Page 72 of The Devil In Disguise

The first bite has my eyes blowing wide as the flavors hit my tastebuds. My eyes dart to Natalie who is already looking at my reaction with pride.

“Holy sh—this has to be the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

She nods graciously and says a small, “Of course, I’m glad you like it.”

Just like Amaris in that aspect, they are proud of their work, what they created, and how it affects others—as they should be—yet never truly accept the compliments, instead shying away.

Amaris giggles next to me and I glance at her with a playful glare before silence falls over the table. A clear sign that everyone is enjoying the meal. Bites away from finishing, a timer goes off and Natalie excuses herself to the kitchen.

The unmistakable scent of cinnamon rolls wafts through the room shortly after and from her spot next to me, Amaris lights up at the knowledge she won’t be missing out on her favorite treat today. No matter how much she eats, I am sure there will always be room in her stomach for cinnamon rolls.

We take my car back to the compound for the last time—for now, at least. There are soldiers moving things around, going in and out of the estate when we arrive. Neither of us want to spend any more time here than we need to, so we stick to looking through what items we want to ship to Spain when we move. Our bikes will obviously be shipped over first.

There isn’t much we need from here, we will have a true fresh start. I meant what I said to her. If she wants to move to Spain, that’s where we’ll go. And if she changes her mind, I’ll change mine with her.

Soon enough, we are on our way to our first destination. After taking a short ferry trip to Staten Island, we end up at this big, authentic Chinese garden that my mom used to take me away to when I was a little boy. The last time I ever came here was with her. Once we get to the entrance, I instantly feel as if she’s here with us. Like the bright rays of light shining through the few clouds are a product of her smiling down on us.

Since it’s pretty early still, there aren’t many people in the gardens, but that only makes it feel bigger and better. We make our way through a bamboo forest walkway, hand in hand, where we leave behind any reminders of city life. At the end of the walkway, we’re greeted by a beautiful koi pond and vibrant shades of green everywhere, adorning trees, and pillars, and bushes. A small gasp escapes from Amaris and I can’t blame her.

The second most beautiful sight I’ve seen in my entire life.

I glance at the first as the thought crosses my head and the look of amazement on her face makes the whole scene shine that much brighter.

She meets my gaze, but the giddy smile on her face doesn’t leave her face. “It feels like we were transported to a whole different place, that bamboo forest must be a portal or something.”

My smile takes over my face at her excitement and for being able to share this place with her.

“This is only the beginning, sweetheart.” I squeeze her hand twice then lift it to place a soft kiss on top of hers. “Come on, there’s a place I want to show you.”

There are many different paths to take and explore, glorious sights to see at every twist and turn. The architecture is undoubtedly aesthetic as we weave through a longer zig-zag bridge path, stopping occasionally to admire something and talking about nothing and everything as we go.

After we pass over the water, there is a circular entrance leading to a small pavilion overlooking the water and some of the gardens. When we get there it’s just the two of us, sitting and admiring all the colors from this point of view.

“Who would have thought that such a beautiful place was sitting right under my nose, basically? How did you find this place?” Amaris pivots her body towards mine, draping one of her legs over mine.

Focusing on the small shapes I trace on her palm, I say, “My mother used to bring me here when I was younger.”

She moves the hand I’m tracing to my cheek, bringing my attention to her, her eyes warm and open. “I know this doesn’t change anything, but I am so sorry he took her from you. You deserved so much more. What was she like?”

Mama only lives in my memories now, the few ones I do remember of her. But I refuse to ever fully forget her. A deep breath steadies the growing pain in my chest.

“She was amazing. A true angel who was thrusted into Hell.”

Sometimes I can only focus on the bad when I think of her because that’s all Renato wanted me to remember, except there was no bad with her. He didn’t care what he had to say in order to get his way and it laced my thoughts of her with poisonous anger.

It reminds me of how it all led to having Amaris in my arms now, but how simple it could have been to blindly listen to Renato and take out the one person in the world who was made for me.

Brushing off those thoughts, my lips tip up in a soft smile when I really remember Mama. “She shielded me and my cousins from all the bad my world had to offer in any way she could. Sometimes, we went off somewhere and hid away together while I asked endless questions, and with a smile that never faltered, she answered every one of them.”

“She sounds amazing,” Amaris responds, wearing a gentle smile that mirrors my own.

My smile falters for barely a second, then it’s back. “She would have loved you if she met you,” I whisper, tucking her hair behind one ear.

“Do you have a picture of her?”

“He burned them all before I got a chance to take one and hide it. But I’ve tried to remember her face as best I could ever since. Sketching it out helps. Her eyes were blue like mine, but a bit lighter, like the ocean. She always kept her black hair short so she wouldn’t have to worry about styling it and I still remember the way her smiles would feel just as warm as her hugs.”

Amaris closes her eyes and I watch her eyes move around behind her eyelids as I speak, trying to visualize Mama through my words. When they pop back open, the emotion in her gaze hits me with a fierce intensity.

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