Spades

Unbinding

  After stuffing our faces full of cheeseburgers and fries, I ask for a strawberry milkshake to go. I get into the car as Giulia says goodbye to Matteo. Checking my phone I have a missed call and two messages. The first message is from Annie, updating me on her new boyfriend. He's a regular at the coffee shop she works at. She says they've been on a few dates and she thinks things are getting serious.

The missed call and message are from Gio.

Hope you're enjoying your day. I'll be out most of the day. Business.

Hmm. Since when did he start letting me know his schedule? The passenger door opens as I put my phone away. Putting on her seatbelt, Giulia gives me a sad smile.

"I'm sorry I put you in this position. I promise I won't go anywhere until you're safe, but Riley, I love him. He is where I want to be. You're the only person I have that can understand. I need your help." There's a quiet plea behind her words. She's opened up to me and I've come to realize she really is one hell of a friend. Reversing the car out of the parking spot, my hand shifts the gears automatically.

She's right. I have to stop holding back. "I like him." She looks at me confused. I keep my eyes on the road ahead of me.

"Giovanni?" She asks.

"Yeah." My voice is barely audible. The car is silent. I glance to her. She's beaming at me. "Don't. Don't think too far into it. Once this whole mess blows over he will send me on my way and all of your lives will return to normal." My hand tightens around the steering wheel. It's a sad truth.

"Are you really that oblivious?" Her exasperated tone catches me of guard. She scoffs at me. "Let me put it in perspective for you. Giovanni has never brought anyone home, as soon you get here not only are you in our house but he gives you his bed. Not even with intentions of having sex with you, he just gives it for you to sleep while he takes the floor. We are sitting in his personal vehicle that only you and him are allowed to use." She gives me a pointed look.

Shaking my head, I retort. "Those are material things. I'm sure if it was someone else that he was having to save their life he would have done the same for them."

"Riley, we have safe houses for a reason. So we don't bring people into the leading mafias home where the leader of our family is most vulnerable. You walk into the room and his eyes are immediately drawn to you. When you are standing near him, he impulsively moves closer to you." My mind wonders to this morning, when his hand searched out for me on the bed. "Riley, for god sake I've never seen the man smile until you showed up. Stop making excuses. If we all end up dying, wouldn't you rather we die happy?"

All or nothing Riley. You can't only do the fun parts.

His words repeat in my mind over and over. I don't know when it happened. Somewhere over the past few weeks Ive let my guard down the tiniest bit, and Gio has worked his way in.

"I'm going to talk to him tonight, about you leaving. The sooner we can get you away the better. With you being pregnant there's no way he will make you stay where an attack could happen at any given time." Her hand grips mine.

"Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to me." Her kind smile touches her eyes.

Returning back to the house late that afternoon, I see Paola in the kitchen. Her son Mario is there with his wife Rosa. They're a beautiful couple, a little older than myself. Stepping into the kitchen they all greet me. The pot of homemade sauce Paola is stirring on the stove smells amazing. Mario is chopping more vegetables to put in it. At the counter, Rosas blond hair is pulled high on her head. She's covered in flour.

"Can I help? What are you making?" I ask her.

"Paola over there decided that it was time I learned how to cook a proper meal. Mario and I have bought a house, we decided we should be out on our own." I watch her hands kneading the dough.