Page 29 of Depths of Desire
"Mia, I'm gonna stop you right there," I say coldly, "because I really don't give a shit about the family. I don't care what your business ideas are. I'm glad that you're happy with Renzo, but that's not my life. I am not sacrificing myself to marry that asshole. He's cruel, he's mean, and he's cold—and I'm not doing it. So, you can just plan your business strategies around something else." I don’t add that he’s also a vampire, and that I won’t marry a vampire.
I hang up the phone. I knew saying anything was a mistake. I knew it—I knew it. It also means I have to leave town. And I need to leave now. Mia is going to tell Renzo, who is going to talk to my father, which will set the whole thing off. Once Renzo discovers that my father’s been helping Malrick, then the shit is really going to hit the fan. I do not want to be anywhere near Genoa when that happens. I’m sure the ship sinking was Malrick taking a swipe at the Valdicis. It would be exactly the type of thing he would do.
I go back inside in search of Carson. I find him in the kitchen.
“Carson, do you have a backpack or an overnight bag I could borrow?”
“Yes, Miss.” He disappears for a moment and comes back with a good-sized backpack.
“Going somewhere, Miss?”
“No. I just like to be ready. You know how it is,” I offer him a quick smile, “being in la famiglia—you always have to have a go-bag. I’ve been trained.”
I smile again, but I know it’s brittle. Does he believe me? I really don’t care.
I turn and head up the stairs to the bedroom I’m staying in. I open the closet—and somehow, there are more clothes there for me. I don’t know where Carson dug them out of or when they arrived, but he managed to find quite a few.
I sort through, picking out shorts, T-shirts, a couple of dresses, and some long pants. I grab a sweater, then fill the bag with underwear and socks. I grab my toothbrush from the bathroom, toss it in the bag, and zip it up.
And then I stare. I’m ready to go. But how do I get there? It's not like they’re going to let me call an Uber. And where is there?
Tonight, I tell myself. When everyone’s asleep. But I have a feeling that won’t work either. Still, at some point tonight, I’m going to have to sneak out. Maybe I’ll take a walk around the property. Nico’s gated estate should be safe enough. I’ll have to convince Nico, but I think he’ll go along with it. I’ll make him go along with it. His speech earlier left me frozen. I didn’t know whether to be angry that he was so arrogant or touched that he’d take the time to acknowledge my strengths.
It was…confusing.
Just another reason to get away from here. Nico confuses me too much. It would be so easy to like him. To stay with him. But that would just lead to more problems. Nope, I just have to bring the backpack down, hide it somewhere, and then take it with me when I go out. If I can get off the property, I can call an Uber to take me directly to the Nice airport.
I’ll take the first flight out, wherever it goes. But will it be early enough? He’ll look for me there—that’ll be the first place he checks. So if I don’t go to Nice, where do I go?
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I don’t want to answer it. But it’s Pippa—not Mia. So maybe… just maybe...I pick it up with a snarl. “What?”
“That’s a hell of a thing,” she starts. “You accused Mia of putting business before friendship.”
“But you and I both know… that’s what she’s doing. Don’t we?”
Silence.
“You’ve got to understand,” Pippa starts, “she’s under a lot of pressure.”
“I don’t have to understand anything. Mia is selling me out. I’m sure she’s telling Renzo right now.”
Pippa sighs. “What can I do to help?”
“Help with what?”
“I know you’re going on the run,” Pippa states. “And I don’t blame you one bit. I wouldn’t marry him either—he’s a miserable son of a bitch. And honestly? I think they’re being short-sighted. Renzo’s under pressure, sure. But if you marry Comescu, then he gets a say. If your father’s under his thumb, like you said, he’ll start lobbying for him. Then the old guard will start making alliances. You know how that goes. A lot of them aren’t pleased with Renzo—they think he’s not showing enough respect.
“They’re wrong, of course. The truth is, Renzo’s been more than kind to most of these men and let them get away with shit. If Mia’s dad were still in charge, he would have had our fathers' kill anyone who stood up against him. And they would’ve done it.”
A laugh bubbles up, halfway to a sob. It feels so good to have someone see this from my perspective.
“Oh, Pippa. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to hear you say all that. I’ve been so scared.”
“I wish you’d come to me sooner,” she says. “I might’ve been able to help.”
“I can’t let you get in the middle of this. If Luca or Renzo finds out…”
Pippa sighs. “Honestly? I think if you gave Mia a chance, she’d come to the same conclusion. It’s just harder for her.”
