"What do you mean they're gone? What car accident?" Lydia threw up her hands.
"Francesco asked us to go after them. To make sure they were safe. We had a puncture on the road and when we continued by the road they went, we found a car. Upside down. No one was around and there was a lot of blood. " Cass said.
"This can't be happening." Lydia sat up and folded her head.
"I'll take some guys and go search the area. Samuel, try to find something on the cameras." Cass gave orders.
He and not me. Because I can't. I can't say a word.
They are gone. Leonardo and Amira. They're gone and I don't know where. I don't have the slightest clue where they can be.
If only I went with them. I should have gone with them.
If I wasn't so fucking stupid and didn't mess up this morning, everything would be different. I asked her to marry me. What was I even thinking?
With my head in my hands, I tried to find just one idea to find them, but nothing. I have nothing.
I can't think right now. How could it? The woman I love is gone and I don't know where. I have no way to protect her.
"Francesco." I heard Lydia and looked up at her.
I didn't realize I was crying until she wiped my tears away. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me.
It took every bit of strength to keep me from falling completely apart here and now.
"They know how to take care of themselves." She whispered.
But her words did not reassure me.
"Amira." I heard Samuel's voice and pulled away from Lydia.
I shifted my gaze to a person, standing in the doorway. Her face and hands were covered in blood, and tears were running down her cheeks. Her expression was blank. A body without a soul.
"Amira." I ran to her and took her in my arms. I hugged her tightly while she was just standing there.
"Amira, where's Leo?" I heard Lydia behind me. I pulled away from her. "Amira?"
"I-I ..." Tears welled in her eyes and she shook her head.
"No." I heard Lydia. "No, no, no." She covered her mouth with her hands.
No. Not him.
"I'm so sorry." Tears ran down her cheeks. "I-I tried to save him, but ... I'm... him ... I..."
Before I got to her and hugged her, Lydia overtook me. She hugged her and began to cry on her shoulder, whispering something to her.
They both just lost someone who had a big impact on their lives. Hell, he changed my life too.
A week later ...
"I know you hate the question right now, but are you okay?" I took Lydia's hands in mine.
"I don't think the reality has come to me yet." I saw that she was on the verge of collapse, but she tried to be strong. For her kids. "Thank you for going out there and saying all those beautiful words." She smiled. "It really meant a lot."
A few minutes ago, I was standing in front of a small wooden altar, talking about what Leo was like. It was hard to hold back the tears, but I had Francesco next to me. He held my hand the whole time.
"Of course." I gave her a sincere smile.
"I'll go back to the villa and take Em, we'll go to my mother for a while. I'll just ..." She exhaled hard.
"I get it." I reassured her. "Take Cassian and Samuel with you. Take care of yourself, Lydia."
"You take care of yourself." She hugged me. "And Francesco." She whispered.
"Don't worry." I pulled away. "We'll come visit you."
"I hope so." She hugged me one last time before she walked past me in the car and left.
I walked slowly back to Leo's grave, which was covered with flowers.
"You hated flowers." I laughed, holding back tears. "I will miss you." I quickly wiped away my tears and took a deep breath. "I hate you." I smiled sadly.
I swear I could hear him say "I love you too".
After a while I felt someone look at me as I turned around, I found Francesco standing under a tree with his hands in pockets. I walked over to him.
"Hi." I stopped just in front of him.
"Hey."
He and I haven't talked for a long time. There was no time. But we were still together. He was by my side and Lydia's all the time.
"I ..." I began, but our voices interrupted us.
"Am I interrupting?" It was a familiar female voice.
"Eris." Her name slipped out of my mouth.
"I'm sorry I didn't make it in time for the funeral. I tried, but ..."
"I'm glad that you are here." I gave her a small smile.
"I know I didn't know him, but he was definitely a good guy."
"He was." Francesco said. "One of the best."
"I'm really sorry." She said honestly.
"Thank you for coming."
"Of course."
"I guess you're not here to stay, are you?"
"I still have some work to do. And then...I don't even know." She exhaled hard.
"I still stand by my words. If you need anything, you can turn to us."
"I think I'll stay in New York for a while."
"One of my friends lives there. He and his brothers. If you want to..." Francesco started but Eris interrupted him.
"More people from the mob? No way." She laughed. "You're all a little crazy."
"Nice to say that about someone, really." Francesco sounded slightly touched.
"Come on, Franci." She punched him in the shoulder. "But I appreciate your offer. I already know someone there, so I'll stay with her for a while."
"Take care Eris."
"You two as well." She smiled and began to walk away from the cemetery.
Why do I feel she will have more problems than usual?
"You wanted to say something." Francesco drew my attention to him.
"Oh, yes." I turned to him. "I wanted to give you this." I reached for his hand and placed the necklace in his palm.
His gaze dropped to the necklace. "You're leaving." He said as if he was expecting it.
"Yes. There are a lot of places I have to visit before I return." He looked up at me. "I thought you could keep it for me until I got back from my former team. They should know about Leo."
"You're coming back?" He looked at me in surprise.
"Yes." I smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." The look on his face was as if the biggest stone in the world had fallen from his heart.
I walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. I turned and started walking away. I stopped a few feet away.
"And one more thing. If your proposal still applies," I smiled, "my answer is yes. But I don't want a big wedding." I pointed at him. "That's my only condition."
A smile appeared on his face. "I promise nothing."
"I love you, Francesco Moretti."
"And I love you, Amira Devlin."
I never thought I'd ended up like this.
Without Leo, but someone, who'll be there for me.
I feel like I'm starting to live just now. I will live for all the people I have lost. Let them be proud of something.
I will live my life to the fullest. And side by side with Francesco.
I never thought it would be possible for me to love someone again, but he showed me the opposite. It is possible. Fall in love more than once and fall in love even more than before.
The only thing that keeps us from being happy is ourselves.
*****
I must say, this was a journey.
I want to thank all of you for reading this book. It was an amazing experience.
I really appreciate all of you and I hope you enjoyed this book. <3