Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN AT THE WITNESS TABLEVittorio's trial began four months later.
I testified on a Tuesday.
I wore blue.
My mother loved blue.
Luca sat behind the prosecutors.
He was not allowed to speak to me during testimony.
But every time I looked toward him, he was there.
I told the jury about Frankfurt.
Matteo.
The ledger.
Martin.
The dinner.
The German words.
Vittorio's lawyer tried to destroy me.
“You were a waitress?”
“Yes.”
“With significant debt?”
“Yes.”
“A history of international travel?”
“Yes.”
“And romantic involvement with Luca Vescari?”
The courtroom became silent.
I looked at Luca.
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
The lawyer smiled.
“So you benefit from his freedom?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“I benefit from his cooking.”
Someone laughed.
The judge silenced them.
The lawyer frowned.
“Miss Hayes—”
“He burns eggs.”
More laughter.
Even the judge looked tired of hiding a smile.
The lawyer changed strategy.
It did not work.
The jury convicted Vittorio on seventeen federal charges.
He would never leave prison.
Outside the courthouse, reporters surrounded us.
Luca protected me with his body.
Again.
Only this time there were cameras instead of bullets.
“Miss Hayes!”
“Are you and Luca Vescari together?”
“Mr. Vescari, are you still connected to organized crime?”
“Blair!”
I stopped.
Luca looked at me.
“What?”
I turned toward the cameras.
“My name is Blair Hayes.”
Microphones lifted.
“I was a waitress when this started.”
Luca watched me.
“And being a waitress did not make me invisible.”
Silence.
“It only made powerful men assume I was.”
The clip went everywhere.
Millions of views.
Messages from women.
Servers.
Housekeepers.
Assistants.
People who had spent years being ignored.
I read them at three in the morning.
Luca found me crying.
“Bad?”
“No.”
I showed him.
He read silently.
Then kissed my hair.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don't know.”
“You always know.”
I looked at him.
“That's a lot of pressure.”
“You handled snipers.”
“Poorly.”
“You identified an ambush.”
“I spilled wine.”
“You saved me.”
I smiled.
“And you?”
“What about me?”
“What will you do?”
Luca had sold three companies.
Closed every illegal operation.
Testified against former partners.
His legitimate shipping company remained.
But he was no longer a mafia boss.
The newspapers struggled with that.
Former crime figure.
Controversial businessman.
Government witness.
I preferred annoying man who stole blankets.
“I bought a building,” he said.
I blinked.
“What?”
He handed me a key.
“No.”
“You don't know what it is.”
“You bought me something expensive.”
“I bought myself something expensive.”
“Then why are you giving me a key?”
“Come see.”
The building stood near the river.
Three floors.
Empty offices.
A kitchen.
Classrooms.
“What is this?”
Luca watched me.
“You said people like you need somewhere to go.”
I remembered the messages.
Immigrant workers.
Witnesses.
Women escaping dangerous employers.
People with language skills nobody valued.
“You bought a building.”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
“For your idea.”
I cried.
Again.
“This is becoming embarrassing.”
Luca smiled.
“Marry me.”
I stopped crying.
“What?”
His face changed.
He had not meant to say it.
That made it better.
And worse.
“Did you just accidentally propose?”
“No.”
“You did.”
“I can redo it.”
I laughed so hard I had to sit down.
Luca looked offended.
Then he started laughing too.
I kissed him.
“That isn't an answer,” he said.
“I know.”
“Blair.”
I smiled.
“Ask me properly.”
His eyes darkened.
“Dangerous woman.”
“Former mafia boss.”
“Waitress.”
“Egg burner.”
May you like
He kissed me.
And whispered, “Soon.”
