33
I didn”t do it
Nothing and no one could stop me. I was furious as I stormed through the doors of the golf club restaurant, clutching my son”s hand. Adriano kept protesting because, according to him, his stepmother had ruined the best day of his life.
My son wasn”t happy about leaving the circuit, no matter how much I told him I”d make up for his sadness.
As soon as Aleksa gave me the news, I nearly had a heart attack. I cursed myself for arguing with her and letting her go as if it were nothing. We weren”t normal people; we had plenty of enemies, and I had simply called my men instead of protecting my wife myself.
I couldn”t lose her. Yuri would be turning in his grave, and rightfully so.
I called my men in a rage. I couldn”t understand how they hadn”t informed me. As soon as they answered and I threw two questions at them, I realized they had no idea what I was talking about. They were profusely apologetic. On their way out of the estate, their car had gotten a flat tire, and they had stopped to change it. It hadn”t occurred to them to notify anyone because, after all, the car had a tracker, and they knew its location at all times.
I ranted like a madman and told them I would kick their asses to the ends of the Earth.
I put my son on the Harley and activated the Bugatti”s tracker. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the location. My wife hadn”t chosen a bad place to take refuge.
My heart was pounding in my throat as I entered the garden area.
There she was, with her back to me, as splendid as ever, gesturing while my father and one of his friends looked at her entranced.
I knew Davencroft; I used to play golf with my father. His wife was uptight, and he loved going out with his lawyer buddies. If he hadn”t divorced her, it was because it wouldn”t look good, and because Sandra, the fool, didn”t care who her husband slept with as long as he was faithful in public. For her, the important thing was to maintain the lifestyle he had accustomed her to. Davencroft couldn”t take his eyes off my wife”s thighs, who wore her skirt dangerously high. I felt the urge to punch him right then and there.
I reached the table, grabbed my wife by the shoulders. She startled, turning to grab my neck as if she were going to choke me, and I took advantage of her surprise, parting her lips to kiss her, both to give her back some air and to send the lawyer packing. Yes, I know we were at odds, but the relief of seeing that she was still alive and the desire to put the lawyer in his place overcame me.
There was a disgusted ”eww” in the background, and my father cheered the warm greeting. Nikita didn”t respond, leaving her tongue slack, seeming like an iceberg someone was trying to melt with a lighter without realizing it was the size of a glacier. Aleksa made it very clear to me that my little wife still thought very highly of me and my intentions towards her.
I pulled away from Nikita, pressing my lips against her forehead. She remained silent and wary.
”Ciao, amore,” I used the affectionate term that irritated her so much. ”I”m glad to see you and that you”re in such good company,” I said, looking at my father and Davencroft, who shifted uncomfortably. I didn”t want to reveal what had happened in front of Adriano or the lawyer. Plus, I needed to talk to my wife to understand what had happened.
”Son! What a joy to see you! Your father-son day didn”t last long, did it? Nikita has already told me you went to the circuit.”
”I missed my wife too much, so we decided to come,” I said. There was a snort from my son, who was clearly annoyed. ”May I?” I asked, taking the seat in front of her.
”Of course!” my father granted. ”Davencroft and I were just heading to the course.” My father shifted the focus to Adriano, who had positioned himself behind his chair.
”And you, bambino, did you have fun with your father?”
”He ruined our plans. He always ruins them because of her,” he complained, pointing blatantly at Nikita.
”Well, you have to understand, it”s normal. Your father wants to be with your new mother.”
” She”s not my mother! She”s a witch who bites and has rabies! I don”t know why you all insist that I like her. Well, I don”t, and I won”t!” My son kicked the chair and ran off to the bushes.
”Kids,” my father sighed, downplaying it. ”He”ll get over it, bella, be patient,” he concluded, patting Nikita”s hand, who could be mistaken for an iceberg. ”Enjoy the club. Tonight, I expect you in the Suite Club for dinner. Don Giuliano is arriving from Calabria this afternoon, with Nonna and Salvatore. We”re going to have a party in their honor, starting at nine, I want you there.”
”I don”t know if I”ll be able to make it; I have urgent matters to attend to,” my wife commented. My father”s facial expression changed.
”Tonight?” She nodded. ”Then you”ll attend to them before or after,” his tone didn”t allow for argument. ”Nine o”clock sharp, Romeo. It”s a gala dinner, dress accordingly,” he informed, getting up.
He kissed my wife, then me, and passed by Adriano to crouch down and talk to him. Davencroft simply shook my hand and kissed Nikita”s hand under my watchful gaze; then, he left.
As soon as he was gone, my wife leaned in on the table, those green fields fixed on me.
”What are you doing here?” she questioned through gritted teeth.
”Aleksa called me and told me what happened. Are you okay?”
”What do you think? You don”t see any ghosts, I”m alive and kicking, much to your chagrin.”
”I don”t begrudge you being alive. I wasn”t the one who shot you.”
”Maybe you didn”t pull the trigger, but you gave the order.”
”I”m telling you, I didn”t.”
”You”re too used to lying, but you know what? Only you knew I was in that damn car,” she spat annoyed.
”And as smart as you are, you haven”t considered that maybe the shots weren”t meant for you, but for me.” My response caught her off guard. I knew it as soon as I saw her lower lip quiver. ”You hadn”t thought about that, huh?” She fell silent for a few seconds.
”Swear on your son”s life that you had nothing to do with it.”
”I swear it,” I said without hesitation. ”If my word means anything to you.” She punched the table, making the glasses tremble. Some of the diners turned their faces to see what had happened.
”Your father. It was him.”
”I haven”t spoken to him this morning. If he”s here, it”s by chance. I only made a call to my men. I wanted them to follow you for safety.” I wasn”t going to tell her it was to see what she was up to. She snapped her fingers.
”Then it was them. They thought they were doing you a favor by getting rid of me.”
”No, Nikita, no. My men weren”t involved either; they got a flat tire right after leaving the estate and arrived at the club forty minutes after you.”
She narrowed her eyes, doubting, and it was good that she did. At least, she wasn”t blaming just me anymore.
”Are you telling me those bullets weren”t meant for me, but for you?”
”That”s the conclusion I”ve come to because, as I said, nobody, except my men, knew you were riding in the Bugatti.”
”What if one of them mentioned it to someone or is trying to screw you over for something?”
”How did they end up behind you then? Teleporting? It”s impossible.”
”What about your whore?”
”Irene?! Are you crazy? She doesn”t have a clue how to shoot a gun; she”s terrified.”
”As far as you know. Maybe she was waiting for you, saw
me, and went after me to make you a widower.”
”She has no reason to kill you.”
”Why? Because she can screw you whenever she wants?”
”I didn”t say that. If you knew her, you”d understand; she”s incapable. Not all women are as bloodthirsty as you.” She picked up a knife and stabbed it into the crust of the bread.
”Of course not, she”s a damn angel fallen from the sky. Look, Capulet, women tend to be very proper until you marry someone else, and then homicidal instincts awaken in them.”
”I remind you that you were the one who took her to the hospital. Besides, she knew what was going on and never gave me a single problem.”
”Why would she? As soon as life gave her lemons, she made herself a vodka and decided to play Russian roulette with me.” Nikita had gone into a loop, and I needed to get her out of her misconception.
”What did the car that was chasing you look like?”
”I only saw that it was black; the sun was in my eyes.”
”Then you can rule her out. Irene”s car is a pink Mini.”
”Pink? Yes, I knew that... Her vehicle doesn”t exempt her from suspicion; she could have rented it.” I sighed, feeling overwhelmed. My ex-lover didn”t have the guts to do something so reckless.
Nikita measured other women by her own yardstick and didn”t realize she was exceptional.
”I”ll request the exterior footage from the estate, maybe we”ll get lucky and find out who”s behind all this.”
Her red nails drummed on the table. Although she was tough, there was a certain anguish in her. I didn”t like that she was feeling this way, even though it annoyed me that she always had me in her crosshairs.
”Let”s go for a swim and clear our heads; they have a beautiful pool back there,” I suggested. She looked at me incredulously.
”Swim? Now?”
”Yes, some relaxation will do us both good, and I also need to find something to calm Adriano down. Remember, I ruined his plans. If we go swimming with him, he”ll feel better. He loves the water.”
”The problem is, I don”t have a bikini, and if I swim naked, they”ll throw me out for public indecency.”
”That”s nothing to worry about. The club has a shop. We”ll grab what we need for everyone, and once we”re settled on the sun loungers, we”ll make the necessary calls. I”ll ask the security service of the estate to send us the footage, and we”ll watch it together. I don”t want you accusing me of tampering with it.” She remained wary, but she agreed.
”All right, let”s go to the pool.”
*****
Half an hour later, we emerged from the changing room, and my jaw dropped when I saw her.
”Is that a bikini or a coaster? My Nonna makes crochet coasters that look just like those triangles you”re wearing.”
She smiled because she knew she looked spectacular. The design revealed more than it hid; it was bold and unique, just like Nikita.
”Judging by the way you”re looking at me, I”d say both, because you look like you want to take me to the table and start drinking.”
Adriano was already splashing in the water. As soon as we stepped out of the changing room, he started running with his goggles on and the ball I had bought him in his hands.
I approached her and lightly caressed her hip. I whispered in her ear, ”You have no idea what I would do to you right now.” I brushed my beard against her neck, and her skin tingled.
”I”d rather not know if it has anything to do with the shark fin pressing against your swimsuit.”
My wife took a couple of steps without waiting for me, and I was captivated by those partially exposed buttocks swaying with each step. I crossed myself, looked up at the sky, and prayed to God. I begged for the poor mortals who would see that daughter of hell and wish for a heart attack, so their souls would depart with her.