by Jane Porter
But Hannah had seemed an answer to prayer; perfect in every way. Her résumé showed that she’d been a preschool teacher with a degree in early education and years of experience working with infants and toddlers. Her letters of recommendation said that her family was local and respected. Best of all, Hannah was cheap compared to nannies advertising services in the paper which made Jillian jump at the chance to have Hannah come work for her.
But Hannah’s trickery was nothing compared to Jillian’s self-disgust. When Vitt kissed her she’d practically melted in his arms.
There were no words to express her self-loathing.
And so her heart ached while her mouth burned, her lips swollen and sensitive.
Nauseated by her behavior, she dug her nails into her palms. Hadn’t she learned anything? How could she respond to Vittorio when she now knew the kind of man he was. Her father had been the same, although he’d been affiliated with a Detroit crime family not Sicilian, but her father had been so ambitious. Her father’s ambition had destroyed their lives. How could she possibly imagine Vittorio was any different?
She couldn’t.
Pulling through the airport’s security gate, Jill caught a glimpse of a white-and-burgundy Boeing 737 on the runway. Vitt’s jet, she thought, her stomach free-falling. It was the same jet they’d flown from Istanbul to Milan, before taking a helicopter to the Bellagio villa at Lake Como.
Her stomach did another nosedive and she inhaled sharply, fighting hysteria, as the limousine pulled up next to the jet on the tarmac.
Vitt owned a half-dozen planes, including smaller jets, but this was his personal favorite. He liked traveling with his staff and security detail. He’d told her en route to Lake Como that comfort was essential while traveling, thus the jet’s staff quarters, two bedrooms, dining room, luxurious living room and snug but gourmet kitchen that could prepare everything from espresso to a five-course meal.
The limo doors opened and Vittorio climbed from the car but didn’t wait for her. Instead he walked toward the jet’s stairs knowing she had little choice but to follow.
Apprehension filled her as she followed Vittorio’s broad back up the jet stairs. What if Joe wasn’t here? What if Vitt had been just toying with her? What if, she agonized, moving past the kitchen and dining room to the living room where her heart seized with relief.
There he was. Her baby. Her world.
Joe sat on a quilt on the floor playing with colorful foam blocks. He still wore his sunshine-yellow shirt and tiny blue jeans and was laughing as a dark-haired woman stacked the blocks into a tower for Joe to knock over.
Suddenly he looked up, caught sight of her and smiled. “Mama.”
Jillian rushed to him and scooped him up into her arms. He was small and warm and he fit her body perfectly. And just having him in her arms soothed some of the fire inside her chest. She’d felt like she was dying but now, with Joe in her arms, she felt whole.
This child was everything to her. Life, breath, hope, happiness. And even if Vitt didn’t believe her, every decision she made was to ensure Joe’s safety, security and well-being.
Cuddling him to her chest, she stroked her baby’s soft black hair and then his small compact back. For the first time in an hour she could breathe. As long as she was with Joe everything would be okay. She could handle anything, absolutely anything, except losing him.
Aware that the others were watching, Jillian glanced up into Vitt’s face. His dark gaze was shuttered, his expression inscrutable, and it struck Jillian that in the last hour everything had radically changed. Joe’s life, indeed her life, would never be the same.
As if able to read her thoughts, Vittorio gestured for the young woman to take the baby. Jillian started to protest but Vitt held up a warning finger.
“This isn’t the time,” he said, his brusque tone allowing no argument. “We’re both wet and we need to change so we can depart. And then once we’re airborne, we’ll discuss what we’ll tell our families.”
CHAPTER THREE
JILLIAN stood inside the jet’s plush, tone-on-tone bedroom, listening to the door close softly behind her, knowing it was but a whisper of sound and yet inside her head it resonated with the force of a prison cell door.
She was in so much trouble. And she’d brought all this trouble down on Joe’s head, too.
And now they were en route to Paterno, Sicily, the home of the d’Severano family, and the center of their power.
Everyone in Paterno would be loyal to Vittorio. Everyone in the village would watch her, spy on her and report back to Vittorio.
Inside her head she heard the sound of a key turning, locking.
Trapped. She was trapped. And the worst of it was that Vittorio didn’t know who she was, nor could she let him discover the truth.
God only knew what he’d do if he, the head of the most powerful crime family in the world, found out her real name? Her real identity?
He’d destroy her. He’d have to. It was the code. Their law. Her father had betrayed the d’Severano family, and the d’Severano family would demand vengeance. They’d wanted blood. They’d taken her sister Katie’s. They’d insist on hers.
But what about Joe? What would happen to him in this power struggle?
Thinking of Joe snapped Jillian out of her fog of misery. She couldn’t panic. She had to clear her head. Be smart. And she could be smart. She’d proven before she’d inherited her father’s cunning. Now her life depended on staying calm. Remaining focused. But to remain focused, she’d have to control her emotions, something she found next to impossible when she was around Vittorio.
On her feet, Jillian opened her battered black suitcase on the bedroom’s sturdy luggage rack. Her clothes had all been meticulously folded when they’d been placed in the suitcase. Who had done that? Who had taken that much time to pack for her? And then she shuddered, not wanting to think of anyone going through her things, touching her clothes, folding her intimate garments. It made her feel exposed. Stripped bare.
But not totally bare, she reminded herself fiercely, peeling off her wet clothes and changing into dry black pants and a soft gray knit top. Vitt knew a lot, but he didn’t know everything. He didn’t know who she really was, or who her father was, and he wasn’t going to find out.
Jillian stared hard at her reflection in the mirror as she dragged a comb through her still-damp hair.
She’d been a redhead until she was twelve and had loved her hair. It’d reached the small of her back and the soft, loose curls had always drawn attention. Her father used to loop the curls around his finger and call her Rapunzel. Her sixth-grade art teacher had said she would have inspired the great Renaissance artists. And her mother cried when the government insisted on cutting her hair off and then dyeing the shorn locks a mousy brown.
She’d cried, too, but in secret. Because losing her hair hurt, but losing herself was worse. And they hadn’t just cut her hair off, they’d taken everything else, too.
Her name.
Her home.
Her sense of self.
No longer was she Alessia Giordano, but an invented name. She was a no one and would remain a no one for the rest of her life.
A hand rapped on the outside of the bedroom door. “Have you changed?”
It was Vittorio’s deep smooth voice and it sent a shudder of alarm through her. She squeezed the comb hard as she glanced at the closed door. “Yes,” she said, forcing herself to speak.
“We take off in two minutes.”
So this was all really happening. There would be no government agent breaking down the door to rescue her. There would be no last-minute reprieve.
Jill’s hand shook as she set the comb down. “I’m on my way,” she answered, and then lifting her chin, she squared her shoulders and stiffened her backbone.
She would do this. She’d been through worse. She could play Vitt’s game. As long as Joe was happy and healthy, there was nothing Vitt could throw at her that she couldn’t handle.
Vitt looked polished and elegant, dressed in a dark suit and white dress shirt, appearing as if he’d had an hour to shower, shave and dress instead of just minutes. How he did it was beyond her. Perhaps just having a strong, beautiful face made everything easy. She didn’t know. She’d never found life easy.
“You look comfortable,” he said, taking note of her simple black trousers and plain gray knit top.
She flushed, aware that he was really commenting on her dowdiness, and self-consciously she tugged the hem of her cotton top lower.
“Mom-wear,” she answered huskily, defensively, hating that she suddenly felt ashamed of her appearance, fully conscious that her clothes were old and cheaply made. He’d hit on a sore spot, too, because she was secretly, quietly passionate about fashion. She loved that beautiful well-tailored clothes could make you feel beautiful, too.
“Which is very practical of you,” he said soothingly—which was actually far from soothing. “Now please, join me here,” he added, gesturing to the tall honey suede chair next to his.
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, her gaze locking with his. His dark eyes stared back at her and after a moment the corners of his mouth lifted. It wasn’t a smile. Instead it was a challenge. He’d thrown down the gauntlet earlier and she’d accepted.
“I’d love to,” she answered, forcing a smile, and gracefully sliding into the chair covered in the softest, most supple leather she’d ever touched. But then Italy was the design capital of the world; why shouldn’t everything Vittorio owned be exquisite?
She felt his inspection as she buckled her seat belt and crossed one leg over the other. She was trying hard to act nonchalant but on the inside her heart hammered like mad and her head suddenly felt woozy. Tall, broad-shouldered and devastatingly attractive, Vittorio seemed to suck all the oxygen from the room, leaving her gasping for air.
He was too strong.
Too physical.
Too imposing.
The fact that he was also one of the most powerful, influential men in the world hardly seemed fair considering all his other gifts.
Her fingers curled into her palms, nails digging into her skin. This was insane. And this charade would surely push her over the edge.
“I’ve ordered champagne,” he said, taking the seat on the left of hers. “We’ll have a glass now, and then another to celebrate once we level off.”
How cold he was. How cruel. But why shouldn’t he celebrate? He’d succeeded in cornering her, trapping her and claiming his son. She peeled her lips back from her teeth in an attempt to smile but the effort actually hurt. Her heart felt like it was breaking. “Haven’t had champagne since Bellagio. I suppose we’ve now come full circle.”
“But back then you were a stunning, voluptuous brunette with straight chestnut hair and Elizabeth Taylor’s violet-blue eyes. Now you’re the quintessential California beach girl. Blonde, lean, tan. An impressive transformation. Quite the master at disguise.”
“I’m glad my resourcefulness impressed you,” she answered with a tight smile before turning her head to stare out the plane window.
She hadn’t wanted to be so resourceful. She’d been a dreamy little girl, sheltered, pampered, protected. Her parents had been wealthy middle-class Americans. She’d attended an exclusive Catholic girls’ school. Her Detroit suburb had been lined with old trees and sprawling mansions.
Nothing in her life had prepared her for the revelation that her father wasn’t merely a member of an underground organization, but a traitor within the organization. He was despised by all and when he testified against his organization, he put his entire family in danger.
Overnight twelve-year-old Jillian had been torn from her school, her friends, her community.
Jillian had struggled in their new life, with the new identities. The moves were hard. The isolation at times unbearable.
But over the years she’d settled into being these other people, playing the necessary part.
Her younger sister Katie wasn’t as skillful. Nor was Katie as disciplined, or focused. Two and a half years ago—just eight months before Jillian met Vitt in Turkey—Katie had fallen in love with a handsome stranger, a grad student at Illinois University, and feeling safe, had revealed who she really was. She ended up paying for that misplaced trust with her life.
Jillian wouldn’t make the same mistake. Jillian had learned that there could be no trusting handsome strangers, least of all men with connections to the mob.
Jillian’s throat ached, remembering. She’d been devastated by Katie’s death. The phone call from her mother giving her the news had been the most horrific phone call of her life. Even now, Jillian still felt shattered.
Jillian had been the big sister. It had been her job to protect Katie.
She hadn’t, though.
And now Jillian had Joe, only this time Jillian would not fail. She would do the right thing. She would protect Joe with her life.
“Jill. Your glass.”
Jillian jerked her head around to see the flight attendant standing before her with a flute of champagne. Vittorio already had his. Ruthlessly she smothered the memories of Katie and her family, killing the emotion inside her, smashing down the grief. She couldn’t change the past. She could only move forward.
Her eyes felt hot and gritty. She blinked hard, blinking away unshed tears as she took the champagne flute. “Thank you.”
The flight attendant disappeared, leaving them alone and Vittorio lifted his glass, dark eyes gleaming above high, bronzed cheekbones, the stiff, formal collar of his black suit contrasting the devastating sensuality of his mouth. “I propose a toast.”
She lifted her glass, heavy, so heavy at heart, and waited for him to finish the toast.
He let her wait, too, making her hold her glass high, making her wonder what he’d say.
The jet’s engines came to life. Jillian tensed, realizing soon they’d be airborne. Soon she’d never be able to escape.
And then smiling without smiling, Vittorio touched his glass to the rim of hers. “To the future,” he said, “and our lives together.”
Her heart fell, crashing into her ribs. Was he jesting? What kind of life would there be when there was no love, trust or respect between them?
Again her eyes burned, but once more she squashed the pain with a cool, hard smile. “To Joe,” she said instead, changing the toast, her voice as brittle as her smile.
“To Joseph,” he agreed. “The son we made together.”
They drank.
She swallowed, the cold, slightly sweet, slightly tart champagne fizzing and warming all the way down.
She glanced down into her glass, watching tiny bubbles rise to the surface, admiring the champagne’s pale gold color against the cut crystal stemware. Champagne in crystal was almost magical. She’d once loved how a glass of fine champagne could make her feel elegant. Beautiful.
She’d confessed that to Vitt, too, and for one week he’d ordered her champagne every night before dinner.
Did he remember? Is that why he’d ordered champagne now?
Her head jerked up and she looked into his eyes. His expression was shuttered. She could see nothing there.
But once, even briefly, there had been something between them. Once they’d made love to each other as if their hearts had mattered.
“Feel beautiful now?” Vittorio asked lazily, watching her with those dark inscrutable eyes of his.
So he did remember. “Like a princess,” she answered.
“And we’re living a fairy tale,” he replied mockingly.
She looked away, focused on a point across the cabin. How could she not have seen who he was? How could she not have realized that behind his charm and his stunning good looks was a man of stunning power?
“Can I please go get Joe?” she said, fighting
to keep her tone neutral. “We’re about to take off and I’d be more comfortable flying if he were here with me.”
“But he’s fine where he is. Maria is taking good care of him.”
Jillian drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Had she heard Vitt right? Was he making decisions for her? Was he deciding how and when she was to see her own son?
She fought the wave of nausea rolling through her. “I miss him, Vitt. I haven’t spent much time with him today—”
“—because you left him. You regularly left him.”
Again her insides lurched. “I had to work.”
“You didn’t. You could have come to me. I would have supported you, made sure you could have stayed home with him.”
The floor vibrated beneath Jillian’s feet. “I wanted the best for Joe. I wanted him to have what I didn’t—security. Stability—”
“And you think running and hiding and living with false identities is the way to accomplish that?”
“Joe wouldn’t have a false identity.”
“He already did! You told Hannah that all of his medical records were listed as Michael Holliday. That when you enrolled him in preschool, he’d be called Mike.”
Jillian flushed and shifted in her seat. He was right, and it did sound awful when put like that. “It hadn’t happened yet,” she said softly, uncomfortably. “It was just a thought.”
“No. It wasn’t just a thought. It was your idea of a good plan.”
She flinched, stung by his mocking tone. He didn’t understand that to protect Joe she had to think like a survivor. She had to be aware of danger, had to consider all the different possibilities. “Perhaps I’ve made mistakes,” she said huskily, tears roughening her voice, but she wouldn’t cry. Not here, not now, not in front of her enemy. “But I only wanted the best for him.”
“And now he has it. His mother and father together under one roof. What a lucky little boy.”
God, he was awful and hateful, bent on making her suffer. She blinked and ground her jaw together until she knew she had her emotions under control. “So can our lucky boy join us? Can he sit with his mother and father as the plane takes off?”
