Indebted to the Mafia King

Eleni

I roll over and tug on the heavy blankets covering the king bed Mama and I decided to share. They don't move, and Mama's light snores issue through the darkness. She's finally fallen asleep. Part of me is thankful, and the rest wishes I had enough blankets to cover myself. As soon as she finished the zucchini balls, she collapsed into one of the tall seats at the kitchen island, weeping. I've been at her side, holding her and offering her toilet paper because I couldn't find tissues, since. Exhaustion still drags off my limbs, reminding me that I haven't really gotten a good night's sleep since the night before the auction, but I can't sleep. I just keep thinking of the smell of blood, and the stories about Baba Mama kept trying to tell through her tears.

With a sigh, I push the covers off and climb out of bed. I didn't take Dante up on his offer of new clothes, but two new nightgowns appeared on the end of the bed between when Mama and I picked it, and when we finally decided to crawl into bed. The fine, white fabric clings to me in a way my old one didn't, and despite the underwear I still have on underneath, I feel more naked than I was before. Still, if the clock on the wall is right, it's nearly three in the morning. No one will

see me.

My stomach growls, a reminder Mama's sudden breakdown kept me from eating any of the zucchini balls, and I creep back downstairs to the kitchen.

As expected, the house is dark and still, so the light when I open the refrigerator is blinding. I cover my eyes and grab for the container I very awkwardly asked one of the maids milling around for when it became clear Mama wouldn't be eating any time soon.

A door slides open behind me, and I whirl with the container in hand. Stepping in through a sliding glass door in the breakfast nook past the kitchen is the beautiful woman I saw earlier. Dante's girlfriend. She's still wearing the same leggings and sports bra, but glitter coats her from head to toe. I slam the fridge door.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble." She holds her hands up with a smile. "Dante's got enough money that none of us need to worry about food."

"Right." I set the container down on the counter anyway, suddenly no longer hungry. I have no idea what the etiquette is for meeting mafia girlfriends in the dead of night in their own kitchen. "Um, thank you so much for letting us stay in your house."

"My-?" Her eyebrows shoot up. "Yeah, I don't own any of this. Everything the refrigerator light touches is Dante's."

I nod. "Sorry, I just assumed, since you're together-"

She bursts into laughter, and I stop dead. Panic warms my face. Why is this funny?

After a long moment, she wipes away a tear. "Sorry. Dante would be so lucky to date someone like me. No, I don't even live here."

"Oh." I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She's obviously gorgeous, skinny with curves in all the right places, and tall enough to actually look good with them. If Dante's not dating her right now, I'm certain he wants to be. Every man would.novelbin

"I've completely blown this." She sticks her hand out, and I notice a duffel bag over her shoulder. "I'm Gianna. Dante asked me to stay here for a couple of days so you and your mom wouldn't be alone."

I shake her hand carefully. "Mama's asleep."

"I'm wiped anyway." She scrubs a hand over her makeup. "Long night. Any chance I could grab one of those for the road?"

I open the container and offer her a zucchini ball. Despite what she said, she bites into it immediately, and moans at the flavor. A small, proud smile crosses my face. Even on the worst day of her life, Mama's a better chef than almost everyone I've ever met. "These are incredible," she mumbles through a full mouth. "Do you guys want to stay at my place next?"

I almost laugh at that. It's easier to like Gianna when she's complimenting Mama. "Long night doing what, if I could ask?"

"Oh!" She stuffs the rest of the ball into her mouth and chews quickly. "Damn, Dante really didn't explain anything. I dance at Piacere."

My face flames as I remember the scantily clad women I saw on the poles. "That's very...impressive."

She laughs. "It is. I can teach you someday, if you want. But it means if I stay standing for another minute, I'm gonna collapse." She grabs a few more zucchini balls and waves over her shoulder as she heads for the same door I saw her coming out of earlier.

Despite how pleasantly the interaction ended, I can't stomach the idea of food anymore. I close up the zucchini balls and put them away, then trudge back up the stairs. Gianna seems...well, okay, she seems very nice. But I can't shake the tightness in my chest when I picture her. And her offer to teach me to dance like she does is sweet, but I'll never be able to move like her. I'll just look silly or slutty, not sexy like I bet she does. I don't even blame Dante for wanting to date her. At the top of the stairs, I turn left. Mama will be so upset if she wakes up and I'm not in bed with her. I never should've gone to get a snack. I didn't even eat anything.

I arrive at the end of the hall and wince. Mama and I took a bedroom on the right. I'm not used to a house with so many lefts and rights to keep track of. But as I start to turn back, I realize the door is slightly ajar.

The door at the end of the hall to the left. Dante's bedroom.

I can just barely hear Gianna singing something off-key downstairs. Mama is still asleep, or she'd be yelling. And Dante left hours ago. A small peek can't hurt.

I step inside and peer around the massive bedroom. Part of me expects it to be all dark reds, like Piacere, and that part is disappointed. The walls are a deep, dusty blue, and the huge bed in the middle has a simple gray comforter. I take a few steps closer and touch the mattress. Another surprise. The intense boss sleeps in plush comfort, not a hard board to keep him sharp. The soft leather shackles on the four posters of the frame turn my stomach, and I pray everyone he's had in those agreed to be there.

When I turn away, I know I should leave, but my eye catches on a wall of pictures. Dozens, hundreds of them, all featuring a smiling Dante and some number of other people. I drift over to study it and suddenly remember the wrinkles around his mouth. I thought he looked like he smiled more than he frowned, and this display is proof.

One picture catches my attention, and my heart skips a beat. I pull it off the wall and peer closer. I have to be wrong. But no, I'm looking at a full-color picture of my brother Christos with his arm around Dante, both of them smiling like they've never had a care.

Mama and I have to leave. Now. No matter what Dante says. I turn to go get her.

Just in time to see Dante stepping into the room.

"I thought I told you not to come in here." He locks the door behind him.