27. It’s all mine now, and yet…
27
IT’S ALL MINE NOW, AND YET…
SEVERIO
I feel good about the mission tonight. I haven’t gone on a mission in a while, and this one will not only give me closure with my uncle, but also grant me distance from the mess I’ve created by getting involved with Cristina. Being with her feels like going down one of those water slides. It’s really fun until you’re spinning out of control without a way to stop.
Before I claimed her the night she wore her wedding dress, everything in my life seemed far less complicated. Now I’m reading a financial report and thinking about how her hair looks when she curls it. I’m exercising and thinking about burning calories on top of her. I have stupid urges to spend every waking moment with her. It’s annoying, and I need it to stop.
Wearing pilot uniforms, Drago and I stroll our carry-ons toward the door. He stops, but I continue toward the office. I find the hotel deed on the desk.
The deed I couldn’t give her.
If anyone, such as her father, finds out I’ve got a soft spot for Cristina, he’ll try to use her against me. Claiming a woman in the Order and punishing her “husband” that way is one thing. Taking a lover is another. It won’t be the first time the families have tried to arrange the death of a Mancini man by using a woman against him.
I fold the deed and put it in the pocket of my uniform.
Drago opens the front door and rolls out the carry-on beside him. I join him and don’t look back, for if I see her, I might stay.