Chapter 8
Like he promised, his training session was brutal. I’m aching all over, but in a strange way, I feel satisfied. I missed our sessions, and I want to feel stronger. After working out, the four of us shared a cooked breakfast then all got ready for work and sat down at our desks by nine a.m. Something in the routine of it all feels way too normal already. As much as I wouldn’t like to admit it to Geovani, I like having a job to focus my attention on. I’m still itching to get my brother alone, but Geovani hasn’t let that happen yet, conveniently keeping us apart unless the four of us are together. Even then, Marco seems smitten with Dani and completely preoccupied.
“Who wants to see what was in that safety deposit box?” Geovani says to get our attention. He hasn’t moved from his desk, so I assume he wants us to gather around him. I follow the other two who are obviously just as curious as me; I have been dying to know since last night.
His eyes move swiftly across the screen, taking in the layout of what seems to be a website. “The package we collected last night had the flash drive containing all the encrypted passcodes to access this site.” The website in front of us has a sleek modern design, all black and silver. It looks like a legit user-friendly site. I know where I got my love of graphic design from. My papa was clearly a very talented designer in his own right. My fingers itch to snoop around properly and work out how he put it all together.
Geovani’s smirk in my direction is filled with a subtle sense of understanding. “The way Stephano has it all set up, access is restricted and is on an invitation-only basis from referrals by existing users. It’s hosted by an offshore server, looks like it could be Costa Rica. We can all be grateful he thought that through, as they don’t have specific online gambling regulations. He’s also set it up so the URLs frequently change. Smart and should keep us out of trouble with the authorities for the immediate future. With all that being said, it’s a functioning live casino, that has been running in the background without his help since he met his demise.”
“Is it currently making money?” Marco asks, surprising me. Why is that important to him?
Geovani clicks on another page showing some graphs, and when I see the numbers under each month and how many zeros follow them, I swear my heart nearly stops. “Is that profit or turnover?” I squeak, covering my mouth in shock.
“Profit.” His lips turn up at the sides into a sinister grin. He’s loving every second of this. “Now you see why my pa was so desperate to get his hands on you, Red. This is life-changing stuff.”
I roll my eyes. Life-changing, right. Just look at me.
With a mischievous smile, Dani lightly swats my arm. “Oh, shit, girl, you’re a gazillionaire.”
“Not me.” I stare back at her, still not functioning properly with all those numbers swirling through my head.
“Yeah, Sis, this is all yours,” Marco agrees with her. His arm is draped over her shoulder as he watches Geovani flicking through the pages of the site. Every game you could imagine is there to play, along with what looks like some betting pages as well, and Marco seems impressed. Is this what Geovani enticed him in with, a promise of a piece of this?
I look between their ecstatic faces, waiting for the other shoe to drop. They all get a piece of this as well, right? “No, didn’t we agree to work together?” I ask, confused.
Geovani is done with his investigation and rolls his chair back to face me. “We agreed to the terms, and as stated in the contract, Dani and I will receive our share. But she’s right, you just became a very rich girl. Congratulations.”
I have to close my gaping mouth before everyone sees my bewilderment. I knew it had to be something insane for the stakes to be so high, but I never could have imagined it would be worth anything like it is. I see now why Geovani said it was taking a cut right from the casino. This is way more convenient and efficient. I register what he just said, that it’s all mine, and I immediately turn to my brother. “Marco as well, it’s all his money too,” I correct Geovani. “Dani, did you get that attorney to fix up the paperwork?”
“Sure did. Marco just has to sign it.”
“If that’s what you want, Lana,” Marco says in a way that makes me feel strange. Over the last few months, he’s distanced himself from me more and more. This feels like another step away. Like he thinks it’s mine and I would keep him from it. But I have no need for all that money, nor do I want it.
I lock eyes with him, my gaze unwavering, as I try to convey my intentions. He’s my brother, I love him no matter how he feels about me. I would give him every cent in my bank account if it made him happy. “Of course it is. This is our legacy; I don’t care who our papa signed it over to. This is yours as much as mine.”
He nods and I can feel his gratitude toward me. But why wouldn’t I be including him? Despite being double-crossed by our papa, he has gone above and beyond to keep me safe.
Dani takes my hand, pulling my attention back to her. “Girl, we need to plan a shopping trip,” she squeals, clapping her hands with excitement.
“Have you forgotten I have two mafia families after me?” I sigh. All the money in the world can’t buy me freedom. I’m still trapped here in this apartment, with people out there just waiting to kill me.
“You two have work to do.” Geovani smirks at her, and I can see even he was surprised at how lucrative the business is. All his Christmases have come at once. I wonder what the boys would make of all this.
Dani leans her head into mine, like we’re conspiring against Geovani. “After work today, you, me, and my laptop are taking you shopping. Even if it has to be online. You can’t keep wearing my hand-me-downs forever.” She rolls her eyes toward him as she takes off for her desk.
I glance down at the dress I’m wearing, playing with the soft almost jet-black fabric; I hadn’t considered where it came from. It was my size and in the wardrobe in my room, so I put it on this morning. Wasn’t like I had a whole lot of choices. The slip I arrived in was destroyed, and I couldn’t really do another day in the yoga pants and tank I found on the end of my bed. The underwear I found all still have tags on them, so at least I know they were new.
“After work and our training session, you two can do whatever you want. But for now, I need both of your help with this. Dani, you know that list of clients you have, get on to them, I’ll send you the link,” Geovani calls to her, and just like that, I have been dismissed.
“Done.” Dani smiles cheekily. She’s way too excited about this. I, however, want to know why Marco looks like he’s seen a ghost. Maybe he feels just as overwhelmed by all this as me. Or maybe he’s just worked out how much trouble we’re in if Carlo ever works out what we did.
I touch his arm, pulling him from his daze. “Marco, can we talk?” I ask softly, not even sure how to approach my brother anymore.
He looks to Geovani for the okay. I shake my head. Why is he being such a suck-up to these two? What does Geovani have over him?
Five , Geovani motions with his hand. I take off out of the room, immediately wondering where the hell I can talk to Marco privately. After our conversation last night, I’m positive Geovani is watching every room in this place and is probably listening to every word said as well. I want a second’s solitude with my brother. Marco follows me, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. I’m sure I’m on my way to crazy town. I shove open the sliding door of the balcony, scanning the perimeter for any signs of cameras. I can’t spot any, but Geovani’s so shifty, I’m sure he has some invisible spy device hiding up there somewhere.
Marco closes the door, leaning against it, waiting for me to talk. He was always one to listen more than speak. He’s a watcher, sees what’s going on around him, notices things others would never see.
I pace the massive, tiled balcony, too much nervous energy running through my body. “How do you wrap your head around all of this? I can’t. I feel like my head is going to explode.”
He takes my arms, preventing me from moving. “Lana, just stop. I need to talk to you, and we don’t have a lot of time.”
“He’s bugged the place,” I warn him before he says too much. “I’m pretty sure anyway, so be careful what you say inside and probably out here as well.” I keep searching even though I don’t spot anything.
He nods, and I know he agrees with me.
“How do we turn what we just saw inside into a way out of here? I want to disappear, Marco, take you with me. Go somewhere low-key where we can be safe from this life.”
His practiced facade starts to slip as he takes my hands in his. I stare into his big brown eyes; they make me want to cry. I’m ready to completely fall apart. “It’s a nice dream, Sis, but it’s not possible. I couldn’t leave Dani behind.”
“So that’s a thing now?” I mutter, already knowing it was; it’s obvious watching them together. After what she told me the other day, I knew. I guess it’s good to hear he feels the same way about her. Even if I’m alone in my quest to escape.
“It is. I wouldn’t walk away from the boys or Geovani, not now. They need us. Can you truthfully tell me you could happily leave them for good? Could you really run away, never looking back now with everything you know? We’re not the only ones trapped in this life, they all are, we have to help them.” My brother has a heart of gold. I have no idea where he got it from because it clearly wasn’t our papa. But I’m grateful he cares so much about his brothers and Dani.
I sigh heavily, the weight of this situation bearing down on me. My eyes meet his, searching them for answers. “I’m scared. That kind of money turns people batshit crazy. Carlo will find us, and then what? Not to mention when Enzo works out you’ve been hiding me out here. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because of me.” My bottom lip trembles at the thought. The thought of losing him again sends a shiver down my spine, reminding me of the pain I felt before.
“Our security is the best in the country, Sis, they can’t get to us here,” he reminds me with confidence.
I pull out of his grip, pacing again. “I don’t feel safe. What if there is a fire, one they set to smoke us out of here or a bomb. Or a sniper sitting in the apartment across from us. Or…”
He takes my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. “Sis, stop spiraling. You have to trust us, we have this under control. You’re safe, Geovani would never let anything happen to you, okay?”
I stare back at him, my breathing ragged and out of control. Not sure if I’m about to have a panic attack or just drop dead from being so fucking stressed out. His hand comes to my back where he rubs slow gentle circles. “But you’re the one who said he destroyed his first wife,” I whisper, remembering our conversation in the bathroom back at the safe house.
“What I told you was wrong. Just breathe, you’re okay,” he tells me in a calm voice. It covers me like a blanket, transporting me back in time to when the two of us were younger. This is the big brother I know. My protector, and I realize that maybe it wasn’t just him who pulled back, it was me as well. I have been so preoccupied with my situation, I hadn’t thought about how he was coping.
I focus on the touch of his hand, letting him bring me back to the present. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight to his chest. “This isn’t your doing.”
“I know, but I’m sorry he did this to us,” I mumble into his shirt.
He hugs me tighter. “I know, so am I.” We stay like this for some time. I don’t want to let him go. Or go back inside and face Geovani again. He wants me to be so strong all the time, but I’m not. Sometimes it’s hard to pretend.
As he pulls back from me slightly, I notice a subtle change in his body language. “We have another problem,” he says softly. “The boys want to see you, and from what I heard, Alex isn’t taking no for an answer anymore.”
My skin prickles. “I thought he didn’t know I was here with you,” I mutter, not sure how I feel about seeing the man who lied to me for his own gain.
“He doesn’t, but it’s making him irrational and more aggressive than normal. I talked to Maddox this morning. I need you to convince Geovani it’s a good idea to meet with them on neutral ground. He’s desperate to see you. Everyone is concerned he’s going to do something stupid if he doesn’t.”
“Oh great, how am I supposed to do that?” I throw my hands up in the air, stepping out of his hold and heading to the edge of the balcony. Looking out over the view below, cars race by, the beep of their horns and the hum of engines a whir of energy I long to be a part of. I can’t stand being stuck in this place, locked up in a tower just watching the world go by. Having to ask for permission just to leave.
I feel his arm press into mine as he leans into the balcony. “Use your charm, little sis. You have four grown men wrapped around your little finger. I’m sure you can work out how to make it happen.” I feel his shoulder stiffen, something shifting in his demeanor.
Glancing over my shoulder, I find Geovani standing in the open doorway with his arms crossed over his puffed-out chest. We’ve clearly taken longer than we should. “I’ll see what I can do,” I mutter over my shoulder as I wander back toward my furious boss.
I go to pass him so I can get back to work, but he snatches my wrist, pulling me back to face him. His lips drop to my ear. “First warning, Red. Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to get to three.” He sounds really pissed, and I don’t think it’s from how long we took. Nope, he was fucking listening to our conversation, and he knows I want to run. Asshole!
My eyes meet his, and just for fun I run my tongue along the bottom of my lip seductively. He shouldn’t say stuff like that to me if he doesn’t want me to mess with him. He might be pissed with me, but I’m furious with him for invading my privacy again. “I look forward to pissing you off some more and finding out,” I throw back at him, pulling my arm free as aggressively as I can. Fuck him.
“You just earned yourself a second.” He sneers, looking all too pleased about it.
“Oh goodie, I’m getting closer then.” I flip him the bird and smirk as I walk away. I don’t miss the way his lips twitch at the sides. I’m pushing him, and he fucking loves it. I really do have issues with authority and bossy assholes who think I have a daddy kink. I mean, he’s almost old enough to be my daddy, but the last thing I need is some other asshole bossing me around. I get it, he’s trying to protect me, and he’s pissed because the first thing I wanted to do when I heard how much money we now have is run the fuck away from this place.
I sit back at my desk and let my fingers glide over the keypad. I want fucking answers, and since I now have access to the internet, and no one will fill me in on anything of importance, I intend to find them myself. The first name I type in is Enzo Moretti.