We arrive too soon, and I lean out of the window to scan my watch at the gate for entry. Ahead of us, the villa, a double storey white stone building covered in flowers, looks deserted at first glance.
“Are you sure they’re home?” Cat leans forward, worrying her bottom lip.
“They’re home.” I park outside the main doors. No staff come out to greet us. Aside from a cleaner once a week, and a private chef that comes every few days at Rosa’s insistence, my parents dismissed all of the staff when they first arrived.
I sit there for a moment, staring at the sandy-colored steps. They’re worn away now, the sharp edges blunted by years of running up and down them. Chasing my sisters in and out of the house when we were younger, often sunburnt and hungry and laughing. Then, as we grew older, they started chasing me, wanting me to join in games that I had no longer had any interest in. I was the Fusco heir. I hadresponsibilities.
I would play every single damn game with them now.
Forever feels inevitable, the world endless, when you’re a child. And then it shrinks as you grow, until that infinity shrinks into days that are counted too quickly, hours of happiness that fly past without noticing. By the time you start to care, by the time itmatters, the moments have already passed.
You never know how much time you will have.
I glance in the mirror. Dante meets my eyes, understanding lingering in his green gaze.
Cat’s hand slips into mine. “What do you need?”
Lifting her hand, I press my lips to her wrist. “You. Always.”
She stays close, Dante at my back as we walk inside. The door is unlocked, the hall a familiar mix of eclectic furniture and paintings collected by my mother over the years. I frown at the thin layer of dust coating the sideboard.
“Ma?” I call out, glancing up at the stairs. “Padre? Rosie?”
Footsteps sound above our heads. “Gio?”
We all look up. Rosa hangs over the railing, her mouth falling open. “You’re here?”
I offer her a small smile. “Surprise, Rosie.”
We did not leave on the best of terms back at home. Staying where I am, I wait to see how she’ll react. Her eyes travel over Cat, widening, and then to Dante. Behind us.
I wonder if I notice her shoulders sag. But she’s flying down the stairs, and I stagger back as she hits my middle. Inhaling, I wrap my arms around my youngest sister. “I missed you.”
She aims a punch at my arm, her face pulling into a familiar pout. “Yousentme here. I want to come home, Gio.”
“You know you can’t.” I step away, my eyes running over her face. “How are they?”
Her shoulders sag, eyes darting to Cat. “The same. Maybe… maybe a little worse. This house is full of ghosts, Gi.Please.”
“Not yet.” My tone is hard, and Rosie blinks. “This isn’t a game. What’s happening there… it is no safe place for you. Soon, but not now.”
She studies my expression, but it’s Cat that she swings to. “Is… is everyone well?”
My brows scrunch together as Cat takes her time putting her words together. “Yes. Vincent… says hello.”
She makes no mention of the shot he took at the Asante estate. Studying my sister’s flushed cheeks, I decide that is absolutely for the best.
I like Vincent. It would be a shame to kill him.
“Rosie,” I nudge the discussion into more neutral territory. “Why don’t you take Cat and Dante into the kitchen? Make a coffee. I’ll join you shortly.”
“Sure.” She pauses. “They’re not good, Gi. Just… prepare yourself.”
Cat’s hand silently brushes mine as she follows, glancing over her shoulder before they disappear out of sight.
Beside me, Dante sighs before he follows. “Call if you need us.”
“Grazie.”
