Page 83 of Isle of Beauty

“I didn’t take you for a fool, Mr. Bartoli.”

He hangs up and I watch as Igor walks to the plane. When it moves down the runway and takes off, I run to Lana and cover her body with mine, pressing her to me with feverish need to reassure myself she’s okay. I take quick inventory of her injuries. None that I can see.

“Baby, look at me,” I beg.

Her eyes come up to meet mine and I let the tears of relief fall. Her face is painted with agony but she croaks “I’m okay,” always thinking of others before herself. “We need to get him back.”

“We need to get you a doctor first.”

“Amore. Please.”

Her voice is a soft cry and tears my chest open. I’ll lend her my heart if hers is too broken. She loses consciousness and I take her into my arms, ready to go back home and never let her out of my sight ever again.

I nod in thanks to Andrea but I barely look at him. My eyes are fixed on my wife. I hold her to me tightly, breathing her in and nuzzling tighter. I feel like my lungs can finally get some air. Her breaths are slowing, her body getting heavier in my arms.

It’s early morning when we get back to Andrea’s weirdly charming cottage. Now that I have Lana back, I reflect on my cousin’s eagerness to help me kill our uncle.

Digging into my memories, I recall an incident. I must have been fourteen at the time. Luc had come to my mother’s house raging about Mario, Andrea’s father, and his lack of support. Mario’s position in West Hill could have helped the Pierce empire grow but Luc complained that he didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I guess Andrea’s father taught him not to trust our uncle, or maybe they both had a clear vision on who he truly was. I regret that it took me so long to see it.

If Lana had paid the price of my misplaced loyalty…

I can’t go down that road. The “ifs” only build anguish and resentment and they won’t help me with taking care of my wife. She’s weakened and I need to be her foundation right now.

Andrea will take over for Luc at the head of the pitiful Pierce’s shady deals and give a choice to our uncle’s men: follow or die. It’s a foreign feeling to trust him, but I’m surprised at how much I enjoy it. I can count on one hand the people I rely on. Lana, Julian, and maybe Giulia if she’s amenable and I haven’t pissed my wife that day. I could count on Igor. The thought makes my chest contract with pain.

One of the many things I hate is that Lana was on the plane recently. The doctor was clear that she should avoid travelling with her punctured lung and the threat of her not recovering properly makes me want to resuscitate Luc and kill him all over again.

She’ll have to rest even more. I’m going to be by her side all hours of the day and night. I’m not leaving her side ever again.

She’s too weak to move her just yet. She’s exhausted, as if she hadn’t dared sleep while she was captive, and I don’t want to jostle her and risk more of her health so we’re staying at Andrea’s home for the day, until we can take off tonight.

His kindness makes me uncomfortable. I’ve spent so much time despising him, I don’t know what to do with the new emotions that arise where he’s concerned. Just like with my father, I notice a lot of my feelings are inherited from childhood and I never paused to question them.

I was so afraid to be like my father that I became my mother. A bitter shell of a human, unable to form attachment without anger tainting it.

“Are you okay, cugino?” Andrea asks.

The words hold none of the previous malice. I look up at him, something akin to understanding passing between us. I’ve never been more grateful in my life. My cousin got himself a new ally, no matter what he asks of me, I’ll always remember what he did for us.

“Would you do me another favour?” I ask, half hopeful, half scared he’ll tell me he’s done enough for me and it’s time to get the fuck out of his house.

“Another one? Do you so desperately want to be indebted to me?” he says with amusement.

I smile. Maybe if I had taken the time to get to know my cousin, I would have realised it’s impossible to hate him. “I need your help upgrading the security of our newly built home. We’ll move in as soon as we land back on Kalliste. I can’t risk her safety again, Andrea.”

“Sure. Anything for my favourite cousin.”

“I’m your only cousin.”

The bastard winks at me. I take the opportunity of his good mood to push my luck. “The Moretti and Bartoli’s manors too.”

He rolls his eyes and I chuckle, then we get to work.

With Andrea’s help, I update the security systems of all Moretti and Bartoli’s main properties. It takes us all day and pain lances behind my eyes by the end of it but the satisfaction in my chest at protecting what’s mine and working with an ally is unlike anything I’ve ever accomplished.

That motherfucker turned out to be definitely better than me when it comes to sneaky systems, invisible surveillance, and dodging structures and tools I’ve spent fifteen years perfecting to catch people like him.

People like me.

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