For the Empire - Inganno

Chapter 36

My Uncle looks at me, worried but nods his head. "Okay, I won't."

His eyes soften as he stares at me for a moment longer. "Can I show you something?" He walks back over behind his desk and bends down to pick up a wide, thick box with a bow on it.

"I wanted to give you your birthday presents. It's late, obviously, but I think you might actually like this one..." He says, giving me a rare wide smile.

I move to sit on one of the couches in his large office as he hands it to me; it's heavy. I look at it, puzzled. "But I thought your gift was just being okay with me going to Paris?"

He chuckles, "As much as I'd like to be in charge of everything you do, Charmaine, you are an adult. You would have gone anyway if I said no, wouldn't you?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

I smile at him. "Yes." Reminding me of the similar conversation I had with my dad about the very same thing.

"Well, go on, open it." He tells me.

I look down and open the box slowly, and inside is another box, only this one is not as thick, but I know what it's holding.

I pull the second box or case rather and lay it on my lap, moving the other package to the side of me. I snap the latches open and see two Glock 19s inside with four magazine clips laid next to them. The guns are sleek and smooth, and I pick one up, and my hand molds perfectly around it as I grip it, like it was made for my hand only.

"Do you like them?" I hear my Uncle ask with hesitation in his voice. I grin ear to ear as I meet his uncertain eyes.

"Yes, I love them! Can I go try them out?" I ask excitedly.

He bellows out a laugh. "Right now?" I nod my head. "Okay, let's head to the gun range."

The other house on the property, where most of my Uncle's men live, has a gun range in the basement; we take one of the property golf carts to get there.

He brings his collection of guns to shoot as well. After he sets everything up, we practice shooting until we run out of ammo we got with us.

"You're a natural, Charmaine." He says while he looks at the target.

"Well, I had the best teacher." I smile, thinking of my sweet dad.

"Yes, you did." He agrees while he hugs me; I wipe at my eyes as we pull apart. I don't know when I will think of him or talk about him without crying. I can't remember when I stopped crying over my mom, it happened so long ago, but I sometimes still cry thinking of her, too.

"I know it's still fresh on your mind and heart, but I think this trip with Annalisa will help you." My Uncle tells me as if he's reading my thoughts. "It will take time, cara. But I'm proud of you, and I know you are trying and making an effort to move forward each day." He says, brushing a strand of my hair back from my face.

"I don't know if I'll see you before I leave tomorrow, but thank you." I turn back to hug him again and tell him I love him.

He kisses my head. "I love you, too, Piccola."

Once I'm back in my room, I start to pack for the weekend trip, and I also text Annalisa telling her the trip is on. She responds by sending several thumbs-up emojis followed by sun, ocean waves, palm trees, bikinis, and an entire row of drinks. I laugh, shaking my head at her response.

She's even more excited when I tell her Joey won't be the one coming since he's visiting family this weekend.

<><><><><>

The next day, as soon as we land, Annalisa calls Vince, letting him know we arrived and we are heading to his condo in downtown San Diego.

However, Vince informs Annalisa we wouldn't be staying in his condo; instead, he had rented a beach house for the weekend. Tobias wasn't too happy about the change in plans but came around by the time we got to the beach house.

Vince gave us a quick tour of the beach house when we arrived; it has a large open living room area, and it's decorated in warm colors, with timber throughout the interior, making the environment cozy and inviting. Each room also has a private bathroom and balcony.

There's also a jacuzzi on the deck and a BBQ hotplate. The patio leads directly to the beach as well.

A smile grows on my face as I enjoy the warmth of the sun hitting my skin and the sand in between my toes. Annalisa hooks her arm in mine. "See, I knew this is what you needed." She says, smiling at me.

Yes, I think she's right; I needed this. I take in the salt air and ambiance of the beach life as I settle in the lounge chair on the deck. Then, I pull out my phone and see JP actually responded to my last text.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited when I see his name on my screen, even if it's still the silly nickname I have him saved under as, but I'm also nervous as to what the message contains.

*Hey Char, sorry I was busy this week. I heard you went on a trip with Annalisa. I'll see you when you get back. Have fun, princess.*

I click the power button to darken my phone and sigh. Yup, things are definitely different now. I stare out into the ocean and watch as the waves roll onto the shore. I guess this is what people warn about; how friendships can get ruined when you bend or blur the lines.

I don't know how I can ever face him again without it being awkward or weird now. I lay back on the chair and look at the wispy clouds in the sky, wondering what he's doing. The ocean waves crashing onto the shore provide a natural white noise that lulls me to sleep. 

After my long nap, Vince takes us to the boardwalk, where we eat dinner at a pub and catch up on what we've been up to since we last saw him.

Vince is careful not to pry too much, I can tell he's nervous about my reaction to talk about my dad, but I try not to show too much how it still affects me. It's still fresh, but I'm grateful for their efforts in helping me move forward.

We spend time walking around after dinner, doing some shopping, and I can't help notice the atmosphere is so different here. I'm used to hustling from one place to another in New York.

But California, on the other hand, has a laid-back attitude going on. I had to stop myself a few times from yelling at people to walk faster, and by the time we get back to the beach house, I'm exhausted; I assumed it's because of the time difference, and I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

<><><><>

"Char! Char! Wake up! You're having a bad dream!" Annalisa shakes me out of my nightmare. 

My eyes open slowly and I see her standing over me. I look around and see Tobias, and Jimmy are also in my room, with concern expressed on their facial features.

My shirt is damp from sweat and my heart is still racing, but the tears start flowing. Annalisa tells the guys to go ahead and go. They walk out quietly and then she walks to one of the dressers and pulls out a clean, dry shirt. 

She helps me switch into the clean shirt and climbs into bed with me and holds my hand as I continue crying. 

"Sh, it's okay. I'm here," Annalisa whispers. "I'm so sorry, Char. I wish I could take the bad dreams and sad feelings away for you." She wipes the tears away. 

Annalisa continues talking to me soothingly, rubbing my head and arm until I drift to sleep.

~~~~~~~

**Love the friendship between Charmaine(Stella) and Annalisa ♡