Page 8 of Palazzo
“When are you going back to Rome?” he asked her. He and Max were flying back to Paris that night.
“Sometime this evening. I have to catch up with my brother. He was supposed to arrive last night but he wouldn’t come to the party. He said he was going to the casino. Unfortunately, he likes to gamble.”
“So does my son,” Olivier said, obviously unhappy about it. “And fast cars and racy women.”
“They must be twins,” Cosima said with a rueful smile, thinking about Luca. “At least your son has a job, working for you. My brother doesn’t. And at thirty-three, he’s getting to be too old to play around all the time and be so irresponsible.”
“It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your shoulders,” Olivier said sympathetically. And he only knew the half of it. She hadn’t told himabout Allegra, since they had just met the night before. “If I can ever do anything to help, let me know. I’d be honored,” he said sincerely, and she was touched.
They finished their coffee and he walked her back to her hotel, and said he’d find his way back to the Gritti Palace. He had a map of Venice in his pocket. He hugged her before he left, and she wondered if she’d see him again. She liked him, he seemed like a decent man. She was thinking about Gian Battista as she went to her room. She wanted to call him before she left Venice. She had just gotten to her room when Luca knocked on the door. He looked seriously hungover when she opened it and took a look at him.
“You look like you had a rough night,” she said. “I hope you didn’t lose a lot of money.” He didn’t answer her at first, and sat down heavily in a chair while she closed her suitcase with the pink dress in it. His silence seemed ominous and she turned around to gaze at him again.
“I need some money,” he said without preamble. In the cold light of day, almost sober, it was harder to say the words than he’d anticipated.
“How much money?” Her heart beat faster as she waited for the answer.
“You can take it out of my share of the profits,” he told her. He hadn’t brushed his hair or shaved, and she noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
“You already spent your profits for this year.” He lived on an allowance but was always borrowing money from her.
He said something she didn’t hear, and she stared at him. “What did you just say?”
“Two hundred thousand.” Her eyes flew open wide, and she sat down with terror etched on her face.
“Please tell me that’s a joke and you’re not serious.”
“I am serious, and I need it in a few days, or they’ll send their goons after me.” She was surprised they’d let him leave at all without paying.
“Are you insane? Where do you expect me to get that kind of money? I can’t just pull that out of thin air.”
“Take it out of the business.”
“I can’t do that. Sell your cars.” He had a Ferrari and a Lamborghini.
“I won’t get the money fast enough,” he said, looking worried. “Sell the palazzo to the Americans. We don’t use it anymore anyway.”
“I’m not selling our family home to pay your gambling debts.” She was angry and disgusted, but she knew that if she didn’t pay, they might kill him. She had his life in her hands, and he had her by the throat. She couldn’t put the business at risk by taking that kind of money out of it. It was out of the question. And the only thing she had to sell was the palazzo. She was furious with him. “Get your bag, we’re leaving.”
“I haven’t eaten yet,” he complained.
“I don’t care. We’re going back to Rome.”
“Don’t you have to go to the store or something?”
“I already did. If you’re coming with me, I’m leaving in five minutes.” He slammed the door on his way out, and she called Gian Battista on her cellphone. He answered as soon as he saw her number. “I’m leaving, I just called to say goodbye.” He knew her well and could tell that she was upset.
“Did something happen?”
“Luca lost two hundred thousand at the casino last night. He’s out of control.”
“Oh God. One of these days you should let him deal with his own debts. It would teach him a lesson.”
“He says they’ll kill him if he doesn’t pay soon.”
“They might,” Gian Battista admitted. “He can’t keep doing this to you, though. It’s not fair.” He sounded as unhappy as she was.
“I don’t think fair is the issue. He’s going to ruin us one of these days. I can’t afford it.”
