Page 8 of Vita Mia

“And who are you? Really? Who is your brother?”

“Brothers, I have two. And they aren’t as scary as my big sister. Trust me,” she said.

“Now I’m worried,” he chuckled.

“You should be,” she smiled.

“Is that why you brought me in here, to show me how important you are?”

“No,” she said and looked at the stuff in the room. “To show you how disgusting this is. Do you know in Africa how many kids; children have to die for these diamonds? And those artifacts, have the blood of innocent people on them too. It’s disgusting. I hate it. I wish Papa could stop them. He was a real hero.”

“Oh?” Ryder said.

She sucked in a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t know why I like you.”

“My smile?” he asked.

“Yeah, it’s your smile.” She glanced to the door. “Well, you have impressed your actor boss. Trust me. He saw you come up these stairs with me. That should get you a promotion, so take that and make it work. We need to leave.”

Mia started for the door but Ryder grabbed her arm. She paused at his touch. It was as if she weren’t touched often. He wasn’t kidding when he said she had a uniqueness to her that he couldn’t turn away from.

“One peek. When will I ever get to see this any of it?”

“It’s not something you want to see, Ryder. And it’s not an item to purchase. It’s just a conversation to have with my family. Just a conversation.”

“A conversation? You telling me that people spend a king’s ransom for a conversation with your family? Bullshit.”

“Money isn’t the root of all evil Ryder. Power is. And today power looks different. I shouldn’t have brought you in here. We’ve stayed too long. I’m sure my brother knows by now.”

“Why did you?” Ryder asked. “You don’t know me. This place is intense, and those guards that follow you look scary. Why did you come up to me?”

“Because you’re Ryder. And you don’t belong here. I know how that feels. It makes me feel likeme. I don’t belong either.”

Ryder glanced from the jewels to the locked door. He’d seen and learned enough. After all, it was the Illuminati. The closer he gets to the real power the bigger the stakes.

“Is there a way out of here that’s not under surveillance? Where we can be alone?” He took her hand. MiaBella looked up into his eyes.

“We have to leave the way we came. But I do have an idea,” she whispered.

MiaBella went to the door and pulled him along with her. She dropped his hand and opened it. Ryder watched her step outside.

“Ha bisogno di usare il bagno,” Mia said to the men.

Ryder was third generation Italian. He spoke a little. She was fluent. She announced to the men that Ryder needed to use the bathroom. Two of them glared at Ryder. But Mia grabbed his hand again and pushed through the giants. She walked fast in the opposite direction. Two of the guards followed.

“Ryder,” she said. “Go into that bathroom. There’s another door that will take you to a room. Move fast and go out into the hall. Find the first door on your left. It’s a butler’s closet.”

“A what?”

“It’s an old saying. Take the stairs down to the kitchen. Then go out into the veranda. There is another door that you have to open from outside. Take that door and the stairs up to the third floor. The fifth bedroom is mine. Wait for me there.”

Ryder double blinked. “How do you know all of this?”

“Me and my cousins have escaped a few times this way,” she grinned.

“If I get caught then—“

“Do you or don’t you want to hook up?” MiaBella asked.

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