for you.”
“Do you mean the things from my apartment?”
“Oh, yes, those too but also all the things he purchased.”
What had Lucien done? “I didn’t realize he had…”
“He might have gone a little overboard. It was hard to fit everything in initially, so I had to go ahead and unpack some things and hang them up. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, no. I don’t mind at all.”
“That’s great, dear. Would you like a tour of the house first or would you prefer to go ahead and settle in?”
The whole situation was surreal. Lola was warm and relaxed, and she treated me like an honored guest, not a prisoner or her boss’s trick. Lucien’s home wasn’t what I would’ve expected. It was clear he was extremely wealthy—he employed a housekeeper after all. But inside, it was bright with vibrant colors and plenty of light. The furnishings looked expensive but not stuffy. It was definitely not the opulent mobster house of my imagination, decorated in red and gold with lots of dark wood.
I supposed I might as well have a tour of the house since, apparently, I was going to be living there until Lucien tired of me or I found a way to escape. A tour of the house would at least show me some escape options.
Do you really think you’d get far?
I didn’t, but I refused to think about that.
“A tour would be great. Thank you.”
“Of course,” Lola said. “I’ll show you to the dining room first. If Lucien doesn’t have other plans for you for dinner, you’ll dine here at eight o’clock.”
The dining room was decorated in vibrant greens and yellows. The gleaming wood table had intricately carved legs, but the matching chairs looked sturdy enough to hold Lucien and his relatives.
“Breakfast is served at seven and lunch at one, whenever you’re home for those meals. You can always request something be brought to your room or come down to the kitchen for whatever you need. I want you to feel at home here.”
Captivity sounded much better than my day-to-day life: food anytime I wanted it and people to bring it to me. Maybe I should’ve looked into this whole being a plaything to a mobster earlier.
Lola showed me the kitchen which was done in a French country style. There was a platter of chocolate chip cookies on the counter, and she insisted I have one.
“Wow, these are delicious,” I said after chewing my first bite.
“Thank you. Mr. Lucien has a bit of a sweet tooth, so I like to keep something around for him.” I tried to imagine Lucien swooning over a cookie, but it was impossible.
The kitchen was so inviting I almost didn’t want to leave, but I followed Lola through a sitting room, the formal living room, and then upstairs. As we reached the landing, a door opened down the hall, and Angelo stepped out.
“Ah, my brother brought you home. I’m not surprised.”
“Peter will be staying with us for a while, Mr. Angelo. Your brother has asked that—”
“I be on my best behavior? When am I not?” He blew a kiss to Lola then raced down the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Lola sniffed. “That one. He’s been like that since he was a child. But he’s loyal to Lucien, and you can trust him. For anything.”
I wondered how much she knew about the family. If she’d been with them since Angelo and Lucien were children, then she had to know a lot, probably more than she let on. “How many family members live here?”
“Four. Mr. Lucien’s father, Franco Marchesi, isn’t here now, though. He’s spending several months in the Bahamas, but Mr. Franco’s sister, Sabrina, has lived here since she left her husband, and Mr. Lucien’s brother, Angelo, and their cousin Devil are part of the household. The three of them are on this floor, but I put you in the guest room next to Mr. Lucien. I assumed he’d prefer that.” We continued on to the third floor.
I’d assumed Lucien would prefer me to be waiting in his bed, but I was glad I’d have my own space, not that I had any illusions he wouldn’t burst in whenever he chose.
Lola opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I stared in awe. The room was much larger than the closet-like bedroom in my apartment. The color palette included varying shades of blue and white. There was a queen-sized bed with a beautifully carved pine frame. The bed itself would have filled the