Fragile Longing

My lips thinned. “But what kind of tactical purpose could there be? Our families will be linked through my marriage to Danilo anyway.”

“My wedding to Emma will solidify the union.”

I could tell that he wouldn’t say more. He parked the car in front of the lodge. Carlo’s car was already parked off to the side. He’d headed out two hours ago to make sure everything was in good condition. My family had a spare key for the Cavallaro lodge, just like the Cavallaros had one for our lodge, which wasn’t quite as splendid as this one.

I didn’t waste any time to storm to the guestroom I usually chose and change into a bikini—a white knit piece I’d fallen in love with the second I saw it. My skin wasn’t tanned enough to build a strong contrast to the pale fabric, but I was determined to work up a decent tan during our time at the lake. My hair was caught in a strange mid-length because I was trying to grow it out for my wedding updo. My bangs reached my cheekbones, so I had to put them back with pins or they’d cover my eyes, and the rest of my hair almost touched my collarbones by now. Still some way to go before I could pull off my bridal hairstyle.

When I rushed back downstairs, familiar voices reached me from the living room. I headed straight for them, finding Anna, Leonas, and Santino talking to Samuel and Carlo.

I made a beeline for Anna and threw my arms around her. When she pulled back, she nodded appreciatively. “That bikini looks hot on you. Good choice.”

I grinned, flushing when I felt everyone’s attention on me.

“Yep, you look like a hot piece of ass,” Leonas drawled as he leaned against the back of the sofa like a goddamn king.

“Shut it,” Santino growled. He sounded as if he was already at the edge of his meager patience. As usual, his furious eyes sent a shiver down my back.

Samuel walked over to Leonas and hit the back of his head. “Watch it. You’re not Capo yet, so we can still kick your scrawny ass until your balls shrivel to the size of raisins.”

“As if they were ever bigger than that,” Anna muttered, giving Leonas a smug smile.

Santino sent her a hard look. “I don’t care if you two torture each other. The only thing I care about is that you’ll return to Chicago more or less alive and that you don’t get on my fucking nerves.”

“Our other bodyguards don’t say fuck because our mother hates the word,” Leonas butted in.

“File an official report and see if I give a fuck,” Santino said before turning to Samuel and Carlo. “I’m heading to the guard house. I’ll trust you to keep them alive.”

Carlo grunted, which was the equivalent of a yes from him.

I nudged Anna. “What’s gotten into him?” I rolled my eyes toward Santino’s broad retreating back.

“Let me change. I’ll tell you at the lake.”

“All right, but hurry. I need to cool off.”

Anna snatched her small bag. “You can carry up my luggage, Leonas. All your work-outs must be worth something, right?”

Leonas gave her the finger. “Later. I’m busy. I’m sure you’ll find one of your fifty bikinis in that ugly shopping bag you carry around.”

“It’s a Louis Vuitton shopper, you moron,” Anna said in a sing-song voice as she ran up the stairs.

I turned to Leonas. “You’re really going to carry her luggage?”

He grimaced. “Lost a bet. Don’t ask. Santino refuses to do it and so she finds new ways to bribe, coerce, or blackmail me into doing it.”

I giggled. Those two were like cat and dog sometimes.

Samuel gripped Leonas’ shoulder in what looked like a tight grip. He was still a head taller than my cousin at fourteen, but Leonas was slowly gaining some muscles, even if Anna still called him a scrawny shit often. “I want to go hunting for our dinner. How about you come along so I can keep an eye on you?”

“Cool.”

They left for the weaponry at the back of the lodge, and a few minutes later, Anna sauntered down the stairs in a dark green two-piece. Linking hands, we headed out to the lake. Sunchairs were arranged on the sundeck over the lake. We dropped our towels on the sunchairs and flung ourselves into the water.

It was ice-cold, sending a shockwave through my body.

Bursting through the surface of the water, I coughed and giggled. Anna was laughing hysterically. We swam around a bit before we stretched out on the sundeck to warm up.

I didn’t know how much time had passed until a scratching sound woke me from a slight slumber. I sat up, blinking against the sunlight, and spotted Emma on the upper deck, looking down at us. She wheeled down the narrow path to the sundeck we lay on. I stood, unsure if she needed my help. What if her wheelchair rolled into the water?