"I have a phone."
He shakes his head. "You had a phone. Now you need a new one."
A lifetime of living with security-conscious men has taught me to pick my battles wisely and this one isn't worth engaging in. If Gabriele wants me to have a new phone with all the latest security features and no doubt the best tracking software available, I won't argue.
"Will my contacts be transferred to it?"
"The ones that pass our vetting process. That will take a day or two." He pauses. "Is there someone you wish to call urgently?"
I consider that for a moment and decide that no, there isn't. Speaking to any member of my family right now is out of the question. I'm not ready for the lecture I'll be subjected to.
There are several women I might class as friends if I was using a loose definition of the word. We've attended the same events together, spent time exchanging gossip, but any one of them would leave me dying in the gutter if it bought them some social advantage.
"No." I smile tightly. "There's nothing urgent."
Lukas nods and we carry on with the tour, taking in the upper floor which is mainly bedrooms and a small sitting room with one of those old-fashioned rolltop desks in it. He tells me I can have it as my own space if I like. I don't ask what for. I doubt being Gabriele Volante's wife involves a lot of paperwork. The only thing I'm likely to need to keep track of is attendance at social obligations and I can manage that with a cellphone.
Still, the room would make a good place to retreat to so I accept the offer.
"Those are Gabriele's rooms." Lukas points to a double door. He doesn't even pretend that's something I should know after last night. He walks to the large window at the end of the hall. "The guardhouse is over there."
I join him as he points out a drab single-story gray building that looks like it houses a Soviet-era nuclear bunker.
"And my house is over there."
I follow his finger to a modern concrete and glass dwelling that shouldn't fit the landscape but somehow does. I stare down at the rather bleak gardens.
"Would Gabriele be more open to me changing things out there?" I ask.
"Like what?"
"I'd love somewhere to eat outside."
"There's a table and chairs on the rear terrace."
"Oh, fantastic. So what about some flowerbeds, ornaments perhaps? Oh, I'd love to put a table and chairs right over there."
I point to an area close to the trees.
"I'll add it to the list and see what Gabriele says." Lukas turns. "Now, one last thing. If the house is ever under attack, there's a panic room at the back of your closet. There's a panel on the wall, programmed with your date of birth. Once you're inside, you'll control whether anyone else gets in."
"What about Gabriele? What happens to him if we're under attack?"
"He fights the bad guys." Lukas must see the trepidation on my face. "It's not likely to happen, Katya. The house is well protected. There's a team of guards here around the clock and Eduardo and his men are highly trained. You should also know there are cameras everywhere."
"Everywhere?" I squeak.
"Yes, but only Gabriele has access to the ones in your bedroom."
"And the bathrooms?"
Lukas shakes his head. "He's cautious, not a pervert."
"I'm glad to hear it."
There's a low buzz and Lukas takes his phone from his pocket. He answers it with a curt "Pronto."
When he's finished what sounds like a tense call, he puts his phone away.
