“It’s gonna be good for you.” His gaze—his sweet loving gaze I only saw when he looked at Mario—wandered to the crib. “And him.” He opened the bathroom door but stopped in his tracks. “Pack a swimsuit. We’ll be spending some time on the yacht.”
Chapter28
Bianca
Marta made baby sounds, playing with Mario and saying goodbye to him as the help set the bags in the cars. Cradling him, she sat in her chair in the lounge, her afternoon tea—that brand she swore by—steaming on the table. That tea time was sacred to her like Church.
Enzio was talking to the two uncles. Something about who was to come with him and who had to stay to take care of anotherbusiness.
I was…happy—if that was a feeling I could have again. It was more joy than actual happiness that I got to finally breathe a little. Even though I’d be alone with Enzio. He’d be busy with work, distracted and tired, and I’d have a good time with my baby without constant misery and fear. Who would have thought Enzio, of all people, would care about my health this much to offer me such a trip?
Maybe I was being too stupid, lying to myself. He wouldn’t, and whatever this trip was about, it was nothing but a trap.
I almost panicked and was about to tell him I changed my mind when Marta patted my shoulder. “Bianca, have some tea with me until they get things ready.”
Tea?Hertea? No, thanks. “Thanks, but I’d rather not have anything before the flight. I get sick very easily.”
“It’s actually very good for anxiety.” She poured me a cup and handed it to me. “It’ll help with airsickness.”
Enzio glanced at me over his shoulder calmly, waiting for my reaction. The duo mobsters, too.
I swallowed and took the cup. “Well, in that case… I’ll happily drink it. Very nice of you to think of me like that. Thank you.”
“Prego. You’re family, Bianca. We’re all looking after you and Mario. Don’t ever think otherwise.”
What the fuck? Was Marta planning on poisoning me before I left? Or was that just a little test of loyalty? They were all looking at me, scrutinizing, anticipating. The whole nest of vipers ready to pounce.
My heart skipped a beat, worst case scenarios popping in my head.
Marta wanted to get rid of me, but she wouldn’t do it so openly, not unless Enzio was on board, which was highly unlikely—if he was to kill someone he’d use a gun or his precious knife, and he hadn’t shown one sign he was here to kill me—or…Enzio, too, was…to drink the tea.
No, Marta wouldn’t kill her other son, too.
If there was someone here who would get both Enzio and me out of the picture, it was the duo. If Enzio died, and I did, too, so I wouldn’t counter the will, everything went to Marta. One of the duo would surely divorce his wife and marry the serpent to have everything.
Okay, which one is it? Vincenzo or Alfio?
Only time will tell.
For now, I decided the tea cup was a mere test of loyalty. If either uncle was going to kill us, he wouldn’t use Marta for it.
Unless…No, that’s not possible.
I faked a small smile and let my lips touch the rim of the cup.
Enzio nodded once, a smirk to his lips.
Step two: slither among the Lanza vipers as one of them.
We pretended to play family for four whole minutes—I counted—before they announced the cars were ready. Quickly, I took my son and said my polite goodbyes. Then Enzio wrapped his arm around my waist and escorted me out. For the second time ever, Enzio’s arms were the safest place to be.
On the plane, he sat across from me in the private cabin and insisted on carrying Mario during takeoff. A flux of memories invaded me. I didn’t know I was crying until the teardrops fell hot on the back of my hand. I wiped my eyes fast under the sunglasses, looking through the window.
He stirred in his seat, sighing. “This is supposed to cheer you up, not the opposite.”
“I know, and thanks for it. I just…”
“I remind you of him too much.”
