Page 22 of Sworn to My Heart
With Luca’s fast driving, we arrive in no time, and for the Spallo brothers, waiting in line is not an option.
Lucawalks up to the ticket counter, bypassing everyone without a care, and whispers something to the young employee while slipping her a few bills.
“So now Mariano, Graham and I are sorted with tickets too,” he says with a smug glance as he returns with three tickets in hand. I just want this day, which feels like it hasn’t even started yet and promises to be very long, to be over.
We follow the entrance sign and walk into a tunnel built as a transparent dome with numerous sea creatures above us. Just watching them stirs a pang of homesickness in my chest, and I feel a bit saddened by the sights before me.
I close my eyes and try toignoreall the feelings of these magnificent creatures. There’s nothing I can do to return them to the ocean, but I am glad I have a way to experience the underwater life with Cora without having to tell her anything.
It seems I’ve been lost in thought for a while, when Cora calls to me and I realize they’re far ahead.
“Alin, what are you doing? Come look!” I immediately smile and run to her as she points to a giant hammerhead shark.
“They’re like little puppies when you play with them,” I mention in excitement, then immediately fall silent, scrambling for excuses in my mind to save me from my slip-up.
“You really love the sea. I’m glad I got us the tickets,” she warmly says before I can respond. It seems neither of us is good at interrogative questions, and I’m pleased about that.
“So Cinderella swims with sharks? Brave,” Luca bends down and teases in my ear. I take a deep breath, determined not to let him get to me. I quickly turn to him with a fake smile, “Do your homework, it seems you like researching me. Maybe you’ll find out I’m not Cinderella, but the Little Mermaid,” I say, taking advantage of the fairy tale game he started. After all, who would believe it?
Luca looks confused but continues to maintain his mischievous grin. It seems I was right; this day is going to be long.
We continue through several more aquariums. Cora and I getexcited together over so many things, and she buys us matching keychains of a tiny hammerhead shark. I immediately attach mine to my purse, thanking her.
I can feel Luca’s gaze on me all day, his eyes boring into my back. He doesn’t stop watching my every move, but I try to ignore it, reminding myself of Cora’s warnings. I forget myself when I’m close to him.
An announcement comes over the intercom, saying the sea lion show will start soon. Cora claps excitedly, grabbing my hand and pulling me along like a little girl, making me question if I am the real reason we came here, or if she just used me as an excuse to see it. I chuckle.
We sit in the front row, in front of us is a low metal net fence separating us from two large pools, with a kind of walkway bridge between them. As I wonder why they need such a large arena for one short display, Luca and Mariano join us.
I stand up to let Mariano slip easily into the seat next to Cora, and just as I’m about to sit back down in the chair next to him, Luca quickly takes it, leaving me standing, forcing me to sit in the outer seat in the row.
Childish. I roll my eyes and console myself with the thought that at least I can escape at any moment, smiling to myself.
The show begins after ten minutes, during which Cora takes so many pictures that I’m surprised her phone still has memory left. Everyone starts clapping as a woman dressed in a diving suit steps onto the bridge between the pools, and immediately a sea lion from the right pool climbs out and hops on its flippers toward her. She continues to show how he follows her movements, the audience laughs, and only I feel sadness washes over me. My thoughts drift to all my friends in the sea. Bay, my cousin, would cry if she saw this. She loves sea lions so much.
If this is what’s happening to them right now, I wonder whatwould happen if my tail were ever discovered on land. I’d become the show of the year. The thought makes me shudder.
The woman moves along the bridge toward the audience, demonstrating more tricks, and everyone expresses admiration and giggles. My overwhelmed thoughts lower my defenses, and I fail to anticipate the high jump of the sea lion back into the pool. The splash of water reaches me. Panic engulfs me as I imagine my worst nightmare coming true.
I run without looking back, opening the first door I see and slipping inside, praying no one is there.
The door closes, and in an instant, I collapse to the floor, my tail resting against the door from the inside. I rub my elbow, which got banged up in the fall, and look around.
Luckily, today seems to have some silver lining as I find myself in an empty maintenance closet. I regain my legs and curse as I look at my romper, now a torn short dress, with my ripped panties falling to the floor as I stand.
“Great, just great. At least luck was on your side,” I scold myself sarcastically. How did I not consider this would happen? I tug my makeshift dress down as far as it will go and toss my torn panties into one of the plastic buckets in the closet.
I cautiously open the door and suddenly hear shouts from outside, “Alin? Alin?” Luca and Cora are calling for me. I quickly close the door again to avoid being spotted in this room. That would be very hard to explain. I breathe heavily, trying to think of a quick solution.
When their shouts fade away, I breathe a sigh of relief, but suddenly, I hear voices outside the door. I press my ear against the door to make sure it’s not them.
“The Spallo brothers are here, Mariano’s wife and probably Luca’s bitch are with them. Now’s the time to make a move; they won’t expect it here, time for some sweet revenge,” a man says inRussian.
“They killed five of ours in Vegas. Seems only fair to take Luca’s new bitch for ourselves.” another man responds in Russian mixed with some English. I don’t recognize his accent, sounds like Russian with a bit of something European. Never thought knowing Russian would come in handy; I should thank my parents for that.
I keep listening and quickly realize they’re talking about me. My body tenses up. What are they talking about? Luca killed five of their men? Does that mean Luca is a murderer? I can’t lose my composure now, and I can’t do anything against them in front of people. Think Alin, think.
I open the door quickly, this is my only option.
