Chapter 1
Chapter One
Dante
Nearly five weeks earlier
I stood on the terrace with my jean clad legs resting against the wall in front of me, and my hands shoved deep into my back pockets. Exhaling, I attempted to release the stress caught in between my shoulders. Yet again I changed my stance, as I tried hard to concentrate on the familiar things around me, like the coping stone pressed into the front of my thighs and the wooden gate that had been recently repainted its vibrant green, banging on its catch as the wind suddenly took hold of it and released it just as quickly. I needed my thoughts focussed on anything other than the frustration I felt at being so impotent.
Looking across Bovalino beach, I stared hard at the expansive, whitewashed villa almost opposite my own family’s home. It had been a difficult few days for me, knowing my sister Serafina was back with him, her husband.
As soon as word had got around my family that Salvatore had collected her at her graduation ceremony and brought her back here, I was once again catapulted into the knowledge that he seemed to pull the strings on every aspect of my family’s lives, and I fucking hated it.
My uncle’s advice was to leave well alone and to stay in London.
It was advice I couldn’t take.
London was the place where I felt the most comfortable, but I wouldn’t go so far as calling it home. My Italian blood would never have allowed it. My home was here in Calabria, like generations after generations before me.
All the time Serafina had been studying in London, I was happy in the knowledge that she was at last living her life. Living her dream.
And I was happy because De Luca no longer had her in his clutches.
Now the pendulum had swung again, and she was back in a marriage she’d been sold into to save our family, and I fucking hated that even more.
I’d even prayed his attraction and fascination with her had waned. Now, I knew it wasn’t the case. Even in the twenty first century, our family lived by the ancient laws of the ‘Ndrangheta, and I was more than happy with that, at least most of the time. But it made me sick to the stomach and produced such a vehement anger inside me, not knowing how much more our family would have to give to the De Lucas to pay for crimes we hadn’t committed.
A soon as I’d learnt he’d taken her back, I’d thrown some clothes into a case and arrived not many hours behind her, giving my parents the excuse that I needed a few days break. I hadn’t a sodding clue what I hoped to achieve by following her, but I knew that although my brother Alessio, who had taken hold of the reins since our papa’s heart attack and subsequent debilitation, was very good at keeping the equilibrium, our family deserved so very much more. One day, I knew I was going to be the one who would help us achieve it.
Suddenly, something changed in the air around me, and movement from the beach caught my eye.
I watched as the large, tattooed man ran far too fast across the unforgiving sand. His bare feet made deep prints beneath him as he overexerted himself in his struggle, and then it hit me just who I was watching.
Salvatore De Luca. The man himself.
Finally, with a sense of pleasure, I observed as he began to sprint the final hundred metres, not satisfied with the punishment he had already handed out to himself.
What’s wrong with you?
I asked myself the question, knowing how much satisfaction it would give me if I could help to extend his self-inflicted penalty.
As he reached the end and stopped, his body shook and sweated with his toil. I could see him struggling to breathe, struggling to keep control and I understood just how much that was bothering him.
My feet began to move on instinct. I’d comprehended that he had been brought to me for a purpose and standing up here and out of his way wasn’t going to fulfil that.
‘FUCK!’ he shouted out, and a smile broke out over my face.
Linking his fingers together, he placed both hands on the top of his head as he attempted to take in the oxygen he badly needed. Then he pulled his hands backwards abruptly and looked up towards the blue sky.
I took the steps below my feet faster, as pleasure at his discomfort and, dare I say it, pain, coursed through me. Then I urged my feet on, knowing I had to make him aware of the fact he had company, and because I wanted to share in his obvious agony.
Turning around on the spot as he stared up to the heavens, he took in several deep lungsful of fresh air, as he appeared to look for answers that just didn’t seem to be coming.
My smile grew just that bit wider. Never had I seen him look so discombobulated, human I supposed, but nowhere near human enough in my eyes.
Suddenly, he stopped turning around and looked directly out to sea. It was then I heard his normally deep voice travel over to me on a whisper.
‘So, maybe the nightmare was a premonition? If I’m not able to love her, she’ll leave.’
As the words he’d spoken sunk in, I congratulated Serafina for causing the bastard anguish and my hands came together on instinct in a slow clap to make him aware that he wasn’t alone in his agony. In his pain, his vulnerability had been exposed, and the facts he was presenting let me know it had been caused by Serafina.
Well done, Sis.
As soon as my clapping found his ears, he changed his stance, but didn’t turn.
‘Well, well… brother-in-law.’ I let the condescending tone tell him all I needed him to know.
‘Dante.’ He spoke my name with disgust.
‘You look troubled,’ I carried on, as my feet met with the sandy beach.
‘I’ve been running,’ he offered as a poor excuse.
‘Shame… I was hoping you were in pain.’
‘Of course, you were,’ he agreed.
‘So, running from something or someone?’
‘And you would care, because?’ He finally allowed himself to turn. I watched on as he scrutinised me from head to toe. For a few minutes, the history of our two families flew around us, with neither of us able to tie them down, nor clear our view. But, as much as I felt the strength of his hatred towards me, a Giordano, I was surprised to momentarily see respect flicker through his eyes.
As quickly as I’d seen it, it was gone and left in its place was the hatred that had been between us for as long as I could remember.
‘It’s a someone,’ he answered and winked as he tried to wind me up. At first, I remained calm, but then as his mouth spread into a knowing grin, I remembered that Serafina was his wife. A ‘Ndrangheta wife, his possession to do what he wanted with, wherever and whenever he chose. Bile rose far enough up my throat I could taste its acidic tang and feel its burn.
‘I hope she’s giving you hell,’ I spat out in reaction to his amusement.
‘Only in bed, brother,’ he goaded. ‘Only in bed… But then, that’s how she likes it.’
‘You’re disgusting.’ I shook my head from side to side, as I attempted to clear the disgusting images of my sister being fucked hard by the animal in front of me.
‘Again…’ he grinned, enjoying my discomfort at the way he’d managed to turn the tables. ‘What goes on between a man and wife is no one else’s affair.’
‘Why did you make her come back?’ I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest.
‘I owe you no explanation.’ He shook his head. ‘But just because you’re Serafina’s brother and are standing here, asking me so nicely, I’ll answer you. I didn’t make her come back… She came back of her own accord.’
‘She was free of here, of you. Why the fuck would I believe that?’
‘And the fact you don’t believe that, would bother me because?’ He took a step nearer to where I was standing and I stood taller on instinct, while holding my ground.
For a few seconds, the sounds of the beach I loved so much fell away, I could no longer feel the warmth of the sun on my face, hear the birds, nor smell the salt. All that was left was the hate we had for each other circulating between us.
‘It wouldn’t bother you,’ I answered and shrugged. ‘I hate the fact my sister, who has so much to offer, only has you to devote it to. She has so much to give than just this,’ I released and opened my arms out wide.
Something I’d said had filtered through, as Salvatore broke eye contact and looked down to his feet, at the pink shells my sisters had collected as young girls. I had never seen the man look uncomfortable before. It could have even been said he looked almost guilty.
‘I hear you, Dante.’ He lifted his gaze back to mine and I couldn’t help the expression of surprise that took hold of my features, ‘But if this conversation is ever brought up again, I’ll deny it.’
All I could do was to nod that I’d heard him.
‘She came back because she wants to be with me, and I will do whatever it takes to keep the sister you and…’ He paused for a second, as he fought to hold back what he wanted to say. ‘I will keep her safe and most of all I will make sure she’s happy.’
Realisation hit me.
‘Well, fuck… you care for her.’
‘I will protect her with everything I have and am, and you, Giordano, can ask no more.’ He deliberately used my name to put us once again on the footing we were supposed to be on.
‘You’re right, De Luca, I can’t.’ I shook my head, ‘I will say one more thing, though. If you ever put my sister at risk or threaten my family in any way, I will hit you where it hurts.’
Loud laughter escaped him. I turned around abruptly, leaving him in my wake and made my way back up the cliff side to my family home.
‘Yeah?’ he called out. ‘And just how would you do that?’
Refusing to answer, I kept my feet moving without glancing in his direction.
I’ll think of something, De Luca.
And it will be one day when you least expect it.