Bethany hadn't been able to get the memory that suddenly came to her mind out of her head. The one that reflected her lying on her back with a strong body on top of her. The unusual thing, and what had her thinking, was that, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't link Ciro with that fragment of her memory. The piece that fit precisely was that of her brother-in-law. In the beginning, it was his perfume that stirred the tide.-Bethany. - The Italian mentioned for the fourth time, finally getting her attention. Then she realized that she hadn't heard anything of what her fiancé was happily telling her.They were at the Florentín café, having breakfast. If Bethany knew Ciro, she would know that an average coffee shop that served cappuccino from a machine was not a place he frequented.-What do you say?-Bethany asked, picking at her salad. The other sighed.-I was telling you about your parents returning to the United States next wee
He left the bathroom and noticed that his fiancée was ready to go back out onto the street.-Where are you going? -He asked without sounding jealous.-With my parents. I know what hotel they're staying at. - Bethany answered, putting the notebook in which she wrote down her life's conjectures into a small cloth bag on her cross-body belt.His tone of voice was indifferent, the clearest sign with which Ciro could corroborate his disappointment.-I can go with you if you want.-No, but I appreciate it. –He didn't think about his answer. When he was about to leave the room, he felt the Italian's hand holding his.-Let me call the driver then. You're not ready to drive yet.-Do you have a driver?-We have a driver, yes. –He corrected her.It was a debate in which Bethany had few arguments in her favor. She hadn't even tried to drive since she left the hospital. So, swallowing her pride, she agreed. That pa
Bethany moved slightly to glance at the alarm clock on the side table. It was midnight and she couldn't sleep. She looked to her left side and told Ciro that he was completely under the spell of Morpheus. He slept without a shirt and in shorts, the effect of summer. She caressed his strong biceps with the tip of her finger, cleaning them of marks. Without scars or a drop of ink. In her mind, images of a pair of male arms came and went, one covered in tattoos; from the shoulder to the wrist and the other with a kind of police badge with the number sixty-seven inside it, tattooed precisely on the upper part of the biceps. Memories that did not correspond to her future husband. She turned onto her back to look at the ceiling, helped by the dim light from the patio that filtered through the open window on the balcony and cut through the darkness. She let out a regretful sigh that indicated her anguish. It had been
Dawn was slower than he would have liked. And after his unusual encounter, seeing Brahim, who appeared early in the morning at his brother's house, was no more comforting. The Tonalis went to the third floor, to the private gym specifically, and dedicated themselves to working on their physical endurance by hitting a punching bag. Ciro was not so happy, his fiancée was still indifferent after the bitter conversation they had at breakfast in Florentín. That was without being aware of the photograph of Simon and him that she had already discovered. If she did not have a convincing explanation for the first, she would not have one for the second.-Spencer, do you know who I'm talking about? - Brahim said, bringing his brother out of his troubled thoughts. Ciro nodded, it was the man responsible for transporting the order that was held up at the Russian borders. Brahim stopped his practice to
The backyard of the Tonali mansion served as the reception center for the dozens of people who kept arriving. All of them were unfamiliar faces for Bethany, who at first felt uncomfortable and out of place. However, knowing that this was a situation that would not change, she decided to approach some of the guests, meeting several who did know her and who seemed genuinely happy and relieved about her recovery. Most of those she spoke to said that the accident had been so severe that it was a miracle that she was alive. She approached the bar and ordered a Margarita. While she waited, she noticed a couple of guests holding a baby in their arms. The little girl was wearing a pompous white dress that contrasted with her dark skin. Her curly hair was loose with a headband with maiot pink trim. And the sensations overwhelmed her again. She had no new memories of a baby, but they were still there, wandering closer t
Bethany accompanied her parents to the airport as their flight was announced ready to be boarded. She had insisted too much on them extending their stay for a while longer in Italy, still feeling like an unknown person in their life. Work responsibilities were her best excuses. Neither of them had left the United States for a long time, and they were terrible at the language.His daughter told them, with some contained relief, what until now Ciro had dared to tell her about his life.-Did he mention anything to you about the woman you hinted at? - Caitlin asked.-No. I didn't want to talk about it either. I think if it was important, he would have told me. Maybe it's Brahim who wants to fill my head with ideas.-What I think is that you can't keep anything hidden. You must force Ciro to tell you. He can't take advantage of your accident to clean up his image, if he really did deceive you. - Her father suggested protecting his daughter. If he could, he wou
Ciro walked from one end to the other in front of a horizontal line of people, including employees of one of his drug manufacturing companies. The harmful material was hidden in cans of baby formula.-To those who have the vague thought that they can hand me and my brother over to the federals, I say that these are suicidal thoughts. - He said, stopping in the middle of his walk, looking at each of his employees, almost sixty in number. Ciro inspired more authority than fear. The real fear was produced by Brahim, who was not with him that day.The employees continued manufacturing, with Ciro inspecting each area. Walking slowly between the aisles formed by the tables. Some of the employees were in charge of producing the cans, others of manufacturing the drugs, and the third group packed the cans in a specific order, for every three cans of milk, one was adulterated. On a fruitful day, a maximum of one thousand kilos were made and distributed to several countries in Eu
As she reached ecstasy, Bethany raised her gaze to the stars, silent witnesses of the passion that overflowed from their bodies. The engaged couple were in the backyard of the house, deep in the pool, giving themselves over to the desires of the flesh. Ciro had his beloved against the curb making love to her. In his mind there was no room for anyone but Bethany. He could not smell any other perfume than the lavender that oozed from her skin, he could not taste anything other than the cherry flavor of her lipstick and his touch was beginning to recover what was once his. Bethany was all he had, he felt everything. His world revolved around her.Bethany, on the other hand, was not reciprocating her feelings. Her mind was playing dirty with her and, instead of allowing her to enjoy her fiancé, it was giving her other memories that confused her. They were attached to Brahim: his scent, his touch, his voice... She felt him more familiar than her fiancé. She tried hard to live the
Once again, Bethany woke up in a bland, cold hospital bed, but this time it wasn't in Florence, and her name wasn't Bethany either, but Anne. As soon as she arrived on American soil, she felt immense relief; she would finally stop fighting for her life. She was taken to a hospital that offered exclusive services to law enforcement officers, veterans, and their families. They subjected her to different tests, from blood tests to a psychological study. Finally, she was alone, lying on her back looking out the window at a moon that was a couple of nights away from being full; it was just as beautiful as in Italy. She thought about Brahim, if she had gotten to a hospital in time or if he would have died in the helicopter. And she also thought about Ciro, about that last promise he had made her. She didn't want to obsess, but it was almost impossible. If she had learned anything from Ciro Tonali, it was that he was stubborn; he would do everything possible to keep his word. "Bethany"
The vastness of the forest was reduced to Ciro's feet, he knew it like the back of his hand, and that was no exaggeration. He had grown up there, he had played hide and seek with Brahim many times, he had also walked there with his father looking for wildlife to hunt. He would never have imagined that in the future he would hunt his wife. It was when he understood that he was not the master of his destiny, which was what scared him the most.- Where are you taking me? - Anne asked, finally calming her tears. She walked ahead of Ciro, one of his hands holding her thin neck, while in her free hand she held the gun in the area of her lower back.-Brahim is waiting for us. – was all he said. He felt his heart squeezing, resisting this act of cruelty towards his wife, the woman of his life. He had found her hiding behind the rock long before the agent did and he stood frozen, watching her in ter
Anne found herself facing a wooded area of more than fourteen thousand two hundred hectares, she had already crossed them on her own foot, although this time it was different, because she had a pair of criminal brothers following her. She couldn't go down the main road, the only path free of weeds and leaves, where the vehicles moved, it would be too obvious. She advanced along the right furrow, clearing her path of branches and leaves, watching the ground carefully to jump over puddles or stones that she could trip over. She wasn't sure if there were snakes or spiders hiding in the undergrowth, she had no room to think about it, the real danger was the Tonali brothers. Her heart leapt into her chest when she became aware of the echoing footsteps following hers. She quickly hid behind the thick trunk of a tree, hoping not to be seen. She heard the static typical of radio communicators, followed by the booming
It was 2:13 in Italy. Ciro's sleepless nights had already become a habit, as had his taste for liquor. He was in the cellar of his house drinking Sicilian anise, the bitter taste of which was accompanied by equally bitter memories that revived the moment when his own brother, blood of his blood, told him that he had impregnated his wife, the woman of his life. If he got drunk it was not to forget, he never understood people who drank to forget their sorrows, he kept them fresh in his mind, he did it to be able to fall asleep. He used liquor as a soporific substance. The silence of his solitude was broken by the ringing of his cell phone. He took the device with his free hand, without letting go of the glass of anise, and glanced at the caller ID, noticing a call from one of his lackeys. He pressed the green button and brought the cell phone to his ear, while bringing the glass to his mouth.-Sir, I have
Around nine o'clock at night, Michael, handcuffed and guarded as if he were a high-ranking leader of some South American Carter gang, returned to his native country, the United States. The autumn breeze that blew, carrying with it the smell of hot dogs, hamburgers and tacos, the English accent resonating on every corner and the delirious people walking the streets talking to nothing, welcomed him to a land to which he never thought he would return. SWAT convoy he was transported from the helipad to the operations headquarters. Once there, lower-ranking officers processed him, offered him a more comfortable coat, and fed him. Michael was not averse to any deal, and when he had to be cooperative, he was. However, he did not ignore the failure to read his rights. He was not wrong in assuming that this was no small oversight. The feds were running roughshod over legislation. They called law only
With two hundred thousand euros in his pocket, Michael had lived the last few months like a celebrity: traveling, going to and from parties, drinking alcohol in abundance and consuming other substances, and in addition to all this he had the pleasant female company of some women who would do anything in exchange for money. But he was not stupid, he knew that in the shadow of his gloating there were consequences. He had sold valuable information to the Italian mafia with an FBI agent in danger. That is why he was not surprised when he saw a BND patrol. (Federal Intelligence Service in German) parking outside the five-star hotel where he was staying for more than seven days. He swore and quickly packed a couple of wads of cash and some gold and silver items, anything of considerable value, into a small gym bag. His days of jubilation were over, and he now had to answer to higher-ups. Although i
They left the mansion aboard the already familiar Mustang bound for Florence. The city was invaded by the artificial lights of billboards, street lamps and shops stealing the spotlight from the moon that shone in its maximum splendor. Anne watched her through the window, following her as if she were trying to protect her from the man who was driving beside her. Ciro had not said a single word since they left the mansion. Not even when he saw her back wearing the dress he himself had chosen for her. He had only made sure that she was wearing the wedding ring on the right finger.“Where are we going?” Anne asked, choking on the silence. She was ignored. Ciro ignored her question as if she hadn’t said anything. The journey had seemed long for Anne, perhaps it was the distance from one point to the other or the silence. But they finally arrived. The restaurant was familiar to Anne, she had
A second ultrasound revealed healthy fetal development, in harmony with the mother who had followed Dr. Lamberti's instructions to the letter. The pregnancy was already beginning to be an external reflection, her flat abdomen was growing, forming a small, though noticeable, belly. They left the consulting room (or rather, Lamberti's house). Anne had an inconceivable feeling. A second look at her son left her strangely moved. She couldn't say if it was like this the first time, with her firstborn, or if it was a new sensation, either way it wasn't right, the situation she was in didn't allow her to think of sleeping teddy bears or color palettes. As much as it hurt her, the fate of that child was still in doubt.-Hey Anne… - Brahim suddenly said, staying a couple of steps behind, she had already opened the door of the Roll Royce - I feel like I owe you an apology for everything I've said
Although he would have liked to say nothing to James about the letter, Jonas saw no other alternative, so he traveled to the journalist's house and explained the situation SWAT was in, that blind spot from which it was not moving forward, and the solution he had approved as effective.-The private detective you hired would probably have found the house of these two criminals. - Jonas said. - If you give me the information he collected, maybe we can find an address.-That damn detective turned out to be a con man.-That!-As you hear. He was asking for more, much more than what was agreed in exchange for what he had discovered. I lost track of him weeks ago, I haven't heard from him again. - Jonas listened attentively, thoughtfully. It was not an option that was ruled out.-Give me his details and everything you know, or think you know about him, we will find it somehow. -And so James did. Michael was not a hidden or mysterious character, on the con