He didn’t offer his hand, and I was grateful. “I remember,” he told me. I gave him a timid smile. With a nod, he went to the back of the car and helped Enzo with our suitcases. “I’ll get your stuff,” he told him. “Luca is in the kitchen with Veda. They’re waiting for you.”
“Thanks,” Enzo told him. Taking my hand, he led me into the house.
My eyes went wide as we walked into the foyer. It opened onto a great room with ceilings that reached all the way to the second floor, edged with crown molding. Straight ahead, a glass wall overlooked the lake. A small sitting area made up of a few comfy-looking chairs sat directly in front of it. Tiled stairs rose to the right with a beautiful wrought iron banister that extended along the loft-like walkway of the second floor that ran along the entire circumference of the room. Four great, rounded columns helped support it, giving the room a majestic feel.
On my left was a bar made of the same marble tiles as the floor, and just past it was another, larger, sitting area made up of a couch, a few more chairs, and a fireplace.
I was so enthralled that Enzo’s voice startled me when he spoke. “There’s a heated pool you can use year-round, a media room, and a gym downstairs. I’ll show you around once we check in with Luca.”
I realized my mouth was hanging open and slammed it shut. “This house is gorgeous.”
He looked around as though he’d never noticed before. “Yes. It is. I normally stay here at night, monitoring the guards outside and the security cameras. It’s part of my job.”
I immediately felt a sense of loss that he wouldn’t be lying beside me while I slept. “Oh.”
“Along with my other duties,” he added.
“When do you sleep?”
“Whenever I get the chance.” He tugged on my hand. “Come. Let’s go say hello to our hosts.”
He led me to the other side of the room until we reached a couple of doorways. One led into a large kitchen made up of warm earth tones. A man and a woman sat at the table talking quietly, both with light hair—hers an ashy blonde and his darker and sprinkled with gray above his ears. His sharp blue eyes met mine the moment we appeared, and if Enzo hadn’t been holding my hand, my automatic reaction would’ve been to take a few steps back.
This was Luca, the underboss. Even if we’d been in a crowded room, I would’ve known who he was. There was a sense of unmerciful power about him, tempered only by the possessive way he touched the woman with him.
When she saw his attention was diverted, she swung around, and her welcoming smile landed on me and Enzo. It didn’t escape my notice the way her eyes warmed when they landed on the man standing beside me, and I felt a twinge of something cold and hard toward this woman.
It didn’t last long, though, because it was difficult to have any kind of bad feelings toward someone who jumped out of their chair to rush over and give you a welcoming hug so hard you couldn’t breathe.
“Sera, this is Veda,” Enzo said. “Veda. Sera.”
“I’ve heard very little about you,” she told me once she’d released me from her death grip, “but I’m so happy to meet you.”
“Thank you,” I responded. “And I can say the same about you.”
She laughed. It was a strange sound to me coming from a home like this. There was never laughter in my own growing up. Not so happy and carefree. “I like her already,” she told Enzo.
Luca rose from the table and came to stand beside Veda. “It’s nice to meet you, Sera. Please make yourself at home while you’re staying here.” He didn’t offer me his hand either, and I was grateful, for mine were shaking.
“Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
His blue eyes roamed over my face, sizing me up, as he said, “Veda, why don’t you show Sera where she’ll be staying? I’ll have a few of my men bring up your things.”
“That’s not necessary,” I told him. “I only have a suitcase. And”—I waved in Enzo’s direction—“so does Enzo.”
“Please, allow one of the men to take care of it for you,” he said. “I insist.”
With no other choice, I gave him a nod. “Thank you.”
He turned to Enzo. “Come to my office with me while Veda shows Sera around. I need to get you caught up on a few things.”
Enzo squeezed my hand and released it. “I’ll see you soon.”
I gave him a small smile and followed Veda out of the room.
“Lisa, Luca’s cook and general house servant, will be starting dinner soon. But if you’re hungry or anything, we can scrounge you up something to hold you over after the tour.”
“I’m good, but thank you.” I frowned. “House servant?”
