28. Summer
Summer
“Why aren’t there price tags on any of these things?” I grumbled, shifting through the rack of clothing inside a store that was so fancy it required an appointment to even clear the front door.
“Because,” Gabi drew the word out. “If you need to ask the price, you can’t afford it. And you, my friend”—she slung an arm around my shoulders—“can definitely afford to buy out this entire store.”
“You mean Matteo can,” I countered.
My best friend rolled her eyes before gripping my left hand and bringing it into view. “See these sparkly diamonds? They mean you’re entitled to every penny in that man’s overflowing bank account.”
“Mildly ironic considering this whole thing started because I refused to accept his money.”
She arched an eyebrow. “If you could go back and do it all over again, knowing what you do now, would you accept that two hundred grand for the gift it was?”
I sighed, thinking about all I would have missed out on if I had never barged into Matteo’s office that day. I would never have become his wife, the mother to his two girls. I might never have experienced the power of unconditional love.
“No. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
A smug smile tugged onto her lips. “That’s what I thought. So get out of your head and forget about money, because that’s something you will never have to worry about again.”
That was a wild concept in and of itself.
Money—more specifically, the lack of it—had been at the front of my mind for as long as I could remember.
There were so many nights I went to bed hungry growing up because my mom burned through her paycheck at the bar, trying to pick up men, more interested in getting laid than taking care of her daughter.
Shopping for back-to-school clothes was done at thrift shops, and every year, I was forced to accept the generosity of teachers when they figured out we couldn’t afford to purchase the items on the supply list.
Could anyone blame me for struggling to wrap my brain around how fast my circumstances had changed?
Five months ago, I was working in a run-down diner, being sexually harassed by the patrons, scraping pennies together to pay rent on an apartment inside a building that probably should have been condemned.
Now, I was married to a billionaire whose fortune rivaled the GDP of some small countries.
On top of that, we hadn’t signed a prenup, so legally, I was entitled to half of his assets, even though he’d made it very clear that divorce would never be an option.
“Fine,” I grudgingly agreed. “Let’s shop.”
“That’s my girl.” Gabi bumped me with her shoulder. “Now, let’s give that no-limit credit card a proper workout.”
Matteo would probably regret agreeing to foot the bill on a shopping spree for me and my best friend, but some lessons needed to be learned the hard way.
“Arabella Reign?” I frowned up at the signage of a storefront without any street-facing windows.
Gabi linked her elbow through mine, smirking. “Matteo’s going to love me for this one.”
“Doubtful,” I muttered under my breath. The SUV’s trunk was bursting with shopping bags featuring designer logos, with the total cost of the contents quickly approaching six figures.
“Trust me.” She practically dragged me with her toward the intercom, where she pressed the call button.
Static crackled before a woman’s voice came through the speaker. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes, for Summer Bellini,” Gabi replied, giving my married name, which was still strange to hear out loud.
“Right, of course.”
A buzzer sounded, and Gabi pulled the door open before ushering me inside. When the merchandise came into view, I stopped short, causing my best friend to barrel into my back.
“Shit, sorry.” She grabbed my biceps when I stumbled forward.
Since there was a saleswoman quickly approaching, I threw on a fake smile while hissing through my teeth, “Did you seriously bring me to a lingerie store?”
“What’s the big deal?”
“My husband is not buying you underwear, Gabi.”
“Put your claws away,” she said in a placating tone. “This stop is all for you.”
I let out an unimpressed humph a split second before the saleswoman’s smooth voice purred, “Welcome to Arabella Reign. My name is Maya, and I’ll be assisting you today. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“Uh . . .” My eyes darted around the space. “Is it okay if we just browse for a bit?”
“Absolutely. I’ll bring over some champagne to sip on while you peruse.”
“Thank you.”
The minute she was gone, I turned to Gabi. “Can’t we just call it a day already?”
“Nope.” She popped the P.
Eyeing the display of see-through nighties to our right, I pursed my lips. “Don’t really see the point. Guys are usually more interested in what’s underneath the pretty packaging.”
A mischievous twinkle entered Gabi’s eyes. “Driving them insane in their attempt to get to that hidden treasure is half the fun.”
Guess I couldn’t argue with that. Matteo had shredded far more than his fair share of panties in his impatience to get inside me.
She grabbed an item that resembled a mess of tangled strings. “How about this one?”
My head tilted to the side. “I don’t even know which way is up in that thing.”
“Would you like me to help you try it on?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin when Maya appeared out of thin air behind me to make that offer. She handed us full flutes of champagne, staring at me expectantly.
“No, thanks,” I gave her a polite smile, and she retreated once more.
Unlike the other stores, the items inside this one featured price tags, and my eyes bugged out of my head when I saw the cost.
“Six hundred dollars for a piece of dental floss?!”
Gabi’s eyebrows rose, and just when I thought she was finally going to agree with me that these scraps of lace and silk were grossly overpriced, she chirped, “Ooh, it’s on sale!”
My palm smacked into my forehead.
I wasn’t sure I would ever feel comfortable with this kind of frivolous spending.
Not when I was constantly thinking about how far I could have made that six hundred dollars stretch a few short months ago.
Then there was the part of me that felt guilty about dropping more than most people made in an entire year in a single afternoon. It didn’t sit right with me.
Gabi must’ve seen that I was warring within my mind, and her tone softened. “Do you know how much the Bellini family funnels into charitable foundations every year?”
Hand lowering from my face, I blinked at her. “What?”
“Millions, Summer. They donate millions of dollars to worthy causes, both here in Chicago and around the world. Every. Year. Matteo has been particularly generous. When Serafina was in the NICU, he insisted on footing the hospital bill for every baby that shared that unit with his baby girl during those three months.”
Warmth filled my chest. Everything Gabi said reaffirmed that Matteo was the good man I knew him to be.
She gripped my shoulders. “I can only imagine how hard it is to accept being mega-rich after struggling for so long. But you’re allowed to enjoy spending it without guilt, knowing you’re also using it to make a positive impact in the world.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “You’re right. Just gonna take some getting used to, is all.”
“That’s fair. We did go a little extreme today, and I’ll take the blame for that. If you want to, we can walk out right now without spending a dime.”
“No, it’s fine.” I plucked the hanger holding the string monstrosity from her hands. “But this one is gonna be a hard pass.”
Her laughter filled the air, and she teased, “Was worth a try.”
We were halfway home after making a detour to drop Gabi off when my phone vibrated in my purse. Pulling out my cell, I checked the Caller ID and answered with a smile.
“Miss me already?”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” Gabi deadpanned. “Did I forget to grab the bag with my Sophie Callaway shoes? I was hoping to wear them out tonight.”
“Um, let me check. I’m gonna put you on speaker real quick.”
“Sure, that’s fine.”
As soon as I unlatched my seatbelt, Rico said from the driver’s seat, “Mrs. Bellini, I’m going to have to ask that you buckle back up.”
“In a second.” I jumped through the space between the captain’s chairs in the second row to reach the third row.
“Mrs. Bellini, I must insist.” His tone grew firm.
“I will. I promise. Right after I check—“ The car swerved, cutting off my words when I was flung across the seat, my ribs aching where I crashed into the opposite window.
“Buckle, now!” Rico shouted, and when I peeked up, I saw him trying in vain to steer the out-of-control car.
With shaky hands, I gripped the closest seatbelt and jammed the metal buckle into the latch. That’s when several pings caught my attention, and I saw starbursts scattered across the windshield.
Were those . . . from bullets?
What’s going on?“ Gabi was still on speaker, the phone having fallen to the floor out of reach. “Summer?”
Voice trembling, I replied, “I-I think someone is sh-sh-shooting at us.”
“Front left tire was shot out,” Rico confirmed.
“Oh my God,” my best friend breathed out.
“Call Matteo. Tell him we’re under attack and”—I swallowed thickly as tears burned behind my eyes—“tell him that I love him.”
“No, Summer. Don’t talk like that. You’re—“
“Call him now, Gabi! We don’t have time!” Desperation leaked into my tone as I screamed those words.
“Okay, okay.” That was all she said before the line went dead.
“Hang on!” Rico called out before the SUV hopped the curb and came to a stop so abruptly that my seatbelt cut into my chest.
Outside, horns blared from the angry drivers in passing cars. It was closing in on rush hour in downtown Chicago, and it was a damn miracle we hadn’t collided with another vehicle, or a pedestrian, for that matter.
My security guard’s head whipped around. “We need to move.”
Frightened out of my mind, I protested, “What? No! People are shooting at us!”