Page 47 of Mafia Beast

My things at home had been in the process of being packed when I got the call. By the time I get there, everything will be back in place. All I have is the Vera Bradley bag I came with. Nikolaos is staying here. He won’t be accompanying me on the trip.

He wraps his arms around me. “So this is goodbye?”

“Yes. It is.” I lean up on tiptoe to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek.

He grabs my chin, tipping my lips to meet his. He kisses me deeply, leaving me breathless, my head cloudy. He kisses me again, making me want to beg him to make me stay. When he breaks away, his eyes stay glued to mine.

“Come back anytime. Come back all the time.” The way he looks at me makes me feel like he wants to finish his statement with,Come back, forever.

“Okay. Thank you.” I bend down, lifting my bag from the ground to put it over my shoulder.

He takes the bag from me, carrying it to the boat that will take me to the mainland. “Stay safe. Stay inside the walls of the Village till you get the all-clear from Aiden.”

I don’t want him to worry. “I will. I promise.”

“I’d say call me to let me know when you get to the Village…”

“But you’ll already know,” I laugh, thinking of the tabs the drivers and security brothers keep on us Beauties.

I have to be the one to break away, to turn and leave. I don’t look back. I can’t. Aiden follows me like a comforting shadow, keeping me safe and offering me his hand as I step onto the boat. I can’t help but wish it was Nikolaos escorting me.

We return to the Village. With Aiden planted outside, I enter my house. It’s cold and dark. Hannah is a conservationist and cut off the heat and lights when she left. It’s so quiet, the sound of me setting my soft cloth bag down on the wood floors sounds loud to me. I flick on a light.

There’s a fresh bouquet of yellow roses, our symbol of friendship, waiting for me on my hall table. Other than the flowers, there’s no sign anyone’s been here. No pitter-patter of little feet to greet me, welcoming me home. No kiss from my man. No whisper that I’ve been missed brushing against my ear.

Nothing.

I go to the kitchen to Captain Jack Sparrow’s tank, looking for some kind of greeting, however small.

“Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?” I tap on the glass, searching for him. He’s not in his pirate ship. I don’t see him anywhere. My gaze rises to the surface of the water where his beautiful blue and red body floats. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Jack Sparrow has died too. I know beta fish only live two to five years and I’ve had him for five, but still. Tears are shed as I bury his little body in my back garden and clean out his tank.

Now, to find Shannon.

My already heavy heart sinks further, a cold weight like an anvil hollowing out my chest. I want to be there for her, to offer her support in her time of need. Who better than me knows how she suffers?

Selfishly, I already feel drained by my own life. Charlie, get over yourself. Your friend needs you. I buck up, walking down the street toward her gray townhouse.

She answers the door on the first knock, throwing it open and falling into my arms. “Oh, Charlie! You came.”

The warmth of her hug fills me with guilt for my earlier selfish thoughts. I’m instantly glad I came. “I’d say I can’t imagine what you’re going through but…”

She looks at me with tear-filled eyes. “You’re the one person on this earth who knows exactly how I feel.”

“Exactly.” I take her hand. “Come. I’ll make you some tea.”

“Thanks. Everyone’s been here around the clock, but I sent them all home when I heard you’d gotten into town. I wanted a little time to decompress with you.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” My stomach flip-flops at the thought of having to relive the pain she’s going through. I swallow it back, knowing my job is to be here for her, no matter what I’m feeling.

I miss Nikolaos…

I get her settled on her sofa, snuggling cozy blankets around her. “I’ll be right back up with tea.”

I put her kettle on to boil, flipping through tea bags. I choose chamomile for its calming properties. Shuffling through her cupboard I find a package of cookies and place a few on a plate. Neither of us feels like eating, but I want to get something in her stomach. I pick a few winter pansies from her back garden, separate the flowers from the stems, and organize the pretty purple and yellow blooms on a tray with teacups and the cookies.

My heart and my footsteps feel heavy as I make my way up the stairs to her living room.

---