by Cala Riley
I let out a relieved breath as I watch him wrap up the plate and place it in the fridge.
Then he turns to me. “I have an errand to run, but my friend Nico is going to be sitting with you. I’ve arranged for someone to come look at your hair for you too. Until then, stay out of trouble. Watch TV, read a book, whatever you want as long as you stay in this house. I should lock you up again, but your obedience this morning has not gone unnoticed. This is your reward. Don’t make me regret it.”
“Can I ask you a question?” I ask as I trail behind him to the front door.
“One question,” he allows.
“How long are you going to keep me here?”
He narrows his eyes on me. “As long as it takes.”
“Takes for what?” I ask.
“That would be a second question and you only earned one.” He turns and opens the door.
A young man is on the other side. He turns and bows his head slightly to Matteo before stepping inside.
“Vanessa, this is Nico. Don’t give him any trouble.” Turning to Nico, he says, “The hairstylist will be here shortly. Keep an eye on them while they do their thing. This one has a thing for scissors.”
I glare at the back of his head as he walks out the door, closing it behind him without another look toward me.
Nico turns to me, staying silent.
“Um, he said I could read or something. Where would I find books?” I ask the man.
“His office. Top of the stairs on the right. I’ll take you.”
I follow him up the stairs and into the office. He steps out of my way as he gestures to the bookcase along one wall. I glance around the rest of the room and find a desk with a computer, a couple of chairs, and a coffee table. I make my way to the bookcase and peruse.
“Do you read, Nico?”
“No, ma’am. Not really my thing.”
I glance over at him. “That’s too bad. You can learn all kinds of things from reading.”
I stop when I find one about the human psyche. I smile. I didn’t expect him to have so many non-fiction books, but I’m glad he does. Pulling the book from the shelf, I turn to Nico.
“I think I’ll read this one. Where can I read?”
He shrugs. “In here, the bedroom, kitchen, or living room. Anywhere but outside and the basement, really.”
“Can you show me to the living room?”
He nods, leading me back down the stairs. I take a seat in the same chair from last night. After a few minutes, Nico takes a seat on the couch, far away from me.
“Are you just going to sit there all day and do nothing?”
“Nope. Every fifteen minutes I’ll do a patrol.”
“Okay then,” I mutter, but I file that information for later.
I still haven’t given up wanting to find a way out of here. Even if nice Matteo comes out to play, I still refuse to be held here against my will. I will leave, even if I get hot showers and food here. The price is never worth it. I might even be able to appeal to Nico and get his help.
Losing myself in the scientific findings about profiling and human behavior, I don’t realize Nico is gone. Not until a knock on the door jolts my awareness.
My heart races.
What am I supposed to do? Do I answer it?
The door opens and before you know it, I’m up and in the corner of the room with my back against the wall. I hear voices float in.
I don’t relax until I recognize Nico’s voice.
“Vanessa?” he questions as he walks into the room.
He spots me hiding in the corner and immediately looks around, alert. “What happened?”
I shake my head, my heart now slowing down. “The knock on the door scared me. I’m fine.”
He relaxes a little. “Sorry. That was Amy, the hairdresser. Come on in, Amy.”
Amy comes in with a bag of items. “Hiya.”
I give her a small wave as I take in her body language. Her tone of voice says she is a bubbly person. The slight tension in her shoulders along with the way she angles her body away from Nico tells a different story though. This girl is nervous to be here.
“Where do you think is the best place to do this?” the woman asks.
I shrug. I haven’t even been here twenty-four hours. I also don’t know what she’s here to do other than mess with my hair.
Nico saves me from answering. “The kitchen has a large sink and stools. It’ll probably be best for you to do it there.”
“Okay, where to?” The woman looks to me again.
This time, I take the lead, actually knowing where the kitchen is. I glance at the pastries as I enter the kitchen. My stomach aches for one.
Turning to the woman, I offer her one first. “Would you like a pastry? We can have a quick snack first, right Nico?”
“He said you can eat whatever you like, so sure.”
The woman looks like she wants to decline, but she doesn’t.
“I’d love a snack.”
We sit at the island and eat our pastries in silence. I don’t miss her eating hers quickly before washing her hands. I eat mine much slower as she looks at my hair.
“It’s a little matted, but we should be able to do something.” She sniffs my hair. “Did you use male body wash in it?”
I give her a guilty smile. “It’s all he had in the shower.”
I don’t mention that before that I rarely used soap at all.
She pulls a stool closer to the sink. She has me lean my hair back into the sink as she gets my hair wet. Once it’s wet, she pulls soap from her bag and massages it into my hair. After two treatments. She puts some other item in my hair, letting it sit. After a couple of minutes, she rinses that out too before drying my hair with a towel and having me sit up.
For hours, she works on my hair. Most of it comes out easily, but other parts were beyond repair. Nico would leave every fifteen minutes, but we remained quiet the entire time. The only times she spoke was when to ask me to do something or tell me she was going to have to cut part of my hair.
She is blow drying my hair when Nico makes his next round. The hairdryer turns off abruptly as she leans in to whisper in my ear.
“Are you here willingly? Are you in trouble?”
The sudden questions have alarms ringing in my mind. Why would she ask me now? He has left many times over the past couple of hours.
“I’m fine,” I murmur.
“You don’t have to say anything. I see the condition of your hair. You look frail and your hair looks like you haven’t washed it in years. I’m surprised I could save as much as I did. You can tell me if you’re in trouble. I can call the cops.”
Wasn’t I just saying the same thing the night before? I feel like this is a trap, though. As much as I want to believe she is being sincere. I don’t want to be back on Matteo’s bad side. I need to figure a different way out of this.
“I’m homeless. They are helping me, not hurting me.”
Her eyes widen slightly before she purses her lips. “Everything has its price.”
Then she turns the hairdryer back on and continues to mess with my hair.
Everything has its price. I know that better than anyone.
Once Nico comes back, she turns off the hairdryer before handing me a hand mirror.
“Have a look.” She offers a smile, but she looks ready to bolt.
I pick up the mirror and look at myself. My eyes widen as I take in my appearance. My hair looks different. It’s much shorter, but it also looks healthy.
Reaching up, I touch a strand and smile when I realize it’s soft. I can’t remember the last time my hair didn’t feel greasy or sticky.
I smile up at Amy. “I love it.”
She nods once before grabbing the mirror back. I almost don’t want to let it go. I want to look at myself and admire how different I look, but I don’t. I give it back to her without a fight.
She pulls some items out of her bag, setting them on the counter next to me.
> “These are hair products. You need to use them instead of whatever soap you used this morning. Usually I’d say wash your hair every three days, but for the first month, wash your hair every other day. Get it rehydrated. Then switch to every three days. Washing your hair every day may seem smart, but it strips your hair of the natural nutrients it needs. Try to avoid using store-bought products. They leave a waxy substance in your hair. These products are from my shop, but you can order them online too. If you have questions, just call.”
“Great. Thank you. I will,” I say as she packs her items.
I move to walk with her to the door, but Nico stops me. “I’ll walk her out.”
As he walks her out, I gather my new items and take them to the master bath. I stare at myself in the mirror once again.
Is that really me?
Reaching up to touch my face, I marvel at the difference clean hair can make.
My chest feels a little lighter.
Nico: She hasn’t tried anything yet.
I feel both a sense of disappointment and relief at Nico’s words. Part of me wants her to misbehave so I can dish out another punishment. The other part feels like she might be accepting her fate.
She doesn’t realize what she’s gotten herself into. Even if I let her go, she won’t be going back to live on the street. Short of murdering someone I love; I would never let her go back to that lifestyle.
She’s a smart girl. She should use that brain of hers to do something great, not waste away on the street. I mean, she missed the fact that the window was alarmed, but she was smart enough to grab a weapon and use any means necessary to escape.
Add that in with the fact that she has a decent vocabulary, and I would say she’s intelligent and scrappy.
A knock on the door stirs me from my thoughts.
“Come in,” I demand.
Frankie, one of my soldiers, comes into the room looking a little roughed up.
“What’s up, Frankie?”
“That punk kid is interfering in our business again. I was shaking down the bodega on Seventy-Sixth when he jumped me with his cronies,” he spits out.
I smirk at him. “Looks like you fared okay. How many of them are in the hospital?”
Some tension drains out of him as he chuckles. “Two. Fucker split as soon as he saw I was holding my own. He never even came close. He’s il vigliacco.” Coward.
“What do you expect? Seems the kid is trying to emulate the mafia without joining. Kid will learn a lesson soon. What about collections?”
He walks over, handing me his bag. I dump the contents out on the table. Mostly money, but some jewelry falls out as well.
“Sanchez, Herman, and Boroco didn’t have the money and gave these in exchange for a week extension,” he tells me.
Frankie is a good soldier. I trust his judgment.
When I first took over as capo of Queens, not everyone was thrilled. I’m younger than most capos and have the added benefit of working directly with the boss, Bastiano. Few can say they have ever had a full conversation with the man, but I was lucky enough to live in his home and protect his queen for a while.
It was my service as Sophia’s bodyguard that earned my spot as a capo.
“This is good, Frankie. You did good out there today. You made sound decisions and made me and the organization proud. Keep it up and great things will come for you.” I stand and come around the desk.
“Thank you, sir.” He bows his head slightly as a sign of respect.
I stand and count out five thousand dollars and wrap a band around it.
I hold out my empty hand to shake his. Before he pulls away, I press the stack of money into his chest. “Your bonus.”
His eyes light up. “This is too much.”
Shaking my head, I tell him the truth, “It wasn’t an easy transition for any of us, but you have shown you are not only loyal, but you are good at what you do. You deserve a show of appreciation.”
“Thank you, sir. Thank you.” He shakes my hand again before tucking the money in his jacket and leaving.
Moving back to my desk, I count the rest of the money, adding in the stack I gave to Frankie.
Five hundred and twelve thousand dollars plus whatever this jewelry will get me.
I split the money up; twenty-five percent to the boss, the rest to my business. I subtract the bonus I’ve already given and split the rest between my fifty soldiers.
I could keep a cut for myself, but I don’t. Most capos are extremely wealthy, only giving their guys chump change and keeping the majority of the riches for themselves.
That’s not me. Not only do I receive a paycheck from managing the organization’s club Ivy to establish my legitimacy, but I also don’t need much to live. Even my house is smaller than most in the organization.
Picking up my phone, I send out a text to Nico.
Me: Paychecks are ready. How are things there?
I look over some club paperwork while I wait for his response.
Nico: The hair lady is here. They haven’t said much to each other.
I smile. Amy is a friend of a friend. She knows who I am and who I work for. I’m not surprised that she has chosen to remain silent.
With that being said, she also doesn’t like the mafia. I wasn’t sure if Vanessa would tell her I kidnapped her or not.
Me: Perfect. I’ll be back soon. You can deliver the checks.
He doesn’t respond, but I don’t expect him to. Communication is kept to a minimum, especially in text form.
I finish up my paperwork a couple hours later, my eyes aching from staring at the computer screen and books so long.
We have an accountant that handles this stuff, but I don’t trust him. It’s not anything about him personally. I don’t trust anyone.
So I do my books myself. That way when Sophia looks over them, I have no concern that someone else is cooking the books. I did them myself.
That also means that if there is a mistake, it is my mistake.
I lock the books in the safe before grabbing my jacket and putting it on. I place the checks inside my bag and secure it to my body.
I’m headed down the backstairs when I hear the music bumping from the main area. I slow down, looking at my watch.
Seven in the evening.
It’s much later than I thought. What I thought was only a couple of hours was actually several.
Cursing myself, I text Nico.
Has she eaten dinner?
I don’t check the response right away. I nod to my men as I pass. Once at the back door, I watch as two of my men check the vehicle for explosives. One even goes as far as getting in and turning the key, revving the engine.
Once they feel it is secure, I get into it. I check the message from Nico.
No.
I curse. Why didn’t she eat without me?
It only takes me fifteen minutes to get home, but that was enough to get me riled up.
She is a stubborn woman, but stubborn or not, she needs to eat. It shouldn’t matter if the food comes from me. Hell, she steals for Christ’s sake.
I charge in the house searching for her but stop short when I find her.
The woman sitting on the couch, reading, is not the same woman I left here this morning. Her hair is down to her shoulders now, but it looks healthy. There is a shine to it that wasn’t there before. It also looks taken care of. No knots to be seen.
That’s not all. It also looks like she may have taken another shower. Earlier, I could still see patches of dirt on her skin in places she missed. Now, her skin is free from any dirt and grime.
She’s still wearing my sweats and a T-shirt, but she looks downright sexy.
Whoa. No. Stop those thoughts right there, I tell myself.
My friend downstairs doesn’t listen, standing to attention at the sight of her.
“Hey.” Her voice is soft as she looks up from the book she’s reading.
“Hey,” I breathe out.
I can’t e
ven believe how stupid I sound right now, but I do. This woman took my breath away.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed a book.” She holds the front of the book up to show me.
Discover the Human Psyche. One of my favorites. I love learning more about people and the way they tick.
“Not at all. That’s an interesting book. I’ve read it a couple of times. Want to discuss it over some dinner?”
She gives me a small smile. “Sure.”
She follows me to the kitchen. I pull off my jacket and hang it on the hook by the door on my way through. Then I drop my bag on the island.
“Give me just a minute to give some stuff to Nico,” I tell her as I grab the smaller bag with envelopes from my bag.
I find Nico on the back porch smoking a cigarette.
“Hey, boss. How was today?” he asks.
“Good. Nothing unusual. Frankie did damn good.”
He smiles. He and Frankie joined up together. Nico pledged his allegiance and showed loyalty from day one, which is why he is by my side. Frankie took longer to come around, but now that he has, he is proving to be an asset.
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”
I pat him on the shoulder. “Deliver these. Take the rest of the night off. I’ll be here.”
“Got it. Everything was quiet here today. She read all day.”
“Thanks for that. I know guarding a woman isn’t the most exciting job,” I tell him, but then I chuckle. “Or at least most women.”
I remember when I guarded Sophia. I got shot almost as quickly as I got hired for the job. She is a trouble magnet. Thank goodness she found Bash. He can handle her brand of crazy.
“You know I appreciate any assignment given to me. Guarding your female, getting your laundry, or capping a problem. Whatever you need, I’m here for it.”
“She’s not my woman,” I blurt out.
He smiles. “Whatever you say, boss. I’ll get on this. Go feed the girl. She ate the leftover eggs for lunch after I urged her to, but other than that she didn’t eat. She needs to get healthy.”
“Agreed. This is why you’re my right-hand, Nico.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
After he leaves, I go back inside and find Vanessa at the island with a glass of water.
