“It’s cold.” “Can you keep me warm. Please?” “Okay.” She smiled and grabbed our coats from the rack while I gathered a couple of thick wool blankets. The wind had died down, but it was cold when we stepped onto the porch. Despite her coat, Gianna shivered as we squeezed into the swing. I wrapped her in the blankets before wrapping an arm around her. She curled up like a cat beside me. In the past I used to spend many nights on the porch alone, seeking solitude. Gaia never joined me. Having Gianna beside me didn’t feel like an intrusion, though. “You’re not what I expected.” “Not what?”
Our breath clouded the night air, and the roar of the waves approached us. “I thought I would have to force you to have sex, that you would avoid the physical side of our marriage.” He lifted his head. “I really like sleeping with you.” The moonlight illuminated her eyes. “You make me feel really good.” I giggled.
“That’s how it should be.”
“Do I make you feel good too?” Her tone was playful, but I caught a hint of uncertainty.
“Yes, you do.” I pulled her close for a languid kiss. Not just for sex. As if to remind myself, I slid my hand under the covers and her clothes, grazing my knuckles along her side. The resulting twitch and giggle lit up my insides.
“Have you ever…”
“No talking about the past.” She fell silent, and we looked out toward the ocean. I could not remember the last time I had felt almost at peace, but at that moment she was close.
Alessio
Despite the cold, the next day we took a walk along the beach. Simona was tied to Gianna’s front in the sling while Daniel and Loulou ran along the water’s edge. The dog barked at the waves, trying to bite the foamy water.
How silly, but it made Daniel and Gianna smile, so it could stay for now. Seagulls flew over our heads. Gianna held out her hand to me, and I joined fingers after a moment’s hesitation, worried about Daniele’s reaction, but he didn’t care. His attention was on the dog and the ocean. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to find a message from Faro. Call me as soon as possible frowning, I put the phone back in my pocket. The wind was roaring too loud for a phone conversation.
“What is it?” Gianna asked.
“We have to go home. I have to call Faro.” Her face lowered, and for half a second I thought about ignoring Faro’s message, but I had told him not to bother me unless it was important.
“Oh, sure.” I shook her hand.
“We can go out again tomorrow morning.” She nodded and called out:
“Loulou, Daniele, come here!” Both the dog and my boyfriend turned to her and jumped toward us. For a moment Daniele’s face reminded me of the past, almost as childishly innocent as then. The moment we returned to the beach house, I called Faro while Gianna cleaned the sand from the dog and Daniele. Simona crawled on the floor, chasing a ball that clattered in the most annoying way.
“What is it? I hope it’s important. I didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“While you were busy fucking your young wife, Luca went on a rampage. He killed his uncles Gottardo and Ermano, and that cousin of his whose brother he slit his throat.” I leaned against the backrest, shocked.
“What the fuck happened?” “No one really knows. Matteo is not very forthcoming with information. Rumor has it that Luca tore up the entire new chapter of the Tartarus MC in Jersey, too. Simona tugged at my pants and slowly pulled herself up. I reached out to steady her as she smiled toothlessly at me.
“There are rumors that he is hunting for traitors…. Some suspect it has something to do with his wife. That’s hushed up, but she went to Chicago where she met Dante screwing Cavallaro.”
I leaned back on my thighs, my thoughts spinning out of control.
“Do you think Aria was involved in the betrayal?”
“She’s still alive.” Luca and Aria had appeared happy on the outside, or as happy as a marriage can be in our world, especially if the husband was a man like Luca … or myself. Gianna appeared in the living room, worry clouding her face as she looked at me. Slowly, she approached.
“I’ll be back tonight. Set up a meeting. My father must be there, too.” If Luke went on a big killing spree like that, I had to make sure my town was cleaner than clean. “All right.” I hung up. Gianna slumped down beside me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing to worry about.” “Your face says something else.”
“It’s business. Luca killed two Underbosses. his uncles Gottardo and Ermano.” He sighed, his eyes full of shock. I realized how thoughtless I had been. They were also her uncles, but I had never gotten the impression that she liked either of them very much, which was not surprising. They had been egomaniacal sadists.
“Are you sad about your uncles?” I seemed to pull her out of her daze, then she shook her head abruptly.
“I’m worried about you. What if Luca gets rid of more sub-chiefs?”
“He won’t get rid of me. Not unless I give him reason to, and I haven’t.” He nodded slowly, then opened his eyes wide again.
“Kiara!”
“Who?”
“My cousin Kiara. She is Ermano’s daughter. What about her and my aunt?”
“I don’t know. Faro didn’t mention anything.” He grabbed my arm. “Alessio, please find out. Kiara is only 12 years old. What if she got hurt?”
“I doubt Luca would hurt a child.” His worried expression forced me to pick up the phone again. Normally I would have called Luca directly, but it seemed unwise in the current situation.
“Pack your bags and get Simona and Daniele ready. We have to leave in thirty minutes. I will ask my father about Kiara.” Dad quickly replied.
“Did Faro tell you?”
“He did. That it can wait until our meeting. I need information about Ermano’s daughter and wife.”
“The child is alive, but Ermano shot his wife.”