“Okay, great,” she packs up everything, even though she hardly ate, and then puts her backpack back on and offers me her hand.
“Let’s go,” she says, pulling me along with her. I’m letting her because we both know I could stop her. But I’ll give her this.
Clifton is what my mother would call charming. Nice cafés. Cute stores. And I find myself laughing and having fun with Adelina. She’s a light in my world that I didn’t know I needed. She sees things in different colors and when she talks about things even as boring as a chair, I find myself drawn to her.
“Have you ever thought that if our families sat and talked we could get along?” She asks.
“I don’t know. My father is a reasonable man, my uncle is touch and go. Do you really think that people from different places and cultures can live in harmony?”
“I have to think that. I believe it. I believe all things can live in harmony. I mean look at that kitten and dog,” she points to a pet bed in front of a store and sure enough, there is a small kitten curled up with a large dog.
“Dogs and cats don’t usually get along and yet that dog is protecting that small kitten. If they can be like that, then others can do the same.”
“Who taught you to be like this?”
“Like what?” She asks.
“All sunshine and rainbows or whatever,” I reply.
“My mother was the same way and I just took on her view of the world. I’m not wrong. I truly believe that sworn enemies can come together, even.”
“I don’t know about that,” I say. Though I’m starting to kind of see her point. Most people would run the other way after seeing me tear a man’s head from his body and yet, here she is trying to show me that she sees me in a different light. In a way she makes me want to be better than just a brute. For the first time, I don’t want to punch a tree or someone, and that’s because she is around me. Her presence calms me. That petrifies me.
“I have to go,” I tell her and I just take off, not wanting to hear her sweet voice asking me to stay. I text my driver and wait in the spot I told him to pick me up, far enough away she won’t catch up until I’m already on my way back to the city, running back to my demons.
Sixteen
Adelina
I should have been scared to be around a man such as him, but I wasn’t. I found him charming and intriguing. His laugh was infectious and made me want to hear it more. I loved just talking to him.
He ran off so quickly that I couldn’t catch him. I just wanted him to see how things could be if we all took the time to talk. Maybe he will take that back to his family.
I call my driver to take me home. Usually, I have Matteo with me, but Clifton is a small town and historical in value, no one from the criminal underworld dares to touch it. Kind of a rule I guess. I don’t know that for sure but I’d like to think that every criminal have some couth.
“How was your day?” My father greets me as I step into the house.
“Good. I had my picnic and walked the main street,” I tell him, which isn’t a lie. I just left Ivan out of it. He’s right, our families might not understand.
“Capo, we have an emergency,” Stefano says as he sweeps into the kitchen.
“Where is Adolfo?” He asks Stefano. My brother is his underboss, things should go through him first. Stefano thinks he has a direct line because I’ve been promised to him.
“Cleaning up a mess,” Stefano says.
“Mess?” My father asks, they’re talking business like I’m not even in the room.
“One of the soldiers shot a Russian,” he says darkly. Oh no! I can only hope that Ivan is alright.
“Who would make such a mistake? I told you to watch, not to engage,” my father seethes, Stefano backs up a little bit, fearful of what my father might do.
“The soldier was scared, he’s new. I guess he feared for his life,” Stefano tries to pacify my father.
“We don’t put just anyone on watch duty. Happy trigger fingers are what start wars,” my father snarls.
“I understand, Capo.”
“I want to see this soldier,” he replies, straightening his tie. He was in the process of taking it off to relax. Now, he’s back to business.
