When Luca said he was going to woo me, he wasn’t kidding. The second morning of living in the mansion, an elaborate floral arrangement of white flowers greeted me. It was before breakfast and Martha told me to check it out in the grand foyer where it sat on the round marble center table.
The card on it said…
Here’s to future memories.
Love, Luca and Elias
I put it in the living room. I appreciated them, but it was a neutral feeling. Past Natalya might have liked them, but I appreciated the spring blooms in their natural setting.
On the third day, it was a box of chocolates. I never thought I liked chocolates. I tried the ones from the convenience store and my tongue didn’t like the chalky texture. While Luca was ensconced in a meeting with Dario, I walked around the house and started handing them out.
Apparently word got back to my husband, and he walked into the kitchen and saw me handing the last of the pieces to Martha, Nessa, and a couple of the guards who happened to come by. Probably after they found out I was handing out chocolates.
“What are you doing?” he barked.
“I don’t like chocolate.” I smiled at him sheepishly and nodded to the other people in the kitchen. “But they do.”
He calmly crossed his arms, and like he was explaining to a child, he said, “You do. You like these. Have you tried even one?”
I shook my head. There were only two left in the box of twenty-four.
He emitted an extended exhale. “Tesoro, please try one. If you don’t like it, you can spit it out. It won’t hurt my feelings.”
I doubted he wouldn’t be hurt. He already jumped down my throat for passing the chocolate around. It was just that I had an unpleasant experience, plus the chocolate protein bars were the worst. I preferred the fruity ones.
Picking up a piece, I put it in my mouth. It melted. The cocoa flavor enrobed my tongue, then exploded in decadence. Still disbelieving, I rolled around the remnants of the flavorful chocolate, waiting for chalkiness to follow the addictive bittersweet, but it didn’t.
I put a hand on my mouth. “Oh my God.”
Luca’s eyes twinkled with satisfaction. He picked up the last piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. My eyes widened, and I wanted to snatch it back from him, but I was still processing and processing.
“This taste…” I finally said. “I know it.”
Luca took a step toward me, taking the box away, and said, “Yes, you do.” And oblivious to the people around us, he fused our chocolate-flavored mouths and gave me a languid kiss. When he pulled back, there was a smear on his mouth. And apparently on mine too, because we both reached out to wipe it from our faces.
He seemed satisfied that he’d made his point and left the kitchen.
I turned to look at Martha and Nessa, who were both wearing identical silly grins.
Nessa signed, He’s a ten.
I laughed lightly. Luca appeared to be charming the person who liked him the least.
This morning, I’d been lounging with Doc on the patio. It was day four of living in the mansion and I was getting bored. I wasn’t allowed on any computer, and I didn’t even have a phone and had to borrow Luca’s to cancel appointments I already had. I imagined Doc Gleason was bored too, although he and Dario went fishing yesterday in a lake not too far from here. Elias was getting more comfortable being left alone with me. My son preferred Doc, maybe because he was used to kids and babies in his practice. Right now, Elias was ignoring us and was busy with his trucks on the mat.
Luca had chocolates brought in again this morning. I found out he was having them flown in from Paris. I kept them in the room and had become very stingy about sharing them even with Elias, who I maintained shouldn’t be eating sugar anyway. Besides, he was too young to appreciate fine chocolate, or so I told myself.
Selfish, selfish mom.
Oddly, I didn’t feel any guilt.
Doc was sipping on a fruity drink and wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, complete with a straw fedora.
“Are you enjoying your vacation?” I teased. It was a warm spring day, and it seemed we had a heat wave which had ebbed in the past few days but had returned full force. I was not a fan of heat, and I was glad for the covered patio, and that Elias didn’t want to go into the pool.
“I am.”
“Have you talked to Brad again? I hope he hasn’t reported us missing.”
“I convinced him not to, but he was giving us a week before he reports it to the sheriff.” Gleason gave me a pained look. “It’s a small town and our disappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed, not to mention the bruises on his face.”
“Yes,” I groaned. “I checked my voicemail, and it was full. I just changed the recording to say I was on vacation.”
Gleason laughed. “I did the same. I hope they don’t think we’re carrying on a May-December affair.”
“May-December is so old fashioned,” I said. “The right term is age gap.” Hmm…that was interesting how that word just came up.
“Then it’ll be a triple age gap. Let’s not talk about it. I’m old enough to be your father twice over.” Gleason looked comically appalled.
“Now Luca and I, there’s the age gap,” I mused.
“So, don’t you have any more of that chocolate?” Doc asked. “I heard more were delivered this morning.”
“I’m not in a sharing mood.”
“How’s the memory coming along?” Doc settled back in the lounger.
“Not much development after the first day.” I tipped my chin at Elias. “I’m getting more fond of him.”
Doc guffawed. “I certainly hope so. He’s your son.”
“I wished he’d stop calling me Waf-waf.”
“It’s not uncommon at that age to have their own language.” Doc removed his glasses and wiped at his eyes. “The chocolate. Did it trigger anything?”
“Except that I can be protective of my stash? No. Luca said we had our honeymoon in Paris.”
The man beside me gave a non-committal response. “Hmm.”
I angled my eyes at him. “I think he’s losing patience.”
“I think he should acquire more of it. He’s not too pushy, is he?”
“Well, if forcing us to come with him at gunpoint is not pushy, then of course not.”
Gleason rolled his eyes. “I wondered if you were always a smartass. From what Martha has told me, you were a very sweet girl.”
I snorted. “Maybe the knock on the head altered my brain chemistry. I told Luca he better not expect the same wife because I’m getting the feeling I’m not.”
“Or maybe you’re just a more mature version of her.”
“I realize you guys have been discussing me behind my back.”
“You’re a very interesting subject.”
“I’m glad I provide stimulating conversation,” I said dryly.
“We just want to help you.” Doc showered me with a fatherly look.
Footfalls approached and Tony appeared in our line of vision. “Boss wants you in the study.”
“Uhm.” I looked at Elias.
“I’ll watch him,” Tony and Doc announced in unison.
Elias looked up from his trucks and said, “’re you goin’, Waf-waf?”
Tony gave me a look. “He still calls you that?”
“It’s been only four days, but I hope he hasn’t imprinted that name on me.” I went down on my haunches and rolled one of his trucks. “Your papà wants to see me.”
“Canna go?” he asked.
“Nope,” Tony was the one who answered. “Your papà has something to discuss with her.”
Elias shrugged and returned his attention to his toys. “Okay.”
“He’s such a good boy.”
“He has his moments,” Tony said fondly.
Well, I thought Luca and I were very lucky to have a son like Elias. Even if I didn’t remember giving birth to him, with each passing day, a visceral attachment was emerging. It was hard to explain. Touch and smell. I loved the smell of his skin even when he was sweaty from running around. I wondered if he remembered my voice in a way. Doc told me babies started hearing their mother’s voice in the womb. I hoped the months in my womb cemented a bond between us that the separation couldn’t erase. I hoped I’d sung him lullabies. He’d had one or two tantrums I’d witnessed, but he was very introspective, and in my mind, he was a well-behaved two-year-old. He behaved better than some adults I knew. I couldn’t fault Luca as a father. Elias loved him.
Tony nudged me, reminding me I was needed inside. I got up and entered the house and was taken aback by the number of people milling around, some dressed in suits, others wearing more casual wear like jeans and leather jackets. I spotted Dario among the men, so my rising panic abated. It appeared to be a large meeting of some sort. I wanted to slink away, more so when all eyes zeroed in on me.
When Dario spotted me, he immediately looked apologetic and started for me. We met halfway and his hand went to the small of my back. I angled my head toward him and spoke out of the corner of my mouth.
“What’s going on?”
“Cat’s out of the bag. Luca is doing damage control,” the consigliere said.
“As in I’m the cat?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. They know better than to cause trouble.”
“Is Luca going to introduce me because I would have dressed up for this.” I was in casual linen pants and a halter top.
“Later, but he has something for you.”
“More chocolates,” I snarked because I hated being the center of attention.
Dario chuckled. “No.”
Dario rapped on the door of the study before opening it.
A stocky man, also dressed in a suit, turned our way. He had a head of salt-and-pepper hair. His face bore a slight resemblance to Luca but was harsher. I sensed this was his brother the underboss.
Luca was behind his desk. He rose and rounded it to greet me. The man stood.
Luca didn’t make any introductions.
The man and I stared at each other.
“Natalya, I’m Ange.” The forced smile on his face only increased my desire to retreat. He opened his arms, but all my limbs were paralyzed. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Natalya, what’s wrong?” Luca asked gruffly. “Do you remember anything?” That was when I noticed the other soldiers in the room. All of Luca’s trusted soldiers besides Dario were alert around me.
I could feel the tension pull tight between Luca and Ange.
“I don’t know you,” I admitted. “I only suspected you were Luca’s brother with the family resemblance.”
Ange’s expression didn’t change except for the minor relief I saw in his eyes, the slight slackening of his jaw.
“This is an insult, brother.” He turned to Luca. “I’m your underboss and Natalya is my sister-in-law. Don’t tell me you still suspect me of being involved in her kidnapping?”
“We’ve had our differences.” That wasn’t exactly a direct answer.
“You think I would do that to family?” Ange growled. “And you don’t know yet if she—”
“Careful with your next words, brother,” Luca warned.
“Okay, guys, I’m getting thrown into the mob drama here and I’m not used to it. So, can we dial down the aggression, because you’re both making me nervous.”
“No one is in danger here,” Ange told me. “Least of all from me.”
“Good to know,” I said.
“Actually, Ange was kind enough to bring by your laptop,” Luca said.
That was when I noticed the box on the desk.
“Finally.” The chains of antsiness loosened slightly. I would have been lighter if it wasn’t for the tension building in the room.
“It’s all configured for security. The connection information is in the box,” Ange said, looking at Luca. “I made sure the guys got that right because when I got it for Sandra—that’s my daughter—it was all screwed up.”
“Natalya will figure it out,” Luca said. He grinned at me. “My brother’s nervous because there’s a big game in a few days and he wants assurance you won’t hack it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Can I have it now?” My hands were itching to grab the device and disappear into the attic.
Luca picked up the box and handed it to me. “It’s top of the line. Let me know if you’re happy with it. Just a reminder, baby, dinner will be at seven.” That was four hours away. Four hours to play with my new toy. Would that be enough time?
I received the box with grabby hands, my mouth curved impishly in response to Luca’s own indulgent smile. “Thank you!” I couldn’t help myself when I rose on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss and hurried to the door. I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or desire to escape the charged testosterone in the room. When I made it to the door though, I said, “Don’t bother taxing your network people in tracking the data packets with a sniffer. I’m not doing any hacking today.”
With that, I winked, left, and snickered to myself. Luca’s and Dario’s expressions were amused.
Ange’s was horrified.
Priceless.
