50
Aelia
If Liam thought Colombia was our smoking gun, this is a bomb. I read the papers three times, took pictures of everything twice, and put it all back where I found it.
After I double-check that everything is right where it should be, I leave my father’s office and sneak back to my room. I try to connect to the Wi-Fi on the iPad, hoping the modem is on, but there’s no signal.
My father is so paranoid he keeps the modem locked away, so if someone tries to send something through the internet like I’m trying to do now, I can’t. My only evidence is sitting on an old iPad. Since there’s no internet. I turn the iPad off and think of a place to stash it until I can either take it to Liam or send it to him when the internet is turned back on. I’m sure he’s losing his mind right now.
Less than thirty-two hours to get back to Liam, or he will come here guns blazing and my father will shoot him on sight. I can’t let that happen.
Checking the hall again, I slip back into my mom’s room and slip it behind the dresser. Closing the door behind me, I go back to my room and lock the door before tossing myself on the bed.
I wish I could talk to him, even if it’s a text. I miss him like I’m missing a limb.
***
A knock on my door wakes me up, and I trudge over to my door. Giorgio is leaning up against the doorjamb with a smirk on his face, wearing his three-piece suit. He should have a pocket watch for his vest to round out his look. His shirt sleeves are rolled up, and his thick, curly, black hair is in disarray. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days.
“Giorgi,” I sigh and hug him.
“Ah, piccolina,” he says and wraps his thick arms around me. I’ve always been the smallest out of the four of us. My brothers are huge, all six feet or more, and built because if you can’t defend yourself in this business, then you’re dead.
“I missed you, ya know. You don’t call. You hardly text. What’s up with that?” he asks, with that slight Boston drawl to it. I smile up at him.
“I’ve been busy.”
He chuckles and pushes my hair out of my face. “Yeah, busy traveling the world and getting into trouble.”
I lift a shoulder. “So what?”
He chucks my chin, so I look up at him. “Who is this man you’ve been seeing?” Giorgio asks.
I don’t know how to respond. I trust my brothers up to a certain point. They are loyal to my father, and I don’t want them to get caught in the middle of all of this mess. When Dad gets put away, they will have to pick up the pieces.
“I met him in Bali, and we got along well. It’s nothing serious,” I tell him, almost choking on the word because I want to sob into my pillow. I miss him so much my heart doesn’t feel like it’s beating the right way.
“I see,” he says, studying me. Giorgio is perceptive, he always has been. Romeo probably just wasn’t paying attention, his mind on business. “I came to tell you Dad wants to see you.”
I groan and hug him again. He kisses my forehead before he walks back down the hall. I know what my father wants, but I will never say yes. I’ll die before that happens.
Instead of going to my father like a dog. I ignored him, took a nice hot shower, had a good cry, and put on one of my suits. They feel like armor, even though it’s just fabric. I decided to go with the white one. It’s double-breasted and dips low, so I have to go without a bra. My hair is pinned back on the sides, so it cascades down my back, and the dark color contrasts with the white. I find my sky-high black Manolo Blahniks with a gold-encrusted buckle on the front. Slipping my large gold hoops in my ear, I check myself in the mirror one more time and walk out of my room. I was starving, but I’m losing my appetite with every step I take toward my father’s office.
Stopping at the landing between each wing of the house, I take a deep breath before crossing into the west wing. I lift my chin and force one foot in front of the other. My heels click on the floor, announcing my arrival before I set foot in the room.
His door is open, and I click in there and cross my arms.
“Are you agreeable yet?” he asks.
I sigh and give him an emotionless stare.
“That depends.”
I glance at Romeo sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. He looks at me, and I wish my brothers would stand up for me. They don’t like it because they don’t know who the Ballerini family is, and they know I don’t want to do it. But that’s not how this world works, so they are stuck.
“There’s no debate here, Aelia. You will marry Enzo Ballerini and solidify the relationship between the Costas and the Ballerini families. It’s that simple.”
Romeo’s eyes sadly stare at me and I force myself not to stomp my foot. I look at my father, meeting his eyes, and say, “No.” I don’t argue because it’s a waste of breath, and I don’t plead because he will see that as weakness.
His face turns red and I know I’m pushing him, probably too hard, but I can’t find it in myself to care. “Fine, I’ll sell you to the highest bidder. Maybe I can make some of that money back. You have a choice, Aelia. I sell you like I sell the other women or you marry Enzo,” he says, coming around his desk.
Refusing to take a step back, I hold my ground, and he grabs my arm and pulls me out of his office down the hall to my room, and pushes me into it.
I catch myself and spin on my heel to face him.
“You have a choice to make, and you will stay here until you do,” he says, vibrating with rage.
“I’m not doing either!” I yell .
He slams the door, and I open it to find one of his henchmen standing there. The large man with no neck steps towards me and says, “I was told not to let you out of this room.”
I glare at him and slam the door, locking it behind me. Well, this puts a wrench in things, doesn’t it? The clock says it’s nine in the morning. I have about twenty-four hours to figure out how I’m going to get out of this mess and get home to Liam. Only I don’t think my father will be that patient, meaning I have a lot less time. I will get out of here, only I’m bringing Mom with me. She deserves to see the sun again. I will make sure of it.
***
There is no TV in my room, and I don’t have a phone. So all I have to kill time is a book and forming a plan.
I’m not locked in here. I can open the door, but the henchman is the problem. He’s much larger than me. I don’t have a gun, a knife, or the element of surprise.
I might be able to go to Mom’s room and get the iPad. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and the Wi-Fi will be on, and I can get in contact with Liam. It will also give me the chance to pack her up and tell her we’re going to leave. Hopefully, the pills she took have worn off, and she’ll be lucid enough to talk to. That’s all I’ve come up with .
It’s now one in the afternoon and less than twenty hours until Liam is coming. The last thing I want is the love of my life walking into a death trap because I couldn’t find a way out. Think. Aelia, think.
Grabbing my book, I open the door, and a new guard is standing outside of my door. He takes a step forward as I take one out of my room. “You’re not to—”
I hold up my hand, silencing him. “I’m going to see my mother,” I tell him and point to the door across from mine. “He didn’t say anything about not seeing my mom. ”
The guard looks between me and the door and takes a step back, letting me pass him and into my mom’s room.
The curtains are drawn, but she’s sitting up in a chair in the sitting area. I toss my book and hurry over to her.
“Mama.” I throw my arms around her and she feels even more frail than she has before. It doesn’t look like she’s eating, either. My heart twists, and anger burns through me at the same time. This is all my father’s fault.
Dropping to my knees in front of her, she looks at me and sighs, placing her palm on my face.
“Stellina,” she whispers.
“It’s me, Mama, I’m really here.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “I know you’re here, little star. I’m just wondering why.”
“What do you mean? I came to see you.” I grab her hand and hold it in mine. It’s so cold, and it makes me want to scream, and cry, and rage. My brothers have done the best they could for her. Sometimes, she just won’t do what she needs to keep living. It’s like she’s given up almost entirely. She’s just waiting to die.
“I know, stellina, but you should be out living life, seeing the world.”
I nod and hold her hand. There’s nothing to say. If she knows what my father is up to, it will only upset her more. I’m afraid that it could be the last straw.
“When is the last time you’ve eaten? We should get you something to eat,” she says.
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
Mom hits a button on the side table. It’s a call system for one of the maids to bring her things when she needs them. She hardly leaves her suite as it is.
“You know, Mom, I think we should go outside and get some fresh air.”
“Oh, I would love to, but I’m tired. Open the windows, please,” she suggests.
Dammit. I stand up and open the curtains, and light floods into the room. She squints a little as I lift the blinds and open the windows. A burst of warm air comes through the window, and she takes a deep breath. It’s a win in my book, but it doesn’t solve my problem .
While we wait for our lunch, I go into her closet and put some things in a bag. There are no suitcases because she doesn’t go anywhere, so a large tote will have to suffice.
After I stuff it full of things I think she’ll need, I wait for lunch to come before pulling the iPad out from behind the dresser. Mom focuses on the window as she eats her sandwich, and I go to the bathroom with the device.
I was able to sneak a charging cord in with me and plug it in. Once it’s on, I check for the Wi-Fi, but it’s not on. I leave the iPad to charge, and then I’ll decide what to do. I might have to take the risk of bringing it back to my room and keep checking until it pops through. But then again, Liam may already be here, and all hell will break loose.
I sit across from Mom and eat my food, hardly tasting it and observing her. She eats the whole thing and the apple she requested. At this moment, she is happy and I am grateful for it.
After we ate, I went back to my room, read an old book, and kept checking for Wi-Fi, but still no signal.
There’s a knock at my door and I hurry to hide the iPad and lay my book on the bed, like I was sitting there reading. I flip the lock and find Alfie standing in the doorway.
“Hey, baby sister, long time no see,” he says and pulls me in for a big hug.
“Hey, Alfie, I missed you,” I mumble in his shoulder. He smiles and closes the door behind himself before he throws himself on the bed.
He puts his hands under his head and sighs as he looks up at the ceiling. I crawl up next to him and wait for him to say what’s on his mind.
“Can you just agree to it, Aelia? Please?” he says.
I huff a laugh. I shouldn’t be surprised, yet I am.
“Alfonso, I’m your sister. Why would you be okay with me marrying a complete stranger? In Italy, no less?”
He looks at me and back at the ceiling with a scrunched expression, and I know he’s not. “I’m not,” he says. “I don’t like it at all, baby sis, but…you know this is our world. You know how things have to be. ”
I cross my arms and glare at him. “No, that’s what we’ve been told, Alfie. They can be however we want them to be. Others may do it this way, but I don’t have to.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to have to one day.” He looks at me with sad eyes. Arranged marriages are an old-school mafia thing. They still exist, and they are borderline ironic. Regardless of the story, the parents tell themselves, they are still essentially selling their child for something. In my case, it’s an alliance with another family in Italy. In Alfie, Romeo, and Giorgio’s case, it’s for other families to solidify with the Costas.
“You don’t, but if you do, I hope you at least love her.”
He reaches for my hand and holds it.
“That’s just not how this works, and I’ve accepted it, Aelia. It’s time you do, too.” He gets off the bed and, before he walks out of my room, presses a kiss to my forehead.
The hours are ticking down and I’ve continued to check for Wi-Fi and still nothing. I have a feeling it won’t be an option. Plus, I still haven’t figured out what to do short of jumping out of a window. There are no trees close to my window and bushes down below. The only way for me to go out the window is by getting onto the roof, which still leaves the problem of my mother, and getting off the roof. I sigh and look out the window, watching the guards change their stations.
Giorgio already came in here and begged me to just agree to it so everyone can be happy again. I flipped him off and told him to get out.
There’s another knock at the door and I realize I don’t think I’ve had this much attention from my family in years, maybe ever.
I open the door, and Romeo is standing there dressed as I found him this morning in his button-up shirt tucked into his Brioni slacks and Hermes loafers.
“Can I come in?” he asks.
I sigh and throw the door open. He steps through and closes it behind him.
“I’ll give you this, at least you asked, unlike our other brothers.”
He chuckles and rubs his stubble as he folds himself into the reading chair in the corner of my room. Kicking his feet out, he crosses them at the ankle and levels his dark gaze on me. Romeo is one of those tall, dark, and handsome types. He’s well-spoken, careful who he talks to, and cool as a cucumber. He will be the perfect family leader when it’s time and I’m hoping that’s sooner rather than later, but I have to get my bomb to Liam.
“I know you don’t want to say yes, and I understand that. Dad is making it worse by treating you this way, but this is how it is. It will help the family.”
I glare at him. “ No, Romeo, it helps him and I refuse to do anything of the sort. So sell me. Regardless, it’s all wrong. I don’t care how you want to swing it!” My pitch rises, and throw my arms out in frustration.
Romeo stays in his spot and remains quiet, unaffected by my outburst. A bubble of laughter sits on my chest, and I smile and look back out the window. The laughter crawls out of my mouth, and I think I’m having a mental breakdown. It wouldn’t be totally out of left field. No, I’m laughing at the disgusting reality of my situation.
My father, my flesh and blood, has such little regard for me that he is willing to sell me to the highest bidder simply because I don’t want to marry someone I’ve never met as a business transaction. Yes, I knew it was coming, but I thought I could get Mom and me away from it all.
Now I’m just like the women and kids we saved in Colombia, only my cage is carpeted and includes pretty clothes. If I were to marry Enzo Ballerini, it would simply be another cage. And the thought of marrying anyone but Liam is deplorable to me. I’d rather be sold, and I know what I’m facing.
“It’s a way for us to keep you safe,” Romeo says, giving me a funny look.
I give him a crazy smile back and he sits up a little straighter, resting his elbows on his knees.
“You may believe that, big brother, but you are fooling yourself. I will not marry him. Tell Dad he can kill me, but I will put up a fight. I will not just take it. ”
He grins and fidgets with the signet ring on his finger. “I never thought you would, piccolina.” He stands and hugs me. “I’m going to go talk to Dad again. Maybe I can buy you more time if I suggest that we meet this Enzo first. ”
I purse my lips, crossing my arms. “Yeah, that might be okay,” I tell him because that might be the extra time I need to leave before Enzo touches down in the States.