Page 18 of The Final Beat

“Daisy suits you,” I added as the engines started up with a roar.

There was a twitch of a smile, but it was brief. I’d seen it, though, and it sent another wave of tranquillity over me.

“What do you know, then?” she asked, sucking on her mint and sending my mind to dirty places. “About your dad. About Aldo.”

I shrugged. “That he’s dying and that I’ve a car picking me up from the airport to take me to Lucca.”

“Are you seeing him today?”

“Yep.” My stomach rolled at the thought of it. “He’s gone home to die.”

Destiny blinked. “Okay.”

“I really don’t need you with me, Dais’.” Who the fuck was I kidding? I needed her because I was on the edge of calling my contact in Italy and getting myself something. Yep, I had drug contacts in most countries around the world. Anywhere we went I could drop a text and have whatever shit I needed delivered. Admittedly I’d removed all those contacts from my phone, but it was weird how you could remember a phone number if you really wanted to.

“I think you do, Joseppi. Anyway, where’s the muscle? Where’s Dennis?” she asked about our usual bodyguard.

“I didn’t want anyone here,” I replied, pointedly.

“Whatever.” She closed her eyes. “Now, I’m going to get some shut eye. You bore me.”

That was that. Within five minutes she was snoring with her legs tucked under her. It shouldn’t have, but the sight of her like that made me feel all kinds of stupid. I wanted to get a blanket and cover her up, tucking it around her. She looked sweet and cute all curled up and then let out a loud snore, making me laugh. I settled back for the short two and a half hours flight, trying to ignore the fact that I spent most of the time watching Destiny sleep.

“Fucking hell, it’s hotter than my crotch after a spin class.” Destiny dropped her sunglasses over her eyes and led the way across the tarmac of the private airfield towards the car waiting for us.

“Do you know where you’re going?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m guessing it’s that big fuck off town car.” Her response was given with her usual amount of sarcasm. “Didn’t realise that Daddy was minted.”

“He’s not,” I snapped. Not that I knew of. I didn’t know anything about him other than he’d left me as a kid. “I booked it.”

We got into the car after being greeted by the driver, Roberto, settled back in the luxurious leather seat, and were soon speeding our way towards Lucca.

“Nervous?”

My head snapped in Destiny’s direction. “Like you wouldn’t believe. Am I being a pussy?” She paused a little too long. “Thanks for being here to support me, Daisy. You’re being a big help.”

“Now you are being a pussy,” she groaned, leaning forward to check out the drink’s cabinet. “Wow, top notch champers. Fancy a drink?”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah, sorry. You don’t drink, do you.”

No, because alcohol made me make stupid choices. “It’s better that way.” I glanced out of the window at the vehicles whizzing by. We wouldn’t be in the car for long and the more the number of miles on the signs to Lucca dropped down, the moremy stomach turned. As we pulled off the main road and started to drive through the town, I couldn’t tell you one thing that I’d spotted. I was watching the scenery but didn’t see any of it.

Finally, we pulled up outside an apartment block and as I looked through the window I felt bile rise in my throat at the sight of the young woman standing there. She had her arm wrapped around her middle and was smoking a cigarette. Even from the backseat of the car I could see she was my half-sister. She had the same tilt to her chin that I had when I was trying to act confident. Her long hair was the same colour as mine and her nose was a more feminine version of my own.

“You okay?” Destiny asked.

With my eyes on the woman outside I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Who’s that? Do you think it’s?—”

“It’s one of my half-sisters. I can tell.”

As my sister stamped on her cigarette it struck me that she didn’t look much younger than me. In fact…

“Fuck.”

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