Epilogue 2 - Verity
Conal set me down slowly, all three of the guys silently watching as I stared at the woman who’d haunted me for years.
I could barely remember the day Kyril, Dario, and Declan’s men rescued Thea and I from Francesco’s estate. I’d buried most of my childhood memories, locked them away in a sealed box deep inside my head. It wasn’t until I began having counseling that I felt strong enough to face them.
Mrs. Gia had been the only loving, functional adult in my life during my childhood. None of the other household staff paid me any attention other than to ensure I had food and other essentials. They were all too afraid of my father’s wrath to help me.
Poor Mrs. Gia had always been terrified of him, but she stood up for me when she could, by pestering my father for educational materials like books, pencils, and paper. And she never once treated me as a burden.
Over the years, I’d asked Thea about Mrs. Gia, specifically what became of her, but Milo could not find her. The older I got, the more I believed she’d died at my father’s hands.
We both knew Francesco would have lashed out in anger when faced with the loss of his two most valuable assets: his daughters.
I never expected to see Mrs. Gia again. I assumed Papa had executed her, along with the men and household staff deemed responsible for security failings on that fateful day, but here she was standing a few feet from me.
Older, grayer, her back a little stooped these days, but still smiling.
“Is it really you?” Was this a dream? Maybe I’d wake up any minute now and find myself on the plane, half-way back to Ireland.
“Yes, cara, it’s me.” She opened her arms and after a moment’s hesitation, I let her pull me in for a hug.
She still smelled of violets and roses, her favorite scent. Back then, I’d barely reached her chest. Now, she barely reached my chin.
“I thought…” A sob broke free as I choked on the words.
“Let’s go inside, cara.”
Even though I was all grown up with three hulking, over-protective husbands and a baby on the way, I let my childhood surrogate mother lead me up a paved path and through a blue-painted door surrounded by fragrant flowers.
The guys arranged themselves over a wooden bench and two small, overstuffed armchairs while Mrs. Gia directed I sit down on a sofa by the window. Outside, the sea sparkled in the sun, small waves lapping the rocky shore.
There were no other houses in sight. The nearest village was two miles away, down a steep, winding road.
How had she escaped my father’s rampage?
“Let me make you all some refreshments and then we can talk.” Mrs. Gia patted my hand with a smile, her eyes bright with tears.
“Can I use the bathroom, please?” A drink would finish me if I didn’t take care of business first.
“Of course, cara. It’s the first door on the left.”
“Need me to come with you?” Ronan whispered, pulling me into his side as I shuffled past him. In such a small room, and with three men plus me, there wasn’t a lot of room to move around.
“No!” I flushed, knowing Mrs. Gia would have heard him. God knows what she must think of me showing up pregnant and with three dangerous-looking guys in tow. It was hardly the reunion I’d dreamed of as a teenager.
“Ash is outside, keeping an eye on things. She’ll be fine,” Declan reminded him.
Closing the bathroom door gave me some respite. I needed a hot minute to process the shock of seeing Mrs. Gia again. It hadn’t been on my bingo card for today. Or ever.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror while wondering what she’d think of me now. The last time she’d seen me, I’d been a child. It had to be as jarring for her as it was for me.
The Mrs. Gia I remembered always wore smart white blouses, black skirts, and kept her dark hair pinned back in a tight chignon. She’d said it was her uniform. Today, she wore a loose smock and her now-gray hair hung in a braid down her back.
What had she been doing all these years?
I had so many questions.
Knowing she was probably waiting for me to reappear, I quickly washed my hands and hurried back to the living room. A tray of cold drinks and some pastries awaited. My stomach immediately growled in appreciation.
“Eat, drink, and then we talk.” I almost smiled at her non-nonsense tone. It was the same quiet, authoritative voice she’d used when I was a cranky child.
We quickly polished off the pastries and then the guys stood.
“We’ll go outside and leave you to talk for a while. Call us if you need anything, princess.” Declan kissed me and then dragged the other two out. I could tell Ronan wasn’t happy about abandoning me, but Conal shoved him outside anyway while muttering something about co-dependency.
Once the door closed and silence fell once again, I turned to Mrs. Gia.
“I dreamed about you for years.” I admitted, swallowing hard. “I always thought he’d killed you as punishment for losing me and Thea.”
She reached out and took hold of my hand, her skin warm beneath my fingers.
“The fires caused chaos that afternoon. His man, Torrance, took you away.” Her lip curled at the memory of my father’s hated enforcer, and I wondered if she knew he was dead, but decided not to interrupt.
“I hid under a chair while Francesco screamed at his men. The smoke had got worse and I knew I needed to leave, so when his back was turned, I took my chance and ran. He was too busy trying to get to the bottom of who’d attacked the house to care about me.
I ran into the garden, following some of the other staff.
There was no sign of you or your sister.
Everything was chaotic, and then I saw you girls being bundled into a van.
I recognized Dario and knew those men who came weren’t the bad ones.
I could tell from the way they took care of you both, so I left. ”
“It was Dario and Kyril who rescued us, along with Declan’s men.” I pointed toward the door. “Declan is my husband now. He’s Irish mafia.” I blushed at the admission I’d married another mobster. Mrs. Gia must have thought I was so stupid for not getting out of the life.
“Which one is Declan?” She winked at me.
“Erm, the one in the black suit.”
“And the other two?”
“Um, they’re my husbands, too. It’s, um, complicated.” I hadn’t planned for this. How embarrassing. Thea wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass what Mrs. Gia thought but I cared. I didn’t want her to think I’d turned into a massive slut.
“Cara, I can see how much they all love you.” She patted my knee and smiled. “And they’re all very handsome, so that’s a bonus.” My blush deepened, and I nearly choked on my lemonade. Kill me now.
“So, what happened after you left the estate?” I blurted, wanting to get off the topic of my three husbands before she came up with any more embarrassing questions, such as which one of them had fathered our baby (no idea).
“None of the guards followed those of us who left via the back service road. By the time Francesco’s men began combing the estate for stragglers, I’d walked into the nearest village.
I knew he’d come after me if I didn’t get away.
He’d have wanted to use me as leverage against you girls.
So I asked Pietro the butcher for help. He and I had had a thing a few years previously and were still close. ”
“Pietro?” I recalled a large, jolly man who used to deliver meat to the house once a week. He’d sometimes come up to the attic with a tray of sliced ham and pastrami, telling me it was a special treat. Now I knew why.
This time, it was Mrs. Gia’s turn to blush.
Then she sighed. “He wanted to run away with me, but I knew it would be easier for me to disappear if I left on my own. He wasn’t happy but he gave me some money and smuggled me out in one of his vans.
We crossed to the mainland that evening and the following morning, I took a bus from Naples up the coast.”
“Papa must have looked for you.” We both knew Francesco hated to lose. He’d have been furious once he realized she’d gone.
“He did,” she confirmed. “His men questioned everyone but nobody said anything. Then the DIA came and arrested him, and that was that. Most of your father’s men disappeared not long after. A few hung around, hoping for his return, but that never happened.”
“He escaped two years ago, but the authorities caught him again.” I didn’t elaborate, but she looked concerned.
“Did he find you, cara?”
I nodded. “I was in Sicily at the time, but it turned out fine. The guys rescued me. He won’t get out again.”
She scowled. “Good. That man deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life after the things he’s done.” The edge in her voice told me she’d experienced more than I knew.
She asked me about Thea, and I filled her in, then she told me about her life since leaving Sicily.
She and Pietro had eventually reconnected.
He’d moved here, to this remote little house, but their relationship had ended amicably three years previously.
She was now alone, but more than happy with her life.
She taught at the small school in the local village and played cards with her friends every week. After years of taking care of me, now she only had herself to worry about.
I was happy for her.
By the time we’d covered all our news, I’d cried so many tears that I felt utterly drained, but I was thankful for the gift of knowing she’d survived my father. Unlike the many other poor souls who’d suffered at his hand.
“Thank you for making my childhood less awful,” I told her through my tears as we hugged on her doorstep.
“You were the sweetest child, Verity. It was a privilege and a joy to raise you, and I’m so proud of the beautiful, brave woman you’ve grown into.” She kissed me on both cheeks and stepped back. “I look forward to meeting your little one when she arrives.”
“Maybe you can come and be our nanny,” I joked, while also not joking. I wasn’t confident my mothering skills would be up to scratch.
“I’d love to visit you all, but my life is here now. And besides, you’ll be a wonderful mother.” She hugged me again while we both cried some more.
“Yes, she will,” Conal agreed with a smile, tucking me into his side, which prompted Ronan to grab my hand because he hated being left out.
“You’d be welcome anytime, Amelie,” Declan said smoothly. “I’ll be in touch.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. How long had he known she was alive? He and I were having a chat the minute we left. Then it occurred to me I’d never known Mrs. Gia’s actual name. In my head, she’d always been Mrs. Gia.
Amelie suited her.
We said our final goodbyes as the sun sank into the sea. The sound of cicadas followed us down the path toward the car, where a hot and bothered Ash stood waiting.
“Took you long enough,” he grumbled. “I have heatstroke.”
“Really?” Conal scoffed. “I saw you talking to a blonde chick earlier. You didn’t look like you were dying then.”
“She was an Estonian backpacker staying in the village.” Connor shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant.
I wasn’t fooled, though. The gleam in his eyes gave him away.
Declan might have brought him along for additional security, but this Irish ruffian wasn’t about to miss out on a prime flirting opportunity.
“The young lady was out for a hike. There was nothing else going on, so I took the time to exchange pleasantries.” And saliva, knowing him.
Declan gave Connor some side-eye while muttering something about taking his eye off the ball since he wasn’t supposed to get distracted while on duty, but honestly, my husband needed to stop being so fucking paranoid.
I tapped my foot impatiently. “Can we go get food, please? This baby is hungry.”
My stomach growled again before I yawned. It had been a long, emotional day, and I was ready for food, a soak in the tub, and the back rub one of my husbands had promised me.
“Please tell me we’re not flying home tonight. I can’t face another long drive,” I whined.
“No, princess, I’ve booked us a night in the Hotel Cipriani again.”
“And that’s why you’re my favorite husband,” I winked before wrapping my arms around Declan’s waist.
The other two grumbled loudly, but I ignored their bitching. There was still time for them to earn my favor and a spot beside me in bed later.
Back rubs and delicious food would definitely do the trick.