Embers: The Light in Your Shadow

Two

Cesare's POV:

Ever since the De Luca brothers stepped foot in North America there's been a stirring in their spirits. The oldest brother, Cesare, couldn't explain why he felt such an anticipation within his heart. The only thing he was happy about was getting these deals for their business. He's been on edge not understanding the shift in the atmosphere.

His ex-fiancée lived in Florida, but that state wasn't a destination for this trip, so he knew he wouldn't run into her. So then, what was plaguing his spirit? As he turned to face his younger brother, he found his eyes already fixated on him. "Perchè mi stai fissando? (Why are you staring me?)"

"Lo senti anche nel tuo spirito, vero? (You feel it in your spirit too, don't you?)" Lorenzo's question stumped Cesare. He wouldn't admit it, but ever since he turned his back on God, his connection to the spiritual world was severely weakened. That's why this sensation within his spirit shocked him. "Tieni gli occhi aperti. Qualcosa sta per succedere mentre siamo qui. (Keep your eyes opened. Something is going to happen while we're here.)"

The brothers got checked into a hotel and had their driver take them to a restaurant. The town was small, but there were a lot of construction sights for new buildings. This impressed Cesare and Lorenzo. It was a lot different from their lavished estate in Rome, Italy, but it was growing.

They've seen plenty of sunsets in their lives, but there was something about this particular town that drew them in. The moment they stepped out of their car, women flocked to them like bees to honey. They reeked of desperation, but the guys didn't want to seem rude. Actually, Cesare had no problem with ignoring them.

He just wanted to eat in peace, but the women wouldn't get out of his space. It was suffocating, to say the least. He was about to tell them off, when the security guard asked them to stop blocking the aisles. Cesare nodded in appreciation and finally got to enjoy his food. As they were finishing up, the women came back.

Lorenzo indulged in conversation with them, but then he stopped in midsentence. His eyes widened slightly before he turned around towards the door. "What are you doing here, Crazy Sadie?" The woman's words spoken in disgust caused Cesare to look at who she was referring to.

When Cesare looked upon the sunkissed beauty, his soul recognized her, even though he had never seen her before then. She bum rushed him in the restaurant, claiming he was in danger. He knew by the seriousness in her eyes that her words were not meant to be taken lightly.

As she was forcefully removed from the restaurant, he had to grip his seat from coming to her aide. He didn't even know her so, why was he displaying these intense protective characteristics? And how did she even know that he was staying at a hotel tonight? He looked at his younger brother Lorenzo Salvatore De Luca, who was observing his body language with curious amusement. "Find out who she is."

"There's no need." The woman, who called the girl out of her name, said standing next to them. He had totally forgotten their female audience when the sunkissed beauty caught his eye. "I can tell you what you want to know." She took a seat next to the handsome pair of brothers and told them her opinion of this 'Crazy Sadie' character.

The other females nodded and agreed, adding in stories of their own. Lorenzo watched as his brother Cesare balled his fists in anger. The women surrounding them were clueless to the rage building up inside of him. He could feel each of their emotions as if they were his own. Sadie and him were very much alike.

Looking into her eyes, Lorenzo could feel the light within her soul. He only felt light like that with God. Cesare used to believe in God, but ever since their sister died, he turned his back on Jesus. He traveled down a dark path, making many enemies in the process. Sadie was his older brother's soulmate, that much was obvious, no matter how much Cesare tried to fight it.

God was trying to get Cesare's attention, before he self-destructed, and by the deep cracks in his dam, it was coming sooner than he would care to admit.

He threw a few bills on the table and rose from his seat, tired from the unwanted company. "Sarò in macchina. (I'll be in the car.)" He didn't wait for his brother's reply, which meant he left him with the task of bidding goodbye to those still at their table.

"Aw, are you guys leaving so soon?" One of the women said, which caused all the women around us to pout.

"Sì, we have an early flight to catch in the morning. Have a good night, ladies." Lorenzo took that as his cue to hurry up and exit the restaurant while he still had the chance. Once he got in the car, he buckled himself in. Turning to his brother, he noticed that he was still in a foul mood. "Adesso dove? (Where to now?)"

"Torneremo al nostro hotel. (We're going back to our hotel.)" Cesare said with full confidence. He didn't know this 'Crazy Sadie,' but he wasn't going to allow her to dictate his actions. Lorenzo didn't trust his brother's judgment this time around. He knew there was some truth to what Sadie had said, like he knew Cesare was being stubborn.