She just cried in my arms as I held her.
“Giorgio,” a voice said softly to my right.
Both Emilia and I looked up to see Niccolo smiling kindly down at us. “Your lady friend seems to have had quite a shock. What’s your name,bella?”
Emilia looked up at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Emilia.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Emilia, although I’m sorry it’s under such terrible circumstances. I’m afraid we need Giorgio for a moment, but I’d like you, Bianca, Lucia, and Mei-ling to go to our family estate in Tuscany. You’ll be safe there, and you’ll beaccompanied by some of my best men. Would that be alright with you?”
Emilia looked at me fearfully.
“It’s a beautiful place,” I told her. “It’s like a palace – you’ll love it.”
“And you’ll be with Bianca, Lucia, and Mei-ling,” Niccolo said. “They’ll take good care of you – I promise.”
Emilia looked at Niccolo, then back at me.
I nodded gently.
“…alright…” she said dully.
“You can accompany her to the car,” Niccolo told me. “Vincenzo will drive them, and we’ll have two other cars escort him.”
“Thank you,” I said, then helped Emilia to her feet.
Over on the other side of the room, Bianca was clinging to Adriano.
Massimo looked down at Lucia. He was big as a mountain next to her. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, then looked over at Niccolo. “But I want to stay.”
“Lucia – ” Massimo said gently.
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “If I’m going to take over for my grandmother someday, I can’t sit this sort of thing out.”
“Lucia,please,”Niccolo said softly. “I really,reallyneed your help with Bianca and Emilia.”
Lucia looked at Emilia’s tear-streaked face, then over at Bianca.
“…okay,” she relented.
“Thank you,” Niccolo said gratefully.
“I’d like to stay,” Mei-ling said in English. Then she looked at Lucia. “I can tell you everything that happens.”
Lucia nodded. “Thanks.”
Niccolo looked at Mei-ling in surprise. So did Roberto.
“I thought you didn’t want to be involved in things like this,” Roberto said in a low voice.
“Since the women of this family were targeted,” she replied, “I think it’s important to have a woman here as a representative.”
“Damn straight!” Lucia agreed.
Niccolo looked at Roberto, who shrugged. “I have no objections.”
“Youmightlater on,” Niccolo said in an insinuating voice.
