2. Theá
Chapter two
Theá
“Y ou’ve been swimming laps the entire morning, don’t you want to take a break?” I yell as Noelle comes up for air.
She shoots me a glare before submerging under the water again. She asked me to come out here to ‘spend time together’, but hasn’t said a word to me yet.
“Noelle, I’m going to my room since you don’t actually want to spend time together,” I say.
“God, you’re so obsessed with me,” she says with a sigh before she bursts out laughing. “I’ll be out in a second, Theá. Relax.”
I’m not usually this clingy over my sister, but I know how important it is to spend time together, especially since she usually doesn't have much free time when she’s home from college. A part of me is just glad that she should be home more, now that she’s graduated.
“You’re the one who asked me to come out here? I’m pretty sure you’re the one obsessed with me ,” I fire back.
“You two argue like husband and wife.” Jacques, our chef, walks out, placing down plates of our lunch. Noelle’s taste buds never developed past chicken strips and chips when she was ten, so even now, at twenty-one, she still swears by having it for lunch every day. Jacques places down a wrap for me.
“Jacques, can we get some water as well, please?”
“Of course, Miss Auclair.”
“Food’s here!” I yell, and suddenly Noelle decides to take an interest in me.
The next second, she’s dripping water all over me and my new copy of Lethal Infatuation by Isabella Amaryllis.
“Hey, watch it! Go drip on your towel!” I yell.
“Theá, aren’t your days so much brighter now that I’m home from school for the summer?” Noelle asks.
“No.”
Yes.
My days are always better when my sister is home from boarding school in Paris. The house is even brighter. Usually, it’s just me, the boys, and whatever men my father has on guard, but they barely speak to me. So, as much as Noelle irritates me, I’d rather be in her company when she’s home than alone like I usually am for the other days of the year.
“Well, you’ll be here all the time now that you’ve graduated from university.” I look up at her.
A chicken strip drowned in mayo freezes mid-way to her mouth. “About that…”
My heartbeat increases. I was so excited to finally have her around more permanently, but I should’ve known it was too good to be true.
“I’m going back to study my masters…” she trails off.
Fucking genius.
As long as it’s for studying, my father will let her stay away from home. And away from home means just slightly more freedom, because he won’t be directly breathing down her neck.
“What are you going to do it in?” My voice cracks towards the end of the sentence, and immediately she looks up at me with concern.
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you yet.” She sighs.
“I’m fine, I promise.” I focus on my wrap.
“You know it’s not because I don’t want to see you. I just don’t want to be here…” she whispers.
And I don’t blame her. I don’t want to be here, either. No one other than my younger brother Kylian does, and that’s only because he has the new, shiny badge of underboss, thanks to my older brother, Pierre, getting ‘demoted’.
“There’s my favourite siblings,” his voice rings out.
Speak of the devil and watch him appear.
“I’ll tell you more later, no one else knows,” Noelle whispers as Pierre approaches us.
“Who’s in the mood to head into town?” he asks, clear overexcitement leaking into his words.
Noelle and I stare at Pierre with a mixture of alarm and confusion. “But Dad said no trips to town until next week,” Noelle says.
“Slight change of plans, we’re going shopping.” And with that, Noelle dashes off.
“I don’t want to go,” I snap, grabbing my book.
“Stubborn as ever, Theá.” He sits down on the lounger next to me, but immediately jumps up when he feels how wet it is. “It’s not an option, it’s an order straight from Daddy dearest himself.”
“What are you now? His messenger pigeon?”
“I prefer hawk,” he counters back.
“What doesn’t he want us seeing this time? Torture? His new side piece?” I ask, my mouth full of food while I lower my sunglasses and stare up at him.
“For a Mafia princess, you’re disgusting. No wonder no one wants to date you.” He pulls his face in disgust.
“No.” I hold up a finger. “No one wants to date me because I’m Theá Auclair , daughter of Gabriel Auclair, the current head of the French cartel. And besides, I never leave the house enough to meet anyone, anyway.”
“And yet you’re turning down the opportunity to do that exact thing.” This statement has me freezing with my wrap halfway to my mouth.
I ponder the offer a bit more. Getting out of the house probably isn’t the worst idea in the world.
“Take me to that bookstore on Rue Paradis , and I’ll agree.”
“Deal. Now go and change.”
I look down at my denim shorts and bikini top, and contemplate going like this. But I know my father will have me back home before I even reach the front gates. Even at twenty-four, he still controls my outfits.
I’m up the stairs and slipping on my favourite black dress minutes later, pairing it with my usual Jadon Dr. Martens. Loud chatter erupts from downstairs, and I suspect whatever my father didn’t want us seeing has just arrived. I head over to the window and look down at the five black vans parked in the driveway in front of the manor.
Who could they possibly have in there that needs this many guards?
Kylian gets out first, followed by a tall, muscular man in purple swim shorts. I furrow my brows as he shakes his head, his dark brown curls tossing lightly as he does, before taking in his surroundings. He’s nearly two heads taller than Kylian and has muscles nearly double that of Kylian, as well. Yet he seems to be complying with whatever my brother is saying. My eyes trail over his torso and notice a black spider at the centre of his chest.
What a peculiar tattoo. I wonder what gang he’s part of.
His head shifts and I swear it feels like his eyes lock with mine. I know it’s impossible, especially since my father had the windows outfitted with one-way tint. But the way his icy, green eyes look at my window, I swear he’s looking right at me.
“What are you looking at? We’re all waiting for you,” Pierre says, dragging me away from the window and the mesmerising gaze of the stranger.
“What? I’m ready. I just need my headband.” I snatch my baby yellow headband off my dresser and follow Pierre downstairs and into the garage—a strategic way to avoid the entire front of the house.
Ten minutes later, we’re dropping Noelle at the main entrance of the mall.
“Don’t spend all your money at Sephora. We’ll meet up with you in an hour!” Pierre yells after her, but she’s already gone.
A guard stalks after her, disguised to the unsuspecting eye, but clear as day to anyone in the cartel.
“Who is the man Kylian brought home?” I ask as we drive off.
“Wow, nothing gets past you, hey?”
“Tell me…” I whine.
“I thought you didn’t care about what Dad was busy with?” He grins.
“I don’t. But when the guys are that attractive, I want to know.”
“Trust me, you don’t.” Pierre sighs.
“At least tell me what he did?” I bargain.
“No. Trust me, you don’t want to know, Theá.” His voice turns cold.
“Why’s he at the house? Dad never brings them to the house.”
“He has a meeting with Dad and Kylian.”
“Why aren’t you there?”
“You know why…” He looks over at me.
My father found Pierre hooking up with his best friend, Sixtine, and declared that he would rather the title of underboss go to my bloodthirsty younger brother, Kylian, than Pierre.
“So instead, you’re on babysitter duty?”
“No place I’d rather be.” He smirks as we pull up at the bookstore a few streets away from the mall.
“Yeah, because it’s the perfect excuse to hook up with that guy again,” I say, and he simply holds a finger up to his lips in response.
“Okay, I’ll be ready in about two hours, so pick up Noelle first.” I chuckle.
“Two hours? What do you do in there?” He furrows his brows as I get out.
“Make the Auclair name proud and trade cocaine,” I deadpan. “I read, you idiot.” I roll my eyes and slam the door shut.
I stare at the large face brick building. Les Feuilles d’Or is my favourite bookstore. Mainly because it has a cute little café owned by this elderly couple, not to mention a library section where you can just sit and read for hours. Then there’s the reason I’m here. They have one of the largest romance sections in all of France. All from young, up-and-coming authors, both self-published and traditionally published. A little bit of everything for everyone.
I walk in and the small bell rings, announcing my entrance. The café is busy as usual, and I’m able to slip in unnoticed.
That’s what I love about coming here. Aside from the large man who will follow me through the front doors in about four seconds, nothing else makes me feel like Gabriel Auclair’s daughter. I feel like me, I feel like Theá.
I make a beeline for the new release section, and scan the shelf for a cover that catches my eye. Numerous books do—as they usually do—and I grab them, ready to read the blurbs and decide which ones I’ll be adding to my never-ending pile of books that I want to read.
The crackle of a nearby TV draws my eyes up.
Breaking News flashes along the bottom, and the smallest gasp leaves my lips when I see a picture of the pretty, green-eyed stranger from earlier.
ANTONIO VITALE CFO OF VITALE HOLDINGS DECLARED MISSING.
Fuck.
My father didn’t just kidnap any handsome, green-eyed stranger. He kidnapped the green-eyed stranger. Antonio Vitale is Italy’s golden child, the angel of all angels. And somehow, Mr. Perfect has managed to land himself on the devil’s doorstep.