Page 64 of Veil of Vengeance

“Do you have any sisters?” she asks, changing the subject. I study her face, finding nothing but pure curiosity.

“I have two and one little brother.”

“What’re their names?”

Her questions aren’t anything to be suspicious of because anyone can figure out what she’s asking just by searching our family name on the internet.

“I have a sister who’s a year older than you and her name is Violette, and the youngest one is Monica, and our brother’s name is Marcello,” I tell her. She rests her chin in her palm.

“Marcello is such a cute name.” She sighs, and I nod.

“Yeah, I guess it suits him in a way.” I feel my eyes begin to sting as my mind drifts to my siblings. I wish I could see them.

It's nearly been two weeks since I’ve been taken, and I have never gone this long without them. Mara gazes at me with a look of understanding. A tear slips out and my hand moves quickly to wipe it away. Her eyes soften as mine dart away from her stare.

“I have an idea,” she whispers. I look back at her sharply.

“Please tell me you’re suggesting what I think you are suggesting?”

This could be my only chance at escaping both the Outfit and the Camorra, two birds with one stone.

“I know a small passageway that my nonna used to use when I was a child and practically no one knows about it.” She pushes back the strands that fall over her face as she leans closer.

“What about CCTV, guards?” I ask her, and her face lights up with a convincing smile.

“CCTV was never installed there, and the guards don’t know about it either. It’s practically run-down and looks like a bunch of ruins.”

“Okay, but what’s the plan?” I can feel the swarm of butterflies in my stomach taking flight and even nibbling at the edges of my stomach.

“I’ll come get you at some point when the coast is clear and take you there. There’ll be a bicycle ready for you and a GPS device that will lead you to the closest dock. I’ll iron out some more of the details and tell you the rest as we make our way to the exit.”??

I spend the time between now and dinner just reading. I decide against readingThe Name of the Windand instead pick upPride and Prejudice. Even if I’ve read it close to a hundred times, I’m never bored of it. I love Elizabeth Bennett but, honestly, I read the book for the sole purpose of reading about Mr. Darcy.

He’s such an intriguing character, and I love how Elizabeth and him slowly come to understand each other. By the time dinnertime rolls around and Mariana knocks on the door, asking if I want to come join them for dinner, I am nearly halfway through the book. I have to resist the urge to decline the invitation to dinner just to finish the book.

I place the book down on the coffee table and head to the door. Mariana stands to the side with a bright smile on her face, which I return. “Mara told me you were reading, so I decided to leave you till dinner was ready,” she says as we begin walking toward the staircase.

“Thank you for being so kind. You have no reason to do this.”

She waves her hand around. “Nonsense, you are innocent. I can’t stress that enough. You should not be held accountable for your family’s decisions or mistakes.”

I push my hair back. I understand and agree with what she’s saying, but somewhere in my head, something tells me that the other shoe will drop, and they’ll show me how they truly think of me.

We reach the dining room. The walls are a green mossy color, the floors a cream marble with silver accents. In the middle, there’s a long dining table that holds about twenty people, made out of a large cut of wood with beautiful dark swirls. I spot both Mara and Clarissa sitting on the opposite side of the table, so I’m guessing it’ll just be those two, Mariana, and me. I can’t help but feel a flicker of disappointment, but I quickly brush it off as I settle into the seat next to Mara, and Mariana settles next to Clarissa.??

Lydia serves the food and gives me a wink as she fills my plate.

“Mara, have you decided what you want to do after you're done with school?” Mara turns her attention to Clarissa and tilts her head to the side.

“I’m not sure. I’m thinking about maybe doing some volunteering at some shelters once we’re back in New York.” She takes a sip of water, her fingers tapping the rim after she put the glass down. “If that’s anytime soon.”

“Mara,” Mariana warns without looking up from her plate as she cuts a piece of her food.

“Mom, you know we’ve been trapped here for the past three months. The only reason Dad died wa-”

The clank of cutlery cuts her off, and Mariana pushes her chair out, getting up.

“Enough. Mara, I’ve told you this already. Your brother makes the decisions now. and what he does is for the best. Not for him, but for all of us.” Mariana reprimands. Mara’s chin wobbles. and her fist clenches on the side of her plate. I watch Mara as Mariana sits back down and begins to quietly speak with Clarissa in hushed voices. My hand covers Mara’s, squeezing slightly, and she gives me a wobbly smile.

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