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There’s a reason he is the way he is. Trust; it’s one of the purest forms of emotion.
The bathroom door opens and Enrico strides in.
“Hey.” He smiles softly.
I fake a smile back. “Hi.”
He carefully sits on the side of the bath, as if unsure what to say.
“You getting in with me?” I ask.
He stands, takes his clothes off, and he climbs in at the opposite end of the tub. We sit in silence for a while.
I squeeze the water onto my chest again. There are so many emotions between us, but the one that’s clogging up my throat is fear.
“What’s going to happen?” I ask him quietly.
He stares at the water, unable to answer my question.
“Sergio had these drugs delivered to your boat, which technically makes them yours now that he’s dead.”
“I know.”
“What’s the jail term for this much cocaine possession?”
He inhales deeply, steeling himself. “Thirty years to life.”
My eyes fill with tears as I watch him. “You can’t go to jail, Rici,” I whisper.
He slides down farther and puts his head back against the edge of the bathtub.
I try to get a grasp of what Sergio was planning.
“What was he doing? Why?” I shake my head, words escaping me. “Why did he have those drugs delivered to your boat?”
“Because he knew the dealers wouldn’t give him that much credit. I’m guessing his plan was to sell the drugs on his own and then pay the dealers back immediately. He was using my name as a line of credit. The dealers thought they were selling to me, and because they always have sold to Ferrara, there was no hesitation at all.”
“But… but they aren’t yours,” I splutter. “You need to explain the whole thing. Make them understand that you knew nothing about this.”
His eyes hold mine. “Possession is nine tenths of the law, Olivia. I have no proof that they aren’t my drugs. Do you think a drug dealer is going to come and testify on my behalf?”
“So… what?” I shrug. “Are they just sitting there on the dock waiting for you to go to the boat so they can arrest you?”
“Yes.” He nods slowly. “That’s exactly what they’re doing.”
“Then don’t go to the boat. Simple.”
“They’ll only wait a few more days before they move in. If I go to the boat to remove the drugs, I’ll be arrested. If I don’t go to the boat, they will arrest me anyway.”
I put my head into my hands as tears fill my eyes. “This is too much, Enrico,” I whisper. “This isn’t even your fight. This is Stefano’s fight. He wanted this, and then he died and left you in this big fucking mess. And poor Sophia and Sergio.” I angrily wipe the tears from my eyes. “If you don’t get murdered by that madman, you’re going to jail for a crime that you didn’t commit.” He doesn’t try and comfort me. I don’t think he can.
Because he knows I’m right.
I stare into space as I search for options. Everything seems so dark and dismal. What are we supposed to do? Rico's eyes are focused on the water, hardened by sadness and anger. “What we need to do is disappear for a while,” I say
“And how do we do that? It’s a lot easier said than done,” he replies.
I think for a moment. “It’s not actually a bad idea, to be honest. Why don't we go off the grid for a while? Hide until everything is over with.” I smile to myself as I imagine a life on the run.
