A young adult, Annalisa's life takes an unexpected turn when her family kicks her out of the house and then begs for her to come back. She is given a place to stay by Lucian Accardi, the head of a powerful mafia family based in New York City. Litt...
I took a deep breath as I looked at myself in the mirror.
"This...is...kind of amazing," I said.
"So, you ready to go? You've got your makeup, your gown, your mask, your ride. Anything else?" I snorted.
"Maybe a date for each of us?" I joked darkly. Jayne laughed lightly.
"Probably not gonna happen, but at least we'll draw attention from a few of them." I laughed.
"You, maybe, but not me, Jay." I turned around to see Jayne walking into the room.
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"I doubt it, sis. They're not gonna look at some chick in a random gown."
"We're still missing something, though."
"How about some shoes?" I glanced at Jayne and saw her holding two pairs of shoes. One for me and one for her.
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My eyes widened as I took the gold shoes from her. I put them on as I looked at her.
"Okay. You have got to tell me where you're getting the money for these things. Or, at least where you're shopping that has this stuff marked down so much." Jayne laughed.
"You'd never believe me." Honk! Honk! "And...that's our ride. Put your mask on." I put my mask on and took her arm. We walked outside to where a sleek, black sedan waited for us. A man in an intimidating black suit got out and opened the passenger's side back door.
"Good evening, André."
"Buonasera, Signorina Silver e Signorina Grand. Sarò up tuo autista per la sera."
I flashed a look at Jayne. I could understand that André was speaking Italian, though I didn't understand everything he said, especially since the only words I understood were buonasera, which means "evening" and signorina, which means "miss". Jayne just smiled at me and got in. I looked back at André and smiled nervously.
"Thank you, sir, for taking us tonight." André nodded his head and flashed me a smile.
"Prego, signorina." I got into the car, scooting over to sit with Jayne.
"So...when are you gonna tell me about...all of this?" Jayne shook her head.
"I can't. It's not just that I'm not allowed to. It's not safe for you." I sighed, accepting her answer for the moment. When we arrived, André opened the door for us. "André, I'll text you about our plans for after the ball, since things may change a little bit." André nodded as he shut the door behind me carefully, making sure my gown didn't get caught.
"Naturalmente, Signorina Silver. Terrò d'occhio il mio telefono." André got back into the car and pulled away. I looked at Jayne.
"Shall we head inside, sis?" I nodded.
"Let's go." I offered my elbow and Jayne took it, leading in the door. We were stopped just outside the banquet hall by two security guards.
"Your invitations?" The first guard asked. Jayne reached into a little pocket hidden in the side of her gown and held out a card that looked like an invitation.
"Here's mine. My friend here is Annalisa Grand. She's a guest of the host." My eyes widened as I looked at Jayne.
"What?" She elbowed me and I shut my mouth. The second guard narrowed her eyes at me.
"She's his guest?" Who's "he"? Who are they talking about?
"Yes, Tessa. She's his guest. Now, let us both in or you can go explain to him why his second-in-command isn't at the charity ball for cancer research." Tessa's eyes widened and she stepped to the side, with the first guard following her cue.
"No, no, no. Head right inside, Miss Silver. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you sooner. Y...your...th...the invitations...they don't say the names, just that people are invited and...and—"
"It's fine, Tessa. I won't tell him about it. And you'll get a tip later." I tried to keep my mouth from falling open as Jayne led me into the foyer.
"Jayne, this is amazing and all, but...who's the host of the ball this year? All the invitations said it was a surprise." Jayne gave me an enigmatic smile as we headed toward the banquet hall.
"We're the last ones to arrive."
"So...we're making an entrance, then?" Jayne nodded.
"Not really my thing, but...I think it's exactly what we both need tonight."
"To step way out of our comfort zones?" Jayne grinned.
"Absolutely. Come on."
We walked through the banquet hall doors together. I paused at the top of the stairs, my eyes gliding over all the decor. Jayne stopped a few steps ahead of me and turned back toward me. Before she could say anything, someone walked toward her.
"Ms. Silver, your assistance is needed." Jayne glanced at me.
"Now, Riley?"
"Now." My eyes widened as I heard their conversation.
"Jayne!"
"I'm so sorry, sis. Duty calls. I have to go."
"Jayne, wait. I...I can't—"
"You'll be fine, Annalisa. Don't worry. You've got this. Just go mingle." Jayne walked back out before I could stop her.
