5. Valeria
5
Valeria
Despite the time away from this place, moving around doesn’t leave me feeling lost and confused. I still remember where the family table is. The one place that was kind of a safe place.
My father didn’t bring work to the table. Rather, he’d used the time to catch up on all his kids and his wife.
Has Santino changed that little detail in the time that I’ve left?
Entering the room, I freeze when I see it’s not empty. If it’s not for Tommy pushing me along, I may have spun around and eaten my food in a different room.
The woman sitting at the table moves to stand. Her face lights up, and she looks happy to see me. However, I know I’ve never seen her in my life. The child at her side makes it easier to figure out who she is.
Santino’s wife. A woman crazy enough not only to marry him, but to have a kid. One look her way and I can see just how much she resembles our side of the family. However, the kid has a soft, gentle face. Her smile makes her cute.
“Valeria, right?” Her smile is warm, but her blue eyes are unsettling. I can’t tell if her welcoming motion is sincere or not.
Lately, I’ve been struggling to trust anyone. It’s already a challenge giving my back to Tommy, but I’m growing used to his presence.
When I don’t move to sit down, despite Tommy kicking out a chair for himself, she stands and places a hand on her chest. “I’m Camellia. Bia told me about you.”
Guess that means my mother knows I’m here. Avoiding her completely is going to be impossible.
“Sit,” Tommy orders as he kicks the legs of another chair, forcing it away from the table.
He thinks that with all these chairs available, I’ll want to sit next to him?
Debating one last time if I should drift back out of the room or not, I move toward Camellia instead. Alle, if I remember right, stares up blankly at me.
Cute enough to be lethal. She’s going to be a dangerous one when she grows up, especially if Urzo’s wife is describing her as a handful.
“Santino hasn’t told me much about you,” she continues as we both settle down. “Will you be staying for long?”
I scoff under my breath and shrug a shoulder. “Ask him.”
Motioning toward Tommy with my fork, I can feel his eyes on me as I take a bite of food.
It’s delicious . The rich sauce and perfectly cooked pasta noodles make the perfect combo. I can’t help but shovel in a few more bites.
The truth is, ever since I went on the run, I haven’t had much to eat. With only so much cash on me, I couldn’t risk using my card anywhere. Knowing I’d be found with ease if I was reckless with my spending, I had to play my cards carefully.
Now I’m going to risk hurting my stomach because I’m eating too much.
If they opened the gates to me right now, would I be in a rush to leave? I don’t have anywhere to go. Willing to bet my accounts are drained dry, and that my apartment is destroyed, it’s not like I’ve got a life to live.
At this point, I don’t even think I can try to steal anything of value. Once Santino gets his information, he’ll know how much I owe and will expect me to do something reckless. Something that’ll truly cut me out of this family.
“She’ll be staying with us indefinitely,” Tommy explains to her before he takes a rough bite of his roll. Damn brute.
I feel safer here than I do outside of the gate. That’s not saying much, but I don’t think I’ll keep fighting to get out. That’s not to say I’ll let myself get comfortable, either.
My head throbs as I keep thinking about it. Taking another bite, I sigh.
“It’ll take a while to get everything resolved, if it does. You’ll see me around.”
Camellia, too good for this side of life, beams at me in what looks like excitement. “I look forward to it.”
After finishing off our meal and listening to how she met my brother, I’m already exhausted by the family politics fueling their relationship. By the end of it, I’m ready to slip off in the direction of an empty room and fall asleep.
I could really use a shower.
“These guys have a terrible habit of not getting us clothes when we need them.” Camellia pulls out her phone, and much to Tommy’s dismay, offers it over to me. “Want to order yourself some?”
Caught off guard by her kindness, I swallow thickly. While he’s thinking I’ll do something with her device, it’s the last thing I want to touch. “Um, I’m good. I, uh, already have some clothes.”
Seeing her confusion as she sits back, I look at Tommy instead. He’ll be the one I need to get them.
“If I’m staying here, then I need to get my stuff. I left my belongings in my car.” Already seeing the words form on his tongue, I frown. “And no, I won’t trust anyone here to go grab my car. I’d like to get it myself.”
His mouth curves, and his smile is unsettling. “You think you have a choice?”
Before we have the chance to start another argument, I’m surprised by Camellia turning his way.
“You make it sound like she’s a prisoner, Tommy. She’s our guest .” The kindness slips from her face, and I’m surprised by the frown that forms. “Help her with what she needs. If she’s staying with us for a while, then shouldn’t she be comfortable?”
Okay, yeah. I think I can like this woman.
While Tommy gapes at her for siding with me, I move to stand. “I appreciate that, Camellia. If you’ll excuse me, I have some stuff to get my hands on. Sometime later, you can tell me all about my niece.”
Her smile returns as she nods. “Of course! I’ve been in your shoes, Valeria. I get how hard it is to be somewhere you feel you don’t belong. If you need anything, please, just ask. If you’ve met my sister, Eliza, she’ll be happy to do the same.”
Sister? Well, now, didn’t this become more interesting? I must’ve missed out on a rush of events.
Thanking her again, I leave my plate to be collected by whoever is unlucky enough to clean this place and move on.
Hearing the heavy scrape of Tommy’s chair, I’m sure he’s boiling on the inside.
Will the thought of me running to tell on him to Camellia help cool him down?
A smile comes to my lips, and I can’t help but laugh at the very thought. The sound is so foreign; it catches me off guard. For just a moment, I feel something that isn’t the weight of my situation pressing down on my chest. Allowing myself this smile to linger, my companion is happy to give me a reason for it to go away.
He catches up with me in a matter of seconds. Falling in step with me, his arm almost brushes against mine.
“What was that about? Figured you would’ve taken a chance to do something with her phone.”
Feeling his eyes linger as we walk, I know silence won’t satisfy him. Better to just tell him so he doesn’t start thinking up whatever reasons he wants. I bet he’s got a creative imagination.
“I’m not a fan of electronics,” I explain as nonchalantly as I can. “They’re easy to track and are used to spy on you. Don’t even get me started on digital footprints.”
Not wanting to spell out my fears of being found, I walk faster. The sooner we’re outside, the better.
Tommy will think this is another attempt to escape. He’ll be too preoccupied with his own demands to start poking holes in my defense.
Leaving the estate goes exactly as I assume it does. We don’t head out the same way I came in. Instead, Tommy remains tense as we swing around the front entrance and follow the fence all the way around.
“Can you try to relax for ten seconds of your life?” Rolling my eyes, I watch my step as we enter the wooded area. “Do you even know how to unwind? Probably not, huh?”
He makes this throaty growl in the back of his throat, unamused by my question. For most people, I bet they get scared of upsetting him. Well, I think I’ve crossed the line forever ago, so no point in worrying now.
His steps are far louder than mine, crunching hard against twigs. Thankfully, he doesn’t complain about the hike to get back to the nearest road.
“Just saying, this would’ve been quicker if we drove to it.” I’m happy to complain for both of us.
Scoffing under his breath, he follows it with an unamused chuckle. “Not in the mood to chase you down if you decide to try something.”
Rolling my eyes, I continue passing trees in the direction I think is the right way. We’ll find what we’re looking for, eventually.
By the time we reach the street, I have to make a guess on which direction to walk. Thankfully, I’m right.
His nose scrunches when he sees my Camaro parked right next to a mileage sign. “Seriously? Doesn’t look like a cheap purchase.”
“Actually, it was free.” Another smile forms on my lips. “Won it on a bet.”
While I may have had a bad luck streak lately, my earlier years were far more successful. Money wasn’t the only thing I gambled on in my time. This car means too much to me to even consider selling. Not like I’d get much. It’s missing a VIN, so no clean dealership would dare touch it.
Stopping in front of me, he holds his hand out, and I realize he wants my keys.
“No fucking way.” Without missing a beat, my lips curl downward at the thought of giving him my car.
“Do I need to search you?” Cocking a brow, I realize he’s completely serious. When I don’t answer quickly enough, he takes a step forward.
I’m not giving him my keys. If it means proving to him I don’t plan on running, I’ll drive right back up to the estate, and he can walk. I don’t care.
“I am not giving you my keys.” Spelling it out for him so he can understand, I gasp when he doesn’t stop moving in my direction.
Maybe I should have run. I’d rather leave my car here before I give it to him.
“Too stubborn for your own good, you know that?” Narrowing his eyes, he doesn’t hesitate to back me into a tree, or reach out to grab me. Hissing when I scratch him in my poor attempt to get away, his hands move to grab my sides.
Tommy doesn’t let his hands linger for long. He runs his hands along my front pockets, huffing from impatience when they’re empty. Without a second thought, his hands slide back to cup my ass.
Letting out a cry of frustration, my skin warms from embarrassment.
This man should not have his hands anywhere near my body, nor should I know what it feels to be cornered by him.
His entire front vibrates in approval when he finds what he is looking for. As if he needs to rub my face in it, he pulls away with my keyring around his finger.
“You are the worst.” Shoving past him, I try to force my blush away. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going anywhere.
Out of every man I could’ve gotten stuck with, why did it have to be this guy?
“Let’s go.” Opening up the driver’s side, his nose scrunches when he sees how cluttered the back seat is. “Have you been living in this thing?”
Opening the door to the passenger side, I shove the contents of the seat on top of the clothes piled up in the back. Choosing not to answer, I hear him mutter his unwanted opinion before crushing my belongings by shoving the seat back.
I hate him. I hate him so much.
The drive back is short and silent. While I have enough clothes to get me through a week or two, Tommy keeps my keys tucked into his pocket once we get back.
Bastard.