Quiet Wealth by J.L. Drake

“Hey.” Mariano tugged on my arm as I was about to climb the steps to the Hill House. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay with what happened in the library today.”

“I’ll live.” I shrugged, annoyed. Why was he bringing it up now and not earlier when we were getting ready at his place? It took three hours for me to get my head back on straight and the shakes to stop. I was a strong person, but not as strong as I wished I was. “I would prefer not to have another gun pointed at my head.”

“Me too.” He stepped closer. “That really frightened me.”

“Did it?”

“Of course it did.” He pulled back, confused.

“You just seemed unfazed.”

“Look, babe…”

I cringed. “Babe?” I shook my head. “When did we start to use nicknames?”

“It’s cute, and it suits you.” I started to laugh, but he held up a hand. “I know those guys well. I knew that if I flipped out, you’d have a bullet in your head right now. They’re ruthless.”

I didn’t comment that earlier he had said they wouldn’t have hurt me. “Elio did,” jumped from my mouth, and I wished I could rewind the moment I saw his face flicker with anger. “I mean, he got them to leave.”

He rubbed his nose and cleared his throat. I apparently hit a nerve.

“Elio is a different breed, Sienna.” He shifted his weight from side to side and his eyes widened, and I knew he was holding back something. “He doesn’t care like I do. He’s a shoot first and ask questions later guy. That man has killed more people in the worst ways. He would make your worst nightmare look pretty.”

I flinched at the comparison, but it really didn’t sound like the Elio I knew.

“It’s no secret that we carry guns and deal with lowlife scum in our business. We are in an industry that runs side by side with organized crime. I was playing it cool so they would leave. So,” he brushed my wavy hair off my shoulder and left his clammy hand on my skin as if I wanted it there, “you need to be careful, Sienna. Elio dresses as dark as his soul, and he’s always watching.”

“And on that note…” I muttered as he left me and ran up the stairs and opened the door.

“Good evening, sir and miss,” a woman at the door greeted us and waved us in. “Everyone is in the living room.”

“Thanks.” Mariano forged onward while I fought to catch up in my heels. We passed a games room before he finally slowed, and his shoulders went back as he entered the room.

“My, my, Anna, don’t you look pretty tonight.” He greeted a woman with a kiss on the cheek and stepped back to study her little dress, while I stood awkwardly in the entrance.

“Mariano, you didn’t call.” She batted her eyes at him, and when he smiled, she continued flirting. I stepped back out of the room and decided to look around.

I wandered into the kitchen and watched the staff fuss over the appetizers. One of them looked over at me and smiled.

“You must be Sienna.” He wiped his hands free of flour and offered one to me.

“I am.” I shook his hand. “And you are?”

“Donte.”

“This all looks amazing.” I let the delicious odor take over my senses and felt my stomach grumble.

“Nothing but the best for the boss.” He winked.

“Do you like working here?”

“Best job I’ve had yet.”

I eased onto a stool at the massive island and watched Donte roll out the pasta dough.

“That’s nice. Can I help with anything?”

“Well, if you like.” His smile grew as he handed me a roller and some dough. “But one moment.” He came behind me and draped an apron over my outfit. “It’s not often that we have guests wanting to help.”

“We all eat the food,” I tied the apron around my midsection, “shouldn’t we all help make it?”

“I like your mindset, but we really don’t mind working here. These are good people and treat us well.”

“You don’t hear that often.” I laughed and wondered what it would be like to actually like my boss and want to spend more time with him. “So, who lives here, anyway?” I was interested to know.

He glanced over my shoulder at someone. “He does.”

I twisted around and saw Elio leaning against the wall, hands tucked in his pockets, dressed in a jet-black dress shirt, staring at me.

The fact he was wearing black wasn’t lost on me.

Jesus, my body went into hyperaware mode. My nipples strained against my bra, and I had to shift my stance to relieve some of the ache below. Flashes of the other night burst their way through.

“Evening, boss.” Donte grinned as he sprinkled more flour on the counter. “I think I may have found you a new cook.” He winked at me again and laughed.

“Mm.” He kept his dark gaze on me, and I nearly licked my lips as it dropped down my white blouse, to the black leather skirt that peeked out behind the apron. My black leather heels wobbled as I stood.

“I didn’t know you lived here.” My voice was all breathy.

Seriously, Sienna, snap out of it.

“Yes, ma’am, and he owns the winery too. You should try a glass.” Donte reached behind him for a bottle of red wine.

“Wait.” I twisted the familiar bottle around to read the label. “You own Sunflower Field wine?”

Elio nodded as he pushed off the wall and joined me at the island.

“You’ve heard of it?” Donte beamed proudly.

“Heard of it?” I chuckled. “It’s my favorite wine.”

“You hear that, boss?” Donte hit the counter, excited. “Your guest is a fan. Now, for marketing reasons, I need to know why you tried this wine.” Some of the other staff laughed at his excitement, which was quite contagious.

“Because of the label. It looks exactly—”

“Like the postcard Cara gave you years ago.” Elio finished my sentence for me, and I couldn’t help but be stunned that he remembered. “You always wanted to lay in a bed of sunflowers and watch the clouds float by.”

“Yes,” I whispered as he looked down at me, and I felt my body heat up. “Did you really name your wine after that?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Why do you still wear your necklace?”

I shook my head, thrown by his question, and when I didn’t answer, he just smiled and poured me a glass then did the same for himself.

I dusted the flour from my hands and swirled the wine around the glass, allowing it to breathe.

“Cheers.” He gently tapped my glass and watched me take a sip.

I closed my eyes for a moment and savored the smooth, full-bodied wine. I swirled my tongue around, making sure each taste bud had its turn sending the divine taste to my brain. When I opened my eyes, Elio’s jaw was locked and ticked as he stared at me intently.

His thumb came up and brushed my bottom lip, catching a drop, and my stomach flipped.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered, and I wanted to give in, but…

“There you are.” Mariano came into the kitchen with the Anna girl right on his heels. “Hey,” he snapped his fingers at Donte, who was wrist deep in pastry, “two glasses.”

“Donte,” I said before anyone could make a move, “where are they, and I’ll grab them.”

“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense.” I tossed an unimpressed look at Mariano. He barely noticed and caught sight of the wine glasses on the counter behind him. Plucking two from the lineup, I set them in front of Mariano.

“Who are you?” Anna addressed me after a fit of giggles from something funny Mariano said. “And why are you wearing that?”

“This little ace…” Mariano wrapped an arm around me, and I gave a strange look at his nickname for me. I was no ace; luck was never on my side. “…is Sienna. She’s a journalist.”

“Oh.” She scrunched her nose, unimpressed. “What are you doing here?”

“She’s a guest.” Elio spoke up next to me as he knocked Mariano’s arm off my shoulders. “Show a little respect to the lady.”

“Are you here for long?” Anna ignored Elio and gauged my involvement with the men.

“No.” I wanted her claws to retract. I had no interest in being in someone’s firing line.

“I’m hoping to change that.” Mariano boldly kissed my cheek, wrapping his arm around me again with a laugh as he looked directly at Elio. I felt the tension and didn’t like the idea that came to me that I was a pawn in some twisted game of power and sexual tension. That was just another red flag for me. The moment his arm moved, I shifted to the far side of my chair, wanting to create some distance between us.

“Mariano,” Piero came in the kitchen looking just as handsome as his son, “your parents just arrived.”

“Great, where’s the bourbon?” He laughed in a poor attempt to be funny.

“Shall we go greet them?” Anna pushed her wine glass away. “And get something stronger to drink on the way?”

“Excellent idea.” He smirked at me like he thought I would enjoy his silly college banter. “I’ll be back.” He made a show of giving me a wink and a light pat on the bottom.

My face heated.

I watched them leave and tapped my fingers on the island, unsure how I was supposed to act around anyone anymore. Tugging the tie loose from around my back, I slowly removed the apron.

“Hello, my sweet girl.” Piero smiled.

“Good evening, Piero.”

“You look lovely tonight.”

“Yes, she does.” Elio nodded.

“Thank you.” I draped the apron on the back of the bar stool as I looked at Piero.

“I don’t like the way things ended so suddenly at the market.” Piero leaned down to see me better.

“Funny how things end like that around your family.” I hated how much my pain ran out of my mouth.

Piero pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head.

“I know, and it pains me.”

Once he let me go, I knew I needed to get out of the kitchen. It had become suffocating. A flash of green caught my attention, and I spotted her in the doorway. My hands flew to my mouth.

My heart squeezed. There was no pain or betrayal when I saw her wonderful face. There was just uncontrollable love.

“Hi, there.” Andrea’s hands were on her cheeks, and tears filled her eyes. “Look at you, all grown up.”

I flew into her arms like a child.

“Oh, Sienna,” she cooed and squeezed me tight. “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you, too.”

We cried and let all the hurtful feelings wash away because we both needed one another. I needed a mother, and she needed a daughter. I knew the hurt would return, but in that very moment at the house on the hill, in the middle of this crazy life, I felt free for half a moment.