Chapter 81: My Boy
Carmen
Even before I was done with my cup of coffee I headed back to my room. I bathed, letting the water run over me just long enough to steady my thoughts, changed quickly, then headed back out. Tying my hair into a tight ponytail as I stepped into the hallway, I made my way straight for the main entrance of the mansion.
Nico was yet to come out but it didn’t matter if he did, stepping out and heading downstairs only to see Vanessa head down at the same time, her posture straight and her expression unreadable as our paths aligned.
She didn’t greet me but it wasn’t a cold war enough for us to be enemies. "Good morning," I greeted her but she merely chuckled as she met my gaze, the sound soft but edged with something sharper.
"You rarely sleep in your room nowadays!" she pointed out with a slightly bitter tinge in her tone that managed to piss me off, her eyes scanning me like she was piecing something together she didn’t like.
How the hell was that any of her business? I struggled to not glare back in annoyance, keeping my face composed even as irritation prickled beneath my skin.
"Are you watching me?" I smiled at her, the curve of my lips controlled, and she simply shook her head. "Just noticing the obvious. Especially since for all I know the mansion could be under another attack!" she said, a biting tinge in her tone that showed that she was not the least bit happy.
Side by side we headed down the stairs and I had just gotten to the entrance when I realized that she was headed in the direction of Nico’s room, her steps slowing slightly as if reconsidering.
"You are safe Vanessa! It’s just better if you aren’t aware of most things," I told her before I headed out, watching her stop to glance back at me as I continued to speak, my hand already resting on the door.
"If you want to go back to your normal life without getting involved, it’s the way things have to be!" I told her, watching her eyes flicker in a way that showed that she didn’t believe me in the slightest, not that I could actually blame her.
Having said all that needed to be said, I turned and headed out through the main entrance, the cool air brushing against my skin as I stepped outside, heading towards the car that was already waiting for me, its engine running softly. Having already texted ahead as I entered and settled in the backseat, adjusting slightly to get comfortable.
"You already got the address?" I asked even as the bodyguard assigned to me nodded his head as he sat beside the driver, dressed in the usual black suit uniform with shades that made it hard to identify them.
I simply nodded my head and leaned back, letting my shoulders sink slightly into the seat. Talking any more than I needed to was the last thing I wanted to do, especially with everything already running through my mind.
The car drove for quite a while, and it took about an hour, if not longer, before we got to Bianca’s estate which was where she had agreed to meet me and not the Castilo estate, something that was already surprising given how calculated she usually was.
Even more surprising was the message she had sent to me, it had sounded genuine, almost urgent, but I wouldn’t know until I got there. Another reason why I had asked for a full regiment of guards instead of just the one, my fingers tightening slightly around my purse.
I had no intention of walking to my death but at the same time, it sounded important enough to hear it in person. Moreover with how slimy she was, I needed to hear the words from her throat, needed to see her face when she said them.
It all happened pretty fast. The cars were let in and came to a stop in the driveway of the huge mansion, gravel crunching softly beneath the tires. I came down seeing what seemed to be a butler head out to greet us with a bow, his movements precise and controlled.
"The mistress is waiting for you! You can only take a few guards," he said and I nodded before going ahead to take three while clutching my purse tightly in my hands where my guns were, the familiar weight grounding.
The butler sent me a look seeing as three of them continued to follow me and I simply ignored him as I followed him upstairs, my heels clicking softly against the polished floor. He didn’t say anything after that and he couldn’t, not with the silent tension that filled the space.
Especially since the entire estate was packed with enough guards in every corner and side that I worried that Bianca was preparing an army, their presence impossible to ignore. Even with the three guards it wouldn’t make a dent if she wanted to kill me.
She couldn’t of course especially since Nico would respond in kind, and that was something even she wouldn’t risk lightly.
We finally got to a room with two huge mighty doors and the butler kind of pulled the door open for me. Even before I stepped in I could see Bianca who was already pacing on her feet, her heels tapping against the floor as she moved, speaking the moment she saw me.
"Leave the guards outside we have much to discuss," she said and I almost refused, the instinct immediate, if not for the slightly manic tone in her voice and expression that caught my attention.
She had on an armless black gown that showed most of her bosom in a very flattering and sexy manner, the fabric hugging her curves perfectly. Especially with the size of her chest it was hard to imagine that there was any man alive that could look away from them, the design clearly intentional.
Her face was beautiful with Asian features that made her look innocent which would be deadly for anyone that dared to underestimate her. Her black hair fell around her shoulders as she stared at me with brown eyes, her hands on either side of her waist as I stepped in and closed the door behind me, the sound echoing softly.
"Truce!" she said before I had even taken a step and I was tempted to roll my eyes and refuse but the bigger reason I stepped closer was that I needed to know why, needed to hear what could possibly make her say that.
Bianca wouldn’t call for a truce unless we suddenly had a mutual enemy, walking right past her towards the seats by the large mahogany table and sinking myself into one of them, my posture relaxed but alert.
My purse still clenched tightly in my hands as I began to speak. "Why?" I asked her, watching her frown as she turned around to look at me, something tense flickering across her face. "This benefits you greatly!" she reminded me since things could never be simple with her.
Surprised that even though she was more than twice my age she still looked more like my older sister with her petit frame and curvy body, her appearance carefully maintained. Definitely had some work done.
"I heard that there’s someone killing the mafia dons. They almost got Gotti and it’s only a matter of time before they come for Nico again—" but she was still speaking when I got on my feet and headed straight for the door, my patience already gone.
I didn’t need her. I wasn’t the one desperate. Yes it would benefit me but there was no way I would pass up the chance to watch her grovel in front of me, my steps quick as I headed for the door grabbing the handle to leave.
I had just pulled it open when I heard her speak from behind me. "Wait!" a slight tremble in her voice that should not have been there, the crack in her composure unmistakable. This was Bianca for heaven’s sake. A fucking snake.
Turning around to look at her as she continued to speak, "...They..." pausing to take a breath,
"...someone has my boy!"
