Genuine and true love is so rare that when you encounter it in any form, it's a wonderful thing, to be utterly cherished in whatever form it takes.
-Gwendoline Christie
Santi Marchesi's POV
I stared outside my floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooking the beach outside where locals and tourists clad in skimpy bikinis enjoying Los Angeles's sun. A light knock sounded on my office door before I heard someone enter my office.
"How's your trip?"
"What do you expect?" I asked sardonically, still looking outside my window and enjoying the view. "What do you think I feel crossing the Atlantic Ocean just to fetch someone and sit on the plane for thirteen hours?"
Nico was silent for a moment and then I heard him exhale a deep breath. "Well, you have no choice. You have to fulfill your mentor's dying request to take good care of his only daughter until she turns twenty-five. The good news is, Haven, is already twenty-one so you'll just have to look after her for four more years and then you're free from your obligation."
As if, that's hardly reassuring for the past nine years I refused to think about that girl since that incident when she visited Sicily with her father. I tasted that worst kind of fear that day when they took her right before my very eyes. Until now, I was still haunted by that nightmare from time to time.
"I don't understand how James' mind works," I grumbled, tucking my hand in each pocket of my handmade Italian trousers. "How could he name me as the legal guardian of his daughter after what happened in the past? It was my fault that his daughter had been kidnapped for three days before we found her."
"You still haven't forgiven yourself about that incident almost a decade ago?" My cousin asked warily. "We all know that it was an accident and our famiglia's enemy had been keeping eyes on us and ready to attack when we let our guard slightly."
I gritted my teeth. That's exactly the point I should have known that our enemies were just waiting for an opening to attack us and I gave them one. Stupid of me. That one mistake almost cost me everything including my father's trust.
I learned my lesson the hard way that fateful day. I swore I would not let our enemies catch me off guard just like that again.
Nico cleared his throat, dragging me out of my reverie. "We can't do anything about that now. Technically, you are now the legal custodian of James' business until his daughter's twenty-fifth birthday."
"What choice do I have?" I asked bitterly. Even if, I am also busy with my organization now this adds to my work.
"I gather some information about Haven Pierce's whereabouts lately," I heard him drop something on my glass table. "I thought you might like to see."
As expected, Nico was an ever-efficient consigliere I could never ask or trust another human being other than him. I reluctantly turned around and face my cousin and right-hand man. I shot a gaze to the folder he placed on my table with great reluctance I opened it and stared at the content. I raised an eyebrow in Nico's direction when I saw a stolen shot of a woman at the top right corner of the file. "Is this her?"
"Yes," he answered in a no-nonsense tone.
Of course, this man would not make any mistake when it comes to detective work. He's one of the best in the business, after all. I stared at the picture once again. She barely resembled the woman I met in my youth. The woman in the photo was a full-grown woman with pastel pink hair. "What's the deal with her unusual hair color?"
My cousin permitted himself to smile slightly. "Nothing, really, she just favors unusual colors for her hair. It changes from time to time depending on her mood."
My mouth twisted slightly at his answer. I have to remember that she's no longer that skinny kid from nine years ago.
"Does she have a boyfriend?"
I didn't know where the hell that question came from. I just blurted it out like an idiot and from the look on Nico's face, he was also clearly wasn't expecting such a question. He blinked before answering me. "Well, from what I gather she doesn't have."
"I see," I said dismissively, avoiding the strange smile on my cousin's face while he was looking at me. I knew I don't like that smile on his face right now.
Nico cleared his throat loudly. "If I may add something before we fetch her, cousin."
"What is it?" I queried while looking at her detailed file.
"I knew that you refused to hear anything as far as Haven is concerned since that incident but there's a high chance that she won't recognize us from her past."
My eyebrows drew together while looking at him. "What do you mean?"
My cousin cleared his throat again and avoided my gaze. "The truth is, she suffer such trauma from that incident that causes her to have selective memory loss. She doesn't remember anything of Sicily or the people she met there."
I wasn't aware that I held the file tightly in my hand. I didn't know how to react to this new information I learned but I think that's for the better if she doesn't recognize me. For her, I was just a stranger who was about to be her legal guardian until her twenty-fifth birthday.
"Should I prepare the car now?" Nico probed.
I shook my head, placing the folder back on my table. "Later. I'm still waiting for my unwanted guests to arrive."
"Guests?" My cousin frowned at me. "You mean, they have something to do with the woman who arrived with you?"
For the first time in forever, I felt myself smiling slightly. "Yes."
"Oh," the shock on his face was palpable. "I thought she was the new flavor of the month that's why I was wondering why she slept in a separate room with you last night. So who are these unwanted guests you are talking about? You mean to sell this woman to them?"
I shook my head again. "No."
"Now I am getting curious."
I waved my hand dismissively in his direction. "It's just the manipulative devil from Rome with his friends probably."
There was a worried look on Nico's face. "You mean to say, Marco Orsini?"
I permitted myself to smile slightly. "Do you know anyone eviler than me other than him? I swear sometimes I think he was the crime boss and I was the businessman the way he treats me."
His silence was enough to answer us. "That's what you get when our family had been friends with them for a very long time grandfather once courted his grandmother."
A maid entered my office to inform me that my unexpected guest already finished her breakfast and there were five men arrived.
"That must be them," I told Nico once the maid left us. "Do you want to join me and welcome them?"
He rolled his eyes. "Marco Orsini is around? No, thank you. Whenever I see that man all I could see is the mountain of detective work waiting for me. Do you know how demanding he is when he wants to locate someone? He barely gives me time to take my next breath before ordering me around like a dog. Does he even aware of how easy for me to put bullets inside his head?"
"He knows," I answered truthfully while coming out of my office. "And he doesn't care."
We parted ways in the hallways since he was avoiding Marco. He was still smarting with the fact that he spend his days traveling back and forth from Sicily to the US searching for the missing Enzo Fiorenza only a few months ago. What he got from Marco was a simple 'thanks' after several sleepless nights tracking the location of the Fiorenza heir.
I went to the living room where my unexpected guest was. I found her staring outside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows just like what I did before Nico barged into my office down the hallway.
"Want to swim outside?" I said by way of greeting.
She turned around to look at me. I could see the surprised look on her face while slightly forcing a smile in my direction. "No, thank you."
"Sleep well last night?"
"Yes."
I continued to chat with her even though I perceived that she doesn't want to have any conversation with me. She asked me these questions about my association with the Fiorenza but I don't think this was the right time to reveal it. After all, in this dangerous world, I'd lived in secrets was only the thing that can keep your head still attached to your neck.
One of my guards informed me about the arrival of Marco and his friends. As much, as I hate trespassers in my home I tried to welcome the newcomer as friendly as I can.
"Long time no see, Santi." It was the devil from Rome who greeted me jovially with a handshake. Acting as if he's not the one who instructed me to bring this American woman with me on my way here. "It's good to see you again."
I prevent myself from smiling. He's playing with his friends again and who I am to spoil his fun? So I played along with his charade. I shook his hand briefly. "Good to see you too."
"Can you please leave me alone with her for a moment?" Enzo Fiorenza instructed. I shook my head slightly. He's like his uncle Cesare so bossy they keep on forgetting that this is my house and I should be the one calling the shots here not the other way around.
"I can't believe I crossed the Atlantic Ocean for this. There was an earful lecture waiting for me from my wife when I get back to Ragusa." Rafe Moretti complained, tugging down his necktie.
I felt my lips twitching with a smile. What's up, Rafe? I wanted to ask. Did you like the kidnapping thing I've prepared for you? If I was not busy at that time I would personally oversee the whole thing. Whatever Marco's devious plan that day works since you're now part of his stupid club.
"Let's go to my study. Drinks on me." I invited them when I notice that the soldier was looking at us with irritation in his green eyes. Marco and his friends followed me outside my living room but I stopped walking when I realize that they weren't following me in my study. I raised an eyebrow in their direction. "Are you coming with me or what?"
"Aren't you curious about their conversation?" Marco asked in a low tone.
"We should give them some privacy." Rafe scowled at him. I was starting to get irritated by them since no one paid me attention in my own damn house. I made the rules here not them! I was sorely tempted to point my gun in their direction.
"Oh, wait they're taking..." Marco pressed his ears on the wooden door.
"I use a high-end fucking wood for that door," I hissed. He was worse than the old ladies during parties when gathering gossip. "You can't possibly hear anything from the inside."
"Shhh..." He put his index finger on his lips. "...if you will stop talking I can hear them. I have a pair of good ears, you know. Oh, God, are they fighting?"
"Are they?" The man with gold eyes pressed his ear also near the wooden door. "Leila told me she wants to know everything when I get back to Sicily."
"I can't hear anything." The other man with light blue eyes grumbled, mimicking the gesture of the other two.
"Enzo is professing his love for Willow," Marco announced making Rafe surrender to the temptation and join the party.
Marco and his minions. I shook my head in disbelief while walking back to where they gathered around the door listening to the conversation inside. Oh, did I forget to mention that this is a state-of-the-art door and I can control it by just pressing the button on this wall?
And I did give them the surprise of their life when the door suddenly burst to open and they nearly stumbled trying to control their balance. I fought back the hysterical laugh when everyone was so stunned at the sudden turn of events except me.
They experience Enzo Fiorenza's wrath while trying to blame each other whose fault was that the door unexpectedly opens. Finally, they decided to vacate my premises and I was left in peace once again.
I watched their car flee away from my property from my window. And it didn't take long before Nico emerge from where he was hiding.
Now that there was no other hurdle I can focus on my current problem. I placed my hand in each pocket of my pants. I can't postpone this forever. The sooner I faced this dilemma the better I can get on with my life. "Prepare the car. We'll go and fetch Haven Pierce now."
"You got it, boss!" I heard him go out of the room and do as I instructed