Isabella couldn’t wait to be in the privacy of her room. After Jonathan left, Nonna bombarded her with questions about why she took so long to walk the young man to the end of the driveway. “He was explaining about his work,” Isabella said with a shrug.
“Since when does criminal justice interest you so much? You never pay attention when Dante talks about important matters.”
“Maybe because Jonathan is more patient when he explains things.” Not that she gave him time to explain anything. She’d rather have him look at her with desire and kiss her long and slow.
“In that case, you should ask Dante to hire you as an interpreter. You’re fluent in English, Italian, and French. You could help a lot at his firm.”
For a moment she imagined herself sitting in Jonathan’s office, listening and taking notes. Slowly, she would glide onto his lap and he’d continue to dictate. While he tried to think about the next sentence after punctuation, they would exchange a kiss or two. Isabella scoffed.
Poor Jonathan wouldn’t be able to function efficiently and Dante would chop off her head. No, she’d rather meet Jonathan far away from her brother’s office.
“It’s not healthy to work with a relative. Dante would upset me with his endless orders.”
Right now Isabella would rather be left in peace. “I’m going upstairs. Are you coming?” Without waiting for her grandmother’s answer, she collected her belongings and covered herself with a towel. “Let’s go by the driveway. I’d rather not use the garage after what happened.”
She slipped the old lady’s arm under her own and they shuffled at a turtle’s pace to the driveway and the receiving entrance on the side of the building.
“Good afternoon, Robert. How are things going?” Nonna never failed to greet the building staff with a nice word and garner the latest gossip.
“You wouldn’t believe it, Mrs. Cantari. Tom Dallen and his wife Julia saw a strange guy in the garage and called 911.”
“And?” Both Isabella and Nonna squealed.
“The man seemed in pain, holding his belly. The police wanted to take him to the hospital but he started running. They found it suspicious and arrested him. We don’t know how he’d managed to slip into the building in spite of all the security we have.”
“Interesting. Bye, Robert.” Isabella pulled her grandmother toward the elevator.
In the apartment they shared on the twenty-first floor, Isabella enjoyed a spacious room overlooking the ocean. Other than a bed flanked by two night tables she’d bought in Fort Lauderdale, she didn’t own furniture. On the built-in credenza running along the wall under the bay window, she had arranged in an artistic disorder the many valuable knickknacks she’d brought from Sicily. Vases from Murano, jewelry boxes in Capodimonte porcelain, and mosaic frames decorated her souvenir area.
Isabella closed her door and carefully opened her beach bag to dig out the gun she’d picked up from the garage floor. She hadn’t mentioned it to Jonathan. Should she keep it to defend herself or hand it to the police? Still hesitating, she opened the safe hidden in her closet behind hanging clothes and locked it inside.
After showering and changing into a burgundy short nighty, she lay on her bed to daydream about Jonathan, his unruly hair falling over sparkling green eyes, his chiseled nose and jaw, luscious lips, strong…
Her phone ring interrupted her visual of a most interesting male specimen. Annoyed, she checked the caller ID and smiled.
“Hi Emma. What a nice surprise.” Not wanting to miss a word of the long distance call and difficult connection, Isabella bounced up, and crossed her legs under her. “I haven’t heard from you in more than a month.” In addition to being a relative—in Sicily, half of the citizens claimed to be related—Emma had been Isabella’s best friend and classmate since first grade. They’d even attended college together in Boston.
“Things are not good in Palermo.” Tears underlined the wobbly voice.
“Why? Tell me.” Emma and Isabella had shared confidences most of their lives.
“And they may turn ugly at your end too.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“In spite of his good behavior, Lorenzo is still in jail. You know he didn’t kill your brother. It was an accident. None of them knew the gun was loaded.” Emma’s cries filled the phone.
“I know Emma.” Dante had been present at the time and had told her as much.
“I love Lorenzo.” Her friend’s sobs escalated.
“Calm down, please.”
For a moment sobs and statics mingled into a cacophony. “It’s not fair… not fair. We want to get married, have a family. I’ve had it with this vendetta.”
“Me, too, believe me.”
Emma sniffled. “Isabella, be careful. I heard Lorenzo’s brothers, Franco and Marco, discussing ways to force Dante to ask for my Lorenzo’s release.”
Her back stiff, Isabella asked, “What ways?”
“They hired a Sicilian guy who lives in Florida illegally. This man said he befriended a trash collector and is helping him collect garbage at your building so he can access the garage. Franco and Marco are paying him big money to…to abduct you. I want you to be careful. But please keep it secret.”
Okay, that made sense. “This Sicilian man who’s in Florida has already tried to abduct me today.”
“Madre di Dio, what happened? How are you?”
“I got rid of him, thanks to my Nonno’s famous move, the kick in the belly. Remember?” she chuckled.
For a few minutes, laughter echoed from both ends of the line. When they finally sobered, Emma sighed. “There is more. Marco will travel to Florida in three days. He insists you’ll change your mind about him once he brings you back to Sicily and you see how much he loves you.”
“Oh no.” Isabella didn’t feel like laughing anymore.
Marco Raveno had nurtured a crush on her since high school. She’d never returned his feelings. He’d even got into an argument with her big brother Rafael just before the tragedy.
Isabella closed her eyes. She’d heard the story first-hand from Dante in Nonno’s office.
Their grandfather had been so mad because his two grandsons had kept their friendship with Lorenzo, Marco and Franco secret for years, sneaking off to go on long bike rides in the country side or meeting at remote beaches to swim together in the sea. It was a kids’ solid friendship until that day.
“Isabella, are you still here?”
“Yes. I don’t want Marco to come. I told him often enough that I don’t love him.” A long time ago she’d figured she had become an obsession for Marco, a prize he had to win, not a real love.
“We can help each other,” Emma suggested. “My sister Patricia loves Marco. My parents have been inviting him and Franco often for dinner at our house. Isabella, I beg you, talk to Dante. Ask him to come here and plead for Lorenzo’s release. Dante is a famous international lawyer now, well-respected in Palermo. He can make things happen.”
“Dante would never leave his wife. She’s pregnant. And he’s afraid that if Lorenzo gets out he’ll cause more bloodshed.”
“We have to take matters into our own hands. You get the man I love out of jail. And I guarantee you that Marco will stop harassing you and I’ll convince Lorenzo to forget about revenge. Deal?” Emma’s voice had turned cold.
She was a woman in love, fighting for her man and her happiness.
Captivated by Emma’s obvious adoration for her beloved, Isabella wished she could find an unconditional love such as the one Emma and Lorenzo shared.
“I will help you. Not sure how yet. Let me think about it.” A faint beep alerted her to another call. “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow. We’re friends, Emma. Chill out.”
She cut the connection. Jonathan was on the other line. He did call after all.
Excitement filled her. “Hi there. Are you still at work?”
“On my way home.”
“Where is home?”
“Not telling. You’re a dangerous girl.” He chuckled. “Where are you? Still at the beach?”
“No, lying on my bed. Thinking of you.”
A gasp answered her, followed by fast breathing. Was he visualizing her? She glanced down at her nightie. Not transparent or indecent. Just cute and sexy.
“Hold a sec, Jonathan. I’ll get back to you right away.” She ended the call and arranged her long dark hair to frame her face and cover her naked shoulders. Big smile for Jonathan. She extended her arm and shot a selfie. Not bad at all. Hope he liked it. She sent it to him and held her phone, waiting.
Two minutes passed. Should she call him? Not yet. Patience is the name of the game, Nonna often said. But on the other hand, Nonno advised the opposite. Strike when the iron is hot.
Let’s count to ten and call. The phone rang and his ID popped up on the screen.
“Lovely, but may I ask what you’re up to?”
“Just showing you I’m getting bored at home, alone.”
“Wish I could join you on that bed.”
Heat covered her face and flashed in various parts of her body. “Not a good idea. Nonna is in the other room napping, and my brother would kill you before he even fires you.”
“Don’t I know that?” He exhaled loudly and she chuckled.
“Any better idea?”
“Dinner?”
“Dinner and a swim in the ocean after sunset. Bring a bathing suit,” she suggested.
“I thought you had something more daring in mind.”
Delicious tingles tickled her in forbidden areas. “You’re bad, Jonathan Ramirez.”
“Actually, I’m very good at work and at…many things.”
Convinced he wasn’t lying, she squirmed uneasily. “When do we meet?”
“In front of your building at six.”
“See you.” She pressed the off button. A smile lingered on her lips. She couldn’t wait to get to know him better. Granted he was a good-looking man, but what about deep down beneath the eye-pleasing exterior?
At first she’d thought Jonathan to be shy when he almost refused to kiss her today, then she remembered he was on duty, sent by her solemn big brother to check on her safety. Jonathan wouldn’t report to Dante that his little sister was doing so well he’d kissed her. In full view of the neighbors on the beach. She giggled at the scene that popped into her mind.
“Isabella.” Nonna knocked on her door and pulled her out of her fantasy. “Do you want chicken for dinner?”
“Come in, Nonna. I’ll warm the chicken for you but I’m going out for dinner.”
A smile formed on her dear grandmother’s face. “Did the nice young man from this morning invite you?”
“Yes. Isn’t he cute?”
“I wouldn’t say cute considering his size, but very handsome. I heard Dante mention that Jonathan was a bright lawyer with a promising future. You have my permission to go out with him.”
“Nonna, you’re the best grandma.” Isabella jumped out of her bed to give her grandmother two resounding kisses on her cheeks. “Sit on the balcony. I’ll warm your dinner.”
“Thank you, Cara mia. The neighbors from 2104 are coming to spend a couple of hours with me. I’ll eat and make myself presentable. And you hurry up and get dressed.” Nonna liked nothing better than to sit on her balcony and watch the breathtaking view of the ocean.
Reassured that her Nonna would be entertained for the rest of the evening, Isabella brought her a tray with her meal and set in on the wrought-iron table. “It’s gorgeous here.”
Many neighbors shared her grandmother’s habit to dine on the balcony and enjoy the scenery. White sails of fishing boats dotted the azure water. A couple of Jet Skis crisscrossed, stirring a wake of foam behind them, and a yellow boat zoomed past, dragging an expert water-skier.
Isabella returned to her room to remove her nighty and replace it with a black bikini she topped with a shoulder strap silk mini-dress that fluttered mid thigh. The black background and colorful prints suited her tan complexion and dark hair. She slipped on a pair of high-heeled sandals and spent a good half-hour brushing her hair and applying her makeup. Ready?
Not yet. A whiff of her gardenia perfume on her neck and cleavage was a must, guaranteed to daze any man with its creamy fragrance. She examined herself in the long mirror affixed on the door of her closet and punched the air with her fist. That would do.
Her little purse dangling from her shoulder and her beach bag hanging from her hand, she strode to the balcony. “Bye, Nonna.”
Her grandmother gave her a once over and smiled proudly. “You can go now, girl. Good luck.”
Isabella rode the elevator to the lobby. Her high heels clicked along the tiled floor of the corridors all the way to the glass front door of the building. A small gray Honda waited at the curb. More attractive than ever in a pair of light gray pants and a matching striped shirt, Jonathan leaned against the passenger door.
“You look smashing, Mr. Ramirez.”
He chuckled and his glance roamed over her. “You should never pay a compliment to a man. Let him do it.”
“Did you learn that in law school?”
He opened the door for her and she slid into the car.
“You’d be surprised at how much I learned in school.” He grinned and buckled his seat belt before starting the engine and driving away. “How about going to Crab Nest for dinner? It’s right on the beach. We can swim after. All right?”
“Perfect.”
Less than ten minutes later, he stopped at the restaurant and gave his key to the valet parking attendant. With an astonished look, Isabella assessed his old car. Nothing like the flashy BMW sports car her brother drove. Either Jonathan didn’t fancy expensive toys or he simply couldn’t afford one as a junior lawyer. Who cared! She didn’t need a wealthy boyfriend, just a passionate and tender one.
She scanned Jonathan’s wide chest and muscled arms. Check passionate. A quick peek at his bright green eyes glittering with concern about her reassured her. Check tender. He could do both.
The waitress led them to a table for two, right next to the beach. Isabella ordered a light beer and Jonathan requested the same. In early September, the weather had cooled to a perfect low-eighties temperature and the snowbirds hadn’t crowded the area yet. Not far from them, local children played in the sand and built a sandcastle while a couple supervised them. A loving family, exactly like the one she hoped to have one day.
A moment later, the waitress placed long frosted glasses in front of them and poured the beer. They studied the menu and ordered shrimp scampi and crab cakes.
Jonathan raised his glass. “To you. Glad you were safe.”
“Thank you.” She clanked her glass against his and drank silently. “Where do you live, Jonathan?” He knew all about her family’s terrible vendetta and she hadn’t a clue about his background.
“In an apartment on Sunrise Boulevard. No view of the ocean or the Intercoastals,” he added with a wry arch to his brow.
She shrugged. “I don’t have a good job yet and could never afford the Blue Waves apartment. My grandmother owns it. But Nonna would rather not live on her own—or God forbid in a senior residence surrounded by old people.”
“It isn’t every day that a young woman agrees to live with her grandmother. You don’t mind?” His curiosity amused her.
“The arrangement suits us both. Nonna pays for all the expenses but she’s very good about not stepping on my toes. To do my share, I help around the place and keep an eye on her health.” Somehow, he’d managed to shift the conversation to her again. This guy should have been a detective. “Don’t you have parents or grandparents who need you?”
“My grandparents died in Mexico before I was born.” He averted his gaze. “I never knew my father. A no-good who left my mother pregnant and disappeared. She came to the U.S. with a friend. I was born in Texas. To survive she cleaned houses until she got sick. I helped by delivering papers and mowing lawns. She passed when I was sixteen.”
“Oh I’m sorry.” She squeezed his hand feeling bad for the young boy he was at the time. “Who took care of you?”
“Nobody.” His gaze seemed to fix on the past. “The old landlady let me stay in the tiny apartment providing I did her grocery shopping, drove her to the doctors, and fixed things around the house. A scholarship in basketball allowed me to join a community college.”
“How did you manage to be accepted to law school?”
“Good grades. I had no one to rely on.”
“So you’re a self-made man?”
He nodded. “I didn’t have a choice. Like my mother I had to survive on my own.”
His simple words brought a lump to her throat. Admiration and sympathy mingled in her heart. “No wonder you work so hard now.”
“It’s not good to dwell on the past.” He took her hand and stroked her fingers. “Other than tanning on the beach, how do you spend your time?” Did she detect a smidgen of condescension in his tone?
She tilted her chin up. “Swim, gym, Pilates during the day. Twice a week I volunteer at St. Pius church to collect food for the poor. Nothing much. I’ve faced a lot of misery before coming to the U.S. So now I try to enjoy life day by day.”
His eyes sparkled with approval. “You’re right. We don’t appreciate enough what we have.”
“In the fall, I may attend law school.” She didn’t add, “unless I get married soon.” Jonathan had warned her that he liked some fun here or there, but not more. Could she make him change his mind?
“Really?” He arched dubious eyebrows. “Why would you want to become a lawyer?”
Her jaws gritted together. Did he find her lacking the intelligence to handle difficult studies? “I’ve heard of many misjudged cases where the situations were not thoroughly investigated from a psychological point of view. I believe a lawyer has to dig deep to find the motivation or lack of it, not just prove his point beyond a reasonable doubt.” She speared her shrimp with her knife and stabbed it with her fork.
“Interesting.” His eyes glittered with a new respect.
“For example, my grandfather persuaded a corrupt judge to have Lorenzo Raveno thrown in jail for involuntary manslaughter of my older brother. Lorenzo was Rafael’s best buddy. I saw him sobbing at the funeral, accusing himself of causing his friend’s death. People heard him and assumed he was confessing his guilt.” She shivered. The memory of that day had haunted her for months and reduced her appetite even now.
“Why was he accusing himself?”
“Because they were both holding the gun and examining it. Lorenzo thought their heated discussion distracted Rafael who inadvertently pulled the trigger. Still they didn’t know it was loaded. I wish Dante could go to Palermo and plead for Lorenzo’s release.”
“Fat chance. Dante is too busy here.”
Isabella twitched her mouth. Someone had to free Lorenzo. If Dante couldn’t do it, maybe she should try.