Page 45 of Born a Queen

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next day, Raina was pleased to see that, true to her word, Daniela Velazquez, interior designer, was making her way through the mansion with a tape measure and a notebook, Angela trailing after her with a bored expression. After she finished making notes, Daniela met with Raina in the dining room.

Raina loved everything Daniela came up with, despite there being a strange coolness to the designer. Raina still couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something almost hostile about the other woman. It was weird because she’d been pleasant and enthusiastic on the phone the day before.

Raina followed Daniela to the front door. Daniela shook Raina’s hand and assured her that she would start lining up contractors and searching for design pieces. Raina watched Daniela walk toward her vehicle, a flashy red convertible. Maybe Daniela didn’t like rich people? Or maybe she somehow knew her new clients were involved in organized crime and she didn’t approve.

Raina shrugged and stepped back into the house, closing the door and locking it. When she turned around, she nearly ran straight into Angela, who jumped back a step.

“I don’t like her,” Angela said bluntly.

Raina didn’t think it would be particularly professional to agree. Instead she said, “She’s a professional. It’s not her job to make friends here.”

Angela narrowed her eyes. “I don’t trust her.”

“Do you trust anyone?” Raina genuinely wanted to know. Angela’s hard exterior seemed to cover a hard interior.

“No,” Angela said with no inflection in her voice. “Except maybe Mateo.”

Raina wondered why Angela was so untrusting. Oddly, Raina felt comfortable around Angela. She felt instinctually that Angela would make a solid ally if Raina could earn her trust.

“You’ve been with Mateo for a long time?”

“Since I was a teen,” Angela said tersely. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to get back to work.”

Raina nodded and speculatively watched her walk away. There was a story there and Raina wanted to know what it was. She sensed that there was zero attraction between Mateo and Angela, yet they’d been together a long time. Had they ever considered hooking up? They would have made a good team. Deadly and beautiful.

Raina checked the time and realized she only had twenty minutes before she was expected at the dining table and she needed to shower. Mateo was a stickler for both punctuality and eating dinner together every evening.

Exactly twenty minutes later, Raina put the finishing touches on her makeup and admired herself in the mirror. When she took off her glasses, she could barely see herself in the mirror and had to lean in really close. She’d tried contact lenses when she was sixteen but had hated everything about them. It felt like putting sand in her eyes. The whole experience had made her appreciate her glasses even more.

Despite the annoyance of makeup application, she enjoyed the process of dressing up once in a while.

She chose a pair of black leggings with a soft shell-pink cashmere sweater. She wore a pair of cream-coloured spike heeled pumps on her feet. When she stood she wobbled, but after a few laps of her bedroom she got the hang of them. She’d found a limited supply of abandoned clothing in the closet and suspected that they belonged to Casey. After her conversation with the other woman she came to the conclusion that Mateo had put her in Casey's old bedroom.

There was only a handful of items. It was all good quality, but slightly large for Raina's petite frame. It became obvious that Casey was much taller than her and had longer feet. But Raina was able to make do. At least until she could get her own wardrobe.

Raina left the bedroom and made her way down to the dining room where she was five minutes late for the evening meal. As always, Mateo was waiting for her. He was a very punctual man and the sharp look that he gave her made it clear that he was taking note of her tardiness.

Raina smiled blithely and took her usual seat. She’d been at the mansion for four days now and was starting to settle into a routine. The only problem was that it was a routine she didn't particularly enjoy. She'd explored the mansion, taking notes and meeting with the interior decorator. Beyond that, she had nothing much to do and she was bored. She knew Mateo didn't want her leaving the mansion, but she had to convince him to lift the house arrest or she would go crazy.

The housekeeper, Lydia, came breezing into the dining room, her hands laden with dishes. Raina smiled up at her and helped take them out of Lydia’s hands, placing them on the table. Raina liked Lydia. The older woman was cheerful, efficient, and always had a ready ear for Raina. Raina had spent more time in the kitchen since arriving than she'd spent in all of her kitchens combined when she was travelling.

Once Lydia left the dining room, Raina and Mateo began eating. The meal consisted of a roast chicken with rosemary seasoning, potatoes, vegetables, and dessert.

"Do we have any plans for tomorrow?" Raina hoped she sounded nonchalant.

Mateo glanced up from his meal with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want, Raina?" he asked, cutting through her small talk.

"I want to go out shopping for the day."

She expected an argument from him, the man who had to have eyes on her at all times, especially since the bunker debacle. Instead, he surprised her by saying, "Done. Let Danny know what time you want to leave and he'll put together a team for you."

Once Raina was over her shock of his quick capitulation, she protested, "Why do I need a team? I'm just going shopping."

Mateo continued to eat, only speaking once he swallowed. "You will have a team of men with you every time you leave the house,” he said calmly. “This subject is not up for debate."

Raina badly wanted to debate the subject, but she wanted to leave the house more. She figured now was not the time to push Mateo on the ridiculous amount of security he insisted she have. She’d take that up with him next week, after she went shopping.

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