Page 12 of King

Zina.

Why are you here?

What do you really want?

Why did you hide my son from me for all those years?

But I can’t be angry at her about that. She saved Bella the pain of knowing. But she robbed me of a son.

It can’t just be that she wants Guido to have a father. He’s already sixteen. She must be after money or status or power. I don’t know. When I knew her back then, she didn’t care about those things. She loved the earth, the ocean, the smell of the sea. She wore her hair loose and wild around her shoulders and laughed, loud without care.

And if this was about money she could have contacted me and blackmailed me years ago.

This is about something else.

I’m going to have to face her again sooner or later.

But I have no idea what to do about this.

FOUR

zina

The taxi stops outside the gates of his estate, and I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. Guido was furious that I wanted to come here alone. He’s scared of what they’ll do to me - and he wanted to be here to protect me. But I need to have this conversation in private. It hurt Guido immensely when his father refused to accept him last time, even though I tried to warn him it would happen, and it would take time. Emotions are raw, untamable things. And I’m not ready to expose him to the same hurt again.

Giovanni finally agreed to see me again and this time the shock is over, and we can have a real conversation.

Giovanni, the king of the mafia underworld.

He has power beyond imagination and his reputation is daunting.

When I hired a private investigator - with the sole purpose of getting me solid proof that he is Guido ’s father - I was warned that Giovanni has become ruthless and cold since I knew him. I was told not to approach him with the truth because it would cost me my life, or that or my son’s.

But what choice do I have? And if he is still the same man I was once in love with then he isn’t going to kill me or our son. That’s not who he is. He values family. He would never hurt his own blood.

But I am not his blood.

My hands are shaking slightly in my lap.

I sit up straighter in the taxi, pushing my shoulders back and flicking my hands to try to dispel the overflow of energy causing anxiety.

“Thank you.” I mutter to the driver, pushing the back door open and climbing out. “If you don’t mind waiting, I don’t think I’ll be longer than an hour.”

“Yes, mam.” He says with a nod.

When I’m out of the car, he turns it around and parks on the other side of the road. I look towards Giovanni’s massive estate.

I can do this.

I tell myself for the hundredth time.

When I walk towards the security gates I half expect the guards to tell me to fuck off, but they don’t. With a polite greeting the gates swing open and I am free to walk inside.

My heart is beating loud and fast in my chest when I reach the front door.

The doorman pulls it open and smiles at me.

“Miss. Lucas. Please follow me. Mr. Rivas is waiting for you in the sun room.” He gestures for me to follow.

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