Santino nodded and together we headed toward the lawn at the base of the Eiffel Tower. To my surprise, we weren抰 the only people. Several people had put down blankets and sat on the grass, drinking wine and chatting.
揕et抯 do the same.?
揥e don抰 have a blanket.?
I motioned at one of the street vendors that sold everything from small corny Eiffel Towers, over fake Cartier watches and MCM umbrellas, to blankets with the Louis Vuitton logo. Santino went over to the man and bargained for almost ten minutes until we got the blanket for half the price and an umbrella for free. We settled on the blanket. The ground was still cold, not yet warmed from the sun but I didn抰 mind. I just wanted to enjoy the sun on my skin even if my butt froze off.
揑t could be worse,?I murmured. 揗ost people would kill for your job.?
Santino sank down beside me. 揟oday has been one of my better work days.?
I chuckled and lay back on my back, loving the sight of the Eiffel Tower rising above us with the sun peeking out behind it. The thing with the nuns wouldn抰 leave my mind though. There was a story to be told. I could feel it.
I rolled over on my belly, pushed up on my elbows and propped my chin up on Santino抯 thigh.
揥hat are you doing??he asked in a low, tense voice. He抎 straightened his back, ready to spring, and I could feel his thigh muscles flex under my chin.
揅hill. I抦 only getting comfortable. I won抰 ravish you in the middle of a park.?
Santino didn抰 crack a smile but I couldn抰 help but grin devilishly. I loved when I could rattle him. Little phased Santino, but I did, big time.
He narrowed his eyes. 揧ou realize the Paparazzi would have a field day if they got a photo of us like that. It would make headlines.?
揘obody knows we抮e here, and Dad would prevent it.?
揚robably. He抎 also roast my balls on a barbecue.?
I let out a pleased sigh as I shifted so my cheek rested on Santino抯 thigh instead. My pulse had picked up being so close to Santino and the part of him I had every intention of getting more acquainted with very soon.
揂nna.?
The low hum of warning in Santino抯 deep voice sent a pleasant shiver down my back.
I closed my eyes. 揅an you rub my back? I feel like napping.?
揂nna.?
I cracked open one eye. 揌ow about this: you tell me what nuns ever did to you and I抣l sit beside you like a good girl??
Santino considered it for almost a minute before he heaved a sigh. 揂ll right. But get up first.?
揘o, you go first. You抣l only run off if I lift my head.?
He chuckled. 揝ometimes I really don抰 know what抯 going on in your head.?
揑t抯 called creative chaos.?
揗y sister抯 a nun.?
I sat up, my lips parted. 揜eally??
揧eah. She抯 been a novice since last July.?
揥ow. But why??I let out a stunned laugh. 揇oes she hope to cancel out your sins??
Santino stared off toward a group of people, his expression serious. I sobered immediately, realizing this really bothered him. 揘ot my sins, no.?
I touched his hand, which rested on the blanket. 揝antino??
His eyes found mine and my heart clenched. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, kiss him, hug him.
揗isguided guilt, I suppose,?he said quietly.
I wrecked my brain for the family history of the Bianchis, but all I knew was that Santino抯 mom had died when I was very young. I didn抰 know why, had never asked. I didn抰 know anything about his sister. I wasn抰 even sure if I抎 ever met her.
揥hat happened? Does it have something to do with your mother??
Santino抯 body became tenser. I expected him to pull away and say something dismissive. Santino didn抰 do emotions. Not deep emotions at least. 揗y mother died giving birth to my sister Frederica when I was eleven.?
I didn抰 even know that Frederica was close to me in age, only one year younger. 揑抦 so sorry.?
Santino nodded. 揊rederica blames herself for it. She denies it but I can tell. My mother suffered a cardiac arrest. She had an undiagnosed heart defect. It could have happened at any other time, but because it happened during labor, Frederica blamed herself.?
揧our poor dad, and you were only a young boy, this must have been such a horrid experience.?
I wondered if Santino had some kind of strange Oedipus complex because he抎 lost his mother so early and that was why he always picked older married women.
揃ut it抯 not her fault. Did your dad ever blame her??
揘o,?Santino said firmly. 揇ad treated her like a princess.?
揃ut he always kept working for my parents, how did he manage with two kids??
揙ne of his sisters helped us out, and once Frederica was a bit older, I took care of her a lot when Dad wasn抰 home. Later when I began to work for the Outfit, my aunt took over most of the time though.?