Alexis

 

I flicked through the clothes we had purchased on our excursion to the mall, trying to find something suitable. Nobody had ever invited me out to a street market before and nothing seemed quite right. It didn’t help that my stomach and my heart were constantly giving each other high-fives.

 

“She’ll be here any minute,” Lorenzo said as he walked into the room, nearly dropping his coffee when he saw me standing in front of the closet wearing only my bra and a pair of jeans I had tried on. “Why aren’t you dressed yet? Not that I mind you in this state, but I don’t think Jianna will appreciate it.” He smirked as he took a sip from his mug.

 

I scowled at him. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to wear. I know I need to make a good impression on her.”

 

“You already have made a good impression,” he reminded me. “That’s why she wants to take you out. Don’t let all that other stuff I said scare you.”

 

“Sure. I don’t need to worry about the fact that Matteo may be sending her to find out the truth about me, or that Piero’s words might really have gotten to him. Just a simple day out, right?”

 

He hung his head and sighed. “They’re very real possibilities, and I thought it only fair that you should be aware of them. However,” he said, holding up a finger to stop me from interrupting him. “That doesn’t mean that’s what’s really going on. And if you stick to our story, you’ll be fine. You did great at the restaurant, so there’s no reason why this should be any different.”

 

I pulled a tank top down from a hanger and yanked it over my head. “It is different, though, because the focus is going to be solely on me. Before, we had a whole table full of people. I was the newcomer, but it wasn’t so intimate. Today, I’m the only person Jianna will be talking to. Even if she doesn’t suspect me, it’s obvious that she does at least want to make sure I’m right for you.”

 

Lorenzo held up his hand, palm up in surrender. “Okay, you’ve got me there. But I still think you’re worrying too much.”

 

“Easy for you to say,” I said as I slipped on a short jacket and found the most comfortable pair of shoes we had bought. “You wear a suit every day, no matter what you’re doing. You’re always going to look nice. But there’s a lot more judgement going on for a woman. She’s going to look at everything I wear, down to my jewelry.”

 

He ran a finger across the rack of suit jackets hanging on the other side of the closet. “Then I’m glad I’m a man.” The intercom buzzed in the other room. “That’s her!”

 

We headed downstairs to the garage, where a long, black limousine was waiting for us. “Who takes a limo to a street market?” I whispered out of the side of my mouth when we stepped out of the elevator.

 

“Someone very rich, powerful, and a little dangerous,” he replied. “Be good. And don’t worry about your safety while you’re out. The driver is well-armed.”

 

The man in question stood waiting with the back door open. Lorenzo kissed me goodbye, and even though I knew it was just to keep up our act, I had to admit that I enjoyed it. I would have rather stayed at the apartment with him, but I climbed into the car.

 

“Alexis! I’m so glad you agreed to come today!” my hostess enthused. A blue and cream paisley dress came down to her knees and she had covered her shoulders with a cream cardigan. Her dark hair was coiled neatly at the nape of her neck. “You look very nice.”

 

“Thank you,” I replied honestly, relaxing ever so slightly. If she hadn’t liked my outfit, she wouldn’t have said anything about it. “I have to tell you, I’ve never been to a street market before.”

 

“You’ll love it,” she assured me. “I buy a lot of the ingredients for my restaurant there, and there are plenty of other neat baubles to look at. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning.”

 

It didn’t take long for us to arrive, and the chauffer dropped us off at the end of a long, narrow street filled with colorful carts and displays as far as the eye could see. Each was covered with an equally brilliant canopy. We were not the only ones who had decided to spend their morning here. The place swarmed with young families, teenagers, and old couples. The limo zoomed off to park, and Jianna began making her way down one side of the aisle created by the displays.

 

“Tell me, do you and Lorenzo have any big plans for the weekend?” she asked as she inspected a rack of bright, fresh tomatoes.

 

I shrugged. “Nothing much. Maybe dinner and a movie.”

 

She nodded her approval and ordered a bushel of the fruit, paying extra money to have it delivered to the back door of her restaurant. “Nothing wrong with that. I know there’s always plenty going on in a big city like this, and Lorenzo is no stranger to the night life. Perhaps you are settling him down.”

 

I wasn’t quite sure how to handle this. “We like to have fun when we can,” seemed like a good middle ground. We moved on to the next vendor, who had assembled gorgeous necklaces out of delicate glass beads. I thought about the cash Lorenzo had tucked into my hand before I left. I knew that it was for spending, and I usually didn’t have a lot of extra money. I should have been thrilled, but I felt guilty.

 

“Know that you’re welcome at my restaurant any time, even if you don’t have Lorenzo with you.” Jianna picked up the necklace I was eyeballing and held it up to my collar bone. “That would look very nice against your skin color.”

 

“You think so?” I asked, almost ready to get out my wallet.

 

“I do. In fact, it’s my treat.” She paid the woman, but didn’t let her put the necklace in a bag, insisting that I wear it. I didn’t argue.

 

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

 

Jianna looped her arm through my elbow as we walked. “Listen, I want you to understand that Lorenzo is very special to me. We’ve known him a long time, and he didn’t have much of a childhood. I’ve always wanted the best for him, and I see the way he looks at you.”

 

I turned my head away, my cheeks flushing.

 

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said. “Every man should be lucky enough to have a woman who he can look at like that. I know you’re important to him, and it makes my heart happy. You know, my Matteo still looks at me that way sometimes. It never gets old.” She smiled, her dark eyes distant.

 

I felt far more comfortable than I had in a week. Jianna hadn’t been sent out to interrogate me. She liked me and she liked Lorenzo. She was nothing more than a caring mother figure. “Lorenzo is a good man. He’s already spoiled me quite a bit.”

 

“I’m not surprised.” Jianna stopped to hold up jars of honey to the sunlight to examine their clarity. “He’s always been eager to spend his money.”

 

“It isn’t that.” I didn’t want to correct the wife of a mob boss, but in this instance I had to. “I mean, he has bought quite a few things for me and that has helped me out tremendously since I’m in between jobs right now. But there’s more to it. He holds open doors for me. He’s concerned that I get enough to eat and that I sleep well. It’s the little things.” My cheeks warmed again, but not with embarrassment this time. I knew, somewhere in the back of my brain, that it was all pretend. We were going to get through all of this with the Morettis and then we would go our separate ways. But there was no doubt that he was a gentleman, and nobody had treated me quite like that before.

 

The older woman nodded approvingly. “Yes, he’s a good boy. My own son would do well to take a few cues from Lorenzo. I’m afraid Piero didn’t make a very good impression at dinner. He lets his anger and his jealousy get in the way of everything.”

 

A finger of discomfort made its way back into my mind. I shouldn’t have expected Jianna not to speak of her son, but it did bring back the way he had looked at me. How could I make any remarks about Piero without offending his mother or admitting what I knew about their business?

 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything,” Jianna said in response to my silence. “I know he was rude and I said as much to him when everyone left. He has always had a hard time accepting Lorenzo, because he believes him to be Matteo’s favorite. He isn’t completely wrong, but Matteo still loves his son. It’s family politics. You understand.”

 

I shook my head, the bright colors around me suddenly slightly dimmer. “Not really. I never knew my parents.”

 

Jianna stopped and turned to look at me, her eyebrows drawing together. “I’m so sorry. Come, let’s get some coffee.” She immediately stepped aside into a small café along the narrow street, and I had no choice but to follow.

 

I knew, as we waited to order, that she wanted to talk more about my past. I found myself almost looking forward to it. I’d never had much chance to explain it to anyone. Even with Lorenzo, I had only covered the highlights as we had worked to cover every possible subject that might come up on my outing with Jianna. As my true history gave me no ties, he deemed it the best answer.

 

The café was a tiny one, with a few hipsters seated near the back. The walls were painted the color of coffee and covered with random pieces of local artwork. We sat at a small table near the window where we could see the hustle and bustle going on outside. There were so many people, and they all seemed so happy as they loaded down canvas tote bags with fresh fruit and bought gifts for their loved ones. I had been part of that for a moment, and it had felt wonderful. I didn’t begrudge the coffee or the fact that Jianna wanted to know more, but it made me wonder how long I could keep up this act of being a happy girlfriend.

 

“Now, then,” Jianna said after blowing on her latte to cool it down. “I know this is very nosey of me, but tell me what happened to your parents.”

 

I took a small sip of my iced coffee to prepare myself. I didn’t want to hide anything from her—not when it came to this subject. But I also knew that if I opened up too much, I could ramble on for hours. “I don’t really know. I lived in an orphanage from the time I was a baby. The women who ran the place would only tell me that I was surrendered very young and that they knew nothing of my parents.”

 

“Have you tried looking through any of the county records where you were born?” Jianna was watching me closely, her face intense. I wasn’t intimidated though. She just wanted to help.

 

“I did,” I admitted. “But I didn’t have any luck. You would think in this day and age, with so many computers and so much information available online, that it would be easy to find someone. But every lead I followed turned up cold.”

 

She pressed her lips together in thought. “Have you asked Lorenzo to help you? He’s a very resourceful man, you know.”

 

I shook my head. “We haven’t talked about it much, and I wouldn’t want to burden him with such a thing.”

 

“I can understand,” she said with a bob of her chin. “You knew each other before, when you were younger, but your current relationship is new. It makes sense that you wouldn’t want to involve him. I do have the number for a very good private detective, should you decide you’d like to pursue the matter.” Her eye gleamed with the idea.

 

“Thank you, but no. I searched for a long time. When I was younger, I was sure that finding my parents would be the key to my entire life. Now that I’m grown, I’m not so sure. They were the ones who left me. Whether it was because they wanted to or because they had to, I figure there must be some reason that they aren’t in my life. Granted, it hasn’t been an easy one, but finding them won’t necessarily make it better. I might even be disappointed.”

 

“Good enough, but I’m happy to help if you decide you need it. Now, then, Lorenzo said you just came into town recently?” She sipped her drink and wiped the foam off her lip.

 

This part of our story was once again close to the truth. I had only been living in the city for about six months, once I had gotten my job at The Corral. Considering how many of the populace had lived here their entire lives, I was still a newcomer. “Yes. I’m enjoying it, though. There’s always so much to see and do.”

 

“Did you move because you lost your job, or did you quit your job in order to move?” Jianna laughed at herself. “Forgive an old woman. I always want to know so much about people.”

 

“It’s fine,” I replied, but I wasn’t entirely certain. The tone of the conversation had shifted away from motherly interest and more toward a mafia wife conducting her own investigation. “Everyone seems to have their own story, and it’s interesting to see where people come from. I lost my job when my company downsized, and I thought I would have a chance at a better one if I moved here.”

 

“Moving costs money, though. Wouldn’t it have been smarter to stay put and find a job where you were at?” She raised a dark eyebrow at me.

 

I would have to make sure I told Lorenzo about this. Jianna was definitely suspicious of me. “I tried that for a little while, but there just wasn’t much open at the time. A friend had advised me to look here instead.”

 

“Do you have any leads on jobs? Had any interviews?”

 

“I’ve put in several applications, but I haven’t had any luck so far.” My throat was tight. I felt as though I would be lucky to make it back to Lorenzo’s apartment alive. Glancing out the window, I noticed a man on the opposite side of the street watching us. My skin tried to jump off my body, but I realized it was only Jianna’s chauffeur. Lorenzo had assured me he was there for our protection. I was beginning to wonder if that protection was truly extended to me at all.

 

Her brown hand reached across the table to touch the back of mine. “I can always use extra waitresses, if you find that you need something quick. No pressure, but the offer is on the table.” It was a startling gesture of kindness, given the way she had been grilling me.

 

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” I buried my nose in my cup, knowing that I most definitely would not keep it in mind. I couldn’t work under Jianna’s watchful eye and still sleep at night.

 

Jianna leaned back, tipping her chin up as she studied me. “I don’t mean to pry, but it seems to me as though there is some other reason that you came to the city. You may have your reasons, and I don’t want to accuse you of being a liar, but I have a knack for knowing when someone is telling the truth.”

 

I sighed. There was enough room here for truth, and it was time to give it to her. Just as before, I had only briefly covered this with Lorenzo. He only knew a fraction of what had really happened, but it helped serve the purpose of our story. “I had a boyfriend,” I confessed. “He found me at a time that I was feeling very low and hopeless. My life seemed to change for the better the instant we met, and I just knew that everything would be great from there on out. He was everything to me, and I relied on him wholeheartedly. I didn’t dare make a decision without consulting him first. I spent every free moment with him instead of with my friends. I refused to work overtime because I needed to get home to him.” I focused on the foamy surface of my drink as all the feelings came rushing back to me.

 

“This sounds like a story I’ve heard before.”

 

At first, I thought Jianna meant that she still thought I was lying to her. But when I looked up, I could see the softness in her face.

 

“He was controlling and abusive. He made you revolve around him like the Earth around the sun, and you didn’t dare leave his orbit unless you wanted to suffer the consequences.” She sighed. “I’ve seen many of the girls who have worked at my restaurant over the years go through something similar. I was fortunate enough to marry young and to find a man who treated me well, but I know that not everyone is so lucky. They would come to me in the kitchen, crying and desperate. It always broke my heart.”

 

Tears sprang to my eyes. Those girls were lucky enough that they had someone to tell their troubles to. Dino had practically kept me prisoner in our little apartment, using and abusing my body as he saw fit and refusing to let me talk to anyone. I couldn’t even go to the store unless he came with me, for fear that I might flirt with someone. It would have been nice to go to work at Jianna’s and have the warmth of her arms around me when I needed comfort. Mafia queen or no, she would have been able to help me.

 

“I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

I picked up a napkin to dab at my eyes. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t still be so upset about something that’s in my past. It’s just that he was so hard to get away from. I knew I had to, but I couldn’t just confront him and break up with him. Dino wasn’t going to accept that. I didn’t even give notice at my job, because I didn’t want him to have any way of tracking me down. I left what little I had and I ran.” It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a job. I had worked in a few strip clubs before getting together with Dino. I didn’t blame him at the time for making me quit. He wanted my body to himself, and any boyfriend would have felt the same way. But I had to make sure that my story still matched up with what we had told Matteo and Jianna. Things were getting risky enough as they were without me slipping up.

 

“It’s no wonder that you took such comfort in Lorenzo after going through that. Make sure you give yourself some time to heal, though. He is a good man, but nobody can quite fix your heart when you’ve experienced such a thing.”

 

If only she knew the pain I truly had felt. The years I had spent bouncing around between foster homes growing up and homeless shelters once I was too old to be in the system were nothing compared to the time I had spent with Dino. I’d gone six months without hearing from him, and though I was beginning to believe that I might finally have gotten away, I never knew when the urge to find me might strike him again. And, of course, Lorenzo couldn’t fix me when our relationship was nothing but lies to keep us both alive.

 

“Well, I’ve gone and turned this into a sad experience for you. I’m sorry. Let’s go back out into the sunshine and see what else we can buy before everyone packs up for the day.”

 

I followed her out the door and we resumed perusing the numerous booths. We smelled cut flowers, admired miniature oil paintings, and sampled fresh bread, all the while keeping our conversation light. Jianna didn’t question me any more on my background or my ex-boyfriend, and I was careful to skirt any issues that might give me away.

 

When the limo dropped me back off at Lorenzo’s apartment building, I blew straight past him and flopped onto the bed.