Chapter 19
Vienna
“You know what you did,” I huffed the next morning when Dante tried to offer me a coffee. “You all know what you did.”
“I don’t recall doing anything.”
“Oh, do you not, Dante? Because I recall you bringing that menace into our lives,” I replied, pointing an accusatory finger at Rachel.
“Drink your coffee and shut up,” Dante said, shoving the scalding cup into my hands.
“Grow up, Vienna,” Rachel said, hiding her grin behind her cup. “What’s a little taser amongst friends?”
“Shh,” Steph mumbled, face down on the table, her arms wrapped around her head.
“Don’t start the shushing nonsense again,” Gabriella told her, rolling her eyes. “It was bad enough last night, it was even worse when Rachel and Dante snuck down here this morning—thank you so much for putting pants on, by the way.”
Both Rachel and Dante raised their cups in a silent “you’re welcome” and then smirked at each other.
Gabriella shook her head. “And it’s somehow even more annoying now. No more shushing.”
“New girl is demanding,” Rachel muttered. But it wasn’t malicious, she was smiling, talking to Gabriella like she was an old friend.
I caught Gabriella’s eye from across the table and shot her a small wink, ignoring the way my dick tightened as a blush spread across her cheeks.
“You both had no pants on?” Steph asked, her words muffled and mumbled.
“Of course that’s what you focus on,” Rachel laughed.
“I’m consistent,” Steph said, and then wrapped her arms around her head even tighter.
“What on earth possessed you to taser him, though?” Imogen laughed, coming into the room. “Jade rang me and told me all about it.”
Steph didn’t utter a word. She simply raised her hand in the air, dropped her wrist and pointed in the vague direction of Rachel.
“Oh, that’s nice, isn’t it? Blame me. It’s your taser, Steph!”
“Monster’s,” she mumbled.
“Sorry, pardon, what was that?” Rachel muttered.
“It’s Monster’s,” Steph snapped, raising her head for a split second before face-planting the table again.
“What’s Monster got a taser for?” Ant asked, bouncing a grouchy Axel on his shoulders.
“I don’t see how any of this is important,” I said. “What’s important is that Rachel was the one to do the actual tasering.” I approached her chair, gripping the back of it.
Grabbing a wooden spoon, I quickly bent low, twisted my head and put my face right up to hers. “What is your defence?” I asked, using the spoon as a microphone.
“Vienna,” she spluttered, batting me away with her hands. “Vienna, I can’t breathe through this stupid beard. Get it out of my fucking face.”
“Shan’t,” I replied, picking up my braided beard and hitting her in the face with it.
She stabbed me in the leg with a butter knife.
“Fucking hell,” I gasped, hopping back. “Are you forgetting I am on death’s door? The only thing keeping me upright is morphine and—”
“Doc gave you two paracetamol and told you to get over it,” Gabriella said.
“Talk about betrayal,” I gasped. “After I rescued you and everything.”
“Technically, she rescued herself,” Ant said.
“Is there not a rule that only residents of the house can be here for breakfast?” I asked, ignoring Ant.
“I’m resident babysitter for the morning. Heather is taking Bee to school.”
“Isn’t that a job for her mother?” I replied.
“Should be,” Ant said, placing Axel in his highchair. “If said mother wasn’t banned from the school.”
“You’re banned, Rachel? Why?” Gabriella asked.
“She’s psychotic,” Dante said simply.
“Hear, hear,” I said, raising my cup in salute.
“I’m not psychotic. Excuse me for trying to inject a little humour into this place.”
“Since when were you funny?” Dante asked.
“I thought you brought more murder to this place, personally,” Ant said.
“Oh, here we go again, bringing up ancient history,” Rachel muttered.
“I’m not,” I said. “I’m bringing up recent history. As recent as last night. But if you were to ask my poor bollocks, they’d say it’s not history at all. They’re still tingling.”
“Go have a wank then and shut up,” Steph muttered from the table.
“Look, it got out of hand. I don’t know how it happened, honestly. I only had four beers. I didn’t know four was taser territory.”
“Rachel, darling, dearest…” Dante laughed. “I once saw you pick a fight with your own reflection after two. As far as I’m concerned, any amount of beer is taser territory.”
“Maybe Stoic deserved it,” Rachel muttered.
“Stoic? Who the fuck is Stoic?” I asked.
“Err... How to Train Your Dragon—that Stoic? Come on, Vienna, we’ve watched this with the Axe-man at least ten times.”
“Me?” I spluttered. “You’re calling me Stoic the Vast? If anyone is Stoic, it’s him,” I said, pointing at Dante. “I mean, look at the fucking size of him.”
“He is pretty big,” Rachel said, practically licking her lips as she looked him up and down.
“Fuck me, I think I’m pregnant,” Gabriella muttered, watching the way Dante glared back at her. Rachel broke the eye contact and offered Gabriella a smug smirk.
“No, no,” I warned. “No, no, no. Do not let your hormones distract from the point. Why is he not being called Stoic? This man right here,” I said, walking over to Dante and gesturing wildly at him. “The man who has to walk through doors sideways. He’s fucking Stoic.”
“I only came here for a coffee, for fuck’s sake. Why is it like this every morning?” Dante muttered.
“See! He’s even grumpy like Stoic.”
“You are pretty grumpy,” Gabriella nodded.
“Hear, hear,” Steph said. Or at least I think that’s what she said. Her face was still flat on the table.
“True,” Rachel said. “But Dante doesn’t have the shit beard to be Stoic.”
“That’s a very good point,” Gabriella nodded, catching my eye and biting her cheek to stop herself from laughing.
“Shit beard…” I squeezed the bridge of my nose and took a deep, calming breath. “Dante,” I said from behind my hand.
“Nope.”
“How attached are you to your old lady?”
“Pretty attached.”
“Ha!” Rachel said. “Unlucky Vienna.”
“I mean… I’m not ‘stand at her window and stalk her for a decade’ attached, but still… she’s nice enough.”
“Dante!” Rachel gasped.
“What?”
“You can’t say things like that!”
“Why not?”
“Because Gabriella is sat right here.”
“Gabriella doesn’t care, do you, Gabby?”
“I—”
“Attagirl,” Dante interrupted as Gabriella tried to speak.
“Fine. But you’ll hurt Stoic’s feelings.”
“Couldn’t give a fuck about Stoic’s feelings.”
“Right!” I snapped. “That is fucking it! Where is Pivot with that damned suggestion box? I’m getting that film banned from the entire compound!”
“Why?” Gabriella asked.
“Seems like an overreaction to me,” Dante said.
“He’s probably just scared that if people watch it too much, they’ll start asking him for his autograph.”
“Hahaha,” I said, walking over to Rachel. “Ahahaha. Hahahaha. Everything you say is just so funny.”
And then I grabbed her in a headlock and nuggied the shit out of her.
“Stop!” Rachel screeched through her laughter. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
“I don’t believe you,” I said, doing it even harder.
“None of you are being very quiet,” Steph muttered. She had now raised her head and was propping herself up with her chin in her hand.
“Vienna!” Rachel hissed, slapping at my body and trying to dig her nails into my stitches.
“You vicious little cow,” I laughed back. “I thought we were hair buddies?”
“Boss?”
We all paused at the breathless voice as Riley ran into the kitchen.
“Boss, you’re gonna want to see this.”
“What’s happened?” Dante asked.
I let go of Rachel and my eyes immediately went to Gabriella. She looked at me, as though seeking reassurance, and I walked over to her, standing slightly in front of her as though the mere presence of my body could protect her from whatever Riley had to say.
“Hacksaw captured Nico’s vice.”
Dante laughed, and in that one sharp noise, the entire atmosphere of the room changed.
It became colder. More cruel.
“Where is he?” Dante asked.
“He’s in the garage.”
“Vienna?”
“Already on it. Rachel?”
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” she promised.
“Gabriella?” I said, looking down at her.
“I’ll be fine, Vienna,” she said quietly, swallowing heavily. “Do what you need to do.”
I continued staring at her for a few long seconds, seeking any hidden emotion in her eyes before eventually nodding.
“Whilst they’re busy, I’ll tell you about the time Dante and Vienna kidnapped one of my groomers, and Vienna tortured him with a sock.”
I walked out of the room, shaking my head.
“She’s going to explain the whole sock situation, right?” I asked Dante as we stepped into his office and geared up. “Like, she’s going to explain that the sock acted as a weapon and a packed lunch box?”
“Vienna,” Dante sighed. “There’s no explaining you. And knowing Rachel, she’s not even going to try.”