“What was I meant to say?” I glanced over to him. “Yes, I am driving, Aria. Straight to an Italian drug lord’s house to negotiate a deal to get his products into the UK so we can distribute them.” I looked back at the road. “She would have loved that.”
Hayden chuckled. “Mate, you brought it on yourself.”
“Unhelpful as always.”
“I always give you sound advice. You’re the one who chooses not to take it.”
I wasn’t going to tell her anything. I’d keep it a secret for as long as I could—which would hopefully be forever. All I wanted to do was keep her protected from the underground world. She was too special to have it ruin her as it had before. I wouldn’t be the man to do that to her again.
“I’m not talking about this right now.”
He let out a heavy breath and probably rolled his eyes at me—like he always did when I didn’t want to talk about these things.
I slowed the car as we reached the metal gates of the villa. The guard stepped out of the hut, an AK-47 strapped around his armoured body. He eyed us and slowly walked around my car, then made his way back into the hut. The gates started to open, and I continued into the shadows of the dirt track, trees covering each side. As we neared the end, the trees began to open up, allowing the light to return.
The dirt track turned into a concrete drive leading to a terracotta villa, guards patrolling the area. I slowed next to the huge water fountain in front of it
“If I die before I get married, I’m going to haunt you,” Hayden said, looking at me.
I snorted. “This guy wants us; we don’t need him.”
“Just don’t start anything.” Concern filled his voice.
I reached for the glove compartment, took my Glock from it, and placed it in my holster.
“When have I ever started anything that wasn’t necessary?”
“There was that time in London when you fucked up that rival’s leader.”
“He looked at me funny.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“You know me, Hayden, and if—”
He interjected. “That’s the thing. I do know you. I know how the slightest thing can flip that switch in your head, and I don’t want to see that man today. In fact, I really don’t want to see him ever, for your sake.”
“It’s not the same as before. Stop worrying.”
Nothing was the same now that I had Aria.
“Get out of the car,” I said.
He rolled his eyes, then grabbed his gun and placed it behind his back, and we stepped out. A man in his late twenties walked out in a tailored suit. He brushed back his blonde hair and greeted us with a smile.
“Mr Knight, Mr Lyons. Glad to finally meet you. I’m Marco, Luca’s right-hand man. If you follow me, I’ll take you to him.”
I gave him a curt nod, and we followed him through the front doors, into a spacious grand foyer boasting ancient white statues of godly creatures. The floors were marble with pale blue and white blending into each other like one of those old vases. We continued through one of the many archways, the walls covered in hand-painted murals of what looked like angels in a cloudy sky. We passed about four doors before finally reaching the double black ones at the end. Marco opened them into a room, and there was Luca, sitting behind a sleek black table. A metal coffee pot sat on the table with little coffee cups on a decorative silver tray.
“Sebastian, Hayden. Lovely to see you both.” He stood, shaking our hands.
Marco poured us each a coffee as we sat around the table. I picked up the cup, and the nutty tones hit my nose. I took a sip, the liquid warming my throat as it slid down smoothly, hitting all the right spots.
“Are you enjoying Venice? It is a lovely place to visit.”
“Yeah. We go home tomorrow, but it’s been a really nice trip,” Hayden said.
“Only a short stay?”
