by Anna Widzisz
“I don’t want you talking to other guys,” he announced again, upsetting Lynette with the topic again. “I still do not know why your father allows it. Rumors are spreading, amore mio.”
She smiled, leaning a little over the table.
“But that doesn’t make them real,” she whispered, trying to play the same game as he was.
If she was to get out of this alive, she had to become resilient. The game of strength was Noah’s forte, without a doubt. Hardly anyone could come near his level, but even if Lynette didn’t like it, she had no choice but to pick up the game too.
“And how would I know that this one is not real? After all, the rumor about you being the daughter of a gangster is true.”
“Jason is my friend. My only friend. You must let it go.”
She became too brave and it made her inattentive. Whatever she’d decided before coming here - to sit quietly and nod with every decision he made - was far from accomplished. Noah sent her mixed signals, getting her lost in what was really going on around her. Her temper was waiting to explode and that would be a total catastrophe.
“I don’t mean only Carnovale. Stop lying that he is your only friend. It took me a few minutes to find out everything I wanted about you. A girl, Kendal, if I remember correctly, was very eager to give me some information.”
Lynette laughed so loudly that several people turned in their direction to see what was so funny. Her hand immediately covered her mouth to suppress the sound.
“Her grandfather has been taking money from padre since the very beginning. He knows about the mafia, but the other rumors are just a figment of her imagination. You might as well have asked the janitor and you would get the same result. That girl is not a reliable source of information.”
“It’s of no interest to me whether she’s telling the truth. There should not be any type of rumors at all. So from now on, you will not talk to this Drew either. I won’t tolerate it.”
“Let me make sure I understood correctly. I can’t get close to any boy because, God forbid, they could be my friends? But you can be around girls every single day.”
“Sì, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” he cut off the conversation, not wanting to delve further into it and start an argument because he would still win it.
The girl leaned back against the seat and folded her hands on the chest. She couldn’t bear Noah’s domination. It would be pointless to fight about this any longer. He reveled in her objections, but there was a thin line between having a fiery temper and showing blatant disrespect towards someone, and she was balancing on the edge, ready to fall at any moment.
They ate in total silence. Lynette prayed that the dinner would end shortly so that she could go back home. To be as far as possible from the man.
“Are you able to be honest with me, bella?” he asked when they were going to the car.
The man had got an important phone call so they’d needed to shorten the meal.
“We live in a mafia world. How many honest answers have you heard lately?”
“Quite a lot. You'd be surprised how little time it takes me to get the truth out of people. Even the toughest ones,” he whispered in her ear.
The picture of Noah torturing someone for answers was not the most pleasant one. She did not want to know it. No such information about the twenty-year-old was needed or even desired. But she was wondering if he would be able to do the same to her? Just because he wanted to hear the truth? Would he try to get her to talk in such an inhumane way?
Ignoring the position and power he held in the famiglia would be a terrible mistake. You couldn’t tell what kind of morals he possessed. If any at all.
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Relax, bella. I’m not going to do anything to you. There are more interesting and effective ways to make a woman talk. However, you don’t seem to require that much persuasion, to be honest. I will even answer one of your questions.”
They got into the car and moved away from the parking lot.
Noah cleared his throat. “How strict is your father?”
“I’m not going to tell you anything about my padre’s way of treating his soldiers. It could be considered getting involved in his business. Forget it. We are still in two different famiglias. And he’s still holding the power over me until the wedding.”
Noah chuckled. “As if I wanted to know about his business. I meant how strict he is with you. You wouldn’t have been so quiet and obedient during the engagement dinner if not for him. He’s tough, isn’t he?”
“My relationship with padre has nothing to do with my behavior last week. Your presence was the cause of it,” she admitted.
“Looks like someone had heard a few stories about me before our meeting. What was the worst thing you found out?”
Lynette wasn’t able to choose. So many things she considered bad that picking one that was worse than the other was close to impossible. Biting her lower lip, she shook her head not wanting to answer.
“Judging by the fact that we are to marry, someone surely mentioned to you that I am cruel towards women. Am I right?”
He was.
“I’m not, unless we are talking about business. I can be unpleasant sometimes. But I don’t find women’s fear appealing. You should have come to those conclusions by now since I prefer you to speak up rather than offer me fake courtesy,” he regarded her.
Lynette nodded but didn’t believe that there were no exceptions to the rule. “You can ask me anything.”
Pause. “Why did you agree to keep an eye on me at school? Aren’t you way too busy in Las Vegas to stay here for so long?”
“I can do both. I like protecting things that I consider mine, amore mio.”
And wasn’t that the truth?
She was his, even if she didn’t want to be.
As soon as Lynette got to her bedroom, she reached for her phone, making another impulsive decision and not dwelling on it for too long. Regret could come later.
To Drew: Meet me by the Washington lake at 9 p.m. From the southern-east side there is an entrance with a sign. I’ll be waiting there. Don’t tell anyone.
CHAPTER 16
It was one of those cold evenings that people living in Seattle were used to. The wind was shattering the surface of the water and single raindrops were falling down from the sky, crashing on the meager stepping stones. A calming sound to hear.
Drew was sitting on the wooden bridge, dipping his toes in the cold water. He felt a slight chill, but it didn’t bother him. Living in the city, he’d had to get used to cold and humid evenings. He even liked them. In New Orleans, the weather was a bit better, less variable, and the temperature was probably a little higher, but it didn't matter. His home was here now.
Sitting there, he heard the rustle of grass and the uneven breath following it. He turned around, guessing who it belonged to. Lynette stood in front of the jetty. She smiled at the boy, and when he returned the gesture, she sat next to him.
Walking towards the lake, she’d begun to regret her decision. She’d acted against the rules and it could end badly. She was risking her life but most of all - Drew’s. He was too stubborn, which was either a blessing or a curse. It hadn’t been clearly defined yet.
She’d never been at the lake with anyone before. It was her place of peace and quiet, where she could rest and gather her thoughts. Today, she revealed her hiding spot to someone. At this point, Noah didn’t count, as he’d probably followed her that night. He hadn’t been invited to join.
The boy saw anxiety in Lynette’s eyes and figured that she’d snuck out once again without anyone knowing. That could mean that she wouldn’t be able to stay long.
“You decided to come,” she whispered, playing with the end of her hoodie’s sleeve.
“You texted me.”
She sighed. “I hoped you would be the smarter one out of both of us,” she indicated, fully aware of her mistake.
But Lynette didn’t want to leave. Someth
ing was pulling her towards Drew and whenever he was close it was easy for her to forget about everything.
“Believe me, you’re not alone. I bet my father and friends would applaud you on that.” His eyes rested on hers. He was unsure if he should ask her something, but found himself too afraid that she would run away. Again.
“Just ask, Drew. I promise I’m done running away. Haven’t really been one to stick to my decisions when it comes to not talking to you, anyway.”
“What were you doing in the park on Christmas Eve?”
Lynette didn’t replay right away. Analyzing everything was her go-to. She longingly stared at the lake.
“A few days before Christmas my mom committed suicide,” she admitted before turning back to the boy. “She was depressed. The medicine wasn’t helping, nothing was, really. She overdosed on antidepressants, fell asleep and never woke up again. The day before was her funeral and we decided not to bother with dinner. No one was in the mood for celebrating. I wanted to get away from all those people who were offering their condolences to me or saying how brave I was. When no one was paying attention, I snuck out and went to the park.”
The pain in her eyes was clear, even with nothing but the light of the moon illuminating her face.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
She gave him a small half-smile that tilted up a corner of her mouth. “Don’t worry. Actually, I owe you a thank you. If you hadn’t been there and started talking to me, I would have probably frozen on that bench. I totally lost contact with reality.”
“I would do it again, if necessary,” he told her honestly.
His question had been answered but differently than he’d imagined. The tabloids made it certain that they were not to be trusted yet again. The speculations had been wrong, the people were wrong. This family had just been protecting their privacy by not answering to those lies that had got around. Too much pain was already present when it came to Lynette’s mother’s name.
“You can ask me questions, but not each will come with an answer and I hope that you’ll respect it.”
Reaching for her sneakers, she put them on and crossed her legs, feeling the chill surrounding them. As Drew heard the exact words he was dying to hear, suddenly his brain completely shut down, leaving him with just one question.
“Why are you sad most of the time?” His smile fell into a frown.
Surprised, Lynette cleared her throat. “Out of all the possibilities, you choose this?”
He shrugged. “That’s the most important one. You’re hardly ever smiling. Today may be the most out of all the times I’ve seen you.”
“There’s nothing to smile about. My life is anything but sunshine and rainbows.”
“Sometimes, a simple conversation can be more powerful than you think. Holding everything in might be the hardest way to deal with things.”
“Let me guess; talk to your father, for example?” She let out a hard laugh. “Not to sound mean, but you’re being naïve, Drew. Have you asked yourself why the FBI works on the ordinary murder case of a teenage boy? They are responsible for the country’s security, and most of the time the agents are not as innocent as the media and government make them out to be. The possibilities to work illegally, play dirty; they are out there for the agents to take.”
“Not my dad,” Drew stubbornly defended his father.
“I bet he’s not telling you everything about his job, so you can never be too sure. I wouldn’t put much hope in the FBI.” She saw the hurt on the boy’s face. As she sighed, she added, “Look, even if your father is a good person, this field of work can make you sacrifice yourself in a way that you never thought you’d have to. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Drew had mixed feelings about what the girl had said. He knew that it was not easy and without complications, but he’d always assumed that nothing could change a person if they wouldn’t allow it. His dad had strong rules and morals, which he had always admired in the man and that’s why he didn’t agree with the girl’s opinion. Lynette was surely able to distance herself when needed, but he wasn’t. If it was different, he would have given up on her a long time, but surrender wasn’t in his nature.
He knew, however, how much Selvaggio had gone through. Hence, he had no intention of trying to change her point of view. Out of all people, she had every right to question things.
“Why do you think it’s easier to say nothing?”
She knew the answer perfectly well.
“To tell you the truth, everything is a hundred times more difficult, but if I said what I wanted, I wouldn’t have anyone anymore. And even now, I can count the people who care about me on one hand. Others only wait for me to say something that they can use against me.”
“I really hope you included me in those who care,” he cut in, at which the girl uncertainly nodded, not knowing whether she considered it the truth or not.
However, at the same time, she couldn’t deny it either, because for some unknown reason she saw how the boy cared. He’d more than once made her feel his burning empathy.
There were a few other things she wanted to tell him, but without knowing him well, she thought they would hurt him. So she buried them inside and let them hurt her instead. She didn’t know just how strong the boy next to her was and what he could bear, understand and most of all forgive.
They stayed on the jetty until late. However, Lynette still risked a lot by being out, so she eventually had to go back before anyone noticed her absence. They walked toward the entrance of the lake, where their paths were to divide.
Drew looked at the girl as they were about to say goodbye, wondering how far he could go. She was too cautious and he didn’t want to scare her. He extended his hand to her, deciding to play it slowly. Like never before. Lynette knew that very well, as the boy was like an open book to her. Unique. At least for the first time, she could see more than a façade under which evil and brutality were cautiously concealed. It impressed her very much.
She smiled, ignoring the boy’s hand as she closed the distance between them, climbed on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck, allowing herself a moment of weakness. Lynette needed something more in her life than meaningless gestures, and the teenager gave her an authenticity that she enjoyed with every step he took.
His confusion quickly disappeared. He wrapped his hands around the girl's waist, sinking his face into her thick hair. The smell she carried with her reassured him like nothing else. At that moment he knew that he’d got so involved that there was no going back.
§ § §
The whole week was filled with Drew and Lynette’s meetings. However, they were a bit more neutral. The boy didn’t ask her about every little personal thing. It all came down to ordinary conversations on all kinds of topics. They got used to the evenings they spent like that. Even if at school they didn’t have much contact with each other, when it hit eight they met by the lake, sat for a few hours and went over various stories that came to their minds.
Drew even brought food and drinks with him from a nearby pub. He learned so much about the girl that he knew perfectly well what she liked and what she didn’t. They felt very comfortable in each other’s company. In addition, the boy could honestly admit that outside of Inéz, he had never liked a girl enough to spend time with her so often. In fact, he liked her even more than the Spanish girl. Or at least in a different way.
Lynette was mysterious and introverted if someone started asking uncomfortable questions. But after a long conversation, you could lose yourself in it and never want to end your meeting. Not only was she incredibly intelligent and wise but also full of surprises. She liked things that most girls didn’t know much about. She played all kinds of sports, having great conditions for it on her house’s property. She knew cars even better than Drew himself.
And all that was hidden under the average height of a teenager, with auburn hair and brown eyes, who could be seen with her nose buried in a book
most of the time at school. There was so much hidden under the surface and so many things people didn’t know. Drew was certain that if they did, their fear of the girl would be completely abolished.
CHAPTER 17
Lynette
Ever since she had come home from school, she’d been flooded with questions about David, the murder, police and what she’d said during the interrogation. Severo was walking on pins and needles. Employees came to his office every now and then, giving him some papers and then being asked to leave the room. She had been hearing whispers and catching fleeting glances everywhere. Never before had she seen such mobilization in the ranks of the mafia and that never meant anything good. To her dissatisfaction, no one bothered to explain anything to her.
Wanting to avoid being caught in the center of all this confusion, she changed into some sports clothes and went to the estate’s tennis court. She turned on the ball throwing machine and began to work on her reflexes.
Unfortunately, all throughout the several hours spent practicing, the girl didn’t see anyone who would have even the slightest desire to tell her something. Three bodyguards watched after her from afar, but none seemed to want to answer her questions. As busy as Severo was, he still didn’t forget to order his soldiers to look after his daughter.
When it started to get dark outside, with the sun slowly descending, she felt a huge wave of fatigue from the continuous running and exerting racket strikes. She took a deep breath and then sat down on the bench, wiping her sweat-soaked forehead with a towel. Reaching for a bottle of water, she felt a slight jerk of her hand, which immediately caused her to get up from her spot. She was met with Jason's brief glance. However, he didn’t start talking and only led her toward his car.
“What's happening? Are we going somewhere?” she asked when the boy opened the door to the vehicle with a visible invitation to enter.
