Page 114 of Sins of the Orchid

CHAPTER38

Amore

It was our last night together in Italy. I already hated the idea of going back to reality tomorrow. To spend days, weeks, and months without seeing him. And he hadn’t even left yet. I had half a mind to drop everything and go back to New York, but DeAngelo had made it clear I was safer in Italy.

At least until Ulrich Anderson was dead.

DeAngelo had intel on him, and I trusted DeAngelo to see me through this safely. I trusted him almost as much as Santi, though the latter would always be the number one in my book.

Jesus, how did everything go so askew? In all those first thirteen years of my life, I never heard George mention he had sons. Even less that those same sons would have killed my mother and want to kill me. They killed their own father.

What the fuck happened? I wasn’t sure anymore what I knew, or I didn’t know.

The only thing I was certain of was that we had to find him and kill him. Before he killed me.

Santi and I sat outside at a local restaurant on a stone patio that hung over the sea. Night had fallen but the air was comfortable, warm, and breezy. The little white lights lit up the terrace and threw off a beautiful glow across the whole area. I kept glancing out to sea, the lit-up yachts and sailboats shimmering in the darkness, the blood moon barely lighting up the sky.

The dance floor had opened. Young and old couples alike found themselves slowly swaying to the music. Smiling. Laughing. Kissing.

It was a tranquil atmosphere, but deep inside the dull ache had already started to swell. Maybe this was the reason I should have kept my distance from Santi all along. He had parked himself deep inside my heart, and there was no way of pushing him out. Not that I wanted to.

My savior. My rock. My protector.

I could have never imagined these feelings for him would grow so strong. I have always loved him, ever since he brushed my tears away on that hot summer day. But over the last few months, I’d fallen deeper and deeper in love with him.

So deep that I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

A faint beeping sound reached my ears and I dug through my purse for the phone. Glancing at it, I realized with a start that it must have been going off for quite a while.

“Crap,” I muttered.

“Everything okay?” Santi sat back, leaning casually. The past week with him has been amazing, though he has been uncharacteristically quiet today too. When he fucked me, I was convinced he loved me. I felt connected to him.

But in times like these, the doubts crept into my heart. Maybe because I wanted him so much that it scared me to lose him. Things would never be the same if Santi and I went our separate ways. The life and family I’d known since I was thirteen would go up in smoke. I’d avoid them all in an attempt to avoid Santi. It would hurt to see him.

“Bunch of missed messages,” I muttered, lifting my eyes to him. He was now on his own phone. “From everyone.”

It seemed like everyone decided to message me at the same time

“Better answer your papà first,” he suggested.

I raised my eyebrow. “And how do you know one of them is from Dad?”

He lifted his phone. “Because he just sent me a message asking I check on you.” I started vigorously typing my reply. “Though I’m surprised,” he added begrudgingly.

My head shot up. “Why?”

A heartbeat of silence.

“We had a disagreement the last time I spoke to him,” he remarked dryly.

“Huh?” I couldn’t see what could cause disagreement between the two of them.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” he deadpanned. “Send replies to the messages so they don’t worry.”

I quickly shot messages to everyone, one at the time, letting them know I was fine and safe. Dad. Lorenzo. Adriano. Luigi. Uncle Vincent. Santi’s men were my assigned guards for this week. Luckily, they all answered to Santi so we wouldn’t be ratted out.

Just as I suspected, Grandma didn’t say a word. Otherwise, all these messages would have been sent in an entirely different tone.