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Glancing at all the empty chairs, he rocks on his heels a few times before choosing the seat to the left of me.
“How are you holding up,pequeño?” I ask, inching my hand toward his.
He chews on his bottom lip, sending me a look of hesitance. “Not well.”
“That's to be expected. Too much bad for one day?”
He nods, his lips pressing tightly together, and he digs the tips of his shoes into the dirt as if he's sealing away a secret he wishes to keep not only from me, but himself as well.
Smiling softly, I run my right pinky gently over his. His hazel eyes lock me in place as his fingers loop around mine. He squeezes a few times, releasing a soft breath before pulling away. I drag my hand back over to my leg and it's heavier than before. It was so easy for me to slide it over to him but it was a struggle to leave him.
His eyes soften and he stares back toward the undertaker. With relaxed shoulders, he spreads his legs until our thighs are touching. It's all I need to know we are okay.
Too bad I can't know if we'll always be.
The funeral ends and I don't even realize it's over until everyone is scattering around us. Enrico stands up before me and grabs a rose from the bucket. Standing up, I walk behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder while he tosses the rose into the open grave. The long stem hits the top of the casket with a clack, causing the others to scatter. I grab a handful of dirt but before I can toss it forward, I pause, unable to pull my eyes from the random black rose resting in a sea of red.
Enrico doesn't notice, or at least he doesn't say anything about it. The dirt falls from my open hand and as we walk away, I never stop thinking about the black rose. It didn't belong with the others. Something tells me whoever brought it shouldn't have been here either. The danger didn't end with Samantha or any other threat Zacharias has recently silenced.
It continues to lurk in the shadows, hanging over us like a dark cloud.
“What is it?” Enrico asks, raising his brow.
My lips form into a thin line and I briefly shake my head. “Nothing,pequeño. Are you hungry?”
He grabs at his stomach. “A little.”
“Want to skip dinner at your dad's house and go somewhere else?”
He nods. “No words of yours have ever sounded better.”
I chuckle softly, pressing my hand to the center of his back as I direct him toward the car. I don't stop checking our surroundings. Two men in matching black suits watch us from a distance. Suddenly the trees sway too loud; the scent in the air is heavy with a mixture of earth and death.
Enrico slides in the passenger side and before I can reach my phone to send a message to Zacharias, it vibrates in my back pocket. I quickly grab for it, my eyes skimming over the incoming message.
Zacharias: I got it covered, old man. Take care of my son. Make sure he gets home safely.
I turn around and see him staring at me with hooded eyes. His hand is on his gun as he gets in a separate car from his boyfriend, Andres. What is he playing at?
Andres straightens his tie, smiling smugly as he ducks his head and slides into the back seat of the vehicle.
Shaking my head, I laugh. They're playing one of their little games again; Andres was sure to let his gold collar shine bright under the sun. The lurking men are after the gold Zacharias’s men stole. They assumed they were stealing from a bank and not some guy who runs an illegal gold mine. It's funny how they think they actually have a chance at retrieving it.
I send a message back as I enter the driver’s side.
Me: Let me know when you don't.
Zacharias: When don't I?
I refrain from reminding him how he would have been nothing but chopped bits if Andres and I didn’t sweep in at the last minute months ago to save his cocky ass. Starting the car, I glance over at my passenger. “Ready to go?”
Enrico tilts his head, tugging at his chin. “What was that about?”
“Nothing you have to worry yourself over.”
He leans back in the seat, buckling his seat belt. “If you say so.”
“I do. Now how about some of my famous homemade soup at your place?”
