I sat back in my seat, my eyes looking back toward the bedroom. If we were lucky, Ana would sleep most of the trip. By the time we landed in Italy, it would be around midday, which meant Ana would have to be up for another few hours before she went to bed. Plus, I knew Rose needed the sleep. As long as Ana didn’t budge, she wouldn’t either.
“Can we go snorkeling?” Kevin asked.
“And skydiving?” Junior asked.
“Oh, what about racecar driving?” Kevin asked.
“And horseback riding,” Junior said, smiling.
“Well, I’m not sure about the racecar driving and the skydiving,” I said, chuckling. “But there is a reef not too far off the island’s coast. We can definitely go swimming and snorkeling.”
“An island!” Kevin said. “Cool. I’ve never been on an island.”
“Me neither,” Junior said. “At least, not that I can remember. Wanna play Marco Polo?”
“We can’t play that game underwater,” Kevin said. “We’ll drown.”
“I mean, when we get to the beach,” Junior said.
“Only if Camillo plays,” Kevin said.
“Oh, I’ll definitely play,” I said, smiling.
“Good, because Rose and I are going to suntan while Ana plays in the sand,” Cassie said.
“Good,” I said. “I hope you can help her relax. I get the feeling she’s never taken a vacation.”
“Not since our parents died,” Kevin said.
I could see the shocked look roll over Cassie’s face. My eyes descended onto Kevin’s and I could see the way Junior was studying him. He’d found a kindred spirit. A kid close to his age who understood the pain of losing their family.
“My parents died, too,” Junior said.
Cassie panned her gaze over to me with a quizzical look.
“What happened to your family?” Kevin asked.
I felt my heart racing as Cassie turned her gaze back to the boys.
“I don’t really know. There was just… this guy who came in one night. My dad told me to go hide in the closet and not come out until my uncle came to get me. There was just a lot of screaming. That’s all I remember.”
I felt Cassie’s eyes slowly bore a hole into my temple as I held my breath.
“Mine died in a car accident,” Kevin said. “A drunk driver hit them.”
“I’m sorry,” Junior said.
“Me, too. For your parents.”
The boys scooted a little closer before they lost themselves in their games again. In that moment, I had more respect for the bond growing between the two of them. The hurt they’d experienced was something no child should ever have to know and, as I digested what Kevin had said and what Junior had openly admitted to, I felt my chest swell with anger and sorrow.
And that’s when I felt Cassie’s hand reach over and grasp my arm.
“I’m holding you personally responsible for their protection,” she said.
“They’ll be safe with me. I promise. Now you lay back and enjoy the glass of champagne coming for you. I’ve got the kids.”
The stewardess handed me my water before she handed the champagne to Cassie. I watched her drink it down, her lips never once leaving the glass, her eyes filled with worry. The stewardess took her glass from her to refill it while I sipped on my water, listening for my two girls in the bedroom while my jet soared us through the clouds.
They would be safe with me on the island I was taking them to.
They would be safe from the wrath I was about to rain down upon the Del Vecchio family.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – ROSE
Ana and I slept the entire flight and when I woke up to Cassie sitting across from Camillo on the jet, I flipped out. I ran and embraced her, holding my cousin tightly while Ana ran into the arms of her father.
“What in the world are you doing here?” I asked.
“Girl, I’m not going to New York without you,” she said. “I can’t handle all of Crystal’s mess on my own, no matter how much tequila I drink.”
The two of us giggled while Camillo began unloading our things from the storage units above our heads.
It was pleasantly warm when we landed, easily in the high eighties. The sun was shining high in the sky, indicative of the fact that wherever we’d landed, it was still midday. I took Ana from Camillo’s arms so he could carry all the suitcases and, soon, he was tossing everyone’s things into a massive helicopter that was waiting for us.
“Wait, can Ana fly in one of these things?” I asked.
“Her car seat straps in the same way,” he said. “Come on.”
We all piled into the helicopter and I got Ana seated before I buckled myself in. The boys were ecstatic, pointing out the windows and making jokes as we slowly rose into the air. Camillo’s personal jet became a small little toy in the palm of Ana’s hand as we rose up into the air and, soon, we were up in the air high enough for me to take in the bulk of the land around us.