Stefan’s on a call. He’s in another part of the lobby, his back to us. I watch him as I talk to Rafa.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I shift my gaze to his. “Am I okay? You fucking asshole. Am I fucking okay? No. I’m not okay. Not even a little okay.”
“I meant what I said. I’ll help you hide him, at least.”
After leaving my father’s house yesterday, Rafa made a proposition. I don’t know if it was out of guilt or if he felt somehow sorry at how fucked up my relationship with my father is or what, but he told me he’d help me get Gabe out of Clear Meadows and put him somewhere safe. Somewhere neither Stefan nor my father would know about. I don’t know if he thought that would make it okay or make me trust him or if he gives a fuck if I do, but I do know that if I manage to hide Gabe away, not my father or Stefan or Rafa can know where. Each one of these men is as dangerous as the other.
I realize he’s still talking a moment later. “Help you if you need any—”
“Help me against Stefan? He trusts you and you betrayed him. For my father. He’ll kill you if he finds out.”
“He’s not going to find out.”
“Are you so sure?”
“You didn’t tell him. And I don’t think you will.”
“Don’t be so cocky. It doesn’t suit you. Was anyone even following us? Or was that part of your trick?”
He doesn’t answer and all I can think is what a fool I am. How easy to manipulate.
I school my features when Stefan glances our way. I don’t bother smiling. I don’t know what I’m going to do. All I know is they’re all liars, Stefan, my father, Rafa. Each one has betrayed me. Some more than once.
“How much did my father pay you, anyway?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what’s it like? Explain it to me. Explain why you’d betray the man who thinks of you as a brother.”
He looks at me with a sick expression on his face and reaches into his pocket to grab his pack of cigarettes. “You don’t know anything, Gabriela.” He brushes past me, knocking my shoulder when he does.
“What was that about?” Stefan asks.
I turn and am surprised to find him so close. He was at the far end of the room not a moment ago.
“Nothing,” I say, looking up at him. He’s in a suit again, his usual dress code even for travel. I’m still processing what I learned yesterday. Still processing this, his latest betrayal.
When he looks down at me, I shift my gaze away.
He touches a finger underneath my chin and tilts my face up to his.
“What’s the matter?” he asks. “What’s happened since yesterday afternoon?”
My heart hurts at his words. At his tone. At the look in his eyes that I can’t trust. That I so badly want to—wanted to—trust.
I jerk out of his reach. “Nothing. Can we go?” I say, simultaneously turning, taking a step back.
He grabs my arm, stopping me, making me look over my shoulder at him. “Something. Tell me.”
I just stare back at him. With my father, I didn’t suck at lying. At pretending. Although with him, we both knew how I felt about him.
With Stefan, it’s different. I have to pretend. He can’t know that I saw my father yesterday. He can’t know that I know why he wanted guardianship of Gabe. If he does, the game is up. And I have to keep playing until I get my brother to safety. Until I get him out of reach of the men who can hurt him.
“I’m just tired,” I say. “And still a little shook up, I guess.”
He pulls me into his arms, rubs my back, holds me so close that if I’m not careful, I’ll lose myself in him. I’ll let myself believe in him again.
“Let’s go home,” he says.
The flight is uneventful. I close my eyes and pretend to sleep, not wanting to talk to anyone.
When we land in Palermo, Rafa goes his own way and when we get to the house, Stefan disappears into his study. I go up to my room and have to smile when, before I even reach it, I hear the birds chirping away inside. It’s a good sound, that.
I walk in and they turn to look at me, to watch me walk toward them.
“Well, hello,” I say, crouching down to put my finger through the bars. They both come to greet me and I love this. I love their innocence. Their trust.
I open the balcony doors and take in the breeze. It’s warm but I stand in it, inhale the salt air. I love it here. I love it more than I do Rome. It’s the company I keep that’s the problem.
After a quick shower, I head downstairs to find Miss Millie getting ready to go out.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Errands,” she says. “It’s market day and we need some things.”
“Do you think I could go with you?”
“It’s just errands, Gabriela.”
“I don’t mind. I can help. And I’d love to see the market.” I don’t care about any of these things, but I want to talk to her.
She softens. “Let’s ask Stefan. If he doesn’t mind, I’d love the company.”
We both go to the study and Miss Millie knocks.
“Come in,” Stefan says from inside.
He’s sitting behind his desk with his laptop open. “Gabriela was wondering if she could join me at the market,” Miss Millie says.
I hate having to ask his permission. It kills me. But I smile sweetly.
Stefan shifts his gaze from her to me and I expect him to say no.
“Take four extra guards and make sure Lucas is one of them.”
“Four? That’s overkill, isn’t it?” I protest.
“Is it?” he asks. “If you want to go, you take four extra men.”
I turn to Miss Millie. “If you don’t mind?”
“They don’t bother me,” she says, and we close the door and head into town.
The market is set up on one long street a few blocks from the beach with stalls and stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables, with a variety of cheese and olives and meats, basket weavers, jewelry makers and all sorts of trinkets.
I walk with Miss Millie as the men trail us.
“Do you know Rafa’s father well?” I ask her.
She tests two peaches and tells the woman at the stall how much she wants. “I’ve known Rafa since he was born, and although I know his father, Antonio didn’t like him, which meant he didn’t come to the house much.”
“Why didn’t he like him?”
She shrugs a shoulder as she takes the bag of peaches and puts them into her trolley then orders cherries. “He didn’t think Francesco was good enough for Rafa’s mother. Not that he thought anyone was.”
“That’s a little bit of a strange story to me. So, the three of them lived together for a time? Stefan’s mom, dad and aunt?”
“Yes. Antonio met Laura through her sister. They were very close before and even after he and Laura married.”
“Like…” I trail off. She turns to me and I know I should tread lightly. “Were they ever together together?”
She shakes her head. “Never. Not like that. Not that I know. I think they were just very good friends. The sisters were close, too. It was a house filled with love. Hard to imagine that sometimes. Hard to see how it all turned out.”