Chapter 34: D A R I O

After a few moments, Hera looked up at me and the ice in her eyes was slowly starting to dissolve into her neutral blue green. Giving me permission to finally let her go. She took her seat back on her chair and I slowly resumed mine back on the counter. I shot my head to the box and looked back at Hera through her mirror with a questioned face. She smiled and nodded her head, her eyes now completely melted.

I took a joint out of the box and lit it and passed it to Hera. She took quite a drag then handed the cigarette back to me. We shared the joint as I watched her put on her makeup. She was mesmerizing. I caught her looking at me through the mirror and her eyes went deep dark blue through the mirror. I forgot how to breathe, wishing I could drown in the depths of them. I raised a brow and asked her,

“Ti koitás edó péra?”

“What’s that look for?”

Hera blushed and said,

“There’s no way you don’t have a girlfriend.”

Hmm, her eyes turn dark blue when she’s thinking of my relationship status? I laughed and said,

“It’s a real mood killer when you have to ask your date to wear Kevlar.”

Hera raised her brows while she looked around her vanity and said,

“I look amazing in Kevlar.”

I smiled and said,

“I bet you do.”

Hera pressed,

“When was the last time you had a girlfriend?”

My eyes went wide,

“Why are you so interested in this?”

Hera smiled and shrugged her shoulders and replied,

“I’m just curious.”

Between the heavy drink and the weed I was feeling bold and asked Hera,

“Théleis na gíneis i epómeni fíli mou?”

*“You wanna be the next one?”*

Now Hera’s dark blue eyes went wide and I let out a laugh. Hera kept looking at me through her mirror hoping I’d answer her question, I kept playing oblivious to her stare as I smoked the last of the joint. I put the roach in the ashtray when I heard Hera’s front door open, followed by Keegan’s voice,

“Hey girl, I’m here!”

I glanced at the time on my watch. Those two have been gone longer than an hour. I shook my head and chuckled as I hopped off the counter. I looked at Hera, eyes back to blue green, and said,

“I’ll leave the two of you alone.”

Hera had a blank expression when she nodded her head. I passed Keegan in the hallway on my way out of Hera’s apartment.

I found Ambrosio in the kitchen of his apartment, getting a beer out of the fridge. He looked at me and asked,

“Did she talk?”

I immediately felt bad when I nodded my head. Ambrosio grabbed another beer, pointed to the charcoal gray couches and we each took a seat. Ambrosio handed me one of the beers and took a sip of his can then asked,

“Well?”

I took a deep breath. Knowing I was about to betray Hera’s trust.

“She said that she dreams of *him* every night. And in her dreams *he* brings her back to life after she’s shot.”

Ambrosio groaned and said,

“Jesus Christ, It’s been five fucking years. You’d think she’d let it go by now!”

“Let what go?”

Ambrosio took another drink before replying,

“Our father’s death! So he died. So she got shot. So *she* almost died, IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO!”

I didn’t like Ambrosio’s reaction. Why was he so cold and indifferent about the death of his father and the near death of his sister? I asked Ambrosio,

“What was she doing there last night?”

Ambrosio was quiet as he tried to bottle up his rage,

“I don’t fucking know. They made Hera the wife’s decoy, without my knowledge, *and* without first asking permission! And now this *Don* thinks he can keep his island peaceful, keep his wife and son, AND keep Hera? All the while, completely fucking up my ops?!”

Ambrosio violently knocked a lamp over out of angst and it shattered on the wooden floor. I sat up on the couch to start cleaning it up but Ambrosio lifted his hand in protest and I froze. Ambrosio rubbed his eyes in one hand while he thought. He took a deep breath and finally said,

“This is good information. I appreciate you getting it.”

Ambrosio and I took a drink of our beers and sat quietly. When Ambrosio finished he said he was going to change. After he closed the door to his room, I went into the kitchen to find a broom and cleaned up the lamp, then went into my room and changed into my new suit.