CHAPTER 26
I got up from my chair and paced around. The office floor was cool beneath my polished shoes, the faint scent of leather and cigar smoke clinging to the air. It was confirmed. Someone wanted us to declare war against the Mexicans without proper cause. But who? The answer lay in one place — and that place had been circling my mind like a vulture waiting for something to die.
Massimo entered the office again, the door clicking softly shut behind him. I looked up at him.
"Any progress?" he asked. His hair was let down, cascading over his shoulder in dark waves that caught the dim office light. He looked almost too composed for the kind of life we lived. I'm not gay, but I could recognize a good-looking male, and he was one of them.
"Do you know where PAWN IT is?"
He nodded.
"Good!" I grabbed my glasses from the table and put them on, the cool frame settling against the bridge of my nose. "Let's go for a ride!"
The words sounded casual, but there was nothing casual about the storm building beneath my calm exterior.
BRENDA'S POV
I was dressed in a plain black sundress. The fabric clung lightly to my body, flowing just enough with each step. A hat and dark shades added the glamour — effortless, untouchable. It was a hot day. The kind where the sun presses against your skin like a heavy hand. And usually, that calls for comfort. Not the type that many of you might think because of how my life is.
Child comfort.
GELATO.
I was meeting Nella at one of the most famous Italian gelato inns in the city. The place was known for its authenticity — striped awnings outside, tiny round tables inside, pastel walls that smelled faintly of sugar and espresso. The air always carried a sweet, creamy chill from the display counters.
'Who Needs Love?' was blasting in my car, the bass vibrating lightly through the steering wheel.
"When I come around flexing, I don't need no loving from anyone of my exes. I don't need stressin'… phone calls, texting! Don't kiss me nigga kiss my necklace!" I sang along, replacing the bitch with nigga, my voice loud and unapologetic.
"Turn down that damn song! That's noise pollution!" Nella scolded as I parked next to her car. From the looks of things, she had just arrived too, stepping out gracefully.
"Noise pollution my ass!"
"You look fiiiiine!" I told her.
Her pink dress had yellow sunflowers printed all over it, bright and cheerful, the fabric catching the sunlight in a way that made her stand out in a crowd. She looked like summer personified.
We walked hand in hand inside the inn and placed our orders. The cool air inside wrapped around us instantly, a relief from the burning sun outside.
"So, how's it? How are you doing?" Nella asked, removing her glasses and focusing entirely on me. Her gaze was piercing, almost surgical. She didn't miss things.
"I'm okay… still haven't gotten over the shock that Christian left me, but I'm beginning to accept it!" I shrugged. My voice tried to sound light, detached. I didn't want to have this conversation. I was afraid it would resurface the 0.001% of feelings that I had toward Christian — the ones I'd managed to bury deep beneath pride and ego. Although the huge percentage was still undeniable, no matter how much I pretended.
"Good! The sooner you accept, the better for you!"
The waiter arrived with the orders, placing the delicate glass bowls of gelato in front of us — soft swirls of pistachio and vanilla melting slightly at the edges.
"So, where are we going for vacation this year?" Nella didn't wait for an answer. "I was thinking Bali or the Bahamas!"
"We've been to those places three times already, Nella!"
She shrugged. Nella loved those places. Whenever we were discussing where to go, she'd always choose those two. I didn't really see the thrill of it, really.
"Italy, we're going to Italy!" I shoved the spoon into my mouth, the cold sweetness melting instantly on my tongue.
"Uhm… where exactly in Italy?"
"Tuscany! Yes, Tuscany!" I replied.
"What is in Tuscany? God, it's just ugh!" Nella said with a dramatic frown.
"There are vineyards… I guess!" I had never been to Tuscany. But whenever I looked at the place in magazines, the rolling green hills, golden sunsets spilling over endless vineyards, old stone villas resting quietly in the countryside — it always seemed like it was calling out to me. And now, I wanted to answer that call.
"Fine!"
Just as we were getting back to our cheerful mood, someone yanked my dreadlocks back painfully.
The pain was sharp and immediate — my scalp screaming, my neck snapping backward. I yelped. Nella instantly got to her feet, her chair scraping loudly against the tiled floor.
"What the fuck? Who are you? Let go of her!" Nella shouted.
I was in so much pain to think. All I wanted was for whoever was holding me to let go. My scalp burned like it was on fire. My eyes began to water uncontrollably. Thank God I had worn waterproof mascara.
Finally, the hand freed my hair. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a heavy slap landed on my right cheek.
The sound echoed.
My face snapped sideways, the sting radiating across my skin, heat spreading instantly. Everyone in the inn was staring now. Forks paused mid-air. Conversations died mid-sentence.
I wasn't going to let her embarrass me like that in public.
Like any person with common sense, I struck her back. Harder.
The impact sent her stumbling backward, nearly losing her balance.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Nella warned, seeing as the woman was clenching her hand into a fist, her entire body shaking with rage.
The woman stepped closer, her breath uneven, her eyes wild.
"This is the last time you see me. I won't ever come to you for this same issue. If you don't relent and keep spreading your legs for my husband… I will ruin you, Brenda Belair! You have no idea who you're messing with. Keep off him!"
Her voice trembled between anger and humiliation.
With those words, the witch stormed out of the inn, the door swinging violently behind her.
Gradually, people began minding their business once more, though whispers floated in the air like smoke.
I didn't want to eat the gelato anymore. The sweetness now felt sickening.
"Who was that bitch?" Nella asked. I could tell she was curious, but at the same time, she didn't want to push me too far.
"Simone. Kai's wife or whatever… I really can't tell!"
She humiliated me in public. Yes, I agree. But I felt sorry for her. Her husband was fucking around, and for reasonable reasoning, she thought I was the one standing in the way of their marriage.
How pathetic. How pitiful.
I decided to let it slide.
My mind was already drifting back to Tuscany — to vineyards, to escape, to something untouched by drama.