“Please,” she mumbles while helping herself to a pink macaron.
The moment the flight attendant walks away, Mr. Torrisi says, “It’s time we talk, son.”
“Sure.” Georgi relaxes while everyone else looks at him.
I scoot closer to the window and watch Simi as she picks up a crayon and starts to draw.
Chapter 15
Nina
“Tell us what happened,” one of the other men says, drawing my attention away from Simi.
Thankfully, she doesn’t understand English, but I can’t stop myself from listening to the conversation.
“You know what happened. I was taken, tortured, and now I’m fine.”
“Why did you bring the woman and child?” another man asks.
I bristle, ducking my head a little and praying to a God who’s never listened to me before.
Don’t let this get ugly in front of Simi.
“I took them.”
“What are you going to do with them?” This time it’s Mr. Torrisi speaking.
“They’ll live with me. They’re mine, so just drop the subject. I won’t tolerate a single argument regarding the matter.”
His.
It terrifies me because I don’t know what it means for Simi and me.
“Fine. What are we going to do about Boris Pavlov?”
“And Anton Belinksi,” Georgi adds. “I’ve told Rosie to find out everything about the fucker. I’m going to take a couple of days to heal before hunting them.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re taking some time to get better,” Raya suddenly joins the conversation. Then I’m surprised when she asks, “If Nina and Simi are going to stay with you, can I get to know them?”
“I’d like that.”
Georgi’s tone is much softer, and it has me sneaking a peek at his face. Seeing the warm smile he’s giving his sister, I feel a pang of loss for something I haven’t had since Mom died.
“Nina is here to stay,” he adds with finality in his voice. “I’d appreciate it if you all made her feel welcome.”
“Introduce us,” one of the other men says.
“Nina.” I lift my head obediently, and Georgi gestures at the two men who seem to be around his age. “That’s Augusto Vitale and Adriano Rizzo. They’re my best friends and also capos. You’ve met my father, Renzo Torrisi, and my sister, Raya.”
Capos.
That’s all I hear right before there’s a rushing sound as my heart speeds up dangerously fast.
“No, don’t be scared,” Georgi says. “You’re under my protection.”
I don’t believe that for a single second.
“What information did they try to get out of you?” Mr. Torrisi asks.