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“Come for a visit soon? I’m sure Fran would be glad to see you.” Enzo says, nodding his chin with a hint of amusement
Nero’s lips twitch but he flattens them and nods nonchalantly. “Yeah, yeah. I will. you know how things get.” He offers an apologetic shrug and claps his hands. “Anyway, don’t let me keep you and don’t tell my Ma you saw me. She thinks I went back yesterday.” He points at Luca and Luca laughs smugly before calling, “Secrets safe with me!”
“Good to meet you Casimira,” Nero calls as walks back towards the much smaller propeller plane at the other end of the airstrip.
Luca and Carms get into the Jeep with Carlo whilst me, Enzo and Ares take the second Jeep.
“You guys seem close,” I say as Enzo starts the car and follows behind on the dirt track cutting between the thick jungle vegetation.
“His parents are my godparents. Pietro and Valentina. We used to holiday together all the time. It’s been a while though, I haven't really had time for holidays in the past couple of years.” He slants me a look and I nod.
He winds down the window and I start fanning myself with my top so I can get some air circulating. I didn't realise how humid it would be already. “What was with the Fran thing?” I ask turning the air con up to max and to my delight it's ice cold.
He leans an elbow out the window and scoffs a laugh. “They’re childhood sweethearts. I just like to tease him about it.”
I raise a brow and he frowns in question. “He’s a bit old for her, no?” I ask in alarm.
He shakes his head twice as he turns the car around a sharp corner. “There's only a year and a half between them, he just turned nineteen last month.”
“He looked way older.” He was at least six foot with shoulders nearly as wide as Enzos and a full beard of stubble, not to mention a fair few tattoos. Fran seems so young in comparison.
Enzo laughs. “He’s not. I was there when he was born. Whatever crush they had on each other was ages ago anyway, there’s nothing between them anymore.” Sounds like he’s trying to convince himself more than me but okay. He turns to me again, his eyebrows furrowing. “What?”
I shake my head, putting my hand on his thigh. “Nothing, babe.”
After an extremely long, hot and bumpy journey, we arrive at a large waterfront villa with white stone pillars decorating the front of the house. It's got a full staff who welcomes us as we get out of the car. They take our bags from us and Enzo shows me around. It reminds me of Enzo’s house, large, light and open plan. The floors are white marble with lots of windows. The veranda looks out onto the pool in the garden. Beyond that a private white sand beach that feels like something you’d see on a postcard. Deep glassy blue sea, pale fine sand and palm trees separating the beach from the garden. Fuck New York. I want to live here.
I take a quick shower because I definitely need one after that drive and get myself changed into my bikini before we all go to sit down on the beach.
Benny is already in the sea, floating about on an inflatable lilo whilst Luca attempts to teach Ares how to build a sandcastle, although Ares is more interested in eating the sand to Luca's amusement. Enzo is the Off-White swim shorts I bought him, bare-chested. His brown skin practically glows in the summer sun. His scars on his shoulder and lower torso look a stark pink compared to the other faded ones over his body. I stare at him whilst he lies there unaware. His arm stretched behind his head, one powerful thigh up, the other resting on the sun bed. He looks like an Adonis. I don’t think I’ve witnessed him so calm and relaxed outside of our bedroom before, it suits him.
I lay back on my sun lounger, closing my eyes and tilting my head up to the sun, soaking it all in. The heat of the sun on my skin, the smell of coconut sunscreen and salt in the air. I genuinely thought after Aleksy died I would never be happy again. The darkness swallowed me whole. I couldn’t see a way out but as I sit here now, next to the love of my life and my son playing with the men I count as family, I couldn’t feel any happier. I don’t think my life could be any more perfect despite all the trauma I've been through in the past two years. I'm thriving and my son has the best life I could possibly wish for him. We're both surrounded by people who love us and I couldn’t ask for any more. I’m still healing. I think I always will be but the hole in my chest doesn't feel so colossal anymore. The weight on my shoulders doesn't feel so debilitating. I may still struggle but I'm not struggling on my own anymore. Enzo is with me. He will always be with me.
We spend a few more hours at the beach then I leave them there so I can get a head start on getting ready for tonight. We’re having dinner with Valentina Russo-Ortiz. I’m excited to meet her after all I’ve heard from Enzo and Luca. She grew up the heiress to both the Colombian and Mexican cartels, took over when her father died and then went on to marry the head of the Cosa Nostra in Las Vegas becoming easily the most powerful woman in the Western Hemisphere.
Carms and Benny stay at the villa with Ares whilst Me, Enzo and Luca drive over to their compound. I can only describe it as such, high barbed wire fences with watch towers. It looks like a luxury prison from the outside. As we’re cleared through security the nerves bubble up inside. As if Enzo can sense it he squeezes my leg reassuringly.
We park outside a grand-looking villa with white bricks and a terracotta roof. The double glass doors open and a woman steps out dressed in cotton shorts, an oversized top and a cardigan. Not exactly how I expected the most powerful woman in the Western Hemisphere to dress but who am I to be the judge of that? I was thinking maybe a pantsuit? Something that screams ‘Don’t fuck with me.’
Her dark hair is wavy and loose around her shoulders, she’s barefoot as she pads down the stairs. She has a very carefree effortless vibe to her. I’m finding it hard to believe this woman has a nineteen-year-old child, she barely looks thirty-five. She's wearing minimal makeup, still stunning but in a lethal way. Sharp eyes, sharp nose, full lips that I just know are natural. The closer I get the more I realise she doesn’t need the pantsuit, she holds herself like she’s seven foot tall.
Three men wait inside the glass doors as she greets us, a warm smile on her face. Enzo puts a hand on my waist and guides me forward.
“It's been too long, son.” She says to Enzo embracing him in a motherly way. Her accent is thick, the words rolling off her tongue in a way only Hispanic people can. She hugs Luca and to my surprise, he actually hugs her back.
“Now, please introduce me to your Fiancee.” She says, turning her gaze to me.
“We're not engaged,” I say as I let out an awkward almost laugh.
She raises a brow at Enzo and he smirks. “Yet.”
She suppresses a smile and embraces me the same way she did Enzo and Luca. “I'm Valentina.”
“Casimira,” I say with a polite smile.
She takes my hand and leads me through the house. Enzo and Luca trail behind us as we enter a lavish dining room, the table already set for four. “Come, you can sit next to me. I want to hear all about you and my godson.”
She sits at the head of the table and I sit to her left, Enzo opposite me and Luca to my right. “Enzo only just told me he had godparents.”I shoot Enzo a look and he shrugs.
