“I know girls like you,” Bianca says sweetly, reaching out to touch Lydia’s beautiful face. “You’re scared of the world but desperate to be a part of it. You came here for an adventure you weren’t ready for. And now I have to give you a dose of reality. Because coming here was a mistake for you.”
“What do you mean?” Lydia asks quietly. “I’m just a maid.”
“But you’re not, are you?” Bianca says, her voice lowering to a growl. “What happened tonight with the Moretti family, you’re smart enough to know that something is going on. You know that things aren’t as they should be in this house. You just haven’t figured out why. You’ve been too busy fawning over my brother.”
“Bianca...”
“Don’t try and deny it, I’m no fool,” Bianca snaps. Her features soften again. She’s trying her best to keep her hot temper under control. “You want him. But there are things you don’t know yet, Lydia. You need to know the full picture before you decide to chase him to the ends of the Earth.”
I hold my breath. I know there’s no stopping this now. I can’t risk Bianca finding me here and doing something crazy and reckless in anger. I have to let her tell Lydia. I close my eyes.
“Lydia, our family...is part of the mafia.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Lydia
I can barely breathe. I don’t want to believe what Bianca just told me. But somehow, it makes sense. All the sneaky behavior in this house. The tense atmosphere with the Moretti family. Lorenzo’s mysterious air and intimidating presence…
He’s in the mafia.
I guess Bianca could be lying to me. She’s clearly not my biggest fan. But I don’t think she is. Something tells me she’s just as involved in it all as he is. And if they’re both involved in the mafia, then does that mean I’m in danger?
“I can’t believe it,” I say out loud. Bianca sighs with fake sympathy.
“I know it must be a lot to take in, but I wanted you to know the facts. Everyone else in this place knows what goes on behind the closed doors of Lorenzo’s office and his private meetings. I thought you had a right to know as well.”
I can’t believe Lorenzo didn’t tell me this. I wish I could confront him right this second, but I can’t give away his hiding place. I can’t let Bianca know she was right about all this. I need to keep my poker face for as long as I can. I look up at her.
“I mean, I’m shocked. But it’s like you said I came out here for an adventure. Maybe I bit off more than I can chew. But I’m here now. I suppose I’ll just have to get used to the idea that things get a bit crazy around here.”
Bianca looks at me in disbelief. I guess she thought I was going to run for the hills the second she told me this. But I guess some part of me isn’t even that surprised. I felt like I walked into a different reality the second I got here. I have a lot of questions, but I’m not just going to leave this whole thing behind. Not after discovering what Lorenzo and I share, the connection and spark.
“So you’re staying?”
I nod. “I am. The other staff can handle it, so I can too.”
Bianca’s confusion turns to anger. “You can’t be serious, Lydia. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
I shrug, downplaying the feeling of my racing heart in my chest. I’m scared. Of course, I’m scared, but I’d risk everything for Lorenzo. I guess that’s what I’ve discovered about myself today. He’s everything to me and I don’t want to push that away just because things have gotten a little crazy.
“I’ve got nothing to lose, Bianca. I came all this way, what’s the point in going now?”
She scoffs. “You’re a fool, Lydia. I thought you’d be smarter than this. Honestly, you’re barely out of your teens and you’re willing to throw your whole life away? For what? For him?”
I try and keep my cool. “Have there ever been incidents here that put the staff in danger?”
Bianca throws her arms up as she blusters. “Well...no, but…”
“Your business is none of mine. I don’t think anyone in the world is going to care about your maid. Isn’t the point of the staff that they’re dispensable?” I ask. I know that it’s a low blow. Rich women like her look down on their staff, for sure, but I know she’d never describe us as dispensable. Still, I’ve managed to get her riled up.
“You’re different, Lydia. You know exactly what I’m trying to tell you.”
“Well you want to get rid of me one way or another, so is my safety really a concern of yours?” I ask. Bianca looks taken aback.
“You think I’m that cruel?” Her features harden. “You know what? Do what you want. Stay if you must. But when you get yourself in trouble don’t come crawling to me. I gave you a chance to get out. You can look out for yourself from now on.”
Fine by me, I think to myself. She stands up and storms from the room before I can say anything else. I breathe out a sigh of relief. If she’d found Lorenzo here, things could’ve gotten really ugly. She didn’t come here with my interests in mind, she came to warn me away from her brother. But I’m not leaving him behind. I might be mad that he didn’t tell me any of this before, but now, I have the chance to unravel the mystery for real.”
He waits a moment before he exits the closet. His presence seems even more domineering before. I guess now that I know what he does for a living, his intimidating ways have more meaning. He looks at me so intensely that I’m tempted to look away, but I refuse
