I’m far from okay. Now I understand. He wasn’t proposing a vacation in the wild; he was saying goodbye. “Sal?” I say breathlessly.
Although I asked, I don’t hang around to hear the reply. I need answers. I need Dante.
My heavy boot thud, announcing my arrival in the reception area, where I expect to find Sal. His chair is empty, and the air is chilled to an icy temperature, making me shiver. He must be with Dante, talking over whatever business he’s excluded me from.
I push out into the baking midday sun, staggering to a run. Covering the shaded walkways at speed, I dart around bends and sprint beneath palm fronds. Sweat rolls the length of my spine. My eyes squint as I run from intermittent shelter to sunshine. I’m painfully aware of the hollowness inside of me. It’s the void created in the absence of love.
We must talk this through. For the man so inflexible on truth, he owes me his honesty.
A hydraulic motor comes to life in the distance. The now familiar thwap of blades cutting up the atmosphere spikes my pulse. If I could run faster, I would run straight into Dante’s arms. My pent-up frustration explodes in a yell. “Wait!”
When I reach the helipad bordered by pretty blooms and sweet fragrances, I come face to face with a sleek black chopper rising into the sky.
I’m too late.
My voice breaks beneath the noisy engine. He’s gone, and I don’t know what that means for me now.
“Iris.” Sal comes into view from my left. I’d been so focused on catching Dante that I hadn’t noticed him drop down the steps to join me. He studies me quietly for a few moments, giving me time to comprehend the magnitude of Dante’s rash departure. He sets his hand on my shoulder, sensing my distress. “He’s gone away on business.”
“Gone, for how long?” I choke out. “He didn’t tell me he was taking off.” I bite my bottom lip to stop it from wobbling, certain my emotions will get the better of me this time. “I thought we had one more night together. Why did he leave?” My gaze never leaves the black dot in the sky, watching it grow smaller. “I have to talk to him. There are things we need to discuss before I leave.”
“Iris.” Sal’s grip tightens with comfort yet his tone drops to subzero. “You’re leaving first thing tomorrow. I’ve been tasked with escorting you to the helipad to ensure your safe departure. You’ll spend the night in one of the recovery rooms in the medical facility. Don’t worry.” He sighs, hitching his mouth to a light smile. “They’re like a hotel suite rather than a hospital ward. He said you’d want to stay with your cub.”
I gulp. “When will he be back?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “There was a complication.”
“A complication with what?”
“Look, Iris, it’s business. Stuff I can’t talk to you about. Okay?”
“So that’s it.” My fingers bunch the hem of my T-shirt––Dante’s T-shirt. “I’m leaving before he returns?”
“Yes.”
“And this issue he has…” I fold my arms beneath my ribs for comfort. “Is it dangerous?”
Sal runs his tongue over his teeth, mulling over his response. “Yes, Iris. Everything he does is dangerous. You should know that by now. Which is why you need to understand how much safer you will be on the other side of the world. Leave Brazil knowing that you met the good guy because when he comes back, I’m worried he won’t be that man anymore.”
“I didn’t just meet him,” I whisper. “I…”
“I know. We all saw it unfold. Even if he didn’t. But it’s over now,” he says firmly. “If you don’t board the chopper in the morning, it’ll be my bloated body found by the river police. He burdened me with the responsibility ofyou…” Sal pauses. “Aside from this mission, you’re the only thing that matters to him. If I let him down…” His expression is grave, and he swallows.
“Sal.” I turn into him when the aircraft is merely a speck. “He wouldn’t kill you. You’re one of the few people he trusts,” I say sincerely.
His face remains straight. “Iris, el Fantasma would kill anyone for you.”
My blood swooshes in my skull, and Sal moves his hand away, leaving me unsettled. I’m not sure what hurts me the most. The fact he didn’t tell me he was leaving or that our time in the bathroom was the last moment we’ll ever share.
Is this really the end of us?
13
I thought it would be easier to disappear, than watch beija flor fly away.
Clearly that was a foolish assumption because I can’t bring myself to look out at the maze of cabins under the flight path to civilization. The extravagant resort I’ve created from drug money. A hidden world I’ve built from dirt, grit and revenge.
I’ve left Iris in my Oasis with her injured cub and good intentions—and a grip on my violent heart.
