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“You’re too smart to not know this place isn’t safe. You know too much about life outside of the law to think this is where a single woman who’s not even twenty-years old should live.”
“I also know how to protect myself from danger, Garon. You don’t need to bother your head with that.” The one useful thing Father left behind was one of his handguns. I only had three bullets and I hoped I never had any need for them, but I knew how to aim, so that was something.
“But you shouldn’t have to. Your place is not here, Pina.”
“I don’t know where my place is anymore!” I screamed at him, exasperated. “I don’t have a home so I need to rent something, something cheap, so I can save more money to pay off my debt. Please, Garon, just stay out of it. You’ve already cost me two nights worth of tips. If it wasn’t for Leo covering last night…”
“Bugllioni?” He cut me off. “I asked where you were last night and he said you ran out.”
“No, he gave me the night off because I didn’t feel good and he offered to cover my losses from his own pocket.”
“Damn it, Pina, if you wanted money, I would have given it to you.”
“I don’t want your money, Garon.”
“Too damn bad because you’re going to get it. I talked with Balbano.”
Cold sweat started forming on the back of my neck when his words registered in my head.
“What?”
“I talked with Tony Balbano about you.”
“Oh.” I put my hands in my hair. “Oh, Garon, why would you do that. Who do you think he’s going to punish if you pissed him off?”
“I didn’t piss him off.”
“You piss off everyone! Your brothers, me, Grazia, everyone aroundyou!”
“Watch. It.”
“Why? Why did you have to talk to him?”
“I’ve done you a fucking favor. I don’t know if you understand how much shit you’re in, Pina. Balbano? He prays on vulnerable people and you were served to him on a silver platter. You know he makes most of his money in prostitution.”
“I… I’m gonna pay him back. I will.” The alternative was not an option.
“Dannazione18, Pina, you’ve been raised in the Mafia, you must know better. What do you think would happenifyou would come up with the money, which you wouldn’t?”
“I will and when I’m done, I want to leave this stupid town. I want…”to go home. “I’ll take Panini and go somewhere where life feels like it stays still.” Somewhere close to the sea where the sun was lazy, a small town with people who didn’t have an ounce of the evil I’ve seen in Rome.
“The moment you’d have enough money to cover what Martino took Balbano would ask you for interest. Thousands of dollars’ worth because he likes having someone work for bare minimum.” Garon’s nostrils flared. “And he knows that if he pushes you enough, you could make him way more money working upstairs than in the bar.”
A shiver shook my body. I’ve only been in the private rooms of the Flora House once, on my first day there, to get a couple of bottles of champagne to one of the bedrooms. I refused to return after that. All of Tony’s girls were there because they wanted to, I knew that much, but the things they had to do… it could never be me.
“No.” I whispered.
“No, because I won’t let that happen.” He touched my cheek. “You know what my family thinks about selling girls. I could never let it happen to you.”
No one would be stupid enough to say Caputo were good people, but they were honorable and no matter how much money were on the table they never dabbled in anything that involved women or children. The Caputo brothers made it their mission to punish anyone who hurt the innocents.
“Pina, Tony Balbano knows that the Caputofamigliaare not people you fuck with and he knows you’re one of us.”
I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry.
“I’m not. You sent me away, remember? No Bernoulli has a place by your brother’s throne, you made that pretty damn clear. I was guilty by association even though when Grazia was hurt my heart broke too, but you didn’t care, did you?” I sobbed, angry that my tears slipped in front of him despite my efforts. “She is… was my best friend. She was more of a sister to me than Ariana ever was and you didn’t even let me to say goodbye. And now you sit in front of me telling me I’m one of you?”
“Yes.” He said and his jaw tightened. “Yes, I sent you away because I couldn’t fucking look at you. I wanted to hurt someone and you were close, so it’s better that I told you to fucking leave.”
