Page 30 of Under A Sicilian Sky
‘Don’t think about it! I’ll take full responsibility… erm… mea culpa.’ She grinned, feeling proud of herself for saying something that she knew the meaning ofandsomething that soundedkindof Italian.
He smirked. ‘This isLatin. I’m Italian.’
Her imaginary pride-filled balloon deflated. ‘Oh…’
He sighed and stared at her for what felt like an age. The crease in his brow was deeper than usual and she was expecting him to tell her to go back into the house. Eventually he wagged his pointed finger at her, like a chastising parent. ‘I go with you and I bring you back. Sì?’
Her smile widened. ‘Yes! Yes, that’s great!’ Without thinking, she lurched at the burly man and hugged him. ‘Thank you, Jacopo. Erm… grazie, grazie, grazie.’
He laughed. ‘This is better Italian.’
He grabbed his gun and his jacket, collected his phone and Nero’s lead from the desktop and, once Nero was secured, he opened the gate. She almost skipped through as he held it open for her, feeling like Nero wasn’t the only puppy on a walk, and tried her best not to trot along the road, letting her small taste of freedom get the better of her.
They walked in silence and the shelter of the high walls shielded them from the brightness of the sun. When they arrived at the tall, wrought-iron gates to Clark’s property, she stopped.
‘We’re here. I’ll just buzz him.’ She pressed the silver button on the panel by the gate.
‘Hello?’
‘Oh, hi Clark. It’s Rebecca, your neighbour.’
He paused. ‘Rebe— oh yeah, of course, come on in!’
A buzzer sounded and the gate slowly opened, fully revealing the beautiful gardens and the house beyond.
Jacopo watched her as she stepped inside and Nero whined, clearly unhappy to be left out of the visit. ‘I will be back in two hours.’
She gave him a sweet smile. ‘Thank you, Jacopo. See you later, Nero!’
Clark came walking out of the house rubbing his hair with a towel. ‘Hey, hi. How are you?’ he asked as he kissed her on both cheeks. He smelled of fresh pine and tea tree. ‘Sorry I sounded so vague back there. You didn’t reply to my message and I fell asleep on the patio so I showered to wake myself up.’
She cringed. ‘Sorry, I should’ve replied. I can go if—’
He shook his head and frowned. ‘No! No absolutely not. Can I get you a drink?’
She smiled, relieved that he didn’t want her to leave. ‘Just water, thanks.’
‘Great. Take a seat on the patio and I’ll be right out. It really is good to see you.’ He gave her a handsome smile before retreating indoors.
She took a seat under the cover of the shade and admired the brightly coloured flora and fauna of his well-manicured garden. Even though it was only early spring, the plants were vibrant and cared for. He clearly loved his garden, just her like her mum. A pang of homesickness hit her again and she chewed the inside of her cheek to abate the tears that were stinging at her eyes.
He returned carrying two glasses of water complete with slices of lemon. ‘I was thinking, maybe we should head out for a late lunch or early dinner. There’s a great little place down in Cefalù. They do the best Pasta alla Norma you’ve ever tasted; I promise you. Aubergines, fresh basil and cilantro, parmesan. Bellisima. What do you say?’
Ruby cringed. ‘Oh… I’m not so sure I can go to—’
‘I have a small motorcycle and spare helmet. It’s not a long drive.’
‘It’s not that… it’s just…’ She wondered how much she could divulge without getting into a tangled web of lies that would eventually string her up. ‘I’m… I have to be careful about being seen.’ Her mind was whirring so fast she wondered how there was no steam erupting from her ears.
He leaned closer and lowered his voice. ‘Rebecca, you’re a real mystery. Tell me, are you in witness protection or something?’ Concern etched his features.
Her cheeks blazed, but he had given her a perfect excuse. One she wished she’d thought of herself. She nodded vehemently. ‘Yes. Yes, that’s right. Witness protection. I can’t say any more than that, I’m afraid.’
He held up his hands. ‘No need. I completely understand. But if it’s any consolation, the restaurant in Cefalù is mainly where the locals eat, so you’re not likely to run into anyone who would know you.’
The thought of eating out at a proper restaurant filled her with nervous excitement. It would be a real test of her disguise, but she was so tempted. ‘My… erm friend is collecting me in a couple of hours, so we’d need to be quick.’
He beamed at her. ‘I’ll go grab the keys.’
