Chapter Eleven

I had trouble being close to other people but the first time Amo looked into my eyes, the chaos in my head quieted. And his touch? It didn’t feel as overwhelming and confusing as every other touch felt. The kiss we’d shared today? It had awakened something in me that terrified and excited me. And suddenly I realized that only Amo could fill the void in me that I’d never known I had.

I wanted more. But deep down I knew our shared kisses had to stop. Eventually.

Not today though. When the clock struck five minutes before midnight, I crept out of bed and left my room through the door that led to the corridor, not the connecting door that would have forced me to cross the living room of our suite. If Fabiano or Nevio caught me, I’d simply tell them I was looking for a place to dance. They knew of my obsession to dance at night, especially after a stressful day like today.

The emergency exit wasn’t locked, just like Amo had promised, so I could enter the stairwell. I headed down one floor then left the stairwell to board the elevator that took me down all the way to the second floor where I switched back to the stairwell once again. Down on the first floor of the stairwell, Amo leaned against the wall, waiting for me. Relief flashed across his face when he spotted me. Maybe he’d thought I wouldn’t come.

“Security cams,” he said as a way of greeting and motioned for me to follow him. He led me through a few empty corridors then out a delivery entrance at the back of the hotel. A black SUV stood right beside the door.

Amo opened the door for me and I climbed in. He closed the door then got in behind the steering wheel. Without a word, he leaned over and grabbed my face then kissed me firmly.

I tensed, surprised by the move and still not used to being kissed. Amo pulled back, his eyes searching my face. “Too much?”

“Just startled,” I whispered. “I’m not used to this kind of intimacy.”

“Would you prefer if I don’t kiss you?”

“No. Just maybe warn me until I get used to this?” How could I ever get used to it when our time was so limited?

“Okay. I can do that.” A slow smile spread on his face then he turned back to the street and started the engine and pulled the car out of the alley. After a moment, he held out his hand, palm up. It took me a few heartbeats to realize what he wanted. I slipped my hand into his and he closed his fingers.

“Where are we going?”

“There aren’t many options. That’s why I decided to take you to a secluded place where nobody will catch us. Do you trust me?” He slanted a look at me, as if he worried I’d change my mind about this. But I didn’t feel a flicker of discomfort in Amo’s presence. Nevio would probably accuse me of being na?ve or too trusting, but it wasn’t that.

Eventually we headed toward an industrial part of the city. Amo pulled up in front of a red brick building with tall smokestacks that towered over the Hudson river. I pushed open the door and scanned the cracked concrete with weeds and even smaller trees breaking free from its man-made confines. “Is this the abandoned Yonkers power plant?”

I’d read all about it in the handwritten chronicles in our library.

Surprise flitted across Amo’s face as he touched the small of my back to lead me toward the steel doors. “It is.”

“That’s where the last bloodbath in the history of the Famiglia took place, right?”

Amo grimaced and stopped in his tracks. “I’m not used to being romantic. I guess it shows,” he said with a deep laugh that made my belly flip. “Would you prefer if I took you somewhere else?”

I could tell that I’d caught him off guard, which was almost endearing.

“I like it. I’ve always been fascinated by abandoned places, their history and the wistfulness that clings to them.”

He stared up at the sky, shaking his head. “Wistfulness was definitely what I was going for with our first real date.”

I tilted my head, trying to determine if he was joking. He peered down at me with a dry laugh. “I’m kidding. Are you uncomfortable going in there with me?”

“Why would I be? I suppose there’s hardly anyone I’d be safer with in this place than with you.”

“There’s no one you’d be safer with.”

The pressure of his hand against my back increased and I allowed him to lead me the rest of the way toward the steel gate. He shoved it open with a harsh creak that let goosebumps ripple across my skin even though it was still warm.

I stepped into the high-ceilinged hall with its rusty pipes and columns. The scent of abandonment, mold and dust, hung in the air. My eyes caught on a table and two chairs on a small platform. Several small gas lamps illuminated the path toward and the place itself.

I could feel Amo’s gaze on me and so I dragged my eyes up to him. His expression was tight.

“Can we go there?” I motioned at the setup.

Amo nodded and took my hand in his bigger one, leading me toward the platform. “I’m going to lift you up, okay?”

I nodded. He grabbed my waist and hoisted me up on the platform. My hands flew to his shoulders as I was suspended in the air for a moment. I’d always loved the idea of lifting figures, but never managed to enjoy them. But in Amo’s hold I could imagine how it might feel with someone you felt comfortable with. Amo didn’t release my waist even when my feet touched the ground of the platform. Instead we stayed like that, me peering down at him, his hands on my waist and mine on his shoulders. I smiled and without thinking, I bent down and kissed him. I pulled back a bit. “Was that okay?”

Amo chuckled. “You can kiss me whenever you want.”

I shook my head. “I mean my technique.”

Amo slid his lips across mine, a soft friction that warmed my belly in the most perfect way. “It’s not about technique, but passion.”

Passion. I nodded. Passion was something you couldn’t grasp or learn, definitely not read up about. Then I took a step back so Amo could jump on the platform and I could take a look at the table. It was set for two. But I didn’t see food anywhere and I doubted there was a kitchen. “Sit down.”

Amo pulled back one of the chairs for me and I sank down. He squatted before a Styrofoam box which delivery services used to keep food warm and lifted the lid. Inside were several bags. He began to unload about two dozen boxes. “I wasn’t sure what you like to eat so I got Sushi, Chinese, Indian, Arabic and Italian food.”

My eyes grew wide when he opened the different cartons. Amo sank down across from me and held up a bottle of wine. I nodded, stunned by his consideration. After we clinked glasses, I piled my plate with hummus and pita, cucumber and avocado maki, and olives. All safe choices for me as a vegan.

We ate a few bites in silence. “You don’t eat meat?” Amo asked, motioning at the lamb shawarma on his plate.

“How do you know?”

“You scanned everything closely and you didn’t pick a single meaty starter.”

“I’m vegan.”

He narrowed his eyes in consideration then nodded. I allowed my eyes to roam the hall, trying to imagine past events. “This is where your father ripped out a man’s tongue for insulting your mother, right?”

Amo swallowed a piece of lamb and regarded me for a while as if he was trying to consider his reply. “Yes. I should have known you’ve heard about the gruesome stories of the Famiglia. Next time I’ll pick a different place.”

“Is there going to be a next time?” I asked as I ripped a piece off the pita bread and dunked it in the hummus.

Amo leaned back in his chair, ignoring his food. The way he looked at me made me feel impossibly hot. “I want there to be many more times.”

I wanted the same thing but he was supposed to marry in three weeks, and my family would never allow me to see Amo. I couldn’t see how we could make this happen, make us happen. As if Amo could sense the direction of my thoughts, he shook his head. “Only the moment counts.”

I smiled slightly.

“Are you going to dance for me?” Amo let his eyes glide over me. “You put on your ballet clothes after all.”

“If you want me to dance, I’ll do it. Do you have a special wish?”

Amo smiled wryly. “I don’t know that much about ballet, but maybe something from the Nutcracker? That’s one of the most famous ballets, right?”

“One of many, yes,” I said. I took my phone from my purse and picked the music then turned up the volume. My belly tightened with nerves when I put down the phone and walked a few steps away from the table and chairs to have room for my dance. Dancing in front of others always gave me a great deal of anxiety but the look on Amo’s face calmed my nerves. I closed my eyes when the first familiar notes rang out. This felt like one of the most special dances in my life and I wanted to pour all my passion and feelings into it.

The moment Greta had mentioned this place’s blood-thirsty past, I’d regretted my choice of having our date here, even if our choices were very limited. Now, with Greta standing amid the decrepit hall in her light pink tutu the contrast hit me like a sledgehammer. Her beauty and kindness in a building known for its ugly brutality. She lifted her arms as if pulled by strings, her body almost adrift as it moved to the notes from her mobile. The quality wasn’t the best and the vast hall didn’t carry the music very well, but I still sat in awe and watched Greta become one with the music. She twirled and jumped, raised her leg high above her head.

I could have watched her all night. When she held out her hand to me, I got up and let her pull me away from the chair. With her hand in mine, she circled me and I turned with her, as if I was pulled by invisible strings. She smiled brightly when I followed her lead and when she leaped toward me, I caught her by the waist automatically and lifted her. She seemed to fly over my head, her legs and arms extended elegantly. And then she let out a delighted laugh, light and carefree, and peered down at me with pure joy in her eyes. Slowly I lowered her back to the ground in front of me. She held my gaze and every creak of the old building, the distant sound of engines and sirens, everything faded to the background. “I’m going to kiss you.” I cupped her face, and kissed her. I snaked one arm around her waist and pulled her against me, needing her closer. Every time I met her, the pull got stronger. I’d never understood why people were willing to risk everything for someone who wasn’t close family, someone they barely knew but I finally began to understand.