Vineyard Visit
Zorah frowned, “no. What do you mean?”
“Vodingo told me this morning. Apparently, my mother is having regrets about selling me and demanded Father Giannone get me home. She accused him of sex trafficking her daughter.”
“No! Icaro didn’t say anything. I wonder why?”
“Vodingo told me this morning the men in the family have been given direct orders not to involve you in any business at all. They were told if Icaro gets wind you’ve been subjected to any violence or business from the family life they’d be dealt with.”
“He told me he did this.” She nodded, “but he could tell me these things. Especially if they involve me?”
“Vodingo said the way you react and freak out when things go sideways is a clear testament to the atrocities you’ve faced over your life and Icaro wants to protect you from more of it.”
“They all think I’m weak and –”
“Hey,” Sidonia interrupted. “Nobody ever used the word weak, but Vodingo told me exactly how you reacted when the girl was killed, and I can’t say I would have reacted much better, but Icaro is scared you’ll run right into the arms of an enemy trying to get away from him. He’s also really concerned with your mental health. He thinks you have PTSD and he and Vod apparently talked about what the best way to help you recover is and part of it is to protect you from all the things which happen in the illegitimate dealings of the family.”
“I don’t know if I can live like this, Sidonia. To live a life surrounded by guns and violence, goes against my grain.”
“Zorah,” Sidonia patted her hand, “I meant what I said on the plane. As much as I could grow to love Vodingo and as much as I feel safe and secure with him, I would leave him right now and not look back if it meant I was protecting you.”
“Sidonia,” Zorah whined her friend’s name. “I do not want you to give up on the chance of true love and happiness for me. I could see the joy in you when came to the car this morning. You love it here. You feel good being here. I will never take this from you.”
“I’m simply saying, when Vodingo and I got back from our picnic, he needed to work for a bit so I was walking around the estate a bit and I know where they keep the keys to the cars, and I would get you out of here without a second thought.”
“You can’t risk your own happiness for me, Sidonia.”
“You are thinking of leaving,” Sidonia said quietly as if the idea was illuminating her brain like a proverbial light bulb. “Without me.”
“Sidonia you deserve to be happy. I see you here, with these people and you’re already feeling the benefit of the Lucchesi blessing. Your eyes shine so bright, and I know you will love Vodingo deeply and truly. I want this for you because I know deep down in your heart, you want this too. I believe the night you and I prayed to find good men to love us and protect us, your prayers were answered.”
“But not yours?” Sidonia asked tearfully. “Icaro –”
“Is a creepy man who has been stealing my panties, watching me sleep since I was a teenager and has thousands of photographs of me on his computer and phone and none of them are any I posed for. Everyone keeps saying I’ll feel this affection and love as well but every new revelation makes me more and more desperate to leave. I want to die, Sid.”
“Not this again,” Sidonia flung her hands in the air.
“But I can’t,” Zorah finished her sentence. “I found out every Lucchesi man dies almost immediately after the death of their brides. If I die, Icaro dies, and I cannot have the blood of a man on my hands.”
“You would leave me behind.”
The accusation from her friend who had fat tears rolling down her cheeks forced Zorah to blink her own tears away.
“I love you so much Sidonia but if there is a way I can find to escape this place, I’m going.”
“Where will you go?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a plan in place, but I need to find a way to get money and my passport. Right now, I am trapped. I am as much trapped here as I was in Providence with my uncle and mother watching my every move.” A thought occurred to her. “I found out last night my mom is on birth control.”
“Now there’s a way to change the topic,” Sidonia wiped tears off her cheeks with her fingertips.
“I was joking about her flirting with the guy who delivers the church flowers, but I can’t think of any other reason for her to be on the pill but him. I don’t know any other man she would be near alone.”
“He’s married, Zorah. Your mom wouldn’t mess with a married man, would she?”
“Icaro thought it might be Father Giannone.”
“Nope.” Sidonia shook her head vigorously. “The entire world knows how much he despises her. She’s not even allowed to look up when he’s in the room. Who on earth is she having sex with to be on the pill?”
“Icaro asked his IT person named Doris to find out. Apparently, she can find everything on everyone.”
“Really? Imagine being so smart you could hack computers and do such things?”
“Icaro is really good with numbers,” she clasped her hands in front of her belly as they walked. “He was showing me how he manages all the books for the American businesses.”
“Vodingo is smart too, but I don’t think he’s as smart as Icaro,” Sidonia grinned, “good thing he’s strong and can beat someone into the ground with his pinky fingers. He’s meant to be head of security, but he is very observant. Like yesterday we were walking around the volcano and there was a snake I didn’t even notice.”
“Snakes?” Zorah’s expression was one of horror. “No.”
“Apparently they are everywhere since where we live is quite rural.” Sidonia pointed to a building, “there’s the store. They sell their wine from here. I want to show you. Eleanora said I could work in here if I wanted.” She made wide eyes at Zorah, “and the wine is incredible.”
Zorah giggled and then the sight of a large man getting out of a vehicle made her brow furrow.
“Is that The Walrus?”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
