I waited a few seconds before the monitor finally turned on. When it did, Madam's face appeared. I'd expected it to be Marcus or another guard like last time. "Mr. Russo. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Zell."
"I … I'm sorry, she's not available."
I tilted my head to the side slightly and furrowed my brow in confusion. "What do you mean she's not available?"
"She's under the weather."
I wished I could see her face to gauge if she was lying or not. "I don't care. I want to see her."
"I'm sorry—"
"Do I need to call my father?" I asked and pulled my cell phone out of my coat.
"Now, you listen to me—"
"No," I snapped, not caring if the doorman or anyone walking to the other set of elevators could hear me. "You listen to me. One day soon, this will be my operation. I will become your boss. If you don't want to be put out on your ass in the middle of winter, I suggest you let me in. Do I make myself clear?" I waited for her to respond as I replayed what I had said, my tone, and how easily it rolled off my tongue. I'd learned a lot from Frank Russo over the years, and not taking shit was one of them.
"You're … you're taking over?" she stammered.
I smiled wide. "I am."
"Since when?"
Since none of your fucking business, I wanted to say. "Since my father started showing me the ropes."
The front door of the building opened, and I looked over to see a couple enter. They went to another set of elevators that I assumed stopped on other floors in the building. The elevator to get to the penthouse went directly to the thirty-third floor.
"You have two seconds to send the elevator down, or I will be calling my father." I turned the phone toward the screen to show that his contact info was pulled up, and all I needed to do was press a button for it to call him.
She didn't respond, but I heard the elevator start to descend. When it was on the ground floor, I stepped inside and pressed the button to go up. It felt good to be in power, and I realized why my father was the way he was. It was like a high that I never wanted to go away.
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. I half expected Madam to be waiting so she could yell at me, but she wasn't. It was the guard I had seen the time I came with my father. He nodded. "I don't think we've officially met," I stated. "Frankie Russo." I stuck out my hand.
He took it. "Ricardo."
"Not sure if Marcus told you, but I'll be taking over soon for my father. You'll be seeing a lot more of me."
"Yes, sir." He gave a quick nod of approval.
"And"—I turned toward the sitting room—"where is Madam?" I'd completely forgotten what her real name was. When my father called her by it, I wasn't paying attention because my only focus was on the girl with the super long blonde hair. Was is Cinnamon? Basil? Cayenne? I knew it was some sort of spice.
"She's in her room, sir."
So, this was how she treated the new boss. I would remember that. "Okay. If you'll tell Zell that I'm here for her."
"Right away, sir."
He grabbed a phone that was hanging on the wall behind him, and a few moments later said, "Ms. Zell has a visitor." I smiled to myself as I looked around the room. Yeah, she did. "It's Mr. Russo … Junior." He hung up the phone. "She'll be right up, sir."
"Thank you." I nodded and started to walk away but then stopped. "And please tell Madam to turn off the cameras."
"Yes, sir." He grabbed the phone again, and I walked away.
I didn't have to wait long for Zell to walk into the room. She was in the same black dress I'd seen her in before, and this time her hair was up in a ponytail.
"Hi," she greeted.
I smiled and walked toward her. "Hi."
"I didn't think you'd come back."
"I wanted to come sooner, but I had business with my father."
"Oh." She looked down at the floor as though she was embarrassed. "Madam said I can't see you anymore."
I chuckled under my breath. "And yet, here I am."
"Is it okay?" She barely looked up at me.
I reached out my arms to indicate the room. "Do you see her pulling me away?"
"No."
I lifted her chin with my finger and stared into her baby blue eyes. "It's okay. I promise. Are you ready?"
She nodded a little. "Yes."
"Lead the way, princess." Zell smiled slowly and then turned and started for the hall. "Wait." I stopped her by grabbing her arm, a thought occurring to me. I stepped close to Zell and lowered my voice. "Are there cameras in your room?" I didn't trust Madam.
"Yes," she breathed. "There are cameras in every room."
"Do you know where they are?" The cameras that were in the room I had been in the last two times weren't visible.
"Yes. They aren't hidden like the ones in the rooms on this floor."
"Good." I grinned. "Let's go to your room."
"My room?" She sucked in a breath. "Really?"
"I want to see it." I smirked.
"Can we?"
"Oh, princess." I chuckled. "I can do whatever the fuck I want."
"I don't want to get into trouble," Zell whispered.
"You won't."
"Promise?"
I stuck out my pinky. "Promise. If—what’s her fucking real name again?"
"Saffron," she replied.
"Oh." I snorted. I was way off. "If Saffron gives you a hard time, I want you to tell me. I will deal with her."
"But she's my mother."
"And I'm her boss." Well, I would be soon.
"Does it work like that?"
"It does if she doesn't want to be homeless."
Zell's pretty blue eyes widened. "You can do that?"
I cupped her cheek and repeated, "I can do whatever the fuck I want."
"Okay." She beamed. "It's this way."
She turned and walked to the other end of the hall. I followed her as we went up the back staircase and onto another floor. Her bedroom door was the first one on the left.
"It's small," she stated.
"It's okay."
Zell was right. Her room was tiny. There was only enough room for her twin bed, a nightstand with a small lamp on it, an easel in the corner, and a small rack for her clothes. She didn't have a closet or posters on the walls or anything that I'd seen from girls at school.
The camera was in the corner of the room directed at her bed, so I grabbed a shirt off of Zell's clothing rack and flung it over the camera for good measure.
"I told you it's small."
"That will change soon," I stated, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Really?"
"I don't have a plan yet, but I will soon." I hoped.
"Tomorrow, I'll be eighteen."
"Yeah?"
She nodded but didn't smile.
"Aren't you excited about that?"