“I said no. But India thinks it would be good for him.”
André goes quiet for a few seconds. “Mat’s not afraid of danger and we know he has a sharp aim. The guy took out at least five soldiers before we were separated. School books and law degrees don’t mean shit when we’re under attack, Gio.”
“So, you think I should agree to train him? To let him leave his fancy lifestyle behind to live in the shadows?”
“Maybe…” André drums the table, thinking. “Maybe he could join the team for a few months. He could learn tactics and get an idea of what it takes. It wouldn’t hurt to have him on the inside acting as your eyes and ears when you’re not around. A mission for Mat to figure out if any of them are shady. They’re following us to Sicily, aren’t they?”
His suggestion has merit. I blow out a breath and knock back my drink, lust still simmering in my veins. “Yeah. Wherever I go, they go too. I just don't know if I could let Mat sacrifice everything like I did. If he joins, he must fully commit. No half-hearted effort or favoritism just because he’s my blood. I need time to think about it.”
The engines fire up, and the pilot’s voice is all around, welcoming us on board the flight. “Right. You think it over while I check on my wife.” André rises. “Things are going to be different from now on, Gio. Me and you have a lot of catching up to do.”
I drag the shades off my face and chuck them onto the table. “Are we good now?”
“We’re good.” He confirms, tilting his drink at me. “She’s changed you, brother. Hopefully, you won’t be an asshole anymore.”
“I could say the same about Sinéad whipping your ass into line. Who the hell are you these days, Dré?”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Yeah. Go fuck yourself.” I hold up my glass in the space between us as my twin leans in and clinks his glass to mine.
We both smile. His dark eyes full of mischief and mine filled with hope for a brighter life on the other side of the world.
When he saunters away and sits in the seat next to his wife, directly opposite of India, I watch my girl’s eyes dance. A niggle of misplaced jealousy pinches my gut. Instead of letting it bother me, I knock back the liquor and focus on the wheels bumping over the tarmac as the jet accelerates.
Adios Colombia.
Sitting back in my seat, I look for her again. Our gaze’s fuse and her chest rises as she licks her sugary, wet lips, the popsicle now finished. I swipe my thumb across my mouth and enjoy the buzz when she draws those soft lips between her teeth and tries to hide her naughty, girly grin.
There’s nothing hotter than this woman when she teases me. To play the game, I break eye contact. I’m hungry for her, but I want her to be hungrier. Aching. Squirming.
Matheus’ eyes are closed and now the plane has leveled out, the flight attendant is covering him with a blanket. I think about what India had wanted from me—to equip herself with skills to survive. He’s got his own ruthlessness and cutthroat ways, learned from each of us over the years. Who better to infiltrate The Covenant than my baby brother?
Blanco has skin in the game.
And with Matheus on my side, I’d learn who’s trustworthy and who isn’t.
A figure passes within my gaze and moves toward me. My nape prickles, instinctively knowing its India.
Rather than stop, she keeps on walking, purposefully strolling past me. At the last second, before she enters the toilet cubicle, she glances over her shoulder and pins me to the seat with her big baby blues.
If I needed an invitation, that would be it. But a man like me prefers a challenge.
38
INDIA
There’s something about the calmness of the ocean and having the luxury of being able to follow it wherever I live.
In Miami, it was far-reaching from my apartment windows. Ever present in the memories I have of my brother. Blackwater’s shoreline quickly became the backdrop of a new home where I fell in love. And now, I’m spending time in a huge mansion with my extended family and the crystal-clear sea sparkles under a full Sicilian moon.
Sinéad was right. This really is the most idyllic part of the world. Over the months she’d redesigned an entire suite for me and updated everything, so there was no trace of her late father. She’s the mafia queen of the castle now.
On the outside, there’s a likeness to Blackwater with its arched windows and imposing architecture. But on the inside are thick sandstone walls, ivory marbled floors, and plush furniture on a much grander scale. This home is a monster in comparison to the dark manor house.
Giovanni and I can make as much noise as we want in our wing, and no one would hear us. Well, except perhaps the security guards who patrol the corridors and walk the grounds. Though they should be well used to the screams that come from this room when Leo is with his Uncle André.
The bottom of my floor length dress catches in the sea breeze when I walk out onto the huge stone balcony to look for Giovanni. Not finding him, I return indoors and move to the dressing room to change.
