Page 92 of Capo

She frowns. “That was… I don’t ever want to have to do that again. It was disgusting. At the same time it was like—I was like in a trance. I just swung that shovel. We were like animals.” Pulling off her skirt, a shudder runs through her.

“You’re strong women,” I say.

Alessandra strokes my cheek. “So are you. I can see why he cares for you.”

My instinct is to say that he doesn’t. That he only wants a pet. But I can see now that he’s really tried to protect me by sending me here. Would he really do that if I was a mere slave doll? He came when he was in pain, clung on to me as if his life depended on it. An ache builds inside me as shivers wrack my body. Right now, I’d need to cling to him. I think he would hold me. I think he would comfort me. I really think he would. I think that infamous mob boss Luciano Salvatore cares for me for real.

“I should call him.”

“I think so too,” says Alessandra and digs out her phone from a pocket, handing it to me.

I tap the screen and she points out the number for me.

There’s no answer. I try to call him for hours. Again, and again. My insides scream. They got to me. Maybe they got to him too?