, or sword, past the metal detectors.
The way he said I’m his made me a believer.
11
Massimo
Ididn’t exactly stick to my grandfather’s instructions to take out Giovi tonight. In my defense, I did succeed in sending a warning to Luciano. The De Lucas are a powerful crime family with ties to New York and other major cities around the world. They’ve been in existence longer than ours, but we’re gaining ground daily. And it’s led to joint ventures to widen distribution channels.
We’re more ruthless than the Italian mafia because we come from a country with a history of political turmoil and war. The resulting devastation takes a toll on everyone. For many women, the only solution is to offer themselves up as mail order brides. Their golden ticket out of poverty is to marry an American and move to the States.
Unfortunately, many of these women are tricked into human trafficking. Maybe that’s why I felt compelled to help Valentina tonight. I don’t care for that part of the business, but what my grandfather does for his own gain is on him.
Me, show mercy? Ha. Other than women and children, there is no such thing as mercy, and even at that I don’t go out of my way to be anyone’s savior. Normally I don’t interfere in situations like tonight’s auction. For some reason, I couldn’t let anyone else have Valentina. Sure, I made the man with the neck tattoo out to be the devil incarnate, but who knows? The fact that I’m getting married is one for the books and Savio will throw it in my face until I wed my prize.
Luciano has something I want, and I enjoyed watching him squirm as I bid on his daughter.