Blood & Roses

Chapter 16 – The Query

Present Day – The Safe House

Bianca's POV

I sat back on the wicker chair and stretched my bones. I had been drawing for hours, and I needed a break and something to eat. I told Roscoe and went into the kitchen to rustle up lunch.

After lunch, I went into my room and lay down. Lying on my side, I flipped through my sketches to the pages I drew throughout the day. The marble statues in Adrian’s garden; the apple orchard and the truck I’d jumped into and escaped.

I flipped the next page to a sketch of Mother holding Matteo in her arms. I’d drawn her with her brow furrowed; it happens when she was worried.

I stared at the drawing, remembering her questions and me telling the truth — or part of it.

………

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

Bianca's POV

Mother cleared her throat to get my attention. I sat up straight, dreading the conversation we were about to have.

"I know I haven't been much of a mother to you and Matteo lately," she said.

"Aww, no, Mother—"

"Let me finish," she said, holding up her hand.

"After your dad died, I sort of crumbled and haven’t been a good mother to both of you. I loved your dad so much; he was my first love. And you know, he loved you both dearly and wanted to give us a better life. So he thought investing in the construction sector would be the solution. The project looked solid, backed by credible names. Even the contract was top-notch. So he took a chance."

She paused.

"But his business partner wasn't the man your father believed him to be. He siphoned all his money, including funds from his backers, and ran with it. When the company collapsed because it couldn't deliver on the projects, people pulled out and found better options. All the weight of repayment fell on your father's shoulders."

Her voice trembled, but she pressed on.

"It was a huge blow because your father had taken loans, even sold off his property to invest in that project. The loan sharks came calling; they threatened to kill us all. To keep us safe, your father used my trust fund — money I swore I'd never touch — to pay off a greater percentage of the debt. That brought us a breather, but even after that, the stress and shame of failure ate at your father, Bianca. Until his heart gave out. He slumped at work and died before he got to the hospital."

I sniffed as tears threatened to fall, remembering that horrible day. One second, Dad was there, joking with us and leaving for work. The next, he was dead. I didn't get to see him again except at the funeral. The memory brought fresh tears to my eyes. Mama was crying too. I moved to sit with her; we embraced and cried together.

It must have been tough on her and Papa. I didn't know the extent of our financial situation until Papa died. They covered up so well, always ready with a smile. But looking back, I remember times when Papa sat at his desk, peering at papers with an anxious look on his face.

"After your father's death," Mother continued, "all the energy drained out of me, including my joy and hope. On top of that, I thought about what lay ahead. I was so overwhelmed that I abandoned my duty as a mother. Letting you carry all the burdens alone. But no more! It's time for me to step up now. I won't let anything happen to you or Matteo."

"No, Mother, you didn't abandon us," I assured her. "You've been strong for so long. I didn't even know all these details. You should have shared them with me. I would have understood!"

"And so will I, Bianca," Mother said. "I guess we're cut from the same cloth." She smiled through her tears.

"What? I don't understand."

"What I mean is, your father and I didn't share because we cared for you and wanted to spare you all the worry. You are doing the same thing, withholding information about your recent activities from me."

I bowed my head, ruminating over what Mother said. She reached out and touched my hand.

"I will understand if you unburden your heart for me too," she said, looking around the apartment. "I don't want you to carry the burden alone. So tell me... Who is that man? How did you come to know him? And why were we the target of some gunmen?"

I gulped. This was Mama; she went straight to the point when she needed answers. I squirmed in my seat, wringing my hands, wondering where to start, what to share, and what to leave out.

"It's okay. You can tell me," Mother encouraged.

I looked at her, took a deep breath, and began explaining.

"After Father's funeral, you got very sick. The migraines keep you in bed most of the time. I know how painful it is for you. I was really worried. I just lost Papa... I couldn't lose you too." I sniffed and continued explaining.

"The caretaker came calling; rent was due, plus we’d run out of foodstuffs. And then . . . then my tuition was due too. I didn't want to bother you, so I tried to help out." I narrated how I was sacked from my part-time job and how I got another one — one that paid better, letting me cater to our needs.

"Oh, my poor baby. You're brave; that must have been stressful for you. So what type of job do you do in this new place?"

"Ummm... It's waitressing too. Just serving drinks, like the other job I had."

I didn't tell her it was a nightclub. She would be so disappointed and ask me to quit.

She nodded and asked, "Who is that man? Adrian... Moretti?"

I swallowed. "Ummm, that's . . . he is my boss."

"Your boss?" She asked, eyebrows raised. "Is he involved in clandestine activities? And why were those men after you?"

"Ehmm . . . my boss. He . . . he is a business person. I had forgotten my phone in his office, and he brought it back to me. And maybe he pissed off some people and . . . they must have followed him or mistook me for someone important to him." Can’t you hear how weak your excuses sound? Miss Naggy asked.

"Hmmm." Mother frowned, deep in thought. " Your boss brings your phone back … a gunfight ensues immediately after he arrives; he's comfortable shooting at people. Then it moves you and your family to a luxury apartment. I think there’s more to your boss than meets the eye; he reeks of danger," she murmured. “Or is there something going on between you two?”

,

"What? No . . . they are mistaken. I am just an employee; I’ll work there for a month and move on to better places."

"Really now?" Mother asked. She wore a poker face, a fist under her chin. That look made me uneasy; I could not hold my gaze. I prayed she believed me.

"Yes, he's just my boss . . . Nothing more."

"Hhmmmm," was all Mother said.

I couldn't shake the feeling that this was not the end of the discussion. Mother could sniff a lie from a mile away, and she could dig out facts with the fervor of a private investigator when she wanted. She suspects you were lying, I thought. She always knows, Miss Naggy chimed in.

"I just want you to know that I am proud of you, okay? We will get through this together. Now, it's been a rough day, dear. Let's go find something to eat and take a rest. I think I saw a kitchen somewhere on the left."

"Alright, Ma."

I was so relieved she didn’t pry further and changed the subject. Although I wanted to stay far away from Adrian, I was still grateful to him. Thanks to his protection, we were alive and uninjured apart from minor cuts from flying pieces of glass. He sent a doctor over to check on all three of us. The doctor gave me an ointment to apply to my ankle, recommending I stay off my feet for a few days.

The most important question on my mind was how to get us out of this mess.

Mafia life was not the kind of life I wanted for myself.

……………………

Present Day – The Safe House

Bianca's POV

I dozed off to sleep with the thoughts of my mother, but woke from a vivid dream of Adrian kissing me passionately.

I felt my face and body heat up. It wasn’t mere wishful thinking that fueled this particular dream. It did happen months ago, after I returned to work at the club.

In Adrian's office.