“Was this your idea?” She pointed around and eyed me as she took a sip. I nodded, looking around. I had spent so much time surrounding myself with Sienna that now wherever I looked she was here. How…how could I have seen this storm coming? I squeezed my eyes shut, stopping the loop from spinning again.
“So, it’s a special place for you?”
Again, I nodded, appreciating her intuitiveness.
“Or is it a special place to remember a special someone?”
Too far. I looked directly into her eyes, holding her gaze and letting her know that wasn’t a topic I was touching.
“Figured.” She half smirked, reading me like an open book. “I have such a place at my home, too.”
I checked my phone again, and still nothing from that number.
“It’s tricky, isn’t it?” I looked up, trying to recall if I missed part of her conversation. “Loving someone you can’t have.” She leaned her shoulder into the ivy-wrapped pillar as she spoke. “I’m buying time, waiting for some people to be removed from my life. I want to be happy with who I want to be with and not who I’m being told to want.”
I looked down in my glass. “I just wish that was my situation. I would have killed anyone that stood in our way.”
“Is she still alive?” I barely nodded. “What’s standing in your way, then?”
Acid washed over my tongue, and my body temperature rose.
“Blood.” I tossed back my glass and downed the rum.
“I see.” She moved to sit across from me. “So, she’s forbidden fruit. Let me guess, you love her, but you can’t cross that line?” She nodded as though I answered her question. “Funny how being in powerful families comes with such obligation. There are people watching you, right? Making sure you don’t see her or making sure you’re doing what you should be doing?”
“Something like that,” I muttered.
“For me,” she went on, “I’m pretending. Making up fake lovers so I can fend off the wolves, while my heart lies in the hands of another. It’s hard to pretend, though. Most men…” She trailed off like something came to her. “I’m not into tall, dark, and brooding types.” She pointed at me. “I’m more into the light and goofy guys, and something tells me I’m not your type.”
Well, she nailed that one on the head.
“I think you have one type, and that’s your girl. I don’t know what your story is and if you even want her anymore given your one-word answer ofblood.” She dropped her voice to mimic mine. “But something tells me you need to look like you’re not wrapped up in her anymore. I’m thinking you have zero interest in dating. So…”
I waited for her to go on.
“Seriously? Do I really need to spell this out for you?” She rolled her eyes. “Pretend with me. Be my cover story, and I’ll be yours. It’s perfect. My family and I visited today, we spent time together, I fell for your conversational skills,” we both smiled at that, “and you fell for my ability to stay quiet.” I couldn’t help but smirk. “I need this, and I think you do, too?” She pleaded with me, and for the first time in a while I saw a way around my family’s situation. If Nonna was focused on Carina and digging into her past, it would buy me time for my own digging.
“Does your silence also mean yes?”
“We keep it simple.” I held up a hand when she went to speak. “Less is more when it comes to a lie.”
She beamed. “Where do we start?”
* * *
Mama had insisted I come back to the house for dinner. She hated the idea of me being alone, when that was all I really wanted. Silence to think. However, I knew it was more about Papa and how we needed to fix whatever was happening in our family. It was something that couldn’t get out. People might think we were vulnerable and not as focused on the enemy as we should be, and that would be dangerous for all of us.
Though the tension was thick, we maintained that we were stressed over Sienna and nothing more.
Papa handed me a padded envelope. We’d come into his office to be away from the hustle of the kitchen. He tossed his jacket across the desk, and I saw his shirt was unbuttoned at the top. He looked unusually frazzled.
“Papa, I think we should talk about Nonna. I feel…” I paused when I heard footsteps outside the door. Papa shook his head and checked the cameras. It must have been the house staff because he focused back on me.
“Open it.” He waved at the envelope.
The envelope had already been torn at one end, so I looked inside then slid the contents into my hand. “Teeth?” I looked up with a question at Papa then back to the envelope. I pulled out the folded paper and read the words. “I wish it was proof of a hit. But take it as proof of my loyalty. I was taken against my will. –Sienna.” I did a double take as I stared again at the teeth then shot my father a puzzled look.
“I’m not sure whose they are, but regardless, she obviously wasn’t going down without a fight.” He attempted a chuckle but was much too dark inside for the humor. He cleared his throat and turned on some music to muffle our voices. “You know Mama and I know the truth, son. We both know she would never have deceived us. Yes, the news hit hard, and we’re still reeling from it, but we know that after a little time and some understanding, things will work out.”