Chapter 24
FRANCISCO
Iclose the door as soon as Marlena leaves.
Damn. She’s quite a woman. My head is still fuzzy from the lovemaking, and I need a second to collect myself.
I’m sure she knows that something is up.
I’ve got an unparalleled poker face, but Marlena is different.
She’s looking for reassurances and they’re coming off flat.
I pick up the phone and dial Giovanni again. “Go on,” I tell him.
“Like I said,” he picks up right where he left off, now that I’m alone and can really concentrate. “We found her brother’s phone, but there’s no sign of the kid. We’ve asked around his dorm, and no one’s seen him for several hours.”
“What about campus security?” I ask.
“I sent Edoardo to check it out,” Giovanni says.
“What’s the state of the dorm room?” I wonder. Maybe the kid just packed up for a weekend trip.
“Signs of a struggle,” Giovanni replies. “It doesn’t look good.”
“Okay,” I answer reluctantly.
“I’ll keep looking,” Giovanni offers.
“Follow up with security,” I agree. “But if Andretti has him, then it’s no good looking around the university anymore.”
I hang up the phone and retrieve my shirt. It’s torn and wrinkled, which means I’ll need a fresh one. I take my time walking back to my suite to change clothes, considering what I’m going to do now.
One of Marlena’s stipulations was that she wanted to visit Italy. Maybe now is the time to take her on that trip. If I can get her out of the country, then Andretti can’t hurt her. I’ll figure out what to do about her brother in the meantime.
“We’re going to Italy,” I tell my bodyguard.
“Yes, boss,” he says.
Now all I have to do is convince Marlena to leave the country without her younger sibling.
I don’t know her that well, but I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy conversation.
I don’t want her to know that the kid is missing yet.
She’ll want to put herself in harm’s way to get him back, and I can’t have that.
I walk up to her room, pausing to talk to her bodyguard. “We’re going to Italy,” I announce.
“Sure, boss,” he says.
“Go pack,” I tell him, relieving him of duty.
He walks away without another word, leaving me alone in the hallway outside Marlena’s door.
I knock, but I don’t hear anything. Pushing the door open, I glance inside.
The living room is empty, but I can hear the shower running.
I decide to give her privacy, so I take a seat to wait.
She steps out of the shower a moment later, her body glistening with droplets of water.
She’s got a towel wrapped around her chest, but I can imagine how amazing her body looks.
If only her brother weren’t an issue. I wouldn’t mind going for round two on the couch, or maybe even the bed. I clear my throat, standing up so we can be on the same level.
She gives me a shy smile, and that’s even more attractive. For her to be shy after what we’ve just done together is adorable. I want to pull her into my arms and remove that flimsy towel. I want to have my way with her again and again until neither of us can see straight.
Instead, I approach the trip to Italy as if it’s a vacation.
“You said you wanted to go to Italy,” I remind her.
“Not now,” she exclaims. “We have to find Brandon.”
“We found him,” I lie.
“Really?” she asks, her eyes sparkling with tears of joy.
“Really,” I say. “He’s safe and sound, that’s why I thought it would be a good idea for us to see Italy before we’re married.”
“But I want to see Brandon,” she says stubbornly.
“He’ll be here in a few hours,” I promise.
“Then we can wait a few hours,” she decides.
I look away, forcing myself to remain calm.
She’s not going to budge unless I turn up the heat.
I need her to see things my way, and this kind of back and forth isn’t going to do it.
Damn, she’s argumentative. No one else in my life would stonewall me like this.
I’m used to people going along with whatever I say, keeping their mouths shut even if they have questions.
“I already booked tickets,” I lie. “We have to leave soon. I promise we’ll call Brandon when we’re in the air.”
She narrows her eyes suspiciously. “Why don’t you want to wait for Brandon?”
“Like I said,” I repeat myself. “I’ve already got tickets.”
She doesn’t look sure. I can tell that she wants to believe me, but she’s having a hard time letting go of her fear.
If only she knew the truth. She has every right to be afraid.
But I can’t risk losing her to my rival the same way we lost her brother.
I don’t feel bad about prioritizing someone who means a great deal to me over someone I’ve never met.
Even if Marlena’s loyalties are torn, mine aren’t.
“So, pack a bag and we’ll get going,” I say, hoping that she’ll let the matter drop.
She doesn’t. “I’m not going anywhere until I speak with my brother,” she says.
I sigh, pretending to give up. “Okay. We’ll wait for Brandon. But in the meantime, I think we could do some shopping.”
She perks up at the word shopping, just like every woman I’ve ever known. “Shopping? For what?”
“You need a few new outfits for our trip,” I explain. “We can go into the city, get a new wardrobe, and be home before Brandon arrives.”
Her shoulders slump. I can see I’m getting through to her. My logic is impeccable, and what woman can resist an all-expenses paid shopping trip? She gives me a warm smile and nods, walking back into the bathroom to do her hair.
I wait until the bathroom door is closed before rummaging through her things. I’m looking for her passport; everything else we can buy on our little excursion. I check the drawers near her bed with no luck. I check the drawers in the living room and come up equally empty-handed.
In the closet in her bedroom, I find a nondescript suitcase.
It’s the kind of thing every airline passenger might carry, and the sort of bag that would get mixed up in a low budget comedy.
I drag it out and set it on the bed, opening it carefully.
If I’m right, this bag holds a lot of sentimental value for her.
It’s the perfect thing to take with you if you’re on the run, and once I unzip it, I discover that it’s full of personal items.
I feel like a thief going through her things.
This is a woman I care about, and I don’t want to disrespect her.
There’s not much of intrinsic value, but some old diaries and a jewelry box.
I find what I’m looking for in a zippered pouch, grab it, and thrust it into my pocket.
Restoring the suitcase to its rightful place, I hurry out the door.
Halfway down the stairs, I run into Frankie.
He’s walking out of the kitchen with a plate full of food, on the way to his suite.
He stops, staring at me as if he hopes I would disappear.
I know he’s still mad at me for taking Marlena.
It’s not hard to deduce that he was attracted to her too.
I don’t feel like a winner, only like a bad father.
I’ve also just stolen from and lied to my intended bride, so I feel bad about that too.
“Frankie,” I say. “Can we talk?”
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” he snaps.
I plant myself in front of him, determined to say my piece. “I’m sorry that things worked out this way. Believe me, I didn’t have any designs on Marlena until she got into trouble.”
“That’s such a lie,” Frankie scoffs. “You wanted her from the day I brought her home. And guess what? You got her. You’re such a big man, why wouldn’t she go straight to the top?”
“I didn’t steal her from you,” I counter.
“Yes, you did,” he replies. “But you know what? It doesn’t matter. You’re always going to win and I’m always going to lose.”
“Don’t say that, Frankie,” I implore him. “I have to go away for a little while. But I want you to know, if anything happens, I’ve always loved you.”
That stops him. He lowers his plate and gives me a concerned look, devoid of all the hatred that had been there moments ago. “Is everything all right?”
“I can’t go into it,” I say hesitantly.
“Of course,” he mutters.
“It’s not me,” I assure him. “It’s Marlena who’s in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” He’s quick to ask.
“The violent kind,” I reply.
Frankie thinks about that for a moment, and then decides he’s on board with my plan. “Good. Get her out of here. I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“Neither do I,” I agree.
“So when will you be back?”
Our argument is over just like that. We’re back to being on the same team, taking care of the people in our lives. I want to share everything I know with him, but I’m well aware that the less he knows, the better.
“I’m not sure,” I say. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay,” he responds, easing past me.
We hug briefly, and I can sense that all is forgiven. It feels good to know that I’ve reconnected with my son, even if it’s for all the wrong reasons. At least we’re on the same page about getting Marlena out of harm’s way.
“One more thing,” I say, grabbing onto his arm. “Don’t tell her that we’re going anywhere.”
Frankie smirks. He’s seen this before. Not the exact same circumstance, but he knows that information is currency around here.
He won’t say anything to her, but he’s letting me know he thinks I should.
I shake my head, telling him it’s out of my hands.
If I tell the truth, she won’t come along, and I can’t risk that.
He shrugs, knowing he’s not going to win this argument.
It’s an entire conversation of silent glances and familiar gestures.
We both know what’s going on because we’ve been around the block a million times.
Frankie goes upstairs and passes Marlena’s door. She hasn’t come out yet, and I’m grateful for small favors. I pack a bag for myself because I don’t want to buy every damned thing. I have it stored in the trunk of the limo so that by the time Marlena comes downstairs, I’m ready to go.