Chapter 17 | Bianca
Bianca
After finishing my workout, I showered and asked Burns to help me find a place to work. He showed me to a den that had a lovely wooden desk, and I settled in to set up the laptop. Burns told me the Wi-Fi password before handing me a credit card.
“Mr. Caruso has added you as an authorized user on this card, Mrs. Caruso.”
“Bianca, please.”
“Bianca,” he said with a nod.
Tilting my head, I studied him. “How long have you been here, Burns? What’s your story? What’s your real name?”
His eyebrows lifted. “David, ma’am. I’ve worked for the Caruso family for over thirty years. Michael’s father called me by my last name, and it kind of stuck.”
“Are you British?”
“Yes. My family came to the U.S. when I was ten. My father worked for Michael’s grandfather as a...” he nervously cleared his throat.
“A hitman?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “I’m familiar with how the mafia works, Burns.”
“Er, yes, a hitman. He died when I was sixteen, and my mother had nowhere to go. She became the Caruso’s house manager. When she passed away two years later, I offered to take over as house manager, and Mr. Caruso agreed.”
“You had no other family?” I asked softly.
“The Carusos are my family, Bianca. They’ve been extremely generous to me, and I’m honored to serve Michael as I served his father and grandfather.”
“That’s lovely to hear,” I said, moved by the slight emotion in his voice. “Especially since I’m new to the family and questioning if I moved too fast to marry my husband’s rival.”
“You did what needed to be done,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Things move quickly in our world.”
“They sure do,” I muttered, facing the computer and pulling up my favorite online store. “What’s the limit on the card?”
“No limit.”
My eyes grew wide. “If I were a different wife, I might splurge on some purses.” Burns chuckled. “For now, I just need clothes. Thanks for setting me up, Burns.”
“Enjoy, ma’am.” With a parting nod, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
After completing my clothing order, I pulled out my phone and texted Alexis.
Bianca: Michael set me up with a laptop. Can I video call you?
Alexis: Sure. I’m on my laptop now. I’ll email you a link.
I clicked on the link and opened up the chat. Alexis flashed a smile and gave a cheeky wave.
“Hi, from prison!”
“It doesn’t look so bad,” I said, noticing the white walls behind her. “Maybe a little bare.”
“It’s torture,” she moaned, resting her chin on her fist, “but I’m making progress.”
“With what?”
“I’m monitoring the ports along the East Coast looking for patterns.
Dad’s shipments aren’t going to have anywhere to dock, and his contacts in Europe will cancel them once they realize he’s dead.
..unless,” she lifted a finger, “John and Simon figure out other ports that are receptive. I’m monitoring for suspicious activity. ”
“Jesus, Alexis,” I breathed, closing my eyes in frustration. “Your monitoring is what got us into this mess. Can’t you just Netflix and chill for a few weeks? I don’t want you anywhere near this situation.”
“Um, hi, 2015 called and would like its catch phrase back,” she teased, rolling her eyes. “Netflix and chill is so lame, Mom. And besides, you and Dad paid a lot of money for me to go to MIT and learn my tech skills. Shouldn’t I actually use them?”
“Not if it’s going to get you killed!”
“Okay, okay,” she said, sighing. “I can’t with the dramatics. I’m already dealing with the bodyguard from hell with the personality of a rock. I’m an expert in encryption, Mom. No one’s going to know it’s me.”
Sympathy welled at the unfairness of her situation.
Although I found it extremely dangerous for her to meddle in the shipment data, I also understood how jarring the past few weeks had been.
Now, she was stuck in a situation where she had no control, and using her skills was one way to assert some level of normalcy.
“Please be careful. Is Nick being kind to you?”
“He’s fine,” she muttered. “Possibly the most boring man on the planet, but fine.” Straightening in her chair, her smile deepened. “How was last night with Michael?”
“We will absolutely not be discussing that. The marriage is consummated, which is most important for us to put the plan in motion.”
“Well, you’re glowing, so I’ll assume the best.”
“I absolutely am not.”
“You are.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “It looks nice on you, Mom. You never glowed around Dad. Why didn’t you marry Michael when he first proposed? I’m dying to know the story.”
“One day, sweetheart. For now, I’m worried about you. Do you need me to order you some clothes or anything? Michael gave me a credit card. I could order them here and have someone drive them to you.”
“Nick went out and got us some clothes,” she said. “You know I’m good with yoga pants and comfy stuff, especially in my prison.”
“Please stop calling it that,” I said, frowning. “It breaks my heart.”
“Okay.” Glancing over her shoulder, she huffed. “I’ve got to go. I’m going to make us some lunch.”
“Be nice. He’s going out of his way to protect you, and I’m sure he’s not happy about the situation either. I get the impression he’d rather be by Michael’s side.”
“I said I’m making lunch!” she said, exasperated. “That’s nice, right?”
I arched a sardonic brow.
“Gotta go. Love you. Bye!”
The video shut off and I expelled a breath, hoping like hell that Alexis didn’t drive Nick crazy. I loved her dearly, but she was a handful, and I hoped the stoic man I’d briefly met could handle her.
Pulling up a web browser, I dove into researching online schools, unable to deny the anticipation that welled deep within at accomplishing a goal I’d thought long-dead.
Could I truly get my psychology degree after all these years?
The thought was overwhelming, but armed with my new husband’s encouragement, I vowed to try.