Cosa Nostra

by Emma Nichols

  “We are increasing cement production as you requested. Shipments will leave twice a week until further notice.”

  “Excellent. We’ll be able to increase the scope of our construction projects.” She smiled. “Amato will be unable to build the casino as planned because their supplier in the mainland is unhappy, and our cement will be too expensive for them. They’ll go bust, and the project will be abandoned.

  We will get the tech park reinstated as my father had intended.” She sipped at the drink, her thoughts drifting to her execution of the plans.

  Rafael took a sip of his drink. “Business is good.”

  She looked at him with a faint frown. “Everything is secure at this end?”

  “Of course, Maria.”

  “Good.” She smiled and sipped her coffee. “Please give my regards to Isla and give Jose and Diego a big hug for me. I’m sorry not to take a longer trip. Maybe next time I can visit them.”

  Grinning, he reached into his breast pocket, opened his wallet, and pulled out a picture of twin boys sporting broad grins and identical gaps where their baby teeth had not long fallen out. “They are growing so fast.”

  His cheeks shone as he regarded the picture nostalgically, as if imprinting the memory firmly in his mind. Maria smiled and patted him on the arm. “They will soon be as good looking as their father.”

  He cleared his throat, replaced the picture safely in his wallet, and stood as she did. “I will escort you down,” he said.

  She followed him out of the building with the paperwork for the cruiser folded neatly into her inside jacket pocket and pressing stiffly against her chest.

  23.

  Simone had decided on the drive from the airport that the Pyrenees was, without doubt, the most beautiful place she had ever seen. They had passed beneath the high, snowy peaks of the vast mountain range that touched clear blue skies and driven cautiously down the narrow winding roads that carved their way through forested mountainsides. Kayakers paddled top grade trout streams and rivers which split the slopes and created ravines. Everywhere around them had been wild countryside with numerous species of wild orchid, butterflies, and raptors, though they hadn’t stopped to discover the many walking trails.

  She had delighted in Maria’s animation as she talked about one of the most unspoiled regions of France, the pre-historic caves, chateaus, and the escape routes through the mountains that had served the resistance during the Second World War. Warmth had filled her with the admiration Maria had for the place, and she had wanted the journey to never end.

  Now, she sat in the passenger seat of their hire car in the town of St-Lizier, her eyes fixed on the blue door of the estate agent’s offices that Maria had just stepped into, and a steady flow of vibration fizzed in her stomach. The mixed feelings had started in Valencia. Excitement in the moments she shared with Maria, and comfort in the privacy of their hotel room, but then a dull feeling had her looking over her shoulder in those moments when she was alone. The hotel had been luxurious, and she had been spoiled with the spa and aromatherapy massage. She had felt safe, and there was no logical reason for the discomfort that came to her. Bizarrely, she didn’t even feel anxious in Palermo though she had every reason to. She rubbed her fingers together, interlocked them, and clenched her fists, and the urgency to see Maria intensified. Maria wouldn’t be long. She just needed to collect the keys to the property she had planned for them to stay at.

  She looked around, and the Roman architecture drew her eye.

  Looking closely, it reminded her of her visit to the Colosseum while she was at Rome University, though these buildings were nestled within a large national park rather than a bustling and vibrant city. She hadn’t considered her personal safety an issue in Rome. In fact, it hadn’t become an issue until

  recently…until Maria. Maria, Maria. She was exhilarating to be with, attentive, caring, considerate, respectful, and daring. The idea of losing her clenched her gut until it burned. She closed her eyes. Enjoy this beautiful place with the woman you love, Simone. She opened her eyes and inhaled.

  The air here was clearer, cooler, and a little more humid than Valencia.

  Tranquillity became tangible in the softening of her eyes as she watched people amble leisurely down the narrow street, chatting and smiling.

  Reassurance quieted her concerns and breathed deeply to relax her muscles.

  She sighed.

  Maria caught her eye as she exited the building and ran to the driver’s door. Simone’s heart skipped lightly, and she smiled at the beaming grin that spanned Maria’s face as she got into the car and dangled a set of keys in front of her.

  “Here, you can be the guardian of these.”

  Simone grabbed them. Maria held on to the fob, drew Simone towards her, and kissed her. Simone froze.

  Maria leaned back, let go, and smiled. “We’re okay here. It’s safe.”

  Simone looked around outside the car window, her heart thundering behind her ribs. Yes, they were. She shook her head at the realisation of how closeted she had lived. Open displays of affection weren’t something she engaged in back home, for her own protection. But she hadn’t been openly out at uni either. This is so crazy. She settled in the seat, closed her fingers around the keys, and released a long slow breath. Maria frowned at her, though she saw passion flash across Maria’s eyes as she looked into them.

  She reached up and traced her face. Maria’s cheek was warm, and when Maria took her fingers and tenderly kissed them, Simone stopped breathing and swiftly closed the space between them. Tingling sparked in her lips and swept down her spine and across the surface of her skin as Maria’s mouth closed tenderly over hers.

  It was a short route to the farmhouse, and yet it was as though the home sat a million miles from everywhere. Set in a meadow of green a couple of kilometres from the main road, surrounded by arable farmland, pine forests, and within the mountain’s view, it was idyllic.

  Simone stepped out of the car and looked around. She took in a deep breath. Sweet, rich, earthy aromas filled her senses. She ran her hand over the cool stone building. “This place is so exquisitely beautiful.”

  Maria wrapped an arm around her waist. Smiling, she took in the familiar surroundings and inhaled deeply. “You like it?”

  “It’s incredible.”

  Maria took Simone’s hand and tugged her towards the door. “Come and see inside.”

  Simone allowed herself to be dragged, though she still hadn’t soaked up enough of the vista to want to move. She handed over the keys, and Maria unlocked the front door.

  The single-story building was dark inside. Small windows kept out the sunlight that would too quickly overheat the rooms in the warmer months and stopped the cold penetrating during the harsher winter months.

  The rustic wood door squeaked as it opened into the main living area where a two-seater, chocolate brown couch and a matching armchair hunkered around a natural fireplace. Dry logs stacked in a neat pile on the hearth waited for their turn to deliver their duty. A beautifully hand-crafted, dark-wood dresser leaned against the main wall, with decorative china artefacts adorning its shelves. A large oil painting that replicated the view across the meadow spanned the chimney breast above the fireplace and could be seen from the adjoining dining room through which Maria was leading her.

  Maria placed the keys on the central island and smiled at Simone.

  The layout bore a striking resemblance to the beach villa, slightly less open plan but remarkably similar. Simone frowned as she compared the two properties in her mind’s eye.

  Maria’s smile broadened and then she went to the fridge. “Would you like a drink?”

  She had pulled out a bottle of wine before Simone had the chance to answer and knew exactly where to go for the glasses. Simone’s frown deepened as Maria poured their drinks.

  Maria’s eyes narrowed, and her smile slowly disappeared as she held out a glass to Simone. “What is it?”

  Simone stared at Maria, her he
art pounding. “You know this place?”

  Maria lowered her head momentarily. She took a pace towards Simone, who took a pace away from her.

  She looked into Simone’s eyes, and released a long breath. “Here, please, take this. Let’s talk.”

  Slowly, Simone took the glass. She put it on the island and crossed her arms. Maria took a sip of the wine, picked up Simone’s glass, and

  headed out the rear door to the patio area that overlooked the meadow. She placed their glasses on the stone topped table and sat, encouraging Simone to join her. Simone sat.

  “My father brought me to the Pyrenees when I was four for a holiday,” Maria said softly. “I discovered the snow on the mountains and trout fishing in the streams in boots that were bigger than me. I discovered this place about fifteen years ago.” Her eyes wandered across the spectacular view. “I fell in love with it.”

  Simone saw tenderness and longing in Maria’s eyes. Maria’s lips trembled as they closed and formed a thin line. She looked sad and remorseful, and Simone’s heart ached. She wanted to take the pain away.

  “The agent looks after it for me. I rarely get an opportunity to visit.”

  Simone swallowed. She dropped her shoulders, picked up her glass, and sipped her wine. Something was niggling her though she couldn’t put her finger on what. Every time she looked at Maria, she melted. Her heart ached in a way she had never experienced, and as soon as Maria was out of sight, she worried for her to the point of a physical pain gripping around her chest. This place was so far removed from Maria’s life in Palermo. “Why?”

  Maria frowned. “Why what?”

  “Why don’t you visit?”

  Maria looked away. She hesitated to speak, and they sat in silence.

  “You can trust me, Maria.”

  Maria turned her head slowly to face Simone. “You are so innocent.”

  Simone felt the bolt of rejection locking her out of Maria’s world.

  The tumbling sensation started in her stomach, sparked a fire that flamed inside her, and like the tree struck by lightning, she was beginning to crumble. Tears welled behind angry eyes. “Don’t say that to me.”

  Maria sipped her wine. “My life is always under threat, Simone.”

  Simone remained silent. Her jaw hurt from her gritted teeth. She’d already worked that out.

  Maria flinched. “I’m not who you think I—”

  “You think you know who I am?”

  Maria hesitated, then started to nod. “You’re right.” Her lips twitched at the corners, and her eyes narrowed. “We don’t know each other at all.”

  Simone lifted her chin as she glared at Maria, her shoulders rising as if to say, so what? “I know you’re a mafia boss, and I also know that you’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. You’re smart. And you care about people.”

  Maria looked down at her trembling hands on the table. “I’ve killed people, Simone.” She didn’t look up and rubbed at her eyes.

  Simone felt the admission like the fracturing of ice when standing in the middle of a frozen lake. Her pulse raced. She should jump back in the car and disappear from Maria’s life forever. Instead, her thoughts transformed the feeling into a fierce determination to protect and defend her. “You must have had a good reason, Maria.”

  Maria slowly lifted her head and looked at Simone. She wasn’t smiling. She didn’t look relieved at the reprieve Simone had given her.

  “Is there ever a good reason to take another person’s life?”

  Simone nodded with conviction. “Yes, I think there is.”

  The intensity in Maria’s eyes softened and then slowly, a tender smile formed. Simone ignored the quaking in her stomach as she searched for the right words as the disappointment, rejection, and loneliness that she had lived through after returning to take care of her brother flooded her.

  “We do what we have to do to survive.”

  Maria sighed and bowed her head. “I can’t live in that world anymore, Simone.”

  Simone reached out and took Maria’s hands in hers. These hands had taken life from others, and yet they’d given Simone hope of life, a different life. She couldn’t imagine the conflict Maria must have experienced nor the suffering she would endure for the rest of her life. She couldn’t take Maria’s conscience from her and supposed Maria wouldn’t want her to. She could love her though. In spite of everything Maria had done, she would cherish her and be there for her. She would do that.

  She cupped Maria’s cheek and leaned across the table, and when she met Maria’s mouth with tenderness, her heart opened, and she felt Maria curl up inside it. When Simone leaned back, her focus was blurred through the wet sheen covering her eyes. Her voice reflected the painful truth she knew they both shared. “I would rather die than lose you.”

  Maria looked away. “If anything happens to me, if the situation deteriorates with Amato, you can live here. Roberto too if he wishes.”

  Simone shook her head, and her eyes widened. “Please, don’t talk like that.”

  Maria looked up and wiped the tears that slipped down Simone’s cheeks. “I’m not expecting anything to happen.”

  You’re lying. Maria smiled, and Simone’s expression remained etched with concern. Maria cleared her throat and leaned back in the seat and sipped from her drink.

  “Hey.”

  Simone saw a flicker of light in Maria’s eyes as she smiled at her.

  She was trying to shift the subject. The least Simone could do was go with her. “Hey.”

  Maria pointed. “There’s a stream down there. We can fish for trout tomorrow.”

  Simone glanced in the direction of the forested area.

  Maria looked at Simone for a long time and sighed. “You are beautiful,” she said.

  Heat filled Simone’s cheeks and when she smiled, she saw a glint in Maria’s eyes.

  “Would you like to live here one day?”

  “Yes.” Her voice sounded as broken as her heart felt. Her eyelashes felt thick with wetness. She wiped her eyes to prevent the burning from becoming another flood of tears. The dark image wouldn’t leave her though: Maria lying in a pool of blood, Alessandro standing over her dead body with an insane grin on his face, gloating, and his gun still pointing at her blood-soaked chest. An icy chill shuddered down her spine.

  Maria leaned closer, lifted Simone’s chin, and looked into her eyes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Simone bit down on her lip as she reached up and stroked Maria’s face. “It’s not your fault.”

  Maria squinted. “You could stay here. I will come to you, later, once the business is more stable.”

  Simone shook her head as her thoughts tumbled into words. “No. I can’t do that. I can’t leave you. What if you walk away from here and don’t come back? I could never live with myself. As beautiful as this place is,”

  she said and gestured to their surroundings, “it’s meaningless without you.”

  Maria took a deep breath. “It could get rough back home.

  Alessandro is in a lot of trouble with some very dangerous people. I’m

  trying to settle things, to stop them escalating, but he’s crazy and unpredictable, and Patrina…”

  Simone watched Maria’s expression shift, affection moving swiftly across her eyes to reveal disappointment. She had picked up on Maria’s connection with Patrina at the café when Maria had first shown up there.

  She knew how women looked at each other when there was more to their relationship. Who didn’t know what such a look meant? “Patrina…she is in your past?”

  Maria bit her lips between her teeth. “Yes.”

  “Does she still want you?” Simone’s tone sounded stilted.

  Maria sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. I think she just enjoys having power over me.” She shrugged. “Her idea of wanting is controlling someone.” She took a deep breath. “We’ve known each other for a long time. We were lovers before Don Stefano was sent to prison. Our relationship i
sn’t what it was back then. There is no relationship. She wants more than I’m willing to give her.” She looked vacantly at Simone, then her focus returned. “I sold my soul to the Devil, Simone, and now I’m claiming it back.”

  Who doesn’t sell their soul to the Devil? Simone knew that feeling.

  She rolled her tongue around her lips. Women like Patrina never let go?

  “She still wants you. I can tell.”

  Maria shrugged. “She never had me. She can never have me.” She took Simone’s hand and held it firmly. “I want to be with you.”

  A sheen appeared over Maria’s eyes. Simone closed the space between them and pressed her lips to Maria’s, then wiped the tear from her cheek. “I want to be with you, too.”

  Maria’s smile looked weak, and then she stood suddenly and held out her hand.

  “Come on, I want to show you something. Do you know there are more than sixty varieties of orchid in the meadows around here?”

  Simone stalled. It was hard to adjust to the sudden swings in focus that seemed second nature to Maria. One minute, Maria would be engrossed in mafia business, the next enjoying the delights of a freshly cooked meal, and it was as if the business had never existed. Simone took longer to shift state. But the smile on Maria’s face and the way her eyes shone when she was excited felt good. “Uh huh!”

  “Come on.”

  Maria seemed to have gained a second wind in an instant. Simone fought her weariness, stood, and took Maria’s hand. If she was honest, she was all orchid-ed out after the tour the previous day. But with Maria’s hand in hers, and in this special place, she would go hunting for orchids every hour of every day if that’s what it would take to keep Maria at her side.

  Maria grinned at her, and her hand felt warm and strong. She locked eyes with Maria, and the electrifying effect moved through her like lightning.

  Did Maria’s breath hitch or was that mine? Did Maria feel this?

  Maria’s lips curled upwards, and she looked down the road they had arrived via. “And, more importantly, there is an amazing restaurant just down the road. I booked us a table. Are you hungry?”