Page 126 of Mafia Mistress

I started, surprised at hearing my name in the crowd. Looking up, I found Mariella, Enzo D’Agostino’s mantenuta, in front of me. “Ciao!” She grabbed my shoulders and kissed my cheeks.

“Mariella, ciao!” How strange. What were the odds of seeing her here? I thought she and Enzo lived in Naples. “How are you?”

“Good. You?”

“Okay. What are you doing here?”

“Visiting the beach.” She pointed to the water. “Siderno has the best in all of Italy.”

Better than Naples? I shrugged. What did I know?

“Come, sit with me!”

Before I could say no, she began tugging me toward two chaises and an umbrella. Was she here with Enzo or a friend? But seeing as how I was exhausted, I gratefully sat down.

I could see Sal getting to his feet at the house, probably coming to check on me. But once he saw me on the chaise, he retook his seat, content that I wasn’t trying to escape. His eyes didn’t leave us, however.

Mariella smiled brightly. “It is good to see you. How is Fausto?”

I certainly didn’t feel up to discussing that asshole. “Fine. Enzo?”

“He’s very good.” She waggled her brows. “He is in Napoli with his wife this weekend.”

“Oh.” That must suck.

“Fausto is here with you?”

“No. I’m by myself.”

She nodded. “It is good to take time away. Makes them miss you, no?”

I felt my stomach roll, the nausea returning. “Did you come to the beach alone?”

“Yes, but now I found you, so not alone anymore.”

Covering my mouth, I hid a yawn. I didn’t have the heart to tell her yet, but I was definitely not up for a wild weekend in Siderno. She chattered on, talking about the Siderno night clubs and all the hot men here. Then she told me about Naples and her life there. I guess Enzo treated her pretty well. Did he think of her as a gold-digging whore?

Still, it felt nice to have an interaction with another young woman close to my age. Mariella and I weren’t friends, but we were friendly and both involved with dangerous men. Fortunately, her constant talking distracted me from the train wreck that was my life at the moment. I even laughed once or twice.

“Come, let’s get a rossini!”

Though I’d never had one, I knew this was a cocktail. “I don’t have any money.”

“I’ll buy you one.” Mariella stood and led the way toward the bar near the boardwalk. I turned and saw Sal marching across the sand, following us. I pointed to the bar, and he nodded, slowing down.

Mariella didn’t stop at the bar. “Before we get drinks, you must see something. My car is just over here. Enzo bought it for me. Come, come. I want to show you.”

Wait, a car?

Mariella had a car—a car that could take me away from the beach, away from Siderno. Away from him.

My heart began pounding with possibility. Could I slip away? Sal wasn’t close enough to stop me. This seemed like the perfect chance. Possibly my only chance. We could get in and drive, and I could disappear.

I would explain my situation to Mariella. As a fellow mafia mistress, surely she would understand and help me. Wouldn’t she? Keeping my head down, I began walking quickly toward the parking lot, Mariella keeping pace. She approached a sleek gray four-door sports sedan at the curb. I asked, “Is that yours?”

“Sí! Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s a Maserati. Come see.”

She didn’t need to ask me twice. I approached the car, imagining my getaway. “Actually, Mariella—”

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