Read Online Mafia Secret by Angie Derek - Free Book Online
Authors: Angie Derek
Tags: Romance
Ads: Link
of oranges and pinks fade into grey over the vast vineyard surrounding the house while she considered whether she was ready to call her mother.
Marc stepped into the room. "Did you eat?"
Placing her feet on solid ground, she rose with a nod. The tray Virginia brought up about an hour before was still on the small table by the couch. She hadn't really done the meal justice, but she had eaten as much as she could.
He followed her gaze to the tray, a small frown appearing. "Come on, I'll show you the lay of the land."
He gestured for her to go out the door before him. The hallway was quiet, and Lessa wondered briefly if anyone else was staying on the floor. Marc watched her turn in a circle noting the other doors along the hall. The stairwell was smack dab in the middle of the wide corridor.
"So, am I all alone up here?"
"I'm with you." He smiled, his hand brushing her waist to direct her toward the stairs. "My room's next door."
"Oh." She looked at the door as they passed. "I thought . . ."
"I'm sleeping on your sofa," he said, tone reassuring. "My stuff's in the other room."
"Do you live here?" She wondered just how much his life was wrapped around her family.
"No, but emergencies crop up here and there requiring me to be on premises. There might be other guests coming in tonight or tomorrow. I've asked Virginia to put them in the rooms on the other side of the stairs."
They reached the mentioned stairs, and he gestured to the doors down the other side of the hallway.
"Any particular reason?" Lessa tried to keep her uneasiness out of her voice.
He glanced at her before starting down the stairs. "It's best if you keep a low profile."
Trailing behind him, she contemplated his answer. "Low profile, as in hide in my room for the week I'm here?"
His roving gaze focused on her again as they reached the second floor landing. It was just as quiet as the third floor. He stopped and turned to her. "You can come and go around the house and most of the grounds as you wish. I'd recommend an escort." Lessa raised an eyebrow, and he continued despite her expression. "Lucia and Tony were the most upset by your arrival. It'd be wise to avoid any unplanned meetings. More easily accomplished if I or Nina, Jio's wife, are with you. You remember Nina, she was sitting next to Jio at the reading."
And from the visit in her room, but she didn't mention that. "I can see your point." She didn't relish the idea of having a confrontation with either Tony or Lucia. A hint of sadness worked its way up her chest. She hadn't asked for any of this, and she didn't enjoy being the cause of so much pain and anger. "Where is everyone?"
"Dinner." He looked down both hallways. "The family usually gathers for dinner in the evening. This is the first one since Jiovanni . . ."
She bit her lip. The family was having dinner without her. She told herself not to be surprised by the exclusion, but the small bit of sadness morphed into hurt.
He frowned. "I'm the one who vetoed you from dinner, not them."
"Why?"
"The same reason for why it wouldn't be wise to wander around the house unescorted. This is also an excellent time for an uninterrupted tour. Come on."
She hadn't realized she'd been gripping the banister and not stepping down onto the second floor landing until he reached for her hand and tugged her after him. He smiled reassuringly, gesturing with his other hand to the door closest to them.
"Clarissa's room, past her is Edoardo, Tony across from him, Jio's two eldest are across from Clarissa." He pivoted to face the other wing, she followed. "The farthest room on the right is Lucia's, across the hall was Jiovanni's. Nina is next to Lucia. I believe her youngest still sleeps with her. Jio has the room across from her."
Lessa tried to keep her surprise at the separate rooms for the married couples to herself. She wasn't sure if she was successful since Marc seemed to be fighting a smile.
"Onward." He led her back to the stairs and dropped her
Marc stepped into the room. "Did you eat?"
Placing her feet on solid ground, she rose with a nod. The tray Virginia brought up about an hour before was still on the small table by the couch. She hadn't really done the meal justice, but she had eaten as much as she could.
He followed her gaze to the tray, a small frown appearing. "Come on, I'll show you the lay of the land."
He gestured for her to go out the door before him. The hallway was quiet, and Lessa wondered briefly if anyone else was staying on the floor. Marc watched her turn in a circle noting the other doors along the hall. The stairwell was smack dab in the middle of the wide corridor.
"So, am I all alone up here?"
"I'm with you." He smiled, his hand brushing her waist to direct her toward the stairs. "My room's next door."
"Oh." She looked at the door as they passed. "I thought . . ."
"I'm sleeping on your sofa," he said, tone reassuring. "My stuff's in the other room."
"Do you live here?" She wondered just how much his life was wrapped around her family.
"No, but emergencies crop up here and there requiring me to be on premises. There might be other guests coming in tonight or tomorrow. I've asked Virginia to put them in the rooms on the other side of the stairs."
They reached the mentioned stairs, and he gestured to the doors down the other side of the hallway.
"Any particular reason?" Lessa tried to keep her uneasiness out of her voice.
He glanced at her before starting down the stairs. "It's best if you keep a low profile."
Trailing behind him, she contemplated his answer. "Low profile, as in hide in my room for the week I'm here?"
His roving gaze focused on her again as they reached the second floor landing. It was just as quiet as the third floor. He stopped and turned to her. "You can come and go around the house and most of the grounds as you wish. I'd recommend an escort." Lessa raised an eyebrow, and he continued despite her expression. "Lucia and Tony were the most upset by your arrival. It'd be wise to avoid any unplanned meetings. More easily accomplished if I or Nina, Jio's wife, are with you. You remember Nina, she was sitting next to Jio at the reading."
And from the visit in her room, but she didn't mention that. "I can see your point." She didn't relish the idea of having a confrontation with either Tony or Lucia. A hint of sadness worked its way up her chest. She hadn't asked for any of this, and she didn't enjoy being the cause of so much pain and anger. "Where is everyone?"
"Dinner." He looked down both hallways. "The family usually gathers for dinner in the evening. This is the first one since Jiovanni . . ."
She bit her lip. The family was having dinner without her. She told herself not to be surprised by the exclusion, but the small bit of sadness morphed into hurt.
He frowned. "I'm the one who vetoed you from dinner, not them."
"Why?"
"The same reason for why it wouldn't be wise to wander around the house unescorted. This is also an excellent time for an uninterrupted tour. Come on."
She hadn't realized she'd been gripping the banister and not stepping down onto the second floor landing until he reached for her hand and tugged her after him. He smiled reassuringly, gesturing with his other hand to the door closest to them.
"Clarissa's room, past her is Edoardo, Tony across from him, Jio's two eldest are across from Clarissa." He pivoted to face the other wing, she followed. "The farthest room on the right is Lucia's, across the hall was Jiovanni's. Nina is next to Lucia. I believe her youngest still sleeps with her. Jio has the room across from her."
Lessa tried to keep her surprise at the separate rooms for the married couples to herself. She wasn't sure if she was successful since Marc seemed to be fighting a smile.
"Onward." He led her back to the stairs and dropped her
Similar Books
