“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Yes, but I need you here now.”
“What’s happened?”
“Just come home, I’ll explain when you get here.”
“I don’t….”
“Giuliano,” she cries. “Just get here immediately as a matter of urgency.”
The fuck?
“Okay, fine. I’m on my way.” I hang up the call, what the hell is wrong with her? I look up at Alex. “I’ve got to go,” I call.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, my mom’s going batshit crazy about something, needs me home urgently.”
“You think Enrico Ferrara is at your house?”
My eyes widen. “Oh fuck. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Well, why else would she need you home urgently.”
“Shit….” I think for a moment. “True.”
Valentino’s car pulls into the parking lot and finally he gets out.
“Took your time,” Alex spits.
“I’m busy, alright? Stop busting my fucking balls.”
“I’ve got to go. Mom is losing her shit.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Any money Enrico Ferrara is at his house.” Alex smirks, “It was nice knowing you.”
“Are you serious.” Val’s eyes widen as he looks between us. “He’s at your house right now, oh fucking hell, this can’t be good.” Val opens my car door and throws the ball in. “Come on, then.”
“What are you doing?” I frown.
“You don’t think we’re going to let you get your ass kicked alone, do you?”
“And what are you two going to do?”
“Kick some ass…or maybe just die alongside you, I guess.” Alex gets into the front seat and Val gets into the back.
I get into the driver’s seat and look back to them. “You don’t have to come.”
“Yes. We do.”
“If he touches you—” Val punches his fist, “—I’m literally smashing his face in.”
“I’d like to see that.” Alex rolls his eyes.
“If you’re going down, we’re coming with you.” Val slaps me on the back in reassurance. “Don’t worry, bud, we’ve got you.”
I frown. “Thanks…I guess.”
I pull out of the parking lot filled with the knowledge that I have the two best friends in the world. “You know, we’re all going to die, right?” I mutter.
“One hundred percent.”
We pull into the driveway of my house to see a cavalcade of black cars parked inside. There are a group of men in black suits standing around on the porch. I’ve seen them before, they’re Enrico’s guards, the ones I saw at his house the day I was there, they all turn and watch our car pull in and our eyes all widen in horror.
“Fucking hell,” I whisper.
“He brought backup.”
“Of course, he did.”
“Oh crap,” Alex whispers. “It was nice knowing you, boys.”
“What the fuck am I going to say?” I whisper as I turn the car off.
“Make it quick and painless,” Alex whispers.
Val chuckles in the back seat. “Right?” He slaps me on the back. “Hope she was worth it.”
For the first time my mind goes to my Francesca and I smile. “Totally.” With a return of my bravado, I climb out of the car and walk up toward the front door.
The men all dip their heads in a greeting.
What the fuck is this about?
The boys and I exchange looks as we walk into the house.
“Giuliano,” my mother whispers as she pulls me in for a hug, she’s been crying. “Thank God, you’re home.”
I turn to see Lorenzo standing in the hall, his face is solemn.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Lorenzo’s eyes hold mine. “I need to talk to you, son.”
My eyes flick between him and my mother. “What about? Where’s Enrico?”
My mother’s eyes well with tears and she gives a sad shake of her head.
Lorenzo drops his head.
“Has something happened?”
“I need to take you to the office to discuss it.”
Panic runs through me. “Where’s Francesca? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.”
Thank God.
Lorenzo takes my arm. “Let’s go.”
I snatch it out of his grip. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”
They both stare at me.
“Mom?”
“Enrico and his fiancée Olivia have been killed,” she whispers.
“Killed.” My eyes flick between them. “How?”
“They were murdered, the yacht they were on was bombed.”
I turn to see my two friends are wide eyed and as white as a ghost. What the fuck?
“Murdered.”
Francesca.
Oh my God…
“It’s a very dark day for Ferrara,” Lorenzo whispers as he grabs my arm. “We need to go now.”
“Go where?”
“To the office.”
“Why, what does this have to do with me?” I stammer.
My mother breaks into full-blown sobs.
“Your life will never be the same, my boy,” Lorenzo replies.
My eyes widen. “I didn’t do it, I know nothing about his death. I promise,” I splutter.
“He didn’t, I swear,” Alex says. “We wouldn’t even know how to make a bomb.”
“This is the first we heard of it,” Val splutters.
“I know, I know.” He pulls me into a hug and kisses both of my cheeks. “You are safe, we know it had nothing to do with you. But now, there are things we need to discuss.”
I look to my mother for reassurance and she forces a smile. “It’s okay, Giuliano, I promise.”
“We’re coming,” Valentino demands. “We go where he goes.”
I look back to my two loyal friends. “Can they come?” I ask.
“This is a private matter.”
“I tell them everything, we have no secrets,” I snap. “I’m not going without them.”
“Very well.” Lorenzo nods. “As you wish.”
I nod, feeling a little better. My mother pulls me in and hugs me tight, she holds my face in her hands and looks lovingly up at me. “Giuliano, I love you so much,” she whispers.
“I know.”
“Promise me that nothing will ever change between us?”
I frown in confusion, what the hell is she talking about now, why would anything ever change between us?
“We need to go,” Lorenzo urges. He takes my arm and leads me out to the waiting black Mercedes wagon, he opens the back door and the boys and I climb in.
The car pulls out and the cavalcade of cars trail behind us. The boys and I exchange scared looks.
I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but it can’t be good.
Two hours later we have arrived in Milan. We travel to the top floor of the Ferrara building; my mind is a clusterfuck of confusion. We have six men with us, all big and burly and I have no idea what the hell is going on.
Once we arrive at the top floor, we walk through a grand foyer and into a large office reception and waiting area. “You boys wait here,” Lorenzo instructs my two friends.
“But…” Val objects, one of the men pushes him into the chair abruptly and he falls back. “Sit,” he growls.
Alex tentatively sits down too, scared for his life.
Fuck.
I’m led into a large office and the door closes behind us, I turn to see two men. “As you know, I am a longtime friend of your parents and you can trust me.”
I nod.
“This is Andrea and Matteo.”
“Hello.”
Lorenzo exhales heavily. “There are some things that you don’t know, son. You have been protected up until now, but with the passing of Enrico Ferrara, you must be told of your heritage.
I frown.