“You’ll notice.”
Once they find nothing suspicious, the gates glide open, granting us entry into the Castellos’ heavily fortified sanctuary.Two hundred acres of controlled, manicured power.
Luca drives up the long entry path, green stretching endlessly on either side, then swings left into a parking lot packed with Lincoln Navigators, Escalades, and Bentleys.He parks, and we climb out.
I follow him across a short bridge arching over a pond, leading to another lot.This one packed with rows of custom golf carts.
Luca slides into a Chevy cart and grunts, “Hop in.”
I barely settle in before he takes off, weaving through the villa until we reach The Pink House.A sprawling, twelve-bedroomwhitemansion.Where the women like me lives.Hence the charmingly sexist nickname.
Luca ushers me up the front steps and into the grandiose foyer, flanked by twin staircases.Marble floors gleam under soft lighting from the glistening chandelier.
“The house manager’s likely asleep.Tazi.And the others are at work,” he says, trudging up the stairs.“Let’s just get you a room for now.Tazi can give you the tour in the morning.”
I don’t need a tour.I’ve spied on this villa enough.But he doesn’t need to know that.
Luca moves down the left hall, throwing doors open without knocking, peeking inside before moving on to the next.They’re all occupied.
He pivots and crosses to the right hall, repeating the process until he finds one that’s empty.
It’s a decent-sized room, spacious, outfitted with two full-sized beds, two dressers, nightstands, vanities, and a large flat-screen.
“There are usually two girls to a room,” Luca says.“But we just got rid of half a dozen, so you’ll probably have this one to yourself for a while.”
“Got rid of them?”
“Yeah.”He flops back on the bed closer to the door, arms folded behind his head, boots crossed at the ankles.“They thought they were clever.Formed a little thieving ring.Stole a little here and there while on the job.Made outside contact, plotted a scheme to hit us big and run.”
“Well, that’s stupid.”
“You’d think.But it happens.”He yawns.“That’s why there are rules.You girls come here desperate, running from something, someone.Empty-handed.Wanting protection, safety.We give that protection and more.Shelter, food, savings.All you have to do is work, follow the rules, and stay loyal.
“But then, you become comfortable.Used to the safety, the free living.You forget why you came in.That’s when you start doing dumb shit like that.”He lances me with a sharp look.A warning.“We sent four of the six back to the hell they were running from.”
“And the other two?”
“Executed in front of the rest.To remind them what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you.”
He watches me closely, gauging my reaction.
I force a flinch, try for a disturbed expression.But it’s too delayed, too calculated.I doubt he buys it.I’m good at adapting and disguising, but not acting.And Luca is proving to be more perceptive than anticipated.
“You know what I think?”he drags.
“Oh, so you want to finish that thought you bailed on earlier?Now that it’s just us?”
His body shakes with a low laugh.“There you go, smart girl.There you go.”His eyes shutter closed.“Something’s off about you.What I think is…you’re a smart-ass headcase pretending to be meek.But you struggle to keep up the act, because wherever you’re from, you’re used to getting your way.”
I snort, dumping my bag on the bed near the balcony.“That’s aterribleread.”
Luca yawns again, unfazed.“Don’t care what your story is, smart girl, but you look like a fighter.Just don’t be dumb, get me?Don’t forget what brought you here.”
Oh, trust me, I won’t.
CHAPTER FOUR
Stefano
