“Yeah, I don’t know the details, but he asked her to take me in after…” She trails off, thinking of our mother’s death, no doubt.
Looking at the shabby apartment and thinking how this Mrs. Esposito is never home but expects my sister to work many hours per week cleaning houses when she is still in high school, I feel my anger stirring. Does Nico know? Would he even care? Mr. I-Make-the-Rules Mob Boss probably wouldn’t.
“What does yourfriendwant in return?” I ask, worriedly.
“Nothing. He says I’ll make back the cost of the clothes and shoes in no time. He says he’s going to arrange a photographer for headshots soon, too.”
“Mad, I know we are both eighteen now, but this sounds… How do I put it in English?”
“He wanted me to start modeling sooner,” she says, not paying attention. “But he said someone above him was causing headaches, so we had to wait a bit. Shall we go?” she prompts, picking up her handbag.
Dread eats a hole in my happiness even as I nod. Maybe my experience left me paranoid, but I don’t like the sound of my sister’s friend.
And I hate that I feel guilty for sneaking out, too. Nico will be very angry if he finds out. He might punish the guard on duty. He’ll definitely punish me.
***
“How will we get in?” I ask, panicking and shivering in high heels that I’m convinced will lead to a broken ankle soon. The nightclubs here are twenty-one and up. I hadn’t considered that, but even if the admittance age was eighteen, I don’t have an ID.
“Trust me,” Maddalena says. “Spice isthehottest club in Chicago, but my friend will get us in.”
“I should be back in my room before Nico and the children get home.”
“We’ll only go in for a few minutes. Isn’t this exciting though?”
She’s giddy and keeps checking her phone, but I can’t stop staring at the muscle-bound, tattooed giant of a man working the door. He’ll never let us in.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the most beautiful girl this side of Lake Michigan,” a man’s voice purrs behind me. Maddalena flushes, and a thick, wavy head of hair bobs past my shoulder as the stranger leans in to kiss her hand.
“Giacomo, you’ll get us past the bouncer, right?” my sister asks, hopefully.
Giacomo?“Barzetti?!” I splutter. He knows Nico, and he’s met me.Merda,I’m going to get caught. Nico will probably install locks on my bedroom door and windows after this.
Turning my way, Giacomo spends several seconds checking out my body before he bothers with my face. When he recognizes me, his mouth falls open, and his eyes dance with malicious delight. “Why, Miss Cerniglia, what a pleasant surprise this is. Does the Capo know where his nanny is tonight?”
***
“I told you he’s cool. He even said you might be able to participate in the runway showcase, too.”
Giacomo was quite keen on the idea, but he gives me the creeps and by now I’ve decided a half hour is more than enough time at thenightclub for me. The loud music brings back memories of the club in Las Vegas where I was being sold to some other sleazy man until Alessio intervened.
My sister sips another one of the fruity cocktails Giacomo bought her after he walked us past the bouncer. I haven’t touched mine, but at least I watched the bartender mix them. “Mad, we should go,” I urge.
“It would be rude to run off without saying goodbye. He promised not to tell Nico.”
He did promise that. Can’t say it makes me feel more secure. Giacomo disappeared a few minutes ago to talk to someone. I don’t care if he ever comes back.
“What are you doing with him? He is married. Even if he was single, he is not a good man for you,” I tell my sister.
She laughs loudly. I think she’s tipsy. “What are you talking about? He’s not interested in me likethat.He just likes to flirt, and he’s helping me with my modeling career.”
“I don’t think that’s all he wants,” I mutter.
“There you are, girls,” Barzetti says, rejoining us before I can convince her to go. “This is your lucky night. I talked the owner into letting me bring you two lovelies to the VIP room with me.”
“The VIP room?” I repeat.
“Yeah, it’s fight night.” He grabs Maddalena’s hand without explaining further, and she totters after him in her high heels. I have no choice but to follow. I can’t leave my sister alone with this snake.