33

FINESSING HER WAY through the chaotic Italian traffic, Rafe Salvaggio felt Eden holding on tight. At times, Eden held on a little too tight, and Rafe could tell she was scared as they passed large and small vehicles and crossed from lane to lane into openings in the traffic that would move them forward. She would have used one of the cars at the villa, but Gabri and his guests were using them all.

Soon, Rafe had maneuvered them outside the city walls, and they were on the interstate. Eden was holding on tight again. Rafe knew it was the combination of speed and the traffic making her hold on so tight, but this was the most direct route to where they were going. One of the benefits of riding a motorcycle, in Rafe’s mind, was the silence. Each of them was wearing helmets that kept their thoughts to themselves while they traveled, and they didn’t have to make small talk or worry if there was any awkwardness.

After her conversation with Julia yesterday, Rafe was angry with both of them. She did what she had to do to make Julia want to leave, but it didn’t stop her anger. She wanted to tell Gabri to handle everything. She wanted to tell him to send them away and start selling everything in California. She felt like there was nothing to go back to, so why keep the house or the property there. She had even thought about just giving Letty and Ephraim the house and the building the Kiki Bistro was in. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about waiting around for it all to sell. Eden could move in with Julia because she was sure it was where Eden was headed anyway. The rest of her things she could get Katheryn to help arrange for shipping to Italy or selling. Then life in America would be finished except for the occasional trip to New York to take care of things she inherited from her father’s estate holdings. It was what she wanted to do. But she knew if she did, Gabri would have questions she didn’t want to answer. So she had to handle everything herself and try to do it with order and control.

She would begin taking back control of everything today—first Eden then the school bag and its contents. After today, she could go back to her routine, and bide her time Gabri and Nora were ready to leave on tour. Then she could start over somehow. Maybe she could find a new therapist. One Gabri doesn’t talk to. She could talk to them about how to do it—start over. She loved it in Italy, but she thought she would have to go somewhere else, somewhere new. Maybe Barcelona, Spain, or some island somewhere. There would be time to figure it out.