Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Isabella

Mom and Dad are probably going to be pissed at me. That's why I wait until I hear the announcement for the final boarding call and only then send the text to Mom letting her know I'm flying to California in case Vittorio needs any help during breaks fighting the fire.

And then I turn my phone off and board the plane.

It's a redeye flight. It's just after midnight now, and we'll touch down in Los Angeles at two-fifteen. The flight is four and a half hours long but we lose two hours because of time zones. I've already got a hotel room reserved and it'll be held for me.

I'll get there and be whatever he needs me to be.

There's going to be hell to pay, I suppose. My family will be angry with me. Vittorio's parents might be mad at me as well. There will be less hell to pay than there would be if my dad was the big boss and Vittorio's was the underboss. That's the good news.

The truth is, though, I just don't care. If I just live in California with Vittorio, I'll be happy. Hell, I might be a whole lot more than just happy. I might be overjoyed at the opportunity to live free of my family's business just like he lives free of his.

But I pound down three shots of vodka from a stewardess happy to take the twenty-dollar bribe to give them to me before takeoff. Then, I close my eyes and when I open them again, it's because there's a beep when the seatbelt light goes on for the descent into Los Angeles.

I want to sleep more when I get to the hotel but there's just no chance of it all. I'm too hyped up and too worried about him. So, I take a long shower to at least wash the travel off me and then turn it from nice and hot to freezing for the last twenty or thirty seconds just to energize me again. It's about three-forty-five in the morning.

I do some research to find out where that town of his is located and get in my car. My navigation app tells me I'll be there in about two hours. I think that means I'll get there right about dawn. Of course, what actually happens is that two hours later, I'm stopped by a roadblock and I end up bribing a clerk at the roadside hotel to give me a room she's supposed to be saving for people in county government.

Yeah, well fuck them. I want to see my man.

I know I'm being an idiot with that last comment but c'mon. I'm a mafia princess. I didn't win any good citizenship awards in high school and I probably won't win anything like that my whole life. I want out of the whole mob lifestyle, sure, but that doesn't make me Snow White in a world of Jezebels. If anything, the rest of the world hangs out with the dwarves.

Hangs out with the dwarves? Wow. I'm close to Vittorio now so I'm losing it. I mean, I'm close in terms of proximity but… Well, holy crap. I'm not going to defend myself to you or anyone.

But I sure as hell wish I could see Vittorio and know that he's okay, for fuck's sake. I desperately wish I could see him, touch him, kiss him.

Know he's still alive.

I am so terrified that this fire will claim him. I'm so terrified the last time I saw him will be the last time ever.

And so (just in case you don't already think I'm an idiot), I decided to find a way to get past the roadblock to check on my man. And I see a little motorcycle. I hurry to the office. "Who owns that dirt bike?" I ask the girl.

"My boyfriend uses it," she says, "but it's mine. I bought it for him."

"I want to rent it."

"Rent it?"

"One hundred dollars just for today."

"It's not even worth a hundred dollars, I think," she says.

"I don't care."

She shrugs and looks around in the drawer, she pulls out a key and hands it to me. "You know how to ride, right?"

"Why would I rent it if I didn't?" I ask.

I leave without telling her that I've only ridden a dirt bike over one summer when I was fourteen. I hope like hell it's like riding a bicycle.

What the fuck am I doing? I don't know anything about wildfires, and I sure as hell have no business being out here. I can promise you, though, that it's not about anything logical. I just can't be without him. I can't.

Damn it all, I sound like a character in a bad, poorly thought-out movie!

"Where's the fire?" I ask.

Her eyes narrow. "You want to take my motorcycle to the fires?" She shakes her head. "We shouldn't even be this close. The only reason I'm here is I'm getting extra pay until the police show up to take care of the place until the fires are gone."

What a horrible time for me to come to my senses. It happens, though, horrible or not. I burst into tears and just collapsed there on the floor. The girl is very sweet, and before I know it, she's on the floor with me, and I'm weeping against her shoulder.

She holds me and strokes my hair and I guess in the middle of my sobs I must tell her about the man I love and how he's fighting the fire because she whispers assurances that he's going to be okay. I don't know how long I weep but I can promise you that I've never cried a cry more desperately needed than this one.

When I finally back away, I whisper, "I'm Isabella. Izzy."

She smiles. "I know. I checked you in." I smile as well, and she says, "And I'm Arielle. Do you want to sit with me and watch the news reports? Or do you want to sneak sips of the owner's bourbon? He has a case he keeps in the cabinet here."

I smile mischievously. "What about both?"

"Now you're speaking my language," Arielle says as she stands and helps me to my feet.

Arielle finds the bourbon and pours us both some full glasses. I'm thankful she doesn't believe in skimping. We sit and watch the news. Nothing really changes for a while and then, there's a news flash. I lean forward and grip the edge of the counter.

The news anchor, a pretty young blonde, explains that Company 417 have rescued the town but that they are now trapped in a canyon. I wait for the news anchor to offer more information, but she just talks about how very dangerous this whole business of firefighting can be, and how brave these men are.

I turn to Arielle. "Do you know what canyon they're talking about?"

"I imagine it's the one just on the other side of the park. It's ..."

I cut her off. "How far is it?"

"About four miles, but you aren't thinking of going there, are you? If they're trapped, you're going to be in real trouble. Hey!"

I ignore her pleas to come back and run out to the dirt bike. I'm zooming away before Arielle can say something that would convince me to not go searching for the man I love.