“I will, Gina. Can you put Uncle Tony back on for a moment? I have to get off here soon.”
“Of course. Kisses doll. See you soon.”
She hands the phone back to Uncle Tony and I want to vomit. I prefer her normal sour attitude to whatever the hell that was.
“Bella?”
“I’m here. I have to go, but I love you. I will come home as soon as I can.”
“Of course, Bella. I love you too. Be safe.”
I hang up the phone and hand it back to Bash.
“Thank you. That meant a lot to me. I know it wasn’t the safest move, but it was something I just had to do.”
“Of course, Tesoro. Do you want me to take you back to your room?”
I think about Izzy and Mia. I didn’t want to go back to that tense environment.
“Can we take a walk or something. I would kill for some fresh air.”
“Maybe not a walk, but… Well come here.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me to the curtains I saw on my first day. He opens them to reveal a pair of French doors that lead out to a balcony. He opens one of the doors and leads me outside. I walk to the railing and look down.
Even in the dark of night I can see some ways out. The moon is a full one tonight providing the perfect amount of light. The balcony oversees the most beautiful garden I have even seen. Further out, there is a hedge maze. I chuckle at the sight.
“What’s so funny, Tesoro?”
“Does every rich person have a damn maze garden? Seems pretty cliché.”
It’s his turn to chuckle now.
“I suppose you are right. That was here before I was born. My mom really built the garden up though. She loves all things flowers and plants. This below is the flower garden, but on the other side of the building there is a greenhouse that grows vegetables. I had to hire someone to keep them up after she moved out.”
“Why did she move out?” I had been curious about that since the first time I was here.
He sighs and runs his hand over his face.
“The easy answer is that when I took control this house turned over to me and she moved out. The truth is I think the memories haunted her. They lived here together a long time. I think every time she turned and caught the ghost of a memory it made her sad. She took my siblings and moved out once I was officially put in control.”
“That must be hard on you. I am sure you have memories too.”
A sad look passes his face.
“Not all of my memories are good, Tesoro. The life of a gangster’s son isn’t always as easy as you would think. If anything, he was rougher on me than he would have been one of his men.”
“That is incredibly sad. All the memories I have of my parents are happy ones. All except when I found out they had died.”
Now it was my turn to be sad. Anytime I thought of my parent’s deaths I felt this way.
“It’s better to remember the good and leave the bad. I try not to think too much of the past unless it benefits me. I suggest you do the same, Tesoro.”
“I suppose you are right.” I turn to him. “Thank you for this. I think I am going to go bed now.”
I walk into the room and hear him shut the door and curtains behind me.
“You could stay in here tonight? I saw your hesitation earlier.”
