Quiet Secrets

by J. L. Drake

  “Son?” Papa grabbed my attention, “Sienna just left.”

  I quickly headed for the door and found Vinni coming inside. His expression showed concern.

  “She’s walking, toward your place. She didn’t take my offer to drive her. She looks…”

  “I know.” I hurried out the door.

  I slowly drove behind her but kept well back to give her the time she needed. When I pulled into the driveway, she leaned against the house.

  “I just need,” she sniffed as I came up to her, “a quiet place to think.”

  I didn’t say anything, just opened the door and let her go inside. The motion lights that lined the floor clicked on as she went and provided her a soft warm glow as she drew further into the house.

  “Take a seat, and I’ll make us something to drink.” I removed my jacket and unbuttoned my dress shirt, feeling instantly more at ease in my own place. I flipped over two wine glasses and uncorked a bottle of Sunflower Fields. As I tossed the cork in a wire basket on the bar, I glanced over at her. Sometimes I had to shake myself in disbelief to realize she was now here at all, let alone in my home, close enough that I could touch her.

  It was amazing how the world could change. I took a moment to study my home. Thirty-foot ceilings, windows that looked over part of a vineyard and some of the countryside. The large chocolate-brown beams lined a cathedral ceiling that supported a cast iron chandelier in the center of the room. The room was warm and inviting, but what I loved most was the custom fifteen-foot bar I had built out of stone. I kept it fully stocked with every kind of scotch and brandy I could find. An added bonus was a well-planned panic room behind the bar where I kept all types of weapons and gear for any and all situations that might arise. One could never be too careful, even if we were protected by an army.

  “Are you hungry?” She shook her head as I came toward her, and she took the glass of wine I offered.

  “I’m not sure what I am.” She sighed. “And you…” She stopped and seemed to gather her thoughts. “You were so mad at me at your uncle’s house. Elio, you know me. I would never knowingly do something that was against the rules. Mariano doesn’t take no for an option, and don’t even get me started on your…” She stopped herself and swallowed back her words.

  “Get you started on what?” I found myself curious as to why she stopped talking.

  “Nothing, just forget it.” When I tried to take her hand, and she stepped away. “I get it. This is your life, and now mine is tangled up in it and whatever. That’s fine, because I love you, but I can’t have you getting mad or frustrated with me all the time.”

  “I’m mad and frustrated because I’ve had to watch the woman I love be pursued by a man I want to kill with my bare hands. It’s not easy for me, Sienna.”

  “Oh, I know,” she shot back with a sarcastic laugh as she took a sip of her wine. I could tell she was in need of a good fight. She had been pushed to her breaking point.

  I set my glass down and opened a small wooden box on the side table. I pulled out a joint, lit the tip, and sat on the couch. My legs were open, my arm ran along the back of the couch as I kicked back and watched her annoyance grow that I wasn’t taking the bait. I loved that even after all these years I could read her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Sitting.”

  “I’ve never seen you do pot.”

  “You’ve never seen me snap someone’s neck either, so there’s a first for everything.” I grinned and enjoyed the sudden red flush to her face. If she would just lose it and run her mouth, she’d feel so much better, but instead she huffed and turned away. Her hand went to her ribs, and I caught her pained expression in the window.

  I suddenly remembered our earlier conversation. “What happened to you after the blast?”

  “Which part?” She snickered, but I could tell she was close to tears again. “I’m so tired,” she murmured after a few moments. “I’ve fought to keep things inside for so long that sometimes I’m just not sure how much more I have in me.”

  That hit a spot in me. I was so used to taking each day for what it was, letting out my frustrations on the men who deserved it, that sometimes I forgot she didn’t have that kind of outlet.

  “I don’t know.” Her shoulders sagged, and she winced. “Maybe I shouldn’t have wished so hard.”

  I decided to hold off on the questions. “Hey.” I was on my feet standing behind her, and I gently wrapped an arm around her chest and held the joint to her mouth. “It’ll help with the head and the pain.” She leaned forward and sucked the tip, drawing in a huge breath. “Careful, you don’t want to cough.”

  She took another and, to my surprise, she seemed to handle it well. After a moment, she sank into my hold and let out some more tears.

  “You aren’t in this alone, my bella.” I kissed her shoulder. “Your wishes worked because I was wishing, too.”

  “Nothing comes without a cost,” she muttered and turned in my arms.

  “When we were created, we were one person,” I whispered. I inhaled another deep breath of the smooth smoke and placed my lips to hers to let her take in my exhale. “They may have torn us away from one another, but you got my heart, and I got the memory of our love and the will to fight.” She exhaled as she leaned into me. “We were never supposed to be separated. Souls cannot be kept apart. It’s why you’re back. You take as much time as you need to process what happened tonight.” I brushed my fingers through her hair, exposing her slender neck. “But the darkness that’s creeping around the edges of your heart, if you let it in, it can change who you are, in here.” I slid my hand down her back.

  She was calm now, so I led her to the couch and draped a blanket over her lap for comfort.

  “Did you speak to Francesco?”

  “Yes. Elenora wasn’t forthcoming, but I know he’ll look further into it. Just give him some time.”

  “It’s just strange.”

  “I know Noemi used to travel a lot, so it’s possible their paths have crossed before.”

  “Well, Elenora doesn’t make the best first impressions, so if there’s tension there for some reason, I don’t blame Noemi.”

  We sat in silence, letting the drug turn off all anxiety and pain to our brains. Today was one of the worst days I’d had yet, and while I seemed okay on the outside, I was anything but on the inside.

  “I was almost sold today,” she sighed as she stared out the window, “like I was an item, rather than a human.”

  “What?” I tried not to raise my voice.

  “The old lady I was with.” She rubbed her forehead. “Someone took me there. She drugged me while I was trapped in her place. I heard her on the phone talking to someone who made her an offer. She said it better be worth it to go against your family.”

  “What the hell?” I sent a quick text off to my papa so we could start hunting down who this woman might be.

  “I wanted to share all this before, but we got interrupted.” A flicker of pain raced across her face. “It smelled like fresh-baked pastries.” She sighed. She handed me her glass then shimmied down the couch and farther under the blanket. I removed her shoes and pulled her feet up on my lap in hopes she’d continue to share. “I ran. The guys scared me, though, they got bored when they couldn’t find me. Which reminds me we need to replace that back light I broke.” She rambled.

  “What guys?” I urged her on, not wanting her to go to sleep.

  “Some bar was right around the corner. They followed me, but I hid.” She groaned, and I knew more was weighing on her. “Who do you think did the bomb?”

  “I’m not sure, but I will find out.”

  “I think it was Stefano.”

  “Why?” I twisted so my leg was along her side and the other was on the floor. I tugged up her legs so they rested on my groin.

  “Because he seems like he would be cocky enough to stand over me right after the bomb went off.”

  “Wait,” I wanted her to keep her train of th
ought as she told her story to me, “are you saying Stefano stood over you after the bombing?”

  “Hmm,” she nodded, “at least I thought it might be him, but maybe it wasn’t. Oh, wait.” She remembered something. “He tucked something into my pocket before he left me to, I don’t know, be kidnapped by some old lady?”

  “Do you still have what he left you?”

  “Purse.” She pointed to the table. I leaned over and pulled out a piece of paper.

  “Death only has so much patience, and life only has so much time,” I read out loud.

  “What do you think it means?” Her eyelids grew heavy.

  “I’m not sure.” Anger and confusion mixed with the drug in my system, and I closed my eyes to stop the urge to share it all immediately with Papa.

  “Elio?” Her eyes were closed now.

  “Mm?”

  “Can you mourn someone you’ve never met?” She was almost asleep.

  “Maybe. Why?”

  “Because I am.”

  “Who are you mourning?” I tried to follow the jump in her story but saw she had now fallen fast asleep. I let her be.

  Once she was out, I checked my watch and sent a quick text off to Aldo, my trainer. Twenty minutes later, I was downstairs in my personal ring with my hands up, ready to shed the tension that had its nasty claws around my chest.

  “You look like shit,” he said, deadpan.

  “I feel it.” I ducked when he swung.

  “Seems that way.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Your head is elsewhere.”

  “Hence why we’re in the ring.” He studied my face as I swung, and I smoked him in the jaw, not that he felt it.

  “You’re different.” He blocked my kick. “Something’s different this time.”

  “Nothing’s different.”

  “Oh, fuck,” he chuckled, “it’s a girl, isn’t it?”

  “Yup.” Vinni popped out of nowhere and sat down on the bench against the wall.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I brought Sienna something to eat.” He forked some pasta and jammed the entire thing into his mouth. “But I couldn’t find her, so now it’s mine.”

  “Vinni, tell me about this woman.” Aldo laughed as I went in for a three-punch sequence.

  “She’s,” he sucked back a long noodle, “great, gives him shit, and makes him work for the rest.”

  “Are we fighting or having fucking girl time?” I grunted.

  “Both.” Vinni slurped louder.

  I shook my head, trying to clear it, and Aldo took the opportunity to plough one into my shoulder. The pain felt good, and I purposely missed blocking his second hit, feeling my bones vibrate from the impact. He glared at me, knowing what I was doing, so I got my head on straight and came at him, punch, punch, kick, punch, punch. I went in hard and used my speed and strength to work out my aggression, and all the while I heard my cousin slurp on his damn noodles.

  “There,” Aldo coached me, “harder, yes, just like that. Twist your body and clench your stomach to add more power.” I knew most everything there was about fighting, but there was something about having someone yell in your face that helped block out the mental white noise that wanted to creep in and control me. “Good. Again.”

  Slurp, slurp…

  I dropped my hands and pivoted toward the ropes with clenched teeth. “So help me Vinni, you either eat your damn dinner somewhere else or I’m going to tape you slurping up those noodles and put you on every gay site in Italy.”

  He slowly slurped the noodle hanging from his lips and swallowed. He leaned down and carefully placed the bowl next to him.

  “See what she does to him!” He grinned then raced out the back door, laughing the entire way.

  When I turned back to Aldo, I met his fist as it hit my chin. When my eyes could focus again, I saw he had a shit-eating smirk on his face. I guessed I had that one coming. I lifted my hands, and we started back up again.

  I woke to sunshine. It warmed my entire body as it shone through the window. The sweet smell of coffee met my nose, and for a brief moment, I felt wonderful. I controlled my head from going to a dark place as I unwrapped the blanket and carefully sat up. The house was quiet and calm. Just what I needed, a moment for myself. I knew a ton of questions were waiting for me at the Hill House, and I would give them everything I could, but for now, I would just enjoy the morning.

  The air unit above me kicked in, and a cool breeze brushed over my skin. My guess would be that the temperature outside was quickly heating up, and I wondered if I would be able to get into the pool with my aching ribs.

  A piece of paper caught my attention, and as I reached for it, butterflies fluttered in my stomach just like they did when I was young and saw the sight of the familiar printing.

  Imagine waking up to a dream only to discover it’s real life. I didn’t have the heart to wake you, but I have a meeting at the Hill House. Come and join us when you’re ready. I’ve instructed all to leave you be. Coffee is set to brew in an hour, and there are fresh towels in our bedroom. Take your key from the bowl by the door. I want to wake up next to you every morning. – E

  I loved that he underlined the words our and your, the fact he had written a note and signed it just the way he used to.

  I folded the blanket and fluffed up the pillows then decided I should get the lay of his house. It was strange to think that for as long as I had been staying here, I hadn’t really spent much time here. But first, I headed to the kitchen and poured myself a big fat mug of coffee and snagged a pastry from the plate he had left out.

  My phone vibrated, and I saw it was a missed call from Wyatt. I tapped on his number, hoping to catch him.

  “Hey, you!” He sounded out of breath. “I have like five minutes before I head into a meeting.”

  “Where are you? What meeting?” I was dying to get back into the field.

  “Washington. I went down a rabbit hole, which dragged me to the US, but, girl, I am not complaining because—”

  “Well, fuck me sideways,” someone called out, and Wyatt laughed.

  “Who was that?”

  “That was an army man, dressed in camo, who I think was quite literally plucked from every fantasy I’ve ever had.”

  “I’m jealous.”

  “Your fantasy wears James Bond outfits and is basically a badass outlaw. Don’t talk to me about jealously.”

  “Fine,” I laughed.

  “One second, Si.” He paused then let out a long sigh. “Sorry. Poor Spencer is trying to get hold of her Aunt Lisa. I guess she’s gone MIA for a while.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  “No, I guess she’s been doing this a lot lately. She seems a little nutty, if you ask me.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Tell Spencer if she ever needs to talk…”

  “I will.” He seemed distracted for a moment. “Oh, they’re waving me in, I’ll let you know how everything goes. Bye!”

  I hung up and laughed at how happy and free Wyatt seemed. I pulled my focus back to the task at hand, exploring Elio’s house.

  I let the vibe of his house take hold of my senses as I looked around. Everything was modern but had a simple, rustic feel. I knew all the lights were voice and motioned activated and other updated tech stuff was behind the walls, but it didn’t interfere with the old-style look. The view from the kitchen of the winding roads within the property line was like a child’s game of Snakes and Ladders. I left the window and sipped my coffee as I continued to explore. A small bathroom was tucked away at the end of the hall just off the living room area and stairs.

  As strange as I felt climbing the stairs, I knew the only way I would ever feel comfortable here was to take the time to explore and get to know the place. I ran my hand along the deep chocolate-colored wooden railing that curved like a wave ahead of me as I took each step toward the top. Another bathroom was on the left, and two guest rooms were on the right, and the last room on t
he left was the master. Pressing down on the thin handle, I stepped inside Elio’s most intimate room.

  “Wow.”

  The back wall was all done in dark-gray brick, like subway tiles, from floor to ceiling. Up against it was a frameless king-sized bed with white bedding and a silver blanket that matched the lightshades on each bedside table. A rectangular leather headboard looked to have been bolted above the bed. Huge windows were on one side, and a big master bathroom was on the other.

  I smiled when I saw that he had our picture next to the bed. So, his side was on the right. I liked that I now knew that little thing about him.

  Exploring the bathroom next, I found two stone bowls for sinks with the neatest little levers for faucets. A mirror hung from the ceiling, and a stone tub that matched the sinks doubled as a base for his shower.

  I looked at my battered body in his full-length mirror and decided I needed to pull myself together and get on with the day.

  Once I got to the Hill House, I changed out of my dress and into another. Vinni grumbled about how I should have called him to come get me, and I just shook my head at him, thinking how ridiculous that sounded. It was, after all, only about a three-minute walk up a hill.

  “Good morning.” Elio strolled into the kitchen at the same time as I did with a sexy smile. He looked mighty fine in his normal business attire. He leaned in as he brushed past me. “You smell like my shampoo,” he said softly with a heated look.

  “I hope that’s okay.”

  “You in my shower? I’ve dreamt of that.”

  “Well, in that case,” I smirked, “I also borrowed one of your dress shirts while I dried my hair.” He let out a puff of air as he closed his eyes. “Speaking of which, and don’t change this up,” I referred to his outfit with my finger, “but I must ask. Do you even own a t-shirt?”

  He laughed. “You just didn’t look hard enough.”

  “I didn’t want to snoop.”

  “It’s not snooping when it’s your house, bella.”

  I gave a small smile, unsure how this whole life thing was going to pan out.

  He slid the files he was holding onto the counter then trapped me in with both arms. “Here’s how you should look at this.” He leaned down and brushed his nose by my ear. “I would have had you move in with me if we hadn’t had to leave Sicily. It might not feel like yours now, but it will. Anything you want to change, just talk to Francesco and tell him your plan, and he’ll make it happen. Just know this. I’ve never had a woman live with me, and I’ve never had a woman overnight there. I always kept my house to myself. I guess I was waiting for you to return to me.” He smiled, and I got lost in his eyes. “It’s yours, Sienna. I want you to be there with me.”