Page 134 of The Strength Of A Woman

Cosimo travels in a different car. He holds the line outside the city, ready to intervene if things slip out of control.

Other people protect our home.

It’s a war procession more than anything else.

It’s also a time of reflection and contemplation.

We’ve come so far.

He and I.

He’s revealed to me who he really is.

And I showed him what his love could do to me.

He seems happy. Happier than I’ve ever seen him. And I’m over the moon.

It’s just that now, those feelings are tucked back, hidden in our souls.

The sun has already dipped below the horizon, leaving a red, orange, and purple canvas in its wake as we move slowly inside a large property on the outskirts of Taormina.

Not far from here, his men lie in wait.

He shifts his eyes to me.

“Ready?” he asks coldly, not really looking at me.

“Yes.”

“You know what you need to do.”

“Yes, I do,” I confirm.

His hand gives mine a brief squeeze just as the convoy slows down to a stop in front of a large property already filled with guests.

“Wait for my signal,” he says to all of us.

We wait a few seconds before the first people climb out of the cars in front of us and give him the signal that everything is all right.

“Let’s go,” he says, and we all get ready to exit the car.

A moment later, I set foot on a fine gravel pathway, straighten my back, and square my shoulders.

A circle forms around us within seconds.

Armed men, his body shielding mine.

As far as I can tell, this looks like any other party. The house is beautifully decorated, and the garden is filled with strings of light.

Elegant men and women serve as props in this story without even knowing. Not everyone present here is part of the criminal world.

It looks very much like my birthday party.

A few seconds pass before the host, a woman about Sylvia’s age, walks toward us.

She wears a smile and talks to Callum.

A curious glance comes in my direction, and as she’s introduced to me, I learn she is Varela’s sister.