Page 7 of Ludovico's Vengeance

“Thank you for your time; I’ll be in touch.” I cut him off mid-sentence and stand abruptly. Thankfully, Michael follows suit and keeps pace until we’re outside where the sun is beginning to set. We walk side by side to the car, and I let myself into the back seat just as my phone dings with a text. I pull my phone out of my jacket pocket and tap the notification icon. I can feel my face heat as I read the message. Even if I’ve never met the Barone girl before, I feel a responsibility to her and everything inside me screams to end her fucking father as soon as possible.

Milo:

She's secure and en route with me. It’s worse than you could have imagined.

AsIstepintothe warm sunshine for the first time in my entire life, I take in the feeling of the openness around me now that I am outside of the place I've called my home for as long as I can remember. The heat beating down from the sky warms my skin, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. I look over my shoulder to find Milo, only a half-step away from me as we walk toward a large SUV. My feet stop on the sidewalk as I take in my surroundings. I hesitate before asking for something I've wanted to do for so long.

“Can I touch the grass?” My voice is so small as the question passes my lips. His eyes become glassy with unshed tears at my request. I'm sure it’s an odd request. Who would want to touch grass? But I've never had the opportunity to even be outside, this is all so new to me.

“Of course, Nina.” His reply comes across so much gentler than he was when speaking with my father.

My mouth forms into the widest grin that's ever graced my face. I take a few cautious steps toward the large plot of bright green lawn in front of the house. As I kneel down and press my hand against the blades of grass, which prickle my skin, I take in a sharp breath at the sensation. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and tears begin to well, stinging my eyes. I quickly lift my hand and wipe the moisture away before standing back up to face Milo.

“I’m ready.” The words come out breathier than I mean for them to, yet with the emotion I’m feeling, I’m shocked that I can still find the words to speak at all. Once I'm seated in the large vehicle, Milo climbs in and sits next to me. It’s not lost on me that he keeps his distance, which I'm more appreciative of than I can express at the moment. When the man behind the wheel finally begins to drive, Milo pulls out his phone and taps on the screen.

My gaze drifts to the window as we begin our trip. The outside world passes us by with every second we're on the road. I must confuse the men in the car when I gasp a few times because I feel both of their eyes land on me. I can't help my reaction. Everything is new, I've only seen the world like this through movies Cece has let me watch on TV.

A while later, we're making a left onto a long drive. Gorgeous rose bushes line the right side of the car and lead toward a huge building. My breathing begins to grow frantic as the realization of today's events hits me like a ton of bricks. The mansion - yes reader, you read that correctly. A fucking mansion - comes clearer into view with every second that passes, which doesn't help my emotions. Milo must sense the change within me because he turns toward me.

“Nina, I promise you. No one here will hurt you.” The sincerity in his voice helps ease my nerves a little. “You will have the ability to explore, right now we just want to get you inside and the boss will explain why you're here. Ok?”

My eyes prick with unshed tears as I nod in response. Unsure of the proper procedure, I wait for Milo to let me out of the car once we're parked. A moment later the door opens and he extends a hand to help me step down. When I do, I'm greeted by a gorgeous older woman about the same age as Cece. Her dark hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her eyes remind me of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. With a sharp jawline it makes her neck appear impossibly long yet, she looks perfect.

“Hi, Sweet Girl, my name is Giovanna Ludovico.” She says as she approaches me and folds her arms around me in a tight squeeze. “You may call me Vanna if you'd like.”

Milo clears his throat interrupting her, “Va – Mrs. Ludovico, don't overwhelm her.”

She waves her hand at him in a gesture that says she'll do as she pleases and it makes me giggle. A sound that surprises the hell out of me. How am I so comfortable around these people?

“I’m Nina.” I reply shyly; my voice is barely a whisper.

Giovanna wraps her surprisingly strong arm around my shoulder and guides me up the steps and into the large home. We're greeted by another woman once we're inside. She's about the same age, her blonde hair is styled in a short bob that somehow makes her slightly round face look a bit longer than it is.

“Nina, this is Mrs. Jade De Luca. She's our housekeeper and keeps our home in working order.” Giovanna smiles as she introduces the woman standing in front of us.

“Hi, dear, you may call me Jade if you wish or Mrs. De Luca.” She grins and glances toward Milo before continuing. “Or if you'd like, the boys like to call me Mrs. D. when I'm not around and think I don't know.” She winks, and Milo stifles a laugh. “You should know by now, child, I know everything.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Milo snorts.

Mrs. De Luca – no I don't like that; it feels too formal – Jade steps toward me and extends a hand. When I lift mine to place in hers, she speaks quietly just to me.

“It's so nice to meet you, Nina. If you need anything, just shout. You'll be ok here, dear.”

Jade disappears somewhere in the house as Giovanna and Milo lead me on a tour of the building. It's so big that they have a living room and a den, five bedrooms on either side of the house and on the second floor making a total of fifteen freaking bedrooms! Plus, Jade's got her own quarters so that she can be on call for anything the house may need during the night. My jaw is still on the floor back in the entry way as they explain all of this while they show me around. As we approach an open door on the second floor, Milo vanishes into a room that neither of them disclose anything about. She leads me into the open room and smiles brightly at me as I take in the surroundings. This bedroom is larger than the entire space I had at home.

“This will be your room.” The warmth in her tone makes me feel so at peace. “Giovanni will want to see you soon, but he is finishing up with a situation that came up today.”

“Who is Giovanni?” Curiosity fills my voice as the question passes my lips.

The door to my study opens without warning. I look up with my Glock in hand, aimed at the ready to shoot the fucker who entered without permission — until I see its Milo. Ok, he has a pass. I've been waiting for him. He looks completely drained from the day’s events. As soon as my friend slides down to sit on the couch along the wall, I stand to grab us a couple of drinks. He lets out a breath when I hand over a heavy pour of the bourbon I've taken over since we got rid of Frederico. He had good taste in alcohol at least.

“You look like shit, run down what happened for me.” I lift my own glass to my lips and take a long pull. The spicy liquid burns as it travels down my throat. Fuck, does it feel good after today.

Milo's shoulders lift and fall with another heavy sigh before he starts to explain what they found when picking up the girl.

“I thought it was fine at first; their house is nice. Not as big as this place, but not much can compare to this.” He gestures around the room to make sure his point lands. “She had been locked away in a room on the second floor. It took up most of the floor so it felt like a studio apartment. But man, she had never been allowed outside of that room. She had never fucking touched grass until today. You should have seen the way she lit up when I let her feel it. Her smile is breathtaking. When we were on our way back here, I thought Danny Boy was going to crash with how often she would gasp when we passed something on the drive.” He shakes his head dumbfounded, “She's in better shape than one would expect for being isolated for so long, but Jesus, I feel awful for the poor girl.”

A rage begins to boil in my veins. When Barone made the comment he did about his daughter, I knew it couldn't have been a good situation, but fuck me. I may need to have a bit more fun with him than I did with Frederico. As if Milo can sense my thoughts he starts to speak again.

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