Page 31 of Tesoro: Mayhem Makers

A sadness falls over me as I think of him leaving. It won’t be long before Angelo wakes up and the weather clears enough to get him on an airplane. It had been our agreement after all, the kiss had been a bonus.

As I attempt to settle into studying, the aroma of cooked meat fills the room, my stomach rumbling, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since early this morning. With a final look at bothmen, I set my backpack on the floor and walk quietly down the hall to the kitchen.

Frankie stands at the stove stirring whatever he is cooking. Even with his back to me, he was a handsome man.

“Any change?” He questions without turning around.

“How did you know it was me?” Separating the distance between us, I come to stand beside him and his cheshire grin.

“When you’ve walked in my shoes long enough you grow eyes in the back of your head.”

Lifting a discarded spatula, I turn the green beans cooking in the pan. “Given my medical background I can say with certainty that is impossible.”

I love talking with Frankie, his quick wit and strong character make conversations interesting. Much like Dante, he doesn’t filter his words or dilute anything for me. If anything he becomes more colorful.

“I dated a nurse once,” he chuckles, reaching for a clean plate beside me. “She believed you should never say never when it came to medicine.”

“Well, not one to argue with a fellow nurse.” I tease, bumping my hip against his. “But having eyes in the back of your head would be problematic unless you were bald.”

Sliding a steak on the plate before handing it to me. “It’s your foot falls. When you try to tip-toe, you drag your feet,” he winks as I take the plate from him.

“Good to know, I’ll work on that.”

“Have a seat, it’s not often I get to share a meal with a beautiful woman.”

Not bothering to argue, I take my plate and sit at the tiny kitchen table.

“Beer or water?” Frankie calls from the open fridge, and as I turn to answer, I see the look on his face. “Sorry, I forgot.”

As he set the bottle of water in front of me, “Forgot what, exactly?”

Dropping his large body into the wooden chair, Frankie dove into his steak without a second glance in my direction.

“There are no secrets in the Cavaletti family.”

“Dante told you?”

“No, you did,” he smiles as he chews his steak. “Dante has a thing with monitoring everything, including this house.”

I wanted to be mad, but recalled how he knew I needed coffee that morning.

“So in other words, no masturbation outside of the bathroom.” Keeping my emotions in check, I send Frankie a wink as I chew my food.

“Trust me, Kate. If you started touching yourself, Dante would be there in an instant to finish you off.”

Continuing to chew, I ruminate on what Frankie said. Clearly there were cameras all over the house, which made me wonder if there was one in the room I slept in.

“I know Dante told you about Bellamia.” Frankie reaches for his beer, taking several pulls before setting in on the table. “What I don’t know is how you feel about it.”

Shrugging, “She was a beautiful woman, it’s clear she left a hole in his world.”

“Not what I mean, Kate.”

Reaching for my bottle of water, I feign ignorance. “Please, enlighten me.”

“With the exception of the color of your eyes and she was a few inches taller, you’re her doppelgänger.”

Donning the best smile I can muster, “Like I told Dante when he showed me her picture, I don’t see a resemblance.” The lie feels bitter on my tongue, but as Frankie remains stoic, I feel confident I’d hidden it well.

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