Epilogue 2 - Verity
Conal set me down slowly, all three of the guys silently watching as I stared at the woman who’d haunted me for years.
I could barely remember the day Kyril, Dario, and Declan’s men rescued Thea and I from Francesco’s estate. I’d buried most of my childhood memories, locked them away in a sealed box deep inside my head. It wasn’t until I began having counseling that I felt strong enough to face them.
Mrs. Gia had been the only loving, functional adult in my life during my childhood. None of the other household staff paid me any attention other than to ensure I had food and other essentials. They were all too afraid of my father’s wrath to help me.
Poor Mrs. Gia had always been terrified of him, but she stood up for me when she could, by pestering my father for educational materials like books, pencils, and paper. And she never once treated me as a burden.
Over the years, I’d asked Thea about Mrs. Gia, specifically what became of her, but Milo could not find her. The older I got, the more I believed she’d died at my father’s hands.
We both knew Francesco would have lashed out in anger when faced with the loss of his two most valuable assets: his daughters.
I never expected to see Mrs. Gia again. I assumed Papa had executed her, along with the men and household staff deemed responsible for security failings on that fateful day, but here she was standing a few feet from me.
Older, grayer, her back a little stooped these days, but still smiling.
“Is it really you?” Was this a dream? Maybe I’d wake up any minute now and find myself on the plane, half-way back to Ireland.
“Yes,cara, it’s me.” She opened her arms and after a moment’s hesitation, I let her pull me in for a hug.
She still smelled of violets and roses, her favorite scent. Back then, I’d barely reached her chest. Now, she barely reached my chin.
“I thought…” A sob broke free as I choked on the words.
“Let’s go inside,cara.”
Even though I was all grown up with three hulking, over-protective husbands and a baby on the way, I let my childhood surrogate mother lead me up a paved path and through a blue-painted door surrounded by fragrant flowers.
The guys arranged themselves over a wooden bench and two small, overstuffed armchairs while Mrs. Gia directed I sit down on a sofa by the window. Outside, the sea sparkled in the sun, small waves lapping the rocky shore.
There were no other houses in sight. The nearest village was two miles away, down a steep, winding road.
How had she escaped my father’s rampage?
“Let me make you all some refreshments and then we can talk.” Mrs. Gia patted my hand with a smile, her eyes bright with tears.
“Can I use the bathroom, please?” A drink would finish me if I didn’t take care of business first.
“Of course,cara.It’s the first door on the left.”
“Need me to come with you?” Ronan whispered, pulling me into his side as I shuffled past him. In such a small room, and with three men plus me, there wasn’t a lot of room to move around.
“No!” I flushed, knowing Mrs. Gia would have heard him. God knows what she must think of me showing up pregnant and with three dangerous-looking guys in tow. It was hardly the reunion I’d dreamed of as a teenager.
“Ash is outside, keeping an eye on things. She’ll be fine,” Declan reminded him.
Closing the bathroom door gave me some respite. I needed a hot minute to process the shock of seeing Mrs. Gia again. It hadn’t been on my bingo card for today. Or ever.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror while wondering what she’d think of me now. The last time she’d seen me, I’d been a child. It had to be as jarring for her as it was for me.
The Mrs. Gia I remembered always wore smart white blouses, black skirts, and kept her dark hair pinned back in a tight chignon. She’d said it was her uniform. Today, she wore a loose smock and her now-gray hair hung in a braid down her back.
What had she been doing all these years?
I had so many questions.
Knowing she was probably waiting for me to reappear, I quickly washed my hands and hurried back to the living room.A tray of cold drinks and some pastries awaited. My stomach immediately growled in appreciation.
