Chapter 25
Gia
Marco and I stare at one another across a coffee table, while Castor’s still waiting outside. And his disturbing threat makes me want to call the cops on him here and now. A bullet will come? Who the hell says that?
“If you don’t walk away, you’re going to get hurt. I can’t do that to Mom.” The sadistic humor leaves Marco’s voice. “I’m your protector.”
“You’re threatening to kill a man I love,” I say, holding back tears.
“Because I know what will happen if I don’t. He’ll break you.”
I lean forward. “I’m tougher than you think. I grew up with you as my goddamn brother, remember?”
He smirks at that. “Yeah, you’ve seen some shit. But you ran far away from it. Now you’re jumping in with open arms?” He shakes his head. “Like an infatuated teenager, all over again.”
My jaw grinds at that. I know it’s more than infatuation. We care about each other, even if we’re in the fast lane. It’s real.
“Let us live, Marco. I’m begging you. Don’t make it uglier than it already is.” I present his beaten-up face.
He sniffs and leans back. The cogs are turning behind those glossy eyes of his. Maybe he’s finally realized he’s not going to get anywhere by beating his demands into me. “I’m going to keep a close fucking eye. That brother of mine really crossed the line this time. I’ll never trust him again. You know that, right?”
I avert my gaze, nodding. “We should’ve told you. But it’s your hot ‘Hairtrigger’ head that made us both hesitant.”
“Still fucked up.” He slaps his knee and gets to his feet. “I’ll back off, for now. But I won’t fucking like it.”
A smile forms on my lips. “Oh thank God.”
That twisted smile of his returns. “Don’t thank him yet. I expect a pretty big fuck up any day now.”
“Marco. Stop.” I get to my feet.
“Someone’s got to warn you.” He struts over to his front door, opens it, and slaps his leg. “C’mon, pup. Hah, feels good to reverse the roles.”
Castor steps in and shoves Marco playfully. “We’re all settled then? You warned your sister how terrible I am, and now?”
“Something like that.” Marco licks his teeth. “Now what kind of host would I be if we didn’t toast such a budding relationship. Wine?”
“You’re a sick fuck.” Castor plops on the couch and drags me back down with him. “I’ll take a scotch.”
xxx
Later that night, Castor dropped me off at my apartment, leaving to meet up with Big Ace. Honestly, I hoped he’d stay over and rest up given our crazy night, but business calls… I guess.
Marco’s voice replays in my head, about how Castor is a terrible man. I mean yeah, duh, he kills people in some pretty gruesome ways, but I kind of believe I’m his saving grace.
Am I being a starry-eyed imbecile? It wouldn’t be the first time I screwed up with a boy – as my jerk of a brother pointed out – but Castor, he seems different.
I turn on the TV and scroll through my streaming services to find a Friends rerun that will put my mind at ease. Yeah, the one where Chandler rekindles with Janice. That works. I smile as the opening music plays and dip my brush to try a landscape for the first time in forever.
As I’m brushing out a stream in a valley of mountains, I giggle thinking about how Castor called me Bob Ross with titties one night. He makes me laugh often. Though… maybe that’s a charm he uses with all his women? Marco has a point; he knows Castor best. I could be one of many. He could have a whole other family for all I know.
C’mon, Gia, you’re being an idiot. He’s crazy about you.
I wrinkle my nose in embarrassment. Why am I letting my crazy ass brother get into my head? He rammed his car into ours.
Maybe he’s seen things that he’s not telling me outright. That’s probably why he asked about our timeline, and shortly after, told me a bullet is coming.
Shit!
My heart starts racing as my painting grows more erratic. What the heck is he doing at parties with his crew? Maybe he’s bidding on women for a nice night out. Men like him always have sidepieces.
One look down at my wrist calms me slightly. The diamonds sparkle whenever I dip my brush – that bracelet is gorgeous. I think of him standing over the jeweler as he molds the ‘CG’ into a clasp. Such care and craftsmanship. Of course. He’s a capo. And he loves me.
A million thoughts scroll through my head – maybe I should invite Stacey over for some laughs to calm my nerves, or maybe I should go to the damn doctor and get tested. My brow furrows with concern. I fuck him raw every time.
And with that trail of thoughts, I start getting horny all over again. Look, when you hit a dry spell like I have – and I don’t mean from lack of sex, but rather from being dry because the men are so damn boring – then a man like Castor can turn someone like me into a nymph.
Despite how his face was bloodied and bruised, he was hard as a rock just from looking at me.
By the time I’m done dealing with the whirlwind in my head, I finally look at what my hand has been doing. The landscape is dark with thunderous clouds. The stream between the valley looks like a wet vagina, and there’s blood rolling down a mountaintop. I’m like a corrupted carny. Jesus.
I crumple the work and throw it in the growing pile of bads.
After a scoff, I pick up my phone and dial Stacey. Her shift should be ending any minute now.
“Yeah, babe?” Stacey says – I hear bustling plates and kitchen staff in the background.
“Want some wine at my place?” I say.
“Ugh, yes! You would not believe the A-holes in the building tonight. Is it us, or is it the restaurant that attracts these tools?”
“Probably a bit of both,” I chuckle. “Come on by.”
It takes her about twenty minutes to wrap up her shift and drive on over to my place. I greet her with a loving hug. We’ve grown closer since skipping town together, and I feel like I owe her a great debt, because, well, I do.
“Oh lady,” she tells me when she drops her bag over the doorknob of one of my closets and rushes to my couch. “Let me tell you about my date last night.”
“Good?”
“Awful.”
“Oh, here we go. Another story of the swipe left files.” I grab a bottle of ten-dollar wine – our favorite – and bring two oversized glasses to the living room.
“Kay. His name was Jim – and I say was on purpose, cause he’s dead to me.” She lifts her glass to cheers me. “The dude picks me up at my apartment and asks if he could use my bathroom.”
I cover my mouth, expecting a horrible ‘number two’ story or something.
“Yeah,” Stacey eggs me. “He doesn’t come out for ten whole minutes, so I eventually knock on the door to ask if he’s okay. He bursts open the door butt-ass naked and puts his fists to his hips like superman.”
“Shut the hell up!” I laugh.
“And let me tell you, he was not superman.”
“He did the ‘Naked Man’ from How I Met Your Mother!” I immediately feel lighter hearing about this.
“Yeah, great, but it does not work two out of three times. Not with that guy. I slammed that door shut and considered throwing a match to the whole bathroom.”
I burst out laughing. “How—how did you get him out?”
“So… my neighbor left me a leaf blower.”
“Shut up.”
“Yeah, I plugged it in and blasted him until he ran down the stairs never to be seen again.”
We’re both cracking up at the ridiculousness of it, and I’m so happy I invited her over. After Marco and Castor nearly killing one another, twice, and my brother planting seeds of ruin in my brain, I needed this. But eventually, this question comes.
“So when are you going to hook me up with a real man. Speaking of, how are you and the gold jockey? King Castor, baby.”
I frown.
“Uh oh.” Stacey grimaces. “Did something happen?”
“Between him and I? Nothing bad, no. He said he loved me.”
“What? Oh my… King Castor said I love you?”
I turn away coyly, using my oversized wine glass to cover my face. “He did.”
“Tell me you didn’t say it back. Wait. Do you not feel the same?”
“I do feel the same, and I did say it back.”
“That frown still isn’t making sense, Gia.” She puts her glass down and leans over to shake my shoulders. “Make it make sense.”
“My brother.”
“Ugh, that fucking guy.”
“Yeah. He found out about us, and it was just about as bad as you can imagine. Gunshots, car chase, heavy threats.”
“No one got… got, right?”
I shake my head. “No, no. Just a lot of… dick swinging madness.”
She puts a hand to her chest and breathes out a sigh.
“They’re both pretty beaten up though.”
“Sorry to hear, sweetie.”
“Yeah. I guess they got the hard part out of the way, at least.”
“Is there something else?” She rubs my shoulder, reading me like a book.
“Marco… he said that Castor’s not a good person.”
Stacey glances at me like I’m the crazy one.
“No, I mean, to women.”
“He’s got a reputation. That whole damn crew does – ain’t no secrets there. But, you’re Gia Castellano. His best friend’s sister. He wouldn’t.” She shakes her head. “Right?”
“I—don’t know. They used to bring girls over to my parent’s house all the time when we were young. Now I’m wondering if they’re just paying for them to come. In and out. Easy. Am I a fool for romanticizing us?” I sip from my wine glass, my fingers absently twisting the bracelet around my wrist, failing at keeping my thoughts from wandering in twenty directions.
“Holy shit, that bracelet.” Her eyes widen, and I sink a little further.
“Do you think maybe… it’s a distraction?”
“God yes, but it could also be a symbol. What does your gut say?”
“It said all systems go… until my brother sat me down.”
Stacey pushes her lips to one side. “Hmm. What did he say, exactly?”
“Just general tendencies. Why?” I adjust in my seat to better face her.
“Maybe your brother was so mad… because he knows something directly.”
My cheeks fill with frustrated heat. “No. He’s just crazy. Hehas to be just crazy.”
“Okay, you know best.” Stacey shrugs one shoulder.
I turn away sharply, my mind racing. I’ve been blindsided in the past, feeling like I’m missing such obvious signs or red flags that everyone else could see but me. Not anymore. I pick my head up. “Tell me, Stace, what would you do if you were in my shoes. Be honest.” I hold her eyes to make sure she doesn’t flinch.
“Mm. Well, it’s Castor DeMatteo. I’d still stick around. What? Don’t look at me like that. It’s the honest truth. For you, though? You’re too beautiful for that. If he’s fucking someone else, let ’em have it, Gia.”
I nod. “Thanks, Stace. I think for once, I’m going to keep my eyes open.”