Chapter Twenty Two — Xavier
1529 Words
Since arriving in Sicily, I had barely slept.
I had expected the family dispute to take a day.
Two days at most.
I had been wrong.
It was deeper than I thought.
Three families were involved, alliances had shifted, shipments had disappeared, money had been moved without authorization, and several men were already taking sides. What should have been a simple family dispute had turned into something much bigger.
And the Falcon name was involved.
That meant I couldn’t simply walk away.
The Falcon name wasn’t something people joked about.
It carried weight.
It carried fear.
And, most importantly, it carried responsibility.
I had a responsibility to my family.
So I worked.
Meeting after meeting.
Private rooms.
No phones.
No interruptions.
No unnecessary people.
There were times when I couldn’t even step outside to check my phone because every conversation happening in that room could potentially affect the entire family.
That was why I hadn’t called Avi.
That was why I hadn’t texted him.
Not because I didn’t want to.
I wanted to.
More than he probably knew.
But every time I thought about reaching for my phone, another problem appeared.
And by the time I finally returned home, it was usually after three in the morning.
The previous night had been no different.
I had arrived a few minutes after three.
And I already knew Avi was angry.
I just hadn’t expected to find him asleep.
The moment I opened the bedroom door, I saw him lying there.
His glasses were on the bedside table.
His face was relaxed.
For a second, I simply stood there and watched him.
Then his eyes opened.
He looked at me.
And I immediately knew.
He was angry.
“You promised.”
His voice was quiet.
I frowned.
“Promised what?”
“When we came to Sicily, you said we’d spend time together.”
I sighed.
“I know.”
“You said we’d go sightseeing.”
“I know.”
“You said we’d go out.”
“I know, Avi.”
He sat up.
“But you’ve been gone every day.”
I didn’t say anything.
“You didn’t even call me.”
That one hurt.
Because he was right.
“I had business.”
“You always have business.”
His voice wasn’t loud.
That somehow made it worse.
“I didn’t come here to sit alone in a house I’ve never seen before, Xavier.”
I walked closer.
“Avi—”
“You said you wanted to show me Sicily.”
“I do.”
“Then where are you?”
I looked at him.
And suddenly, something became very clear.
He cared.
Maybe more than I had realized.
Because why else would he be upset?
Why else would he remember what I had promised?
Why else would he complain that I wasn’t spending time with him?
I had brought him here because I wanted him beside me.
And then I had left him alone.
I had become exactly what I hated being accused of.
I sat at the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry.”
He looked away.
“I genuinely thought this would be finished quickly.”
He didn’t respond.
“The situation is worse than I expected.”
Still nothing.
“I should have called.”
His eyes finally met mine.
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’m tired.”
“I’m going to fix this.”
“I’m going to bed.”
I nodded.
“Okay.”
He lay back down.
I stayed there for a few seconds before leaving.
I didn’t blame him for being angry.
I had earned it.
⸻
The next morning, I made sure breakfast was sent upstairs.
Technically, I didn’t make it.
I wasn’t about to lie to myself.
I had asked the maid to prepare everything.
Then I carried the tray upstairs myself.
When Avi woke up, he stared at the tray.
“What is this?”
“Breakfast.”
He looked at me suspiciously.
“You made it?”
I shook my head.
“I had the maid make it. I just delivered it.”
That earned me the smallest eye roll.
I smiled.
“Eat.”
He sat up.
I leaned against the door.
“I know I promised we’d go sightseeing.”
He didn’t say anything.
“I also know I’ve barely been here.”
Still nothing.
“But I have a lot of work.”
“I noticed.”
I deserved that.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be this much.”
He picked up his coffee.
I continued.
“If you want, I can arrange for someone to take you sightseeing today.”
He looked at me.
“Someone?”
“A driver. A guide. Security.”
“Security?”
“Yes.”
He sighed.
I ignored it.
“You can take one of the card. Go wherever you want. See the city. Visit whatever places you want.”
“I don’t need your credit card.”
“I want you to use it.”
“I have money.”
“I know.”
He looked at me.
“I just want you to enjoy yourself.”
I paused.
“We have other days here. Give me a couple of days to finish this, and I’ll take you myself.”
He studied my face.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Something in his expression softened.
“Fine.”
I smiled.
“Thank you.”
He rolled his eyes.
“I didn’t say thank you.”
“I know.”
I left him to eat.
At least he wasn’t angry anymore.
That was enough for me.
⸻
A few hours later, I watched from the window as Avi walked outside.
Four vehicles were waiting.
He stopped.
Then he turned toward me.
“Why are there four cars?”
I walked toward him.
“You’re going with security.”
“I can go in one car.”
“You’ll be in one.”
I pointed toward another.
“Matteo will be in that one.”
I pointed toward the remaining vehicles.
“Those are security.”
He stared at me.
“Why do I need all of that?”
“Because I’m not going.”
His expression changed.
“Xavier—”
“No.”
I kept my voice calm but firm.
“I need to know you’re safe.”
“I’ll be sightseeing.”
“I know.”
“I’m not going to war.”
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“Because I’m not there.”
That ended the argument.
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then sighed.
“Fine.”
I walked toward him.
“Enjoy yourself.”
He nodded.
Then he got into the car.
I watched until the convoy disappeared.
Only then did I turn back toward the house.
I already missed him.
That was becoming a problem.
⸻
The meeting that followed was exhausting.
Three families.
Three different agendas.
Three groups of men who believed they were powerful enough to challenge each other.
The three major families involved were known as:
* The Falcon Family — Xavier’s family, one of the oldest and most powerful.
* The Moretti Family — an influential Sicilian dynasty known for controlling major ports and shipping routes.
* The Bellandi Family — an old and feared family with deep connections throughout Sicily.
And now all three were standing on opposite sides of a dispute that could turn into something much worse.
I sat at the head of the table.
Men spoke.
Arguments erupted.
Someone slammed a hand against the table.
I listened.
Then Matteo leaned toward me.
“Boss.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
He whispered something in my ear.
I nodded.
Five minutes later, another man approached.
Another message.
Then another.
Every twenty minutes, someone was coming to me with another problem.
A shipment.
A missing account.
A disagreement.
A threat.
A name.
A location.
I couldn’t even think straight.
But through all of it, my mind kept returning to one person.
Avi.
Was he enjoying himself?
Had he eaten?
Was he safe?
Was he angry with me?
I wanted to call him.
God, I wanted to call him.
But I couldn’t.
Not here.
Not with everything happening around me.
So I kept working.
Because that was my responsibility.
But for the first time in my life, responsibility felt different.
Because now there was someone waiting for me.
Someone who wasn’t part of the Falcon business.
Someone who didn’t care about the family name.
Someone who simply wanted his husband to come home.
And for some reason, that mattered more to me than I wanted to admit.
I looked at the clock.
I still had hours of work ahead of me.
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a moment.
Two more days.
I had promised Avi.
Two more days, and I would take him myself.
No meetings.
No guards following us everywhere.
No family disputes.
Just me and my husband.
At least, that was the plan.
And knowing my family, plans rarely survived Sicily.
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