Victorious Vice (Bellamy Brothers #6)

29. Raven

29

RAVEN

A n hour later, a car pulls up. My father’s driver gets out and opens the door as I watch from the front window. My father emerges, along with another dark figure.

It’s Vinnie, just as Jared said.

I swing open the front door, but Jared waylays me. “Stay away from the door, Raven.”

“But it’s my father. And Vinnie. Neither of them will harm me.”

“I have my orders.”

I clench my hands into fists. I’m so tired of Jared and his orders. For a while, we were friends. Or I thought we were. Those three weeks we were holed up in the safe house together, we played a lot of chess, had a lot of good conversations.

He cooked some amazing dinners and so did I. He even served as a springboard for some of my ideas for the gala and the foundation as a whole, several of which I implemented this very evening.

I guess that’s over now.

I stand back, wishing I had taken the time to primp a little.

Then again, I’m still in my emerald evening gown.

Though it’s wrinkled, there’s not much that looks better than this.

The door opens, and Vinnie walks through, followed by my father.

How I ache to run into his arms. Pull his lips to mine and kiss him urgently.

But he doesn’t even look at me.

“Vinnie, do you know Jared, Raven’s bodyguard?”

“Yes, we’ve met.” Vinnie shakes Jared’s hand.

“Daddy, Vinnie, what’s going on?” I demand, placing my hands on my hips.

My heart is beating a mile a minute just being in Vinnie’s presence again. I ache between my legs for him.

“Jared tells me you want to go back to your house,” Dad says.

“Yes, and I don’t appreciate being held here against my will.” I cross my arms. “Falcon and Leif saw that I had the best security installed.”

“Yes, but Raven, your safety is paramount,” Dad says.

I look at Vinnie, pleading with my eyes.

“You don’t really expect me to disagree with your father, do you?” Vinnie says.

I drop my jaw.

“Well, no… I just guess…”

“Vinnie and I need to talk,” Dad says. “We have unfinished business to discuss. For now, Raven, I’d like you to stay here.”

“Where’s Mom?” I ask.

“She and Robin booked a suite at the hotel for the evening. She knew she’d be tired, and Robin and I thought that was best.”

“Why?” I dart my gaze around the room. “Why can’t my mother be in her home? What the hell is going on here, Daddy?”

“Let’s just all go to bed,” Dad says. “You and I will talk in the morning, Vinnie. It’s been a long night, and Raven, you especially had a big evening.”

“Stop coddling me!” I turn to Vinnie. “And before you say something, you stop coddling me too. You say you can’t be with me for my own safety. Why don’t I get a say in that, Vinnie? Why don’t I get a say in anything? All three of you think you know what’s better for me than I do.” I raise my arms to either side of my body. “I’ve got news for you. I’ve faced down worse enemies than any that are out there. Cancer had a gun pointed at my heart for three years, and I beat it.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Dad says. “If only it were that simple.”

I scoff. “Do you think anything about living with cancer has been simple?”

“You’re forgetting something, Raven,” he says. “You lived with it. It ravaged your body. You were the one who was sick in bed. But your mother and I lived with it too. For those three years, your cancer ate away at our bodies, too. Either one of us would’ve taken your place in a minute.”

“I fail to see what that has to?—”

“Raven,” Vinnie interrupts this time. “I understand what your father is saying. He’s saying he would’ve died for you in an instant, and so would I. And so would Jared.”

“Jared is paid well to protect me.”

“Doesn’t matter. He would still take a bullet for you. Cancer is anything but simple, but at least you had a chance against it. And you beat it.” He crosses the room, takes my face in his hands. “You don’t have a chance against a literal gun pointed at your heart, Raven. Or pointed at your head. Not with someone who’s ready to shoot. Who’s been paid to do a job.”

I slap his hands away from my head. “I’m still standing. No one has shot me yet.”

Vinnie sighs. “You know what? Your father’s right. We all need a break. Please. Go to bed.”

“I won’t sleep in that room,” I say.

“No,” Vinnie says. “Sleep in a guestroom. With me.”

My father steps forward then, his fists clenching. “You’re not going to sleep with my daughter in this house.”

“Fine.” Vinnie rolls his eyes. “Your house, your rules. But I agree with you. No one’s in any immediate danger here. Let’s call it a night. We can all figure things out in the morning. But I have a phone call to make first.”

“Vinnie…” I grab his arm.

He shakes his head. “It’s your father’s house, Raven. Please. Get some rest. Despite what’s been going on for the past couple hours, your gala was a huge success. Revel in that. You did it.”

“Robin and Emily did it,” I say. “I was stuck in the safe house.”

“We all know who did all the behind-the-scenes work, honey,” Dad says. “Vinnie is right. You need to rest.”

“Then I want Vinnie to stay with me,” I say adamantly.

My father shakes his head. “You know what? I’m too exhausted to fight you on it. You’re both adults. I’m too tired to care at this point. There are so many other things on my mind.” He looks toward Vinnie. “Do whatever you think is best. All I really care about right now is Raven’s safety.”

I absolutely hate that Dad is making this Vinnie’s decision, not mine. Taking the advice of a mob boss’s grandson over his own daughter’s. But I’ll take the win. And there are other concerns at hand.

“What about Mom and Robin? What about their safety?”

“They are safe. You don’t think I have security on them?”

I bite my lip. Of course he does. My father would not leave anything to chance.

He seems different, though. He’s always been an intelligent and self-assured man, but tonight he seems troubled. And not troubled in the way he was when I was sick.

No.

Something else is going on.

Vinnie has excused himself to make his phone call. He returns a few moments later.

“Come on.” He takes my hand. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’ll show you where you can both sleep,” Dad says.

I furrow my brow at him. “Daddy, I grew up in this house. I know where we can sleep. I’ll stay in the guestroom I used after Brick was killed.”

He sighs. “Fine. Vinnie, will you be staying with her?”

Vinnie looks at me, at my father, and then back to me. “I think…I should stay somewhere separate tonight.”

I grab his arm. “Vinnie!”

Dad nods. “You won’t get any pushback from me on that one. Vinnie, you can stay in Raven’s old room. Jared, I’ll show you where you can bunk.”

I shake my head. “I’m sleeping with Vinnie.”

“Raven.” This from Vinnie. “Let’s not tempt fate. You know you’re safer without me.”

I scoff. “This place is a fortress. Falcon and Leif installed the best?—”

He puts his fingers to my lips. “Things are going on that you don’t know about, Raven. It’s better that you remain in the dark.”

“Better for whom?” I demand.

“Better for everyone.” From my father.

But Vinnie doesn’t disagree.

I open my mouth to balk at all of it, but a huge yawn splits my face.

I truly am exhausted.

So I won’t fight it. They can have this battle. I’ll be victorious in the end.

Without further argument, I make my way to the guestroom. I peel the dress from my body, hang it in the closet, and head to the bathroom to take a shower. I wash the product out of my short hair, scrub my face free from the makeup and false eyelashes, and then just stand under the shower, letting it pelt me. We’re into the next day already. It’s after two a.m.

And as much as I want to know what’s going on, what I want more than anything at this moment is a soft pillow under my head.