by Angie Derek
"What's going on between you and my sister?" Jio asked.
"Clarissa and I ended our engagement," he answered.
"I was talking about Lessa."
"Nothing," he said in quick denial. He hoped it wasn't nothing, but it could very well be.
"You're betraying your emotions. Last night and this morning, you weren't just worried about a family member."
Marc stood. "I'll tell you when I know."
Jio stared at him steadily for a moment. "I won't wait long."
Marc nodded and left, heading straight up to Lessa's room. As he knocked, he realized she could be with Clarissa and Nina somewhere else in the house.
The door cracked open. Not exactly a warm welcome.
"We need to talk." He kept his voice as smooth and unthreatening as he could.
"Not now."
Nothing in Lessa's tone indicated any softening from the position she'd shown him in the study.
Frustrated, he rested his hand on the door to push it open. "Now."
She didn't fight him, but let go of the door and walked away. He stepped gingerly into the room and she sat stiffly on the couch, not looking at him. Silence filled the small space as he sat down in the uncomfortable chair across from her.
He had no idea what to say to fix the mess he was in. He only knew she was important to him, and the distance between them made his heart ache. He had to find a way to repair the damage he'd caused. "About last night—"
"We agreed not to discuss last night."
"I scared you. I could see it in your eyes." He rushed through his words. "I don't think I've regretted anything as much as that."
Lessa didn't answer, refusing to look at him.
"I don't have a handy excuse. I could've handled the entire situation better. I just didn't want you to see that side of us . . . of me, and when you did I lost it a little." Marc paused and waited for her to say something, anything. Again nothing. "I'm not excusing what happened. I just wanted you to know what I was feeling."
She glanced at him at last, but he couldn't read her face as he'd been able to since they'd met.
"I know you're not used to all of this."
"You know, everyone keeps harping on me not being used to, or not growing up in, whatever 'this' is."
He waited for her to say more, but her gaze moved away from him to stare at the painting of the vineyard on the wall. "I wasn't born into it like your siblings," he stated quietly.
Her gaze came back to him, and he plowed on though he wasn't sure what he was trying to get her to understand. "Most of us aren't, and when you're not you spend every day of your life working to prove yourself to people who're always looking for any hint of betrayal. Obeying orders becomes second nature."
Her eyes narrowed, and knowing he'd caught her attention, he rushed on.
"I was fourteen when I began running errands for my mom's boyfriend. He ran various cons for Jiovanni." He was probably revealing too much, but as long as she kept looking at him he'd keep talking. "I was good at it. Fast, trustworthy. A lot of new boys don't realize they're set up to steal or lie as a test. I never failed a test. Horrace, Mom's boyfriend, disappeared one day. We didn't know why or who was behind it. I went to Jiovanni to find out what happened. He liked my directness, and I began to do a lot more than errands. I worked hard. Earned his trust."
He paused, hoping she'd say something in response, but she dropped her gaze down to her hands clasped around her knees.
"I thought earning his trust and keeping it was the most difficult thing I'd ever have to do, but it's not. I've lost your trust, and I have no idea how to go about earning it back. I need you to tell me what to do to fix this," he said, panicking at her closed expression. "You care about me. We started something. Something important. I'll do whatever it takes to get back to where we were. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
Marc had never opened up to anyone as he was now. He hadn't done the best job of explaining how he felt to Lessa, but he wasn't sure how to explain it any better. She might never be able to accept him and what he did, but what if he didn't work for her brother any longer? He opened his mouth to ask, but snapped it shut. He couldn't promise something as big as leaving the business without thinking first how to accomplish it. The silence between them dragged on.
"Talk to me," he whispered.
She looked away and hunched her shoulders. "I need to think. I need space."
He hid his disappointment. "Whatever you want." It was possible she would never want to talk to him, but he had to ask. "We'll talk tomorrow?"
She kept her gaze on the far wall. Slowly standing, he hesitated, unsure of what else to say and wanting to stay despite promising to do as she asked. He reached out to brush her hair out of her face. She jerked back, leaving his hand hanging in the air. He dropped it to his side, not wanting to push the issue.
"I'll see you in the morning."
He left the room to the shattering sound of her silence and shut the door behind him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lessa hid in her room, keeping herself busy with escape plans. She'd called the airline and secured a flight on a plane leaving a few minutes after six the next morning. Now she had to get herself to the airport without any interference from the family. Her bag was packed and ready to go as soon as she walked out the door. It was about dinner time, and everyone was probably at the table.
But how was she going to get past Marc?
Hand on the doorknob, she hesitated. What if he was camped out in the hallway? She expelled her breath as she opened the door. No one. She went quietly down the stairs then hesitated across from the open door to the study. This room had been the beginning of the end. Squaring her shoulders, she walked across the hall. But stopped when she heard voices drift out.
"Mama." Jio's voice was filled with exasperation. "You can't—"
"She is dangerous to you and this family." Lucia's voice drew closer.
Lessa looked around in momentary panic and tip-toed ran to the doorway of the library. She hid in the doorway once she had determined the room was empty. She couldn't hear what Lucia said next, but her voice rose after a few words and traveled easily into the library.
"She isn't one of us."
"Yes, she is," Jio's voice was firm and closer. "You don't have to like her presence, but she is a part of this family now."
Lessa shrunk back against the library's wall. She had no desire to be caught eavesdropping, again. It was silent for a moment and footsteps clicked down the hall away from her hiding spot. She waited and listened. The hallway was silent. She peeked her head out to find it was as empty as it had been earlier.
Biting her lip, she hesitated before edging out of the library and walking silently to the study. Her stomach jiggled. She didn't know for sure that Lucia was gone. It could have been Jio she had heard walking down the hallway. Don't be a ninny. She forced herself forward and cautiously stepped into the study. Her fears eased. Jio was alone.
He looked up from where he sat behind his desk. "Lessa?" He rose to his feet. "Can I help you with something?"
Might as well get it over with. She stepped into the study and tried to smile. He gestured her to one of the chairs in front of his desk. Déjà vu. But she sat anyway. "I've made a plane reservation for the morning."
"I see." Jio looked at her with the guarded expression she'd come to expect. "You can use the family plane."
She wasn't comfortable with the idea of going back to Florida on that plane. Marc would find out. "Unrefundable flight, it leaves at six in the morning. I've called a cab to pick me up."
Jio shook his head. "We've a car to take you to the airport. A taxi won't be necessary." His tone made it clear he wouldn't accept no for an answer."I'm sorry you're cutting your visit short."
"I think it's better for all involved if I do."
"You're welcome to come back."
Lessa hesitated on the question she had to ask. "I have a favor."
"What c
an I do?"
"Don't tell Marc about this until I leave."
Jio frowned, then said slowly, "As you wish . . . Do you want to talk about what happened between you two?"
She nearly laughed at the idea of Jio giving her brotherly advice. "No, thank you. Despite what ended up happening, I'm . . ." she tried to think of the right word, but couldn't find one, "glad I got the opportunity to meet the family."
"Give it some time, and you might find you want to visit again. I'll have a couple guards take you to the airport." His eyebrows came together as if a thought had just occurred to him. "Which brings up the necessity for guards."
"What do you mean?" she asked warily.
"We need to assign a couple of guards to you in Florida."
Oh, no, she didn't want that. "Why?"
"Because you're a Tazio."
"But no one knows I'm a Tazio." She didn't need guards following her like they did Nina and Clarissa. "Besides it'll draw too much attention. I don't live your lifestyle, Jio. I'd probably lose my job if I showed up to work with a bodyguard every day. Image is very important to my employer."
He didn't look convinced. "People know you're a Tazio."
"Not in Florida. Besides, I'm only half Tazio." She felt desperation rising. There was no way she could live her life with guards following her everywhere, especially now she knew the true reason behind the necessity. "I appreciate the gesture, but I just can't live like that."
"All right. I'll agree with you." Jio smiled. "For now."
Suddenly worried Marc would walk in on their conversation, Lessa stood. She fell back on manners to cover her nervousness. "Thank you for your hospitality."
Jio rose with her and walked her out of his study. "Safe journey…Sis."
She gave him a small smile then went toward the kitchen. If she didn't see Marc lurking around she'd try to say goodbye to Nina and Clarissa.
The air inside Lessa's townhouse was stagnant. Sighing, she shut and locked her front door. Only then did she move to open the sliding patio door to allow some humid evening air to wash in and clear the stuffiness.
She watched the light fade as the sun set, thinking about all the messages her mother had left on her cell phone. With nothing better to do on the first leg of her flight, she'd listened to every one of her voice mails and read the backlog of text messages. They hadn't been encouraging.
Would listening to her mother's warnings have made any difference in what had happened over the past few days?
A cool breeze began to blow, and her growling stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything all day except airline crackers. She shut the slider and locked it. The air was still a little stuffy in the kitchen, but she'd deal with it.
Lessa forced down a power bar and drank half a glass of water before acknowledging that, despite her guilt at leaving her mother wondering for so long, she wasn't ready to call her back yet. Sleep first. Figure out what she was going to say. She'd call her in the morning.
Decision made, she headed upstairs to her bedroom and climbed into bed fully clothed. Pulling the cover over her head so she was safely cocooned, she willed herself to sleep. But her mind wouldn't stop spinning. Thoughts of Marc kept rotating to the front despite her efforts to push him away. What had his reaction been when he discovered her gone? Would he be relieved she was finally out of his hair? Upset? Would he come after her?
Pulling her cell phone out of her pocket, she set it on the pillow next to her head and stared at it. With a deep sigh, she reached over and pushed the power button. It vibrated for a second under her finger before powering on.
She rolled onto her back and waited for a connection. It would alert her to any new messages since she'd checked that morning. The ding signaling voice mail made her jump, but she froze in indecision. Should she listen to see if he'd called? Just because there was a message didn't mean it was from him. Did he even know her number?
Was she even ready to hear his voice? Closing her phone, she set it on her bedside table and pulled the covers more securely over her head. But after a moment, she threw them off in disgust and sat up to grab her cell.
One push of a button called her voice mail, and she sat tensely, listening to the automated voice saying she had five messages. The first two were hang-ups. The third was Marc.
"Lessa, I . . ." He breathed heavily. "I'm sorry."
The line clicked. The forth message was Nina.
"Hi Lessa, it's Nina. Just wanted to make sure you got home safely. I'll understand if you don't call me back, but we'd like to keep in touch."
The line clicked. The fifth message was Marc again.
"Listen, I know why you ran. It was the smart thing to do. I just wanted to tell you I won't bother you again." A pause. "But if you change your mind and want to talk, I'm here."
The line clicked a final time and the mechanical voice stated there were no more new messages. Lessa slowly returned the phone to the table. Just as she'd feared, hearing Marc's voice had made her more confused.
Again, she slid back down and pulled the cover over her head. He wouldn't be coming after her. Not that she wanted him to, she assured herself. He hadn't even sounded mad. More resigned, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. But this is what she wanted, she told herself firmly. She wasn't one of them. He had scared her. Feeling safe under her covers, she finally let herself admit it. Having his barely-controlled temper directed at her had certainly opened her eyes. Despite what he'd told her last night when he'd apologized, she wasn't stupid enough to think it wouldn't happen again. People like Marc were used to bullying other people to get what they wanted.
Lessa continued the tirade, assuring herself she had done the right thing by leaving. She hadn't been running. She'd made travel arrangements and left, not run away.
The bright sunny Florida morning did nothing to cheer Lessa's lousy mood. She glared out the window at the green grass and crystal-blue sky. It should be rainy and miserable just like her mood. Sometime during the night she'd started to cry. Her head and heart were not in agreement and were wrecking havoc with her. Now she had a crying hangover.
She tapped her toe as she dialed her mother's cell phone number. Anxiety flowed through her veins. The phone rang once.
"Are you all right?"
Hearing her mother's voice made her want to cry, and Lessa suddenly wished she'd gone over there instead of calling. "I'm fine, Mom. I just wanted to let you know that I'm back home."
"What happened?"
She hesitated, recalling her mother's warnings that she'd ignored until it was too late. "It was just time to leave."
Erin made a soft humming sound. "I know you, Lessa. You wouldn't have left early if something hadn't gone horribly wrong."
Trust Mom to see right through her. "Okay, something did happen, but I'm fine and—"
"You don't want to talk about it." Erin sighed. "I'm glad you're home safe, honey."
"Me, too." Now that she'd started talking to her mother, she didn't want to stop, but what would be a safe topic? There was too much still unresolved between them.
"Listen, honey," Erin said, her words coming slowly. "I'm sorry you learned about who your father was the way you did. I figured we'd cross that bridge together if it ever became necessary. But Peter was your father in every other way. He loved you so much."
She knew she should say something reassuring in response to her mother's pause, but the words wouldn't come. "Why did you lie in the first place? Did Peter know?"
"Peter knew I was pregnant, but didn't know who your father was. He was a good friend who was there for me when my family kicked me out for getting pregnant."
Lessa closed her eyes. Her mother had told her all of her family was gone. She supposed she hadn't exactly lied. "They knew about Jiovanni?"
Erin laughed softly, but there was no humor in the sound. "No. They would've been horrified and shamed. I think they guessed it was someone from the country club I worked at, but they probably thought
it was one of the other servers. Not a guest, and especially not a married gangster guest."
Lessa jumped on that statement. "That's how you met?"
"Yes, to a young, inexperienced girl, he seemed very exciting and debonair. I had stars in my eyes, but didn't think he was really interested. I just knew he was handsome, funny, and a huge tipper." Erin paused. "It didn't take long for the affair to start. At first glance, danger makes everything so much more exciting, but when reality hits the excitement quickly turns to fear."
"Did you see something?" The words spilled out before she could stop them.
"No, I didn't see anything. But as time went on I realized there was more to the business than I wanted to know. You saw something?"
Lessa didn't answer right away. "Yes, but I don't want to talk about it."
Surprisingly, her mother didn't push, but changed the subject. "His wife found out about us a week before I discovered I was pregnant. Did you meet her?"
"Yes, didn't like me much. We steered clear of each other."
"Smart. You don't want to get in her range when she's on the warpath."
She wondered how much of Lucia's warpath her mother had witnessed. "I met my half-brothers and sister. Did you know Clarissa and I are the same age?"
"Your half-sister?" Erin asked, surprised.
"Yeah, took me by surprise when . . ." she almost said Marc had told her, "I first heard about it."
"Huh," Erin grunted.
"I met my nieces and nephew." She hadn't considered them being anything but Nina's children, but if she claimed the family tie, they also belonged to her.
"Okay." Erin said something else, but her voice was mumbled and Lessa couldn't hear.
"Mom?"
"Sorry, I was just informed my coffee break is over." Irritation seeped out of every word her mother uttered. "I'll call you back as soon as I get a free minute, okay, honey?"
"Sure, Mom, I understand." She didn't want to hang up, but she did. Tapping her fingers on her phone, she glanced at the time display. She should go in to work and touch base with Sharon.
