26. Hearts and Stones
26
Hearts and Stones
Antonio
By the time we make it to France, I’m starting to feel slightly bad about how I left things with Lilith. Not bad enough to reach out to her but bad enough to acknowledge that we’ve had our first fight, and at some point, she’ll have to apologize.
I chuckle at the very idea that she might apologize, and Agatha hits me on the arm. “What the fuck are you laughing at?”
I force myself to stop laughing and wave her off. “It’s nothing. Just delirious from lack of sleep.”
“I told you to take a nap.”
“Not all of us are blessed with the ability to sleep anytime, anywhere.”
“Surely a man of your extended years should have mastered the art of sleep by now.”
Scowling, I retort, “Take it back.”
Agatha just smirks. “Never.”
I stare at her for a long moment, briefly wondering if she’ll crack, and then quickly come to my senses. Agatha Moretti never cracks.
“I did doze off a bit,” I respond. “Should be in tip-top shape to see dear old Dad.”
“What did Dmitri say about your dad that has you racing halfway around the world to tend to him?”
“Just that he has spent my entire life working against me.”
“And this is news to you?”
I give her an annoyed look, then retort, “Of course not. But learning that he most likely played a hand in hurting Antoinette is going too far. I should’ve killed him years ago, but at least now, no one will miss him or care.”
“That makes perfect sense to me,” she replies with a blinding smile, then obviously done with the conversation, turns her attention out the window and mutters, “What is taking so long?”
“There’s often a queue this time of day.”
“You didn’t think to jump the queue?”
I laugh, sitting back in my chair. “The whole point was not to draw attention to myself.”
Glancing at me, she replies, “I suppose that makes sense. No point in taking out a billboard that you’re coming to kill someone.”
“Exactly,” I reply, not at all concerned about hurrying any of this along. “I’ve waited my entire life to finish this. I don’t want to rush it.”
“You gonna drag it out a bit?”
“You know, that’s not typically my style, but in this particular case, I am considering it.”
“It’s a mistake,” she responds shortly.
I frown and tilt my head at her in confusion. “Why do you say that?”
“Unless you require specific information from a person,” she explains, “they should be dead before the ink is dry on the death warrant. The longer it takes, the more opportunity they have to get out of it. Or worse, turn the tables on you.”
I want to argue with her, but she’s not wrong. “This is a special case.”
“Personal cases are the most likely to go wrong.”
Again, she’s not wrong. Sighing, I shrug. “Regardless, I’m going to go in there and beat my father to death with my bare hands.”
“I was going to stay back and wait for Lilith and Antoinette, but perhaps I should go with you.”
“I’m not entirely comfortable leaving you here alone, but there’s no need for you to come with me. I can fend for myself.”
Agatha snorts, raises her brows, then mutters, “I’ve heard that before.”
“I’m starting to see why you’re single.”
“Says the man who spent decades pining over a woman yet was too chicken shit to do anything about it.”
“Ouch,” I respond, my hand pressing over my heart. “Direct hit.”
The look she gives me isn’t even remotely apologetic. It’s smug and a touch condescending. “Luckily, that’s all in the past. You’re welcome.”
Now, I roll my eyes. “Oh, I should thank you now?”
“Absolutely, yes.”
“Why is that?”
“Because without my constant interference and goading, you’d still be sitting in a corner sipping on your own tears.”
“Sipping on my—”
“Oh, yes,” she interrupts, laughing. “Wallowing with your poetic trauma nonsense. As if the past gives a shit.”
I gape at her. It’s a well-known fact that Agatha handles trauma and stress differently than most, but she’s not usually so openly judgmental of how others manage their demons. “Are you in a mood or something?”
She starts to respond, most likely quite saltily, but then she stops and frowns. Glancing around the plane, she turns her attention out the window, obviously uncertain about what she wants to say. “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”
Genuinely surprised by her question, I ask, “What do you mean?”
“You know,” she says slowly, her hand hanging in the air between us. “I don’t wallow or spend my time longing after my long-lost soulmate.”
“I wouldn’t say there’s anything wrong with that.”
“Really?”
“There are no rules on how you choose to live your life, Aggie. Or with whom.”
“But I don’t need people, Antonio,” she states with a worried frown. “Even my family. I mean, I love my family, and I want them around, but I don’t need them.” She looks around, making a disgusted face before continuing, “It’s even worse with romantic relationships. Most of the time, I don’t want them around for any longer than it takes for a good time. And even then, they’re on the fuckin’ clock ‘cause I got tools if it comes down to it.”
I laugh, not entirely sure how she still has the power to surprise me with her word choices. “I guess you’re lucky they make a wide variety of tools now. Endless options without having to commit to just one thing.”
She smiles, then laughs. “Variety is the spice of life, right?”
“Not so sure that’s what they meant when they first coined that expression, but sure,” I reply slowly, slightly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation has taken. “That totally works.”
Sighing, she nudges me with her elbow. “I’m happy things have turned around for you.”
“Me, too,” I say with a small smile. “Assuming I haven’t completely fucked it up already.”
Agatha waves her hand at me. “Oh, it’ll be fine. The last person to throw stones would be Lilith Ferro.”
“But she has such great aim.”
The plane comes to a stop, and the flight attendant moves to the door, waiting for the all-clear to open it. Agatha and I both stand, disposing of our garbage and then waiting by the door to exit.
I catch Agatha’s gaze, motioning around the plane. “This is on stand-by indefinitely, so if at any point things go to shit, just head back here.”
“If you’re sure you don’t require assistance, I think I’ll wait here and see what plans Lilith and Antoinette have made.”
“That’s a great idea,” I reply. “Then you can let me know what’s going on.”
She nods, and I walk toward the exit door, only to be stopped by Agatha’s voice behind me as she says, “Antonio?” I stop and turn back toward her with raised brows, so she adds, “Promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“Don’t fuck around too much.”
Smiling, I nod, knowing exactly what she means.
Then I turn and walk out the door.