Chapter 31 #2
She looked at me hesitantly. “I don’t know for sure. Sometimes I think I’m paranoid and I’m just imagining it.
“But back in Milan, the hairs on my neck would stand up, I’d look around, and I’d see him. I haven’t felt like that since I left. Now the exact same feeling is back. I haven’t seen him yet, but I’m worried he’s out there. Watching.”
My blood was boiling again. “That’s why you showed up to the photo shoot freaked out?”
“…yeah.”
I nodded, then said resolutely, “I don’t want you going anywhere without me. I want to pick you up from work, then take you back home – ”
She looked alarmed, and I immediately realized how I might have come off.
“That is, if you’re okay with that,” I said hastily. “I don’t want to do anything that you don’t want.”
“No, that… that might be good,” she agreed.
“I’ll have to clear it with my boss, but I think Bianca will make sure I’m free to look after you.”
“Is your boss Adriano?” she asked.
“Yeah. Did Bianca tell you his name?”
“I met him. He’s a sweetheart.”
I stared at her in shock. “He’s what?!”
“What?” she asked, confused.
“Nobody I know would call my boss a ‘sweetheart.’”
Emilia laughed. “Well, he did seem a little gruff when he first came in, but he was really nice to me. And he was very complimentary.”
I raised one eyebrow. “Complimentary about…?”
“The dresses we were wearing.”
“Yeah, well, his wife did design them.”
“They’re amazing, though,” Emilia protested.
“No, they are, they are,” I agreed. “It’s just – I’m still in shock hearing you describe him as a ‘sweetheart.’ He’s more of a hothead and a ballbuster.”
She laughed. “Well, he was very charming.”
“As charming as me?”
“There you go again, fishing for compliments. But no… nobody’s as charming as you.”
I grinned. “Good.”
By that point, we had turned down a side street and reached an old apartment building.
“Well… this is me,” she said as she gestured at the gated front door.
“What time do you work tomorrow?”
“I have to open, so early – 6 AM.”
“I’ll be here at 5:45. Give me your number, and I’ll call you when I’m in front of your apartment so you know it’s safe to walk out.”
She told me her number. I immediately called her and heard her phone ring in her purse. Then I programmed her name into my phone.
“I’ll only call you when I’m out front – but you can call me if you need me, day or night. I’m serious. If you’re afraid at 3 in the morning, call me.”
“…okay.”
“Are you going out again for the rest of the day?”
“No.”
“Do you have enough food?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Well… I’m sorry you’re going through this, Emilia, and I hope it’s over soon… but I’m incredibly happy I got to see you again.”
“Me, too,” she said brightly.
She stood there for a moment, hesitating, like she thought I might try to kiss her –
But as much as I wanted to, I refrained. I was going to take this slow.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning at 5:45,” I said. “Sleep well, and remember – call me if you’re even the slightest bit nervous.”
“…okay,” she agreed. She smiled, then opened the gate with her key.
As it closed behind her, she looked at me and waved.
I waved, too, then headed back to the dress shop.
I kept a careful watch on my surroundings at all times, looking for a guy in a black suit.
As I walked, I got out my phone and called Adriano.
“How’d it go with the barista?” he asked as soon as he picked up.
“So you were in on it,” I said with a chuckle.
“Fuck yeah. It was all Bianca’s idea, though.”
“Well, I appreciate it. By the way, Emilia said you were – and I quote – ‘a sweetheart.’”
“I keep TELLING you assholes that, but none of you fuckin’ believe me,” he joked.
“Did your wife tell you about the stalker?”
“Yeah,” he said darkly. “I checked with Nic about it. Don Camerota hasn’t told us about ANY of his men being in Florence, so if this asshole is in town, he’s gone rogue.”
If Maurizio was here without clearing it with Niccolo, it was a huge violation.
Anytime our guys traveled into another mafia don’s territory, Niccolo informed the don’s people. Otherwise, we were just asking to get shot.
“What do I do if I run across him?” I asked.
“Give him a chance to leave town and never come back. If he doesn’t take it, that’s on him.”
“Then what?”
“Don’t kill him… but other than that, have at it.”
I smiled darkly. I was hoping Maurizio wasn’t a reasonable man, because I wanted to make sure he would never mess with Emilia again.
“I told her I’d walk her to work every morning, then walk her back home, but that I had to check with you first.”
“That’s fine. Just as long as we have somebody guarding Bianca when you’re not around.”
“Thanks, boss,” I said gratefully.
“The things I do to get you laid,” he joked.
“It’s not just about that,” I said, a bit miffed.
“I know that,” he snapped, then added humorously, “You forget… I’m a fuckin’ sweetheart.”
I laughed. “True. Thanks again.”
“No problem.”
After I hung up, I resolved to tell Bianca ‘thank you’ for what she’d done. Lucia and Mei-ling, too.
Although I wasn’t looking forward to Lucia air-humping an invisible ass again.