Chapter 19 19

Chapter 19 19
Bridget

I am ready to leave with Adriano, and there is a strange tension sitting heavy in my chest as I wait. I am wearing a linen baby pink pant with matching shirt, the fabric light and soft against my skin. My sunglasses on, hiding my eyes even though I am indoors. White heels complete the look, clean and elegant. I have packed a jacket, a red dress and a navy dress, 2 shorts and t shirt and a shirt, folding everything carefully as if organization might calm my thoughts.

A servant brings my bag to the car and I get to the living room, my footsteps slow and controlled. The mansion feels different today, quieter, expectant. I smell Adriano’s perfume long before I can even see him, that sharp masculine scent filling the space and sending an unexpected shiver through me. He is wearing black suit, everything black, the fabric perfectly fitted to his broad frame. Damn he looks so hot. He is adjusting his cuffs with precise movements, completely composed, completely in control.

“Ready?” he asks.

I see the spark in his eye when he looks at me, it’s just indescribable, something intense and dangerous and impossible to ignore.

“Y…yeah.” My eyes are wide open, my voice betraying the calm I am trying to project.

He heads outside and I follow him, the sound of our steps echoing toward the entrance. There is a black range rover waiting by the entrance, engine already running. We are going to the mountain so an offroad, and the vehicle looks solid and powerful, built for rough terrain and long roads.

I get in the front seat and put my handbag on the backseat, adjusting myself as the leather seat hugs my body. Adriano gets on the driver’s seat, his movements smooth and confident. He sets the gps on the screen. 3 hour and 36 minutes. I gasp at the time duration, my eyes lingering on the numbers as reality sinks in.

“You’d drive for 3 hours and a half?” I ask him.

“Yeah.” He starts the engine, the car coming alive beneath us.

“You went to sleep late? Won’t you be sleepy?” I find myself asking him, concern slipping out before I can stop it.

He throws a glance at me then back to the road, his jaw tightening slightly. “Well my job is like that and no I will not get sleepy.” He says in cold tone, final and unwavering, as the car rolls forward and the mansion slowly disappears behind us.

“Do you ever sleep?” I gaze at him.

“Not properly.”

“Because of work?” Such a stupid question.

“Because if I close my eyes, someone dies.”

I clear my throat, I’ve got my answer.

Fifteen minutes passes and he hasn’t stopped yet. The road stretches endlessly ahead of us, winding through open land and slowly rising terrain. He keeps driving, eyes on the road, both hands steady on the steering wheel. He occasionally throws glances at me, quick and assessing, before returning his focus forward. His phone keeps on ringing, vibrating against the console again and again. He ignores most of the calls, sometimes silencing it without looking. He is always on business, even while driving.

“With whom are we going to have a meeting with?” I finally break the long silence, my voice sounding louder than I expect in the closed space of the car.

“A Sicilian.” He says and I nod, absorbing the weight behind that single word.

“But why in the mountain?”

His tongue clicks softly before he answers, a habit I am starting to recognize. “He likes peaceful places and we are doing it in a mountain so that nobody will be aware of my new alliance.” He explains calmly, as if secrecy and danger are everyday matters.

Hmm. Smart man.

“It’s not just like a mountain and it have nothing. It’s a property which have several private villa in the mountain, with surrounding trees and there is a restaurant in some distance. It is more of a luxury place.” He says and I am still kind of imaging how it will look like, tall trees, misty air, isolation wrapped in wealth.

“Have you seen the mountain villas in Bali?” he flickers at me.

“Yeah.”

“The place is similar like that.” He utters.

“Ohh okay.”

1 hour and 30 minutes passes and the road grows quieter, emptier. He pulls up in a gas station that looks old and nearly abandoned. “This is the last gas station for this trip, so you can use the washroom if you’d like.” He tells me.

I unbuckle the seat belt and get down, my legs stiff from sitting too long, while he petrol to the vehicle. The air smells of fuel and dust. I get to the washroom, the lights flickering overhead. After finishing I walk to the store. I get a bottle of water and some snacks, wanting something to calm my nerves. The man is smoking at the counter and he is gawking at my cleavage, his eyes lingering far too long. There is nobody apart from me, and the silence suddenly feels threatening.

When I offer him my card to pay he drags my hand and pulls me close to him. My body collides on the counter, the impact knocking the breath out of me.

“You have hot cleavage, sexy”

“Let go of me.” I try to yank my hand from him but he is gripping my wrist so hard that it burns, pain shooting up my arm.

His other hand flies by and he breaks the buttons on my shirt, fabric tearing apart. I scream and panic floods my body. I manage to scratch his eyeballs with my nails. He groans loudly, stumbling back. I don’t wait. I run, heart pounding, vision blurred with tears, but I bump into Adriano.

“Adriano Help…”

He wraps his arm around me instantly, protective and solid. “What happened?” he asks instantly, his voice sharp and alert.

I gesture with my hand while sobbing, “The…man. He…he touched me.” He looks down and sees all the broken buttons on my shirt and his jaw tightens instantly, his entire body going still. “Come with me.” He takes my hand and brings me inside the store.

The pervert man now looks scared, cigarette trembling between his fingers. “Don De-costa. I-l didn’t know she was with you. I am so sorry.”

Adriano takes out his gun from his suit, while holding my hand with one hand. His grip tightens around my fingers. “You don’t know whom you have misbehaved with.” Adriano grits, his voice low and lethal.

“Im so sorry Don De Costa…” the man is still begging, his words spilling over each other. Adriano pulls the trigger. The bullet pierces the man’s forehead and he collapses on the floor, blood oozing across the tiles.

My heart races and eardrums burst. The sound echoes in my head. I cry and burry my face on his chest, my body shaking uncontrollably.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” he pushes me apart so that he can see me, his eyes scanning my face, my torn shirt, my trembling hands.

I nod. “I am fine.” I manage to say. “You murdered him.” I whisper, shock settling deep in my bones.

He takes off his suit jacket and makes me wear it, wrapping me in his warmth and scent. “He deserves to be dead, sugarplums and nobody is allowed to touch you.” He leans forward and kisses me on the forehead, gentle and possessive at the same time. The store has started to smell rusty, metallic and thick.

He grabs the water bottle and the snacks which I kept on the counter. “Are these for you?” he asks.

I nod.

He takes it all, “Let’s go.” He wraps his hand around me and takes me outside, guiding me firmly.

“Stop crying.” He adds softly.

He opens the door of the car and helps me get inside. Once he closes the door I burst into tears, sobs breaking free the moment I am alone.

Adriano gets in the driver’s seat, he stares at me without saying a word. His gaze is steady, heavy, filled with something unreadable, like he is measuring my breathing, my shaking hands, the way my shoulders are still tense. The silence stretches between us, thick and loaded.

My nose is running and I wipe it with my sleeves, careless and exhausted. He notices immediately. He hands me his handkerchief, clean and neatly folded, smelling faintly of his cologne. Then he pulls me into a hug, firm and protective. I hug him back without hesitation, my arms wrapping around his torso as if he is the only solid thing left.

“I am always here for you,” he whispers, his voice low and certain, “Someone touches you and they shall die.” He kisses my hair, slow and deliberate, his lips lingering just long enough to make me feel safe.

I pull apart and wipe the tears from my face, taking a deep breath. I put the button on the suit and clutch it close to me, holding onto his jacket like armor. “Should we go now?” he asks me, his tone softer than before, almost careful.

I nod in acceptance.

He starts the engine and starts driving, the car easing back onto the road. I wipe my tears with his handkerchief and wipe my nose. I sniff, trying to regain control. I watch how he grabs the water bottle and opens it then hands it to me without looking away from the road.

“Drink.”

I take a sip and close the bottle again, my throat still tight. I lean back on the leather seat, the smooth surface cool against my skin. I feel Adriano is glancing at me but I don’t look at him. I keep my eyes straight on the road ahead, watching the asphalt disappear beneath the tires. His hand reaches close to me and he rests it on my thighs by caressing it, slow and grounding, as if telling me you’ve got this without saying a word.

We get to the road which leads to the mountain, everywhere is just green now. Tall trees surround us, their leaves dense and dark. Adriano keeps driving and it gets real bumpy, the car shaking slightly with each uneven patch. He doesn’t remove his hand from my thigh. The road is muddy. I see water puddles everywhere, it must have been raining over here, the earth still wet and heavy.

I gently place my hand over his knuckles on my thigh, my touch tentative but intentional.

He sighs and looks at me when I touch him, his expression softening. He intertwines his fingers with mine and he squeezes my hand, firm and reassuring.

I see 10 more minutes on the screen. The numbers glow softly on the dashboard. He takes my hand and places a kiss on it, brief but intimate. I watch him, my heart slowing for the first time since the gas station. I never seen this soft side of Adriano De Costa, and it leaves me quiet and stunned.

Minutes later the car pulls in a garage of a huge villa. The structure is massive, stone and glass blending into the mountain itself. Adriano gets down and he comes to open my door, his movements precise. He helps me out of the car and he holds my hand and takes me inside. We are currently at the back of the property, the air colder here, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. He makes me walk through a small aisle lined with greenery, then we get in front, where the full view of the villa opens before us, grand and secluded, hidden deep within the mountain.

I take a minute to absorb the beauty of this place. I take a deep breath. An escape to this enchanting mountain villa, nestled amidst misty mountains with a stunning infinity pool overlooking the lush jungle. A perfect blend of luxury and nature’s serenity.

Its peacefulness and greenish atmosphere heal something deep inside of me. “Oh I love this place.” I say, then flicker to Adriano.

Little did I know,
As I traced the beauty of nature with my eyes,
His gaze never left me.
While I admired the world,
He was watching me, as if I were the view worth remembering.