Page 5 of To Have and To Hold

Pressing my lips together, I shook my head. “No. And Papà would never?—”

“Are you forgetting that he already did?” she asked. “Uncle Carmine agreed to offer you to Reinaldo.”

My heart was again beating too fast. “It’s because Dario didn’t feel Jasmine was enough of an offer forel Patr?n’sson. And Papà wasn’t happy about it.” I stared at everyone. “It was Dario’s doing, not Papà’s.”

“You know if Dario tells Dad to jump, he’ll jump,” Noemi said. “Dad talks shit about the capo, but he won’t stand up to him, not on something like this.”

Aria leaned back. “Look at you. All three of you have beautiful blond hair. You stick out.” She peered over at Noemi and me. “Stick out—in a good way. Men notice you. Women will notice Tony when he’s older too.”

Her comment reminded me that our father had taken Tony into the capo’s office. I couldn’t help worrying about him. Papà was harder on him than he was on Noemi and me. That wasn’t to say he was easy on us. It was just different.

When my thoughts came back to our conversation, Aria was speaking. It didn’t take me too long to realize she was talking about Emiliano.

“…at Dario’s wedding, I wasn’t sure what to think of him. I mean, he kept looking at Dario like he wanted to kill him.”

Marisa scoffed. “He probably did. Catalina’s his little sister.”

Cenzi nodded.

Aria went on, “He’s bulked up since then and doesn’t seem so uptight.”

“Dealing with Dario makes everyone uptight.” I was thinking about what Marisa said. “I forgot that he’s older than Catalina. How old do you think he is?”

“He’s older,” Aria said. “Maybe thirty.”

Noemi responded, “That sounds old, but it really isn’t. Dante’s in his thirties and Camila is like twenty.” Her cheeks pinkened. “I think I’d rather be with an older man who knows what he’s doing. Some of the girls at school talk.” She swallowed. “I think it sounds awkward to fumble around with a guy who knows as much about sex as I do. Which is only what I can read in a book or see in a movie. And that’s not real.”

“I hate that we’re so sheltered,” Marisa said. “Attending an all-girls Catholic school, I don’t even have any guy friends my own age to compare.” She sat taller. “And I’ve heard the stories at school, too. I think they’re lying and talking for attention. I mean, there’s no way that they’re getting all that action and we’re sitting here in an all-girls library while the living room is full of eligible men.” When we didn’t respond, she added, “That’s why I’m taking off after I’m eighteen. I want to see the world. Learn about guys and everything the world has to offer.”

The library door opened inward. Aunt Giulia peeked inside. “Contessa announced that the meal is ready. It’s a buffet. You girls should get your plates and come back here to eat.”

As we all stood and began to file out the doorway, my aunt reached for my arm. She lowered her voice. “I thought you should know. Mia has been talking to your mom about you helping her out in San Diego with the apartment house she’s running.”

My eyes narrowed. “Mia’s running an apartment house?”

Aria and Cenzi were farther away, but Marisa’s and Noemi’s eyes opened wider.

“Go on,” Aunt Giulia said to the other girls before turning back to me. “It’s Mia’s project. She had an old school renovated into apartments for the whores from Wanderland, the cartel’s club.”

Club?

“Is their club any different than Emerald Club?” I asked.

Aunt Giulia pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I don’t know for sure, but the basics are the same. Your uncle claims Emerald Club is better. Anyway, now with Jorge born and Aléjandro’s new position, Mia could use help. When Aurora said you were taking a year off from college to do philanthropic work, Mia latched on. I guess some young woman from Catalina’s family is helping, but she can’t do it alone.”

“Do they keep them locked up?”

“Who?”

“The women working in the club.”

My aunt tilted her head. “No…why would they?”

“What if they want to leave?”

“Then I guess they leave. Mia said that the change in housing has had a positive effect on the women.”

“Women. You just said whores.” I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t want to go to San Diego.” My eyes opened wide. “Where would I live? I couldn’t live with Mia—not withel Patr?n.” Tears threatened the back of my eyes. “What did Mom say?”

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