Page 45 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Arturo hasn’t shown up and the baker said someone else has been coming in to collect what he usually does,” I say, trying not to reveal how anxious I really am.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he’s sick or busy with something else.”
“Everyone has told me how cruel this man is, yet you say that you’re sure Arturo’s fine.”
“Brother, you cannot charge into that estate and demand to see a slave you have no control over. Keep your head about you.”
I nod and head over to the tree. “I’m simply reading.”
“Good,” Lorenzo says as he stops and leans against the tree. “My child should have been born by now.”
“No news?”
“No.”
“You know news is slow to come. I could very well see Father intercepting it to keep something so ‘unimportant’ in his eyes from distracting you.”
“You’re quite right. I’ll send an inquiry to Father and hope this time I see a response.”
“Say something stupid about how you wish to know the gender so you can prepare for their future.”
“Sadly, a good idea.”
“You say it like I generally have bad ideas,” I joke.
“You have questionable ideas,” he says as he sits down next to me. He pushes my bag open and grabs a book I have in it.
“Do you even know how to read?” I tease, well aware that reading is one of his least favorite activities.
“Of course I do… I just don’t understand the joy of it.”
When the day stretches on into night, Lorenzo leaves me to meet up with some of the others heading to the tavern. It becomes impossible to read without relying on a flame, so I sit for a minute longer before deciding that I’ll call it a night. I get up and grab my bag an instant before I get an uneasy feeling. The hairs on the back of my neck stand as I suddenly look behind me. It’s so dark, I can’t even see anything, but something tells me it’s there. I reach into my bag, but all I have with me is a knife. I draw it out and begin to back up toward the more populated part of the city.
“You must be Ezio,” a voice says a moment before a man steps out of the darkness. “I’m impressed.”
“By what?” I ask, confused who this man is and what he even has to be impressed about.
The way he dresses immediately tells me he’s of a higher class and not some thief come to pick a fight with me. The people in the town still mistakenly believe we’re here for a rest on our travels. A few of the guys sell shit in the market to keep up the ruse.
“I’m Louis,” he says, not looking at all like I expected him to. I guess I assumed he was Italian, having set up such a large empire here, but he’s clearly not, though I can’t quite place his accent, having never ventured far enough to do so.
And I realize that I’m looking at the very man who is holding the love of my life captive.
I know Arturo told me that Louis is aware of me, but I don’t know to what extent. I’m uncertain if I should ask him about Arturo because I’m afraid of getting him in trouble. Or should I simply execute him where he stands and collect Arturo and flee the country?
“I assume you’re waiting here for Arturo? My poor boy was mugged earlier in the week while making a run to a nearby city. I think he got kind of lax, seeing as you often did runs with him and he wasn’t keeping his eyes out for what might be lurking in the dark.”
“What happened to him?” I ask, anxious.
“Nothing to fret about. Do you want to see him?”
There’s something about this man that tells me that he’s not safe. There’s something about him telling me that I should turn away and go back to my brother, but I can’t keep myself from nodding. “Yes, please.”
“Come along then,” he says.
“Should I grab my horse?”
“No, I have a carriage.”
