Page 19 of Sin and Redemption

I gave her a sardonic smile. “Oh, I know. I know nothing about this will be easy, and I know it won’t be a normal marriage.”

I wondered what Sara had told her. Isabella didn’t seem to hate me, so Sara couldn’t have said too much.

When I tried to contact Sara to ask her about a meeting under the pretense of having to discuss our future living arrangements—which was only one reason—I realized I didn’t even have her number. And why the fuck would I have it?

We had been distant acquaintances until the damn Russians had turned our lives upside down and turned me into something I’d never wanted to be. Sara and I still were mere acquaintances, only now with a dark past and a difficult future. Fuck it.

I contacted Romero, and after I told him the real reason I wanted to see his daughter, he actually gave me her number. I’d expected that he’d make the arrangements for me.

I stared down at my phone, not sure how to begin a message to Sara.

Everything I phrased in my head sounded either creepy, too formal, or like a fucking sap.

“Get a grip, man,” I muttered and slapped my thighs. “You can do it.”

Bacon raised his head from his paws, tilted his head to the side, and gave me his concerned dog stare.

Hey Sara,(It was sad how long it took me to settle for this greeting.)

This is Maximus.(I almost added Trevisan, but given our past and the lack of other people with that name in our circles, it would have made me look like more of a fool.)

Your father gave me your number.(To show her I had permission.)

Can we meet at your home to discuss where we’ll live after our wedding?

Thanks,(This one was the hardest. Any kind of affectionate ending was out of the question, but I could hardly write Kind regards or something equally fucked up.)

I sent it off and got up, waving Bacon over. “Come on, boy, let’s go on a walk.”

I needed to clear my head and not spend the next hours looking at my phone. Maybe Sara was too shocked by a direct message from me to reply right away.

We crossed the driveway on our way to our favorite trail through the woods, which began right behind my parents’ house.

My phone beeped, stalling me in my tracks.

It was a message from Sara.

Of course. You can come over this afternoon at 4 if you have time.

I do. See you then.

I glanced at my watch. It was noon. I was sweaty from working in the shelter all morning. The drive into the city in the afternoon would take me about an hour, so I’d have to cut my walk short to get ready.

I arrived at the Cancio home with five minutes to spare. I stuffed the small velvet box with the engagement ring into my pants pocket. I’d chosen khaki-colored chinos and a dress shirt to look put together. Handing over a ring wasn’t something I wanted to do in a tee and jeans.

Liliana opened the door for me. This time, Sara’s younger sisters were present too. They eyed me curiously when I stepped in. I wasn’t sure how much they knew, but given their age and their friendly attitude, probably not much. Like all the Cancio daughters, they had inherited Liliana’s beauty.

Sara came down the staircase shortly after my arrival. She was dressed in dark jeans and a very soft-looking cream-colored sweater. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup, so the dark rings under her eyes were very prominent. My stomach tightened.

She gave me a tight smile as she stopped at the base of the stairs, then tugged a not-there strand behind her ear. “Hi.”

“Hi, Sara.”

“Would you like to go into the living room?” Liliana asked.

Sara nodded, and I motioned the women to go ahead. They did. I didn’t see Romero or Flavio anywhere, but I couldn’t imagine that they left their women unprotected.

Sara took a seat on one of the plush armchairs. I was glad. If she’d chosen the sofa, I would have wondered if I should sit beside her. This way, she didn’t give me the option.

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