Mena
As I stood there, watching Gian and Pilar glued beside each other, reading through Liza’s letter, a knot formed in my stomach. With every line they read, I watched their faces, especially Gian’s, turn into a look of disbelief.
It was silent for a good five minutes before Gian looked up. I wondered how many times he had read the letter in the hopes that the name would change. Same as I did.
“Did you get this from that maid? Where can I find her?” he demanded, remembering that day in the office.
“No, it wasn’t meant for anyone else’s eyes, especially not yours,” I snapped back, aggravated. Liza didn’t want to get involved, and I wouldn’t drag her into this any further.
Gian’s mouth twitched. “You can’t just come here and tell me Levi is a fed and expect me not to do anything about it,” he argued, not backing down.
You know what? He was right.
It still didn’t mean I was going to throw Liza under the bus.
“No, we will do something about it,” I spoke, desperate to calm him down. “I just don’t know what yet, but we’ll do something about it.”
Then it went quiet again. I was certain there was a solution without having to mention Liza’s name.
“I can call Alessio now-”
“No,” Gian shook his head. “He doesn’t need this right now. I just want him to focus on what he’s doing. Tell him when he gets back.”
So much for wanting me to do something about it.
“He’s with him right now,” I said. “If what’s written in the letter is true, and Levi really is an undercover, he will have some serious stuff against us after next week.”
Us?
God, since when did I begin referring to myself as a Fanucci?
Pilar chuckled, showing some reaction for the first time. “Don’t want to ruin your day, but I believe he already has more than enough.”
I had no doubt he did. The only time he wasn’t beside Alessio was when he was asleep. Other than that, the two were pretty much inseparable. It wasn’t just a work relationship, no. That bond went way deeper than that.
Levi was his best friend, who I was sure he shared a lot with. Every problem, every solution, every feeling.
“So, what do we do?” I asked, barely above a whisper, feeling helpless.
“Do you believe this girl?” Gian asked me, his eyes piercing through mine as he anticipated my answer. It would’ve made everything a whole lot easier if I could say I didn’t.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “She has no reason to lie, and the more I think about it-the more it makes sense.”
I should’ve seen it coming. He had said one thing no one in their right mind would say, and that was offering to get me and Naty out of the mansion. Back then, I didn’t take him seriously-but now I realized he had the power to do that. He wanted to get me out of this place, and that’s why he had been willing to help me.
Pilar turned to Gian. “You’ve known him longer, what do you think of Levi, Gian?”
“I’ve never connected with him like I did with Donni or any of the other guys,” Gian admitted. “He gets along with Alessio, more I can’t tell you.”
He looked at us both, his expression serious. “What I can tell you is that this is a serious accusation, and if it isn’t true, it can cost both yours and the maid’s head.”
Pilar scoffed in frustration. “So what you’re saying is that he’ll trust Levi’s word over hers? That’s messed up.”
“No, I’m saying that if it isn’t true, Alessio will never get over this,” Gian stated. “You don’t understand, he’s the one who let Levi into our family. He’s not just some random guy. He’s his best friend.
As much as I wanted to speak against that, I couldn’t. As much as I liked Levi, I trusted Liza’s words, but if we went about this the wrong way, Alessio would never forgive me, and I didn’t want to lose him.
“What more do you have to back up your claim?” Gian asked.
“Good question,” Pilar spoke.
With both of them gazing at me, I felt like I was somehow the one being put under a microscope. We were all in the same boat here, and I didn’t know any more than they did-yet their stares suggested otherwise.
“Guys, don’t shoot the messenger,” I told them. “I got the letter, that’s it!”
“You’re right. If anything, Gian should know how to deal with this. You’re the second oldest,” Pilar backed me up. With the valid point she had made, we both shifted the attention to Gian. What better person to solve this problem than a Fanucci?
Gian took a breath, “I was thinking Towson could not be the last name of his ex-wife,” he pondered. “I do know there’s a place called Towson in Baltimore, and I also happen to know he’s a Ravens fan.”
I was surprised to hear Gian had already concluded all of this before I had even asked him to take the lead. He had already taken the responsibility to take care of the situation from the second he had read the letter.
“Who the hell are the Ravens?” Pilar and I asked in unison, both confused. “He likes birds?” Pilar added with a look of distaste.
“No, not birds,” Gian managed to crack a small smile, surprised by our lack of knowledge, even in this tense situation. “NFL team, but it doesn’t matter.”
“We’ll leave tomorrow, first thing in the morning. It’s about a three-hour drive.”
“I’m in, let’s do it,” Pilar said.
“So, you guys do believe me?” I needed to hear it, to know we were all on the same page.
“I barely hang around the guy, so yes, if you say something about him is indeed sketchy, I believe you,” Gian answered.
“But what do we tell Alessio when he asks where I am?” The thought of lying to Alessio or keeping something this significant from him, after we both agreed on not doing that anymore, made me feel like shit.
“I’ll take care of it, don’t worry about it and don’t tell him because he might tell Levi,” Gian instructed. “Let’s keep this between us for now.”