then the boy had still maintained a small amount of youthful expectation that the ‘real grown-up’—in this case, Lorenzo—would be able to fix this for him. That expectation faded to outright concern now.
In tandem with Dante’s reaction, anger inside Scarlett began to bubble up. So she was the ogre of the piece now? The one who could single-handedly destroy this boy, who clearly simply needed someone to help him get back on a straight path?
Scarlett would have Lorenzo know that she had…Never dealt with anything quite like this.
Scarlett drew a deep breath, but it still didn’t help her to dispense with the tight ache in the middle of her chest that had come from Lorenzo saying she was cold.
Could he really believe Scarlett could have no feelings for those around her?
Scarlett’s hand crept up to touch her ribbon, to let her fingers absorb its soft feel.
She wasn’t like that. Not really. Not deep down inside herself, and Lorenzo had known her well enough to know that. Scarlett hated that this man still had the power to cause her hurt. She’d healed from that. She’d moved on whether she now happened to be back in his actual realm of existence, or not.
‘You won’t get another warning.’ Lorenzo glared at the boy. ‘I won’t discuss this with Scarlett at this stage, but don’t break the rules here again. Do I make myself clear?’
‘Yes. We’re clear. I’m sorry.’
‘You’ve got a chance to straighten yourself out, Dante. Don’t mess it up, okay?’ Lorenzo reached out to lay his hand on the boy’s shoulder.
They’d both turned as they spoke, so Scarlett clearly saw the flinch, quickly disguised as a shrug when Lorenzo’s hand landed on the boy’s shoulder.
What—?
‘You’re bruised. What happened?’ Lorenzo’s brows drew down as his gaze examined Dante’s shoulder where his shirt had pulled open a little.
And Lorenzo’s expression was really odd. His face had paled. He looked sick. He had an expression in his eyes that Scarlett had…seen before? Why did that expression look like concern…and some kind of shame?
‘I went mountain cycling. I fell off.’ The boy uttered the words in a rapid stream as he tugged his shirt back into place. ‘On the weekend. I fell into a bush.’
The words were so clearly a lie. But…why?
Lorenzo’s eyes narrowed before he hurriedly rearranged his face into a mask of agreement. ‘Injuries can happen in all sorts of ways.’
Like Lorenzo getting bruised and scratched falling from his motorcycle. He hadn’t owned it long when Scarlett met him, and he’d told her while they were seeing each other that he’d taken several spills.
But Dante—Dante was hiding some kind of physical damage that he didn’t want to tell the truth about, that hadn’t happened riding his bike in the mountains.
Dante was unhappy at home suddenly. Unhappy enough that he’d resorted to stealing with the intention of drinking his unhappiness away?
Was Lorenzo thinking what Scarlett was thinking? Was that why Lorenzo looked sick to his heart?
‘You’re growing up, Dante.’ Lorenzo said this with a careful air of mild interest. ‘Maybe you should think about moving out of home, spread your wings a little, eh?’ He forced a laugh. ‘You might meet a nice girl. You won’t want to have your mamma looking over your shoulder when you do that.’ He drew a breath. ‘In fact, I know of a woman who takes in boarders. If they’re willing to help her out around the place she’ll board them cheaply.’
‘I’d be interested, if I could afford it.’ The boy all but jumped on the suggestion. ‘If she didn’t want too much.’
Lorenzo shrugged as though he’d already lost most of his interest in the topic. ‘She’s always up early. You could see her now, before you have to come back for your shift later.’
Dante nodded. ‘Yes, that would be good, if I could see her now.’
‘I’ll write the name and address down for you.’ Lorenzo walked to the bench and took an order pad and stub of pencil and started to scribble on it.
Scarlett realised her presence would be noted very soon if she didn’t move. It was too late to disappear so her best bet was to pretend she was just arriving. She gave the door a push behind her and allowed it to bump against her back.
A couple of noisy steps forward and both their heads turned. Chirpiness was beyond her. Lorenzo’s hurtful words still echoed inside her, as did concern for Dante. Scarlett felt sick, too. If Dante was being abused, that was a terrible thing.
‘Lorenzo.’ She nodded towards Dante, too, but for his sake didn’t make any attempt at eye contact before she turned back to the head chef.
‘I just thought I’d let you know my plans for today. I want to observe, speak with employees as I see fit, and start my study of the account books.’ There would be times they would have to liaise, but Scarlett had made the decision in the past few minutes to ensure those times were kept to the absolute minimum.
Let Lorenzo think she was cold and emotionless and say ‘just like her mother’. Scarlett knew her heart. She wasn’t about to let Lorenzo stomp all over it, though! ‘Please ensure any receipts, requisitions forms and any other money-related paperwork you might have lying around is delivered to my office. Can you do that before noon?’
She’d intended to apologise for yesterday’s assumptions about his work commitments. A concession to his need for time was the closest he would now get.
Lorenzo’s gaze locked on her face and searched her eyes, her expression. Scarlett knew what he would see. She’d seen it enough times herself in a mirror. A somewhat different version of Lisa’s facial features in full chill-mode. How else could she protect herself?
Scarlett heaved a deep breath and slowly released it.
‘I’ll bring you everything I have.’ Lorenzo handed the written note to Dante, but his gaze didn’t leave Scarlett’s face. ‘Did you hear—?’
‘Thank you. I’ve only just arrived but I really need to get to work so I hope you’ll understand if I don’t hang about right now. Excuse me.’ She walked away before Lorenzo could do a thing about it. Not that she wanted to speak to the man now.
He might have helped Dante, and Scarlett was genuinely glad this had happened. By the sounds of it the boy needed all the help he could get.
But Lorenzo had also said some cutting things about Scarlett’s personality in the process.
She didn’t feel like dwelling on that, or discussing it, or anything else other than getting on with the job here and ignoring the existence of one Lorenzo Nesta and his capacity to upset her.
He shouldn’t even possess that capacity.
Not at all any more!
Chapter Three
