Aurelio is in the kitchen preparing dinner when we return. His eyes skim over both of us. He asks Enzo, "How did it go?" He sits on one of the stools under the countertop. "Gustavo was there." Aurelio doesn't comment, but his lips purse in a way that suggests he's displeased with what he heard. I can't help but wonder why. Shouldn't they trust him, considering he's going to help them kill Giotto? I don't understand how they can work side-by-side with someone they don't even trust. He’s turning against his father, and Enzo said so himself that if he wanted to betray them, he would have a long time ago. How far is he going to let things go?I can sense that they're quiet because of me, so I excuse myself. I leave my door open a little, because I'm dying to hear what they'll talk about. I can't stand too close to the door, or Enzo will see me, but I can't hear anything from where I'm standing. I give up and go to the bathroom to take a bath. I blast the hot water. It's so relaxing, s
He gets in Aurelio’s face. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you bring her to this place?" "Calm down," Marco pleads. "We've come to help you. You're in their territory, Enzo, and you didn't have any back-up with you.""That was the deal I had with them," he spits. "You had no business coming here and you shouldn't have brought Chiara with you!""What makes you think they'll keep their word?" Aurelio asks. "You're upset that I'm here, when in fact you should be grateful that we've come to your rescue. They're going to kill you."He runs a hand down his face. "You shouldn't have interfered. Just go, get out of here." "I won't leave without you," he declares. In a lower voice, he says, "Without you, killing Giotto will be damn near impossible. I'm not going to let you die in the hands of these rascals!" Behind us, someone asks, "Is there a problem, Enzo?" It's a bulky man with the tattoo of an eagle on his right breast. He ignores him and says to Aurelio, "I can take care
I've never seen Enzo this devastated. He's kneeling beside Marco’s body. He's been in this exact position for ten minutes now. Everyone has gone, both from the de Luca side and ours, it's just the four of us and Marco’s body. They've covered his face with a shirt, but blood is seeping through it. It's a grotesque sight. "You shouldn't have come," Enzo says, finally rising. "I had this under control. I didn't want to put any of you in danger. This never would have happened if you had just minded your business."Aurelio’s response is, "Marco was the one who called me. He was concerned about you, he followed you here. He called me and asked for my help. He wanted to convince you that what you were doing would cost you your life, but instead it cost his."Enzo closes his eyes. I can feel his pain, and I want to go to him and offer him some form of comfort, but I stay rooted to the spot. "You—""You should've been honest with us from the beginning,” Aurelio says firmly. “How would he hav
Aurelio left last night.I know this because the other room is vacant and Enzo is asleep on the couch. I don't know if I should let him rest, or if I should wake him up. It's already past ten, and he's usually up by this hour, but yesterday was a traumatic day, so I decide not to disturb his sleep. How I miss waking up to Aurelio preparing breakfast for me. It just felt so good, being taken care of for once. I've even managed to gain some weight. I start by making coffee and I'm still deciding on what to eat when I hear the front door. Aurelio walks in, his eyes on Enzo who is still asleep on the couch. He looks at me and I gesture at the pan in my hand. "Breakfast?" He shakes his head. "Let me.""I could make it," I suggest, feeling useless already. I know I wanted him to cook, but now that he's here I feel terrible for being such a slob. "You should have a seat, rest."He smiles, but it's small and strained. "If there's one thing in life I learned, it's that if you want something
I found the black dress. I leave my hair as it is and apply absolutely no make-up to my face. I wear a trench coat over the dress and meet Enzo in the kitchen. He's drinking coffee, even though we had breakfast an hour ago, and is in conversation with Aurelio, but as I approach them, they quite down. I don't get offended. I've surpassed that phase. It's almost eleven, so if we don't leave now, we're going to be late. Aurelio seems to be dressed for the occasion, too. I didn't know he was coming, but I'm glad he is. There's less chaos when he's around, I've noticed that. "Time to go," he says, tapping on his empty wrist. Enzo puts the cup down and follows him out. I trail behind them. I realize it was a mistake wearing a dress in this frigid weather, but it's too late to change now. We're already on our way to the cemetery.They're silent the whole ride there, which is depressing and awkward all at once. They were talking back in the kitchen, so why don't they talk now? They could
We've been waiting for Aurelio to show up for an hour now.I'm biting my nails again. I'm so nervous I can barely breathe. If someone told me a month ago that I'd be in this state because of him, I wouldn't have believed. I hated him because he was there that day, because he made my mother choose the impossible, and also because I thought he killed them. He was holding the gun, after all. But he told me he didn't, and judging by the nature of his relationship with my mother, I don't believe he shot them, even though he witnessed it.Now, he's like a friend to me. If something happens to him, I'll be devastated. Enzo is pacing around and clutching his phone. We're waiting for news, any news at this point. An hour feels like an eternity when you're counting every second. So far, no one knows anything about him. They don't know where he is, what he's doing. He drove away to distract those guys, but he should've been back by now. I sincerely hope nothing happens to him.Enzo won't be ab
Two days have passed.I can tell that 'the day' is coming soon. Everyone around me is on edge, and by everyone I mean Enzo and Aurelio. They're always together now, plotting beneath their breaths. They quiet down when I near them, so whenever I see them huddled up, I try not to disturb. This is for the best. We'll all benefit from Giotto’s death.I'm both nervous and excited about it. I don't know what it will be like to live on my own, to be by myself after so long. The world out there feels like a foreign place now. It's like I'm an alien who doesn't quite fit anywhere. I might finish my degree, but that all depends. My driving force was helping my mother, getting out of that small town and taking care of her for once. Now, what's my motivation? I've been mostly by myself, although Enzo does stop by every once in a while to talk to me. What stuns me most is that we've never had a single fight since he promised me that he wouldn't try to kiss me against my wishes. He's changed so mu
We stare at each other for a solid minute.I'm trying to figure out what to say to him. There's a lot on my mind, so much that I don't know where to start. He closes the door and my heart starts beating faster. The way he's looking at me...I don't know how tonight is going to end. "Enzo—.”"I'm not ready to let you go," he begins. "There, I've said it. Whenever I think that in a few days we'll go our separate ways, I feel desperate. Desperate. I don't want us to go our separate ways, but at the same time I know that there's nothing keeping you here." He's right, absolutely right. "There's nothing either of us can do about that." He crosses the room in a handful of stride and stops in front of me. There's only a tiny sliver of space between us. His smoky cologne mixed with a scent that's undeniably him invades my nostrils. He smells like cigarettes, metal, and wood. "You're wrong about that, Chiara." I shake my head softly. "Please." He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me cl
I put my favorite pearl earrings on. What I love most about them? They go well with everything. I bought them when I visited Paris. I fell in love with the pair as soon as I set my eyes on them. They reminded me of a pair my mother had but never wore. They sat at the bottom of her jewellery box, but sometimes I'd catch her staring at them. I never gave it a second thought; I never thought that they were valuable. Where would she even get the money to buy a real pair of pearl and diamond earrings? Now, I figured that they were probably gifted to her by my father. So much has happened since I left Italy. I settled down in Lisbon, until I decided I could no longer stay. It was a beautiful city, and I loved the food more than anything. But there was something missing, and that was something Lisbon had in common with every city I traveled to. They were marvelous in all aspects, but they just didn't feel like home. That all changed when I met Eric.He was an American living in Vienna. We
I glance at the time on my phone. It's almost time for me to embark. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I can't believe I'm finally doing this. The last couple of weeks have been absolutely horrible for me, with everything that happened the night Enzo died.He was dead before the paramedics arrived. If they'd been even a minute later, he wouldn't have been able to make it. They reanimated him with a defibrillator. I watched in shock as his body lurched. It was the worst ten seconds of my entire life. I couldn't go with him to the hospital. I had to explain to the authorities why there were three dead bodies in my front yard. I went with the obvious explanation; I didn't know who they were. I said Enzo was my boyfriend, and we were going to spend a few days here, but when they showed up, he had no choice but to shoot them. I never fired my gun, only he did. I remember these officers. They'd stop by sometimes for coffee and cake whenever they were in the neighborhood. I went to
She fires the first shot. I realize that this is the second time in a matter of hours that someone has tried to kill me. Only, something isn't right. She isn't looking at me, in fact it's almost as if I'm not even here. She's staring at the person behind me, Enzo, and I realize that her gun is pointed at him.She's trying to kill Enzo. But why? No, that's a stupid question. It isn't hard to imagine why. The way I feel about him is the same way she must be feeling, only ten times worse because she knew about what he did all along, and I didn't. I fell in love with him before that, and my love for him cushioned the blow of his betrayal. "No, stop!" I exclaim. She isn't listening to me. She fires another shot, and he falls to the ground. For a breathless second, I thing that maybe she hit him, that he's going to bleed to death on this patio. But he wasn't shot, he's fumbling with his own weapon. Her gun is poised, she's ready to fire another shot. Each step she takes brings her close
I can't bring myself to walk inside just yet. The last time I was here, I was dragged out by Enzo himself. He's standing by the entrance and is watching me as if he knows what I'm thinking. I'm too deflated to be angry, all I can do is look around. My mother's garden is destroyed. Weeds and birds got to it. There are still some flowers I recognize here and there. My hands are itching to fix them, to restore this garden, but I know that that won't ever happen. It won't be the same without her. She spent years and so much effort on this small piece of land, but that has all gone to waste. I settle my eyes on the front door again. Enzo has the keys with him. I don't ask him how he has them. It doesn't matter at this point. He probably got them from one of his men, after they finished the job. "Aren't you going to come in?" he asks me. I shake my head. "Why did you bring me here?" "This is your home," he says. "I thought you'd want to spend the night here instead of some motel."He
I look at Enzo.He's breathing heavily. His eyes search my face and body to make sure I'm safe, that no bullet hit me. We both look at Gustavo, who's lying on the ground. Dead. I place my hand over my mouth. I can't believe that has happened. I can't believe that he was going to kill me, after everything we've been through. This night has turned out to be a nightmare. An absolute nightmare."We need to go," he says to me, as if he didn't just kill his own brother. I'm being unfair, I know that. He was going to kill one of us, and all Enzo did was try to keep us both safe.But he's dead.Enzo lifts me off the ground when I refuse to move. He shoves me inside the vehicle and slams the door in my face. I stare at Gustavo’s body through the window, at the pool of blood around his torso. I'm seeing it, but I can't quite believe my eyes. He gets inside the driver's seat and starts the car.We speed away from the bloody scene. I wonder briefly if anyone will ever find these people. This cab
Gustavo is furious.I don't think I've ever seen him like this. I barely recognize him. Why is he holding that gun? And why does it seem like Enzo expected this? I feel like an outsider once again. I have no idea of what's happening right now.He says, "Come with me, Chiara. You," he points at Enzo with the gun. "You stay the hell away from her."Enzo stands up. "You don't tell her what to do. And who do you think you're talking to?" Gustavo ignores him. He turns to me. His brow is furrowed and his lips are in a snarl. For the first time since I met him, I'm afraid of him. I've never seen him like this. He says, "Come, Chiara. You have no business being here with him. I'm going to take you back home, someplace safe." I don't like his tone at all. He's been using it on me for some time now. I'm not a child, yet he keeps treating me like one. "You didn't keep her safe to begin with," Enzo interjects. "You can't keep her safe. She would've been killed tonight, if it weren't for me."En
Flavia finally stands and faces him. "What are you—" He pulls out his gun and shoots her right there. I gasp and watch as her body falls with a thud. I look at him, he's looking at me. I can't believe that this has happened. Flavia de Luca is dead? He just shot her. Right in front of me. A few more men enter the room. I only recognize Vito amongst them. Enzo tucks his gun back in his coat and says, "Untie her. Make sure you don't hurt her. One yelp and you'll meet your maker." He doesn't look at me as he gives those orders which I'm partly thankful for. I'm shocked that he's here, but I push that to the back of my mind. For now. They cut at the ropes and tape, a little too carefully, and I'm freed. Finally. I sit up and my head spins. When I open my eyes, Enzo is no longer in the room. Vito is helping me to my feet. Someone shoves a bottle of water at me. I fumble with the lid, but I manage to open it. "Easy, miss," one of them says. "Take slow sips."I do as I'm told, because my
They tied me down with ropes, like an animal awaiting slaughter.I knew that this would happen, yet I don't regret my decision. I wasn't going to give up without trying, even if that attempt got me here. I'm so thirsty it's like I swallowed a mouthful of sand. With all the dust here, maybe I have. I just need a sip of water, but I guess there isn't any point in wasting water on a dead person. How long will I have to wait? Not being able to move is torturous. I don't know at this point if I should hope for the best or just give up. I've been here for a long time, if anyone had to find me, they would've already. I'm at the mercy of Flora and her brother, and once again this is all Enzo’s fault. It's getting darker because the room is pitch black at this point. Maybe one of them will light this kerosene lamp. My head is starting to hurt, either from dehydration or this stressful situation. I need to sleep, but at the same time, I can't close my eyes while I'm surrounded by people who m
I'm filled to the brim with a feeling of utter despair. I try to move my hands and feet, but they've been bound with rope and duct tape. I'm in a dark, cramped space. Moving car? Again?I’m overwhelmed with the strong sense of deja vu. This cannot be happening to me. I thought I was finally free. I wasn’t expecting something this absurd to happen to me. What am I going to do? How will I escape? Is this punishment for not caring about Russo’s death as I should or the price I'm paying for getting involved with Enzo? Caio is going to use me to get to him, to hurt him. He doesn't know how he's wasting his time. Enzo won't care about that. All he wanted was revenge, and now that he has it, he doesn't need anything else. He won’t care about me. He won’t sacrifices his new wins and achievements because of me. Let them have me. He disposed of me along ago. He won’t care now, that I know. How long have I been here? What I can't believe is that after everything I've been through, I'm back to