I knew it was pointless, as did Cedric, still I texted him to ease his mind.
Me: Love the shirt. Thanks for the friends.
Cedric: I said every hour.
Me: Not going to happen. He’s not here.
Cedric: You work fast.
Me: I have his address.
Cedric: Wait for him to come to you.
“Don’t I always,” I said to no one. I loaded both guns and tucked them under my pillows. I sat on the balcony in the lone chair provided and watched the sun drift from one edge of the sky to the other. Restless and curious, I slipped into my hatchback and typed in Daniello’s address. Five minutes outside of Barga, I turned onto a dirt road. I spotted the villa in the distance and his plane on a hill next to it. There was one way in and one way out. Anyone who occupied the house could see who was coming half a mile away.
Despite the fact that the villa was lifeless, it made it no less beautiful. Stone walls and iron gates surrounded the large home. I could only see the bones of the house from a distance; up close it seemed impenetrable. I stopped outside the walls and got out of the car. I saw a security camera in the corner of the fence and turned to look directly at it. I choked any emotion I had down and let my anger through.
“That’s not how you say goodbye to a lover.”
I got back into the hatchback and kicked up dust. I raced down the road and couldn’t help but to take in the countryside.
Such a different world.
He lived a different life in Italy. His second reality. I wondered how many secrets he kept from me.
I felt a sick gnaw start as I thought how uninvolved we really were.
“Sono qui.” I am here, I said as I shifted my car and gripped my phone. “Stop bitching at me, Tula.”
“Your English is getting better.” My sister’s smile could be heard over the phone. “Tell me, brother, at your age, why this sudden interest in speaking English? God knows you were too stubborn to use it before.”
“I have been to the States.”
“And you have met a woman?” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“Hmmm. She would not have forgiven her uncle for missing her party.”
“She will not need to forgive me. Domani.” Tomorrow.
I hung up just as my phone pinged with another security alert reminder as I pulled up to my Villa. The gate was still intact. Sometimes animals set it off. I pulled forward and saw everything was as it should be. Rocco pulled up behind me seconds after I grabbed my bag from the trunk.
“Where have you been?” he barked in Arabic. I walked past him without a glance his way. His presence alone set my blood boiling.
“Fine, in English. Where did you go?”
Inside, I threw my bag down on my couch, grabbed a beer from my kitchen, and took a swallow. “I do not answer to you. Get the fuck out of my house before I kill you like I should have a month ago.”
Rocco stepped toward me like the fool he was. “He wants to meet with you.”
“And you are being a good little dog. Tell him I got the message.”
“You are working alone?” Rocco pulled out his gun and set it on the table before he removed his jacket.
“I have always worked alone. The States were a mistake. Do not make yourself comfortable. You are not welcome here.”
Rocco threw his head back in a laugh. “All because of you and that whore. We are no longer in the States. We have no issues.”