Cosa Nostra by Emma Nichols) 16656409 (z-lib.org) (1)-compressed

by Неизвестный

  Maria wanted to be happy. Had it not been for her father’s death she might

  well have left already. But then she would never have met Simone.

  She had spilled her wishes for a different future to Simone without

  thinking, like picking up on a call with a soul mate she’d known for a

  million years. The code of silence was there to protect those you love. Had

  she broken the code? Bringing Simone to Valencia and the Pyrenees was a

  risk. She wasn’t thinking clearly. Her actions around Simone defied logic.

  This was what love did to you. It was dangerous to lose her capacity to think

  and to be controlled by strong emotions. She closed her eyes and prayed she

  wouldn’t live to regret the weakness that afflicted her. The image of the

  cruiser she had just purchased came to her, and she opened her eyes and

  smiled.

  The Octavia was a key part of the plan. She had done everything

  possible to ensure the cruiser couldn’t be linked back to her. The owner,

  Mariella Sanchez, was a woman of Spanish origin who would be

  untraceable should anyone come looking.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. Her heart slowed

  with her thoughts. She couldn’t tell Simone about the boat or her identity.

  Not yet. It was too risky. She turned as the door to the boardroom opened

  and smiled at Rafael.

  “Congratulations, Maria.”

  “Thank you, Rafael.”

  “Please, take a seat. Would you like a drink?”

  Maria nodded and a woman came into the room with two cups of

  freshly brewed coffee. Rafael smiled at her as she set them on the table,

  remaining silent until the woman had left the room.

  “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 i
n 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 heart 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 oth
ers, 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.