Calmer, he returned to the beach and its unpleasant crowd. He appeared before his fiancée with a smile that would wipe the bitterness from her face.
-I'm sorry for the delay, I was... - He tried to think of a pretext, but his mind was ineffective at doing so.
-Someone from the hotel informed me that the spa is ready. -Bethany said, not so smiling.
-I forgot. -he said, uttering a curse. He planned to surprise her. Once again he allowed his work to distract him from what was important.
They made their way to the hotel where they were led by a couple of masseuses to a private room. They were shown a second room where they could shed their clothes. They were in the mood to become a married couple so they were both led to the same room. Had they consulted, Bethany would have opted for one for herself.
-Don't worry, I won't see anything. -Ciro consoled her, knowing her so well. And
Bethany's eyelids jerked up. The bad dreams continued to disturb her rest. A chase and gunshots, her running, escaping death. Visions that made her heart rate spike. It was torturous.She turned around in bed, feeling alone. Ciro wasn't there. She left the bed wearing a blue silk robe with white stripes. She left the bedroom quietly, her lack of shoes making her stealthy. She didn't have to walk far to find her fiancé who was in the living room, sitting in front of a laptop that she didn't even know how he got. He was holding a cell phone to his ear, which he assumed wasn't his, since it had flown into hundreds of pieces against the stones.-Stop production. The Russian police must be investigating its origin right now. We must keep a low profile. Cancel business phone numbers, emails or any other means of contact. -Bethany heard despite the careful tone in which she spoke.-...-Forget them. They knew the risks of the job.-...-That
She reached out with one of her hands to slide the alarm clock and glance at the time: 1:00 p.m. Bethany had been in bed for a long time without being able to fall asleep.She put on some fuzzy slippers and left the room. She knew what was wrong with her rest. One night sleeping next to Ciro was enough for her body to remember the essence of sleeping next to the warm shelter of another body.He walked through the hallways and came to the room where Ciro slept. The door was ajar so he entered without warning. There was no one there. The bed was unmade and Ciro's already familiar laptop was resting on it. He was seriously a workaholic. He crawled from under the bed to reach the device that was on the pillows. And when his fingers brushed the computer, he felt a second hand take his own. With one pull, Ciro lifted her up and kissed her.-What are you doing up? - the Italian asked against her lips.-I could ask you the same question. -Bethany replied. The second kiss was her initiative. T
Brahim took a piece of crimson cloth and used it to blindfold a white woman with reddish hair who was standing in the middle of the room dressed only in her white linen panties.-What are you planning to do to me? -Bethany asked, ecstatic.Brahim refrained from any response, as was his custom. The mystical essence was part of the game. He positioned himself behind his sister-in-law and parted her hair in two to place wet kisses along the length of her neck and down her back until he was kneeling. He grabbed her panties and pulled them down to her ankles.He placed a soft kiss on her right buttock, followed by a painless bite. Bethany bit her lower lip, feeling eager. Brahim stood up and gathered all of her reddish hair to throw it to one side.-Are you thinking about my brother? - He asked, whispering in her ear.-No. - She said in a whimper, reveling in the massage Brahim was giving her thighs, teasing her intimate area. -You don't look anything like him.-Is that a compliment?-Take
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
In the three hours (and a bit more) that Ciro had been investigating Derek, he had found absolutely nothing about him, he was a ghost. He was somewhat relieved to know that he didn't belong to any police force, but there was still the lurking possibility that he was a member of some organized crime gang. Perhaps he was a lackey of Voslov's who had sent him to investigate his precious Bethany further and she could have unburdened her sorrows to him, possibly even told him the truth in an attempt to help him.He slammed the lid of his laptop shut and pushed that catastrophic thought out of his mind. Voslov couldn't be such an idiot as to challenge the Tonali brothers; starting with life.-Ciro. - His wife called from the entrance to his office. The man looked up at her. - Can I come in? I want to talk to you."Sure, go ahead," the Italian agreed, trying to tone down his temper.Bethany entered the room with a soft step, feeling helpless. In that of
Brahim climbed on top of Karla who was lying on her back on the bed, wearing her underwear while he had his abs exposed. He kissed her fiercely and his hands explored the depths of her body. However, there was a small problem, Brahim could not turn on his libido. The reason: she was not the woman he wanted in his bed. Karla was beautiful and an expert in lustful pleasures, but she was still not enough for the mobster, and she lacked the touch of the forbidden. He did not want pleasure, he wanted Bethany.His brother's wife appeared in his imagination, posing as Karla. It was disappointing for Brahim to open his eyes and not find the redhead under his body, and no matter how hard he tried to enjoy the reality, the fantasy became more provocative. He could feel Bethany's soft skin when his fingers caressed the other's, he could smell her fragrance and taste her lips. Bethany was anchored in his mind.He felt Karla's hands go down to the clasp of his pants, then she grabb
It was the first time in several days that Bethany had walked alone through the streets of Florence. Without any of her brothers looking after her, or at least that's what she assumed.She thought a lot about Brahim; about what happened the night before, wanting to understand why it happened. If it had been Ciro, she would have rejected him for sure. But when it came to Brahim, she didn't hesitate. Alcohol played a very important role, that was clear to her, but there was another reason. With Brahim it was a sexual experience, superficial. On the other hand, Ciro had sworn to make love to her and Bethany couldn't conceive it. As much as her husband claimed to love her, she couldn't believe it definitively. And she didn't want to get to a point where she would forget everything he had done to her, the lies and the deceptions and end up falling in love. Forgiving him was not an option.She arrived at the street called "la dolce far niente", a very pleasant neigh
The sun caressed Bethany's face, prompting her to wake up. The first thing that crossed her mind was the previous night and her "special" meeting with her brother-in-law in her husband's wine cellar. She thought that with the dawn she would also feel remorse, but that was not the case. The only thing she regretted was not having been brave from the beginning to refuse marriage, and the fact is that she had always had doubts about getting married. Her relationship with Ciro was a real farce, at least that was how she felt.She stood up and went straight to the laptop on her desk. Since she learned the truth about the Tonali brothers, she hadn't checked her email again, and it was about time she did. The emails were divided between advertisements and newsletters from subscription sites, but what predominated in her inbox were emails from Lorient who, despite Bethany's obvious lack of interest, did not stop keeping her informed of everything that was h
The glow of a full moon bathed the elegant Florentine city. From the balcony where Bethany was standing, she could see the river in the distance, flowing with an imperturbable calm, enviable for the chaotic soul of the woman who could not calm down.It had been a couple of hours since Ciro left her alone after he ran into old acquaintances and they invited him to their private poker tournament. Bethany considered the idea of staying inside and chatting with someone, she was sure she would find someone who was as lonely as she was, however, she remembered the place she was in, and the people invited. She wouldn't talk to engineers, doctors, much less lawyers, but rather they were mobsters; very powerful criminals. It was enough to decide to isolate herself from the rest, because she wanted to believe that she didn't belong to that shady world and that it was an accident that brought her together with Ciro, despite the fact that he told her that she knew who he was the day she
They arrived at Paste Rich, one of Voslov's properties in Italy. It was a large restaurant with a modern, gothic feel that did not please any diner, except for the superstitious and fervent believers, whose culture could be seen to be challenged by the Lucifer decorations and Stars of David displayed like Picasso paintings. It was an open interpretation of what was going on in the mind of the restaurant owner. The happy couple arrived hand in hand, drawing the attention of many of those present who saw Sandro's firstborn for the first time since he died, being the leader of one of the most feared organisations in Europe. They were debating whether he would be up to his father's level or if the throne had become too big for him.-Bethany, I need you to do something for us: for me, for Brahim and for yourself. –Ciro said, holding his wife's hand tightly. –I need you to forget the hatr
Ciro, sitting on the bottom steps of the ivory staircase, checked the time on his original Rolex every five minutes. It was almost time for dinner and he was starting to get impatient. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they would be back, and Voslov was not good at waiting.He sighed heavily and looked up, expecting to see his wife ready to leave, but it was no more than a hope. He snorted. What he feared most was going up to the bedroom and finding Bethany in a state of anarchy, refusing to go with him. Just like on their wedding day. He felt melancholy every time he thought of that day. He understood that sooner or later Bethany would have to discover some semblance of reality, but he hated that it had been that day of all days.Surrendered to despair, he began to walk upstairs. He did not even notice that his cotton suit had become wrinkled from sitting for so long. He knocked on the door with a racing heart."Bethany?" he said. He felt bad calling her by h
When Ciro arrived at the meeting place with Voslov, the latter was not there, but a retinue of his men was there. The Italian kept his composure and continued on.He waited for the Russian for more than two hours until he finally appeared, arrogant as usual. The hatred that Ciro felt towards him could not be hidden, although the Russian did not care.-My dear partner, you cannot imagine how eager I was to return to tell you how grateful I am for your generous treatment. My business flourishes on your lands. - Voslov said only to irritate his Italian counterpart. Ciro wanted not to pull on that thread and kill the subject before it spread any further. The man in front of him tried to take the life of the woman he loves on her wedding day, that was an unresolved score. So the best and wisest thing to do was to avoid tempers getting heated.-Why did you call me? -Ciro explained the reasons for the meeting quickly.-Because I wanted to hold a celebration in h
Ciro meant it when he told Brahim that he would take care of Bethany whenever he couldn't be with her. That's why, early in the morning, the youngest of the Tonali brothers was at his brother's house."What am I supposed to do?" Brahim asked with obvious discontent as he watched Ciro finish shaving.-Just make sure he doesn't get into trouble, that's all. -He said simply."We're talking about a grown woman, not a child," argued Brahim, who found the idea of taking care of his sister-in-law to be at least stupid.-She's a very curious woman and she has reasons to be. -Ciro said, removing the shaving foam from his face. -Don't worry, you won't have to do much. She'll probably stay in the room most of the time.-And what will you do all this time? -Ciro looked at him seriously.-Voslov is in town and wants to talk to me.-Incredible. He'll threaten to reveal Bethany in exchange for more Italian land. And you, being so stupid, will give i