33. He’s wet
THIRTY-THREE
HE’S WET
Lake
Leo and I had a late lunch, which means we disrupted Leo’s routine. Tired from walking around the square for hours before we sat down and ate carbs, Leo throws himself on his bed. I cover him with a blanket.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” I tell him.
“I know,” Leo says. “I’m sorry my uncle is a dick sometimes. Or oftentimes.”
“Leo,” I warn about his potty mouth.
“I don’t care if you two are fucking.”
Oh God. “Please don’t use foul language.”
Leo blushes. “He said it.”
“You know better than to repeat what he says.”
“My aunt said your job with us is temporary,” Leo says. “What if I asked my uncle to let you stay?”
“Your uncle and I will settle this.” Not that I know how. I can’t foresee how any of this will end well for me. At this point, my family and I are being threatened with our lives. “Hopefully, we can meet at a juncture that works out best for all of us.”
He nods. “Well said, Lake.”
I ruffle his hair. “Thanks. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Lightning flashes in the sky before the thunder roars. I glance at Leo, who points at the window. “Part the curtains, please. I want to see the lightning.”
“Aren’t you afraid of it?” I open the curtains and stand aside as another bolt of lightning breaks across the sky.
“Nah,” the boy says. “I want to fly in the rain. Are you afraid of thunder?”
I nod. “I don’t like to be alone when it’s raining.”
“We could play in the puddles later.”
I nod. “That sounds like fun.”
I leave the boy’s room, knowing I probably have about forty minutes before he wakes up. The rain starts pelting the table on the terrace, and I hurry up and close the doors. Outside, in the pouring rain, Alessio circles the monument. He holds the paper bag we brought him.
What’s he still doing out there? He must be soaked. Not that he appears to care since he’s on the phone again. I consider going into the closet and getting the gun, but I can’t do it. I don’t have the courage since Alessio nearly busted me last night. I’ll do it later.
I will.
I must.
Prescott’s still in school, so I have to wait to speak with him until later, but I send my aunt a message telling her I’m in Paris with the family I work for. Since I need to pretend like everything is normal, I wait for her to tell me about my uncle’s accident.
My aunt replies almost instantly and tells me about my uncle. We chat for a little bit while I dance around the subject of Prescott’s safety and my uncle’s. She’s the contact for my uncle’s medical care, and she and Prescott are going to visit him after school.
“Can we do a video call?” she asks. Before I can reply, she makes the call. I hurry into the bedroom and sit on the bed.
“Hey, stranger,” she says with a sad smile, probably due to my uncle. Her big brown eyes soften. I’ve never been so happy that my aunt is a great conversationalist. When I chat with her, all I have to do is listen. Right now, she’s exactly what I need.
“I’m running errands,” she says. “Grabbing some stuff for the drive over to the hospital so when Pres gets out of school, we can hit the road. How are you doing, Lake? I’m so glad you got your phone and called. Pres’ll be so excited to talk to you.” She smiles. “I said, how are you doing?”
“I’m great, Aunt Aisha.” When she frowns, I smile. “Wonderful. Really. Just super busy with the job.”
My aunt stops next to the cereal aisle. “How is that going?”
“Well, Leo, that’s the boy’s name, is great and super smart like Prescott. He loves learning, so it’s easy work…”
“Who are you in Paris with?”
“With his uncle.”
I must’ve blushed or something that gave me away, because my aunt asks, “How old is the uncle?”
“Older.” I make a sour face.
“What do you mean?”
“Late thirties.”
“What’s he do for a living?”
I want to change the subject, but if I’m evasive, she’ll suspect I like him, something I’d rather not talk about. “He owns the island we’re staying on.”
My aunt blinks. “Real estate, then. Are you keeping things professional, or are you guys flirting?”
She knows. “We’re flirting.”
My aunt leans in. “Lake Wilder, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like this man?”
“It’s hopeless at this point.”
My aunt pumps her fist. “I’m so happy to hear that you like a man who can pay bills and take care of business. Nothing like that deadbeat I feared you’d marry.” She looks away, her eyes watering. “That uncle of yours I married then divorced better wake up when I get there.”
“He better.”
My aunt nods. “I’ll tell him you said so.” She wipes away a stray tear. “Well, I don’t want to cry if he’s not dead, so he’ll be fine. Just fine.”
“For sure.” I’ll make sure we make it out of this alive. “I’ll call back when Prescott is out of school.”
We hang up, and I check on Alessio, who is still outside. I fight the urge to call him, but ultimately, I can’t help myself. I could text, but he might ignore it or not even notice it when he’s dealing with one of the many crises he handles on a daily basis. I could never do what he does. Not ever.
Maybe that’s why I’m not a billionaire.
I dial his number and see him glance up in the direction of our room. I wave.
“Is there something wrong?” he asks.
“You’re out in the rain.”
“And?”
“You’re wet, Alessio.”
A pause. “I know. I’m working in the rain.”
“Is there no other place you can work?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Can you tell me why?”
“Because the walls have ears and the rain muffles most listening devices.”
I thank him for the explanation and hang up. Then I call the front desk.