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At the sight of the wooden bannisters and the steep wide staircase, the floodgates of memories break open, everything from my first trembling moments in the echoing hallway, to the hot thrashing and dark, sweaty thrills in the summerhouse.
I shiver here for what feels like a long time, not wanting to blunder around looking for people. Then, the very last thing I want to hear, the firm clack of prim heels, headed my way from the darkness.
When she comes into sight and freezes, Jago says nothing. She stares at me, burning me with her eyes before she turns on a heel and clacks away, faster than she came. I knew this was a bad idea, but I’m feeling now that it could have been a catastrophic mistake, my coming here.
Low voices rumble and an angry bustle of movement rushes toward me, and the don heaves into sight. He glowers at me with a face full of thunder as he shoves his fists into the bulk of his hips, and his elbows jab wide.
“I told you never to come back here. Well, it’s your own fault if you don’t listen.” He starts a surprisingly fast dash in my direction. “You’re going to regret this. A lot.”
Behind him, Jago’s eyes flash and her thin, dark tongue slips across her lips as he starts toward me.
“I was invited. I am here as Carlo’s guest.” His head is shaking as he strides closer. There’s furious violence in his eyes. “Bruno’s, too,” my voice is rising, tense, “and Alessio’s.”
His eyes narrow and his lips stretch in an ugly grin. “I’m the law here and you know it, Princess puttana.”
I have no weapon. No way to defend myself.
Jago says, “You’ll get your punishment now, bitch.”
“Oh, and I thought we were so close, you and I.” I’m thinking as fast as I can. There’s a gun in my purse, a small Glock, but I won’t get the zipper open to get it out before he’s on me. How can I stall him?
“This time, I might stay to watch.” The leer in Jago’s voice takes his attention for an instant. There’s no point trying to get a punch into his body. He’s got too much soft cover. The worst I could do would be to sting him. He’s not close enough for me to get a worthwhile blow to the side of his neck.
With all the force and speed I can summon, I swing my arm to jab the middle fingers of my flattened right hand at the base of his throat. Lunging, I connect, but it’s a weak contact. I’m out of position and I wasn’t quick enough.
He grabs my wrist. His grip is like a steel vise. He is so much stronger than I realized. And faster. Last time, I must have caught him off guard.
I’m stretched with all my weight hanging on my shoulder joint as he hoists me up by my wrist. Swinging, I aim at his face as I jam my knee up. He grins as he seizes my ankle, taking it and grinning as he stretches me, like he has all the time in the world. Then he runs, barreling me backwards to slam into a paneled wall.
My back hurts like it could have cracked.
A voice from the open front door says, “I must say, Giuseppe, your hospitality hasn’t improved.”
Esther.
“I told the boys to be here. Where are they?”
Reluctant and red-faced, the don releases me to the ground and turns on Esther. While I’m shuffling to get my balance and straighten my clothes, the don turns the remains of his punctured rage on Esther.
“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you weren’t ever coming back.”
“Oh, I’m not coming back, Giuseppe.” He winces when she calls him that. “I’m here, but that’s not the same as ‘coming back.’ Not at all.” He’s awkward as she prowls around him, eyeing him like a dubious and probably fake antique dresser.
“Anyway, I think you’ve still got that, what do you call her? ‘Housekeeper,’ is that right?” It’s impossible to tell whether Esther has really only just spied Jago, who suddenly looks like she’s had a cold bucket water poured over her. “Oh, Mrs. Jago, isn’t it? Perhaps you can help clear it up for all of us.”
“Never mind that,” the don shouts, red marks and damp appearing around his collar. “What the fuck is she doing here? And what the fuck are you doing here?”
She skewers the don with her eyes, but only for a moment, like a light she can flip on and off at will. Like she’s just reminding him that she can do it.
“I invited Lucrezia to join me here, and she’s also the guest of all three of the boys. I can’t wait to see them. And there’s something here that I want her to be given.”
I can feel whole volumes of history in the looks between those two.
Esther says, “I came to find something out, too, but that can wait. I’ll ask later you later, Giuseppe. When we’ve all quietened down a little. Right now, I think our guest might like to freshen up upstairs, and I certainly need a vodka martini. Can you do that, Mrs. Jago?” Esther smiles sweetly. “Is that the sort of thing that you do here?”
Jago dips her head like a kitchen maid and whirls away in a hurry.
“The boys, Giuseppe. Where are they?”
