16. Arianna
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ARIANNA
I held my breath as I traced my fingers through every piece of equipment in the newly built planetarium-like observatory, gazing up at the glass dome.
After the endeavor in the woods last night, Gianna and Hannah insisted on dragging me to see a surprise .
So, here I was, staring in awe at the new structure.
“Dad did it,” Gianna announced, beaming like the sun. “Well, Dad, Matteo, and Mom coordinated.”
My lips parted in surprise as I gawked at the glass dome ceiling.
But now, I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
“He did it in secret, hoping you’d change your mind and attend D’Arc, but…” Hannah didn’t finish, nor did she need to. “Anyhow, you’re here now.”
“A year at Yale could have been a good experience,” Gianna stated, defending me. “Like the cherry on top for your experience.” If I’d known how it would all end, I would have given Yale a hard pass. I was content with online courses. “But no matter, you’re here now,” Gianna added.
“Yes, I am.” After all, I’d spent my undergraduate and most of my post-graduate years at D’Arc. It was almost a home away from home. “I can’t believe you two kept this from me,” I scolded, pulling them both into a hug.
“Dad swore us to secrecy,” Hannah declared.
“He didn’t want you to feel pressured or influenced when you made your decision,” Gianna explained.
“I see it didn’t take long for you to find yourself the astrophysics department’s most recent addition.” Cassius’s voice had my head whipping around. “Dad redid it so it’d have the same?—”
“Better,” Dominico amended, standing right next to his twin.
“Fine, better standards than Yale,” Cassius finished.
I found them leaning against the doorway opposite each other, hands in their pockets and legs crossed at the ankles.
“Do you like it?” Dominico asked. I nodded.
“Like it? I love it.” I let out a strangled laugh, emotions clogging my throat. “This observatory is even better than Yale’s.”
My siblings grinned, high-fiving each other.
“Matteo did all the research. He even gave Dad a list of materials and designs,” Hannah stated proudly. “He oversaw the build with Mom and Dad.”
For a moment, I ceased breathing. The last person I expected to be involved was Matteo. As far as I knew, he’d been helping his father run their empire while working on his own thesis for Harvard, hardly leaving him with a lot of free time on his hands.
Yet somehow he found it for you , my mind whispered softly.
“It’s beautiful,” I rasped.
Gianna clapped her hands, beaming happily. “Let’s call Mom and Dad.”
I fished my phone out of my pocket and FaceTimed them.
Dad answered on the first ring. “Everything okay, baby angel?”
My father’s sharp gray eyes zeroed in on me, evaluating me through the little screen, and I smiled.
“Why do you assume something is wrong?”
“Because it’s been twenty-four hours since Mom and I dropped you off. Usually you wait at least three days to call.”
My heart swelled as I remembered why I was calling. Nico Morrelli was the kind of man who effortlessly captivated attention with his raw power, but when it came to his family, he dropped everything and was putty in our hands.
“Everything is fine,” I assured him. “I just saw the observatory. I love it… a lot. Thank you, Dad.”
The lines bracketing his eyes eased and he smiled. “Your mom will be happy to hear that, and so will Matteo.”
I rolled my eyes. “It was all you and Mom, I’m sure.”
His gray eyes—the very ones used to intimidate even the toughest of men—softened. “I had the idea, but I’ll admit it was your mom and Matteo who researched it to no end and executed it.”
I pictured Matteo looking into telescopes to see the stars and planets, researching exhibits about space, and reviewing designs for dome-shaped ceilings, then shook my head. “Mom I can see, but him?—”
Gianna and Hannah pushed their faces into the screen.
“She’s too hard on him,” Hannah defended while a frown appeared between his brows. “Tell her, Dad. He worked at it day and night.”
“So did your mother,” Dad reminded her.
Gianna shoved her shoulder into Hannah. “That’s right. Just because you drool all over Matteo doesn’t mean he’s God’s gift to the rest of us.”
He inched closer to the phone, his expression serious. “Do you, Hannah?”
“Do I what, Dad?”
“Do you… drool all over him?”
Gianna’s and my faces scrunched in distaste at that image, but Hannah just flashed him a smile. “If you’re asking me whether Matteo is a gentleman, he definitely is. I’m sure he’s waiting for marriage to take… the next step.”
Just thinking about them together made me shiver, and I fought the urge to demand she tell me exactly how far they’d gone. Matteo assured me only days ago that there was nothing between them. For Christ’s sake, it was only two nights ago that he promised me… Fuck, what did he promise me?
Orgasms? Forever?
Damn, I didn’t like feeling so conflicted, and I certainly didn’t like that I was keeping these new feelings from my twin. I felt like the worst kind of traitor.
Matteo had gone radio silent on me and it left me feeling anxious. I couldn’t help but recall those filthy words he whispered in my ear, promising he’d be coming for what was his, and remember his breath against my skin. It made my heart tremble at the mere memory of it.
“I see,” Dad stated matter-of-factly, and I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he saw.
“What do you see, Nico?”
My dad’s harsh features eased as my mother came up behind him wearing an apron and kissed his cheek. Then she flicked a glance at the screen and her face brightened with a wide grin.
“Girls. I didn’t know you were going to call. Give me a minute and I’ll turn off the oven so we can chat. Where are the boys?”
I glanced up, finding the twins still leaning against the frame.
“We’re here, Mom,” Cassius shouted across the room to ensure Mom could hear him. “But we have an ammunition class we can’t be late for.”
“Actually, I have an English class coming up too,” Hannah added.
“Me too, Mom,” Gianna chimed in. “Arianna just saw the new addition, so we wanted to give you a quick call.”
“You love it, then?”
“Very much. Thank you.” I blushed a little, never one for being the center of attention.
“It should keep you busy and out of trouble for a while,” she teased. “Let’s try to keep any mischief to a minimum. Shall we?”
I flashed her a sheepish look. “I’ve been keeping trouble to a minimum.”
“Great, there go my plans down the toilet. I was about to rob a bank,” Hannah answered.
Dad shook his head. “All the money we have, and they grew up to be little thieves.”
“Nothing beats making our own money,” Hannah retorted.
“Stealing money isn’t exactly making your own money, Hannah.”
Gianna waved her hand. “You’re wasting your breath. It’s their extra-curricular activity. A hobby .”
“It proved quite a lucrative hobby,” I reasoned. Especially when we didn’t get caught. During our summer visit to Italy, we managed to rake in quite a bit of funding. Of course, we only stole from criminals, and most of the time we got away with it. Until we didn’t.
“The Italians wouldn’t agree with you,” Dad remarked dryly, reminding me of the summer we majorly fucked up.
Let’s just say that certain Italians—like Enrico Marchetti of the Omertà—weren’t amused when we stole from them. Thankfully, he had a wife with a sense of humor, and we had our dad and Uncle Luca who loved us.
“It wasn’t my fault. Enrico Marchetti is so… serious,” I muttered.
Dad shook his head disapprovingly.
“Okay, girls, get to class.” He pulled Mom around onto his lap, and she laughed. “Your mom and I have some baking to do.”
The line cut off, and I shared a look with my siblings.
“Yuck,” Gianna muttered. “Now I know what our parents are doing.”
“How do you think you came to be?” Cassius called out. “By Sancte Spiritus ?”
“I didn’t know you spoke Latin,” I remarked.
“Of course he does. Cassius knows it all.” Gianna flipped him off. “I would have you know that my sisters and I were immaculately conceived, while you two…”
My phone beeped with an incoming text message.
Dad: The Vitales are holding a party in a week. I’ve confirmed our attendance.
As we made our way toward the sciences building, my siblings argued as per usual, and somehow it felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
After classes and dinner, I showered, then changed into my comfiest pair of Gucci silk pajamas. Hannah did the same, hers identical but pink rather than the light green I wore. We lay on Hannah’s bed—since Francesca and I were stuck with bunk beds—on our stomachs with our legs in the air, checking our phones and scrolling through social media.
A post came up with a caption.
Swipe for the best way to get rid of a bod y.
My finger lingered for a fraction of a second before I continued scrolling, and a startling realization hit me. Maybe I was more like my adoptive father than I thought.
I threw my phone onto the nightstand and glanced at Hannah, who was still enthralled in hers. A glance at her phone showed her scrolling through Matteo’s Instagram. He didn’t believe in having a presence on social media and only kept it updated for appearance’s sake.
She paused on a photo of Matteo wearing a suit, sitting behind a desk. I couldn’t see what the caption said, but I could see Hannah’s typed reply before she clicked submit.
Hannah-cmv-4ever: Swoony, but too much vanilla makes for a boring sex life.
Staring at her phone with her lips curved into a soft smile and a mischievous expression on her face, the lead in my stomach grew heavy. My guilty conscience instantly flared, whipping at my insides.
Matteo’s whispered words played on repeat in my mind.
I want to see your graceful fingers wrapped around my cock. You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…
Shaking my head, I silenced my brain. I refused to acknowledge the feeling crawling inside me. Jealousy wasn’t me.
“Hannah, are you—” I cleared my throat, my sister’s eyes on me. “Are you having sex with anyone right now?”
“Well, not right now because I’m here with you.” She chuckled at her own joke.
I pushed my shoulder against hers. “Don’t be an ass. You know what I mean.”
She sighed, resigned. “I’m just… experimenting.”
My brows furrowed. “Huh?”
“There’s no harm in trying things out, you know?” I nodded, waiting for her to continue. “At least until I’m married.”
“But you’ll be faithful then, right?”
She didn’t miss a heartbeat. “If he is.”
“Fair enough.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me?”
“Ask you what?”
She burst into a giggle.
“Oh, Arianna. You must know that you’re the angel, and I’m the devil.” I shot her a blank look. “Maybe when you finally have sex, you’ll understand.”
I rolled onto my back, sarcasm lacing my voice when I uttered, “Yeah, with the long list of candidates that are waiting around to have sex with me…”
You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…
Damn him for infiltrating my thoughts so insidiously.
She rolled onto her back, and I could feel her eyes on the side of my face.
“I learned a secret, but you have to promise not to say anything or get angry.” I turned my face to her. “Can you do that?”
“Sure, I promise.”
She glanced around, although there was nobody else here. The girls were out shopping, and probably wreaking havoc at the stores.
“I asked Matteo to put out a widespread hands-off law around campus,” she whispered. “Anyone who dared to touch you or me”—she paused for a moment, eyes sharp—“would have to answer to him. Of course, so did our brothers, but remember when you got those tickets to see the season premiere of Bridgerton on Broadway? And you took that guy… Whatever his name was. Well…” She inched closer to me, her voice taking on a scheming edge. “Apparently, Matteo sent him to the hospital, and ever since…”
My breath whooshed out as I stared at my sister. “But I’ve been on dates since…”
“But none of them ever kissed you, did they?” She gave me a pointed look.
“Why would you demand that Matteo put a widespread hands-off on me, Hannah?” Her explanation felt off. Wrong. It made no sense that she’d ask Matteo for something like that. First, she was very much not afraid to go after anyone herself. And secondly, she was always nagging me about getting laid.
“You’re too sensitive.” Hannah's justification made no sense. “Besides, Matteo never confirmed he followed through and I couldn’t assume. I got my confirmation when I joined the Legacies. Some idiot was blabbing about it, not realizing who I was beneath all my makeup.”
You don’t think I’d let anyone touch what’s mine, Ari…
So Matteo wasn’t joking, but he left out one small detail. He had the same “hands-off” law for my sister. What was he doing? Weighing who the better option was?
Yet, even as those questions rolled through my mind, I knew it wasn’t how Matteo rolled. He wasn’t the deceitful kind. Yes, there were some red flags, but compared to the other Legacies, he was a saint.
“How are you having sex, then?” I asked.
She smiled smugly. “I know how to get around those idiot boys.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
She grinned. “Hey, didn’t Dad always tell us to work smarter, not harder?”
“True, true,” I snickered.
Both our phones chimed at that moment and I was about to reach for it when a commotion in the room next door stole my attention.
Gianna strolled in, smiling like she’d just uncovered the world’s best-kept secret, wearing a hot-pink miniskirt and white tank top that revealed her belly button piercing.
Hannah whistled her approval. “Get it, girl.”
I shook my head. “No, don’t get it. If Dad or our brothers see you in that getup, they’ll lose their shit.”
Gianna waved her hand nonchalantly. “That’s exactly why I ensured our brothers weren’t on campus. And don’t worry about Dad.”
Hannah laughed. I grimaced.
“Somehow I have a feeling there was no babysitting going on here while I was gone,” I muttered, except I wasn’t even sure who I was reprimanding.
My sisters shared a glance and alert shot through me. Hannah’s next words confirmed the reason to be suspicious.
“Gianna and I came to a mutual agreement.”
“What kind of agreement? The kind that will get you both killed?” I argued, pinning them both with a glare. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing. Just getting a little taste of freedom,” Gianna stated, taking a seat between us and throwing herself on her back. “If they continue to smother me, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“They’re doing it to protect you.” My gaze fell on the burn scar on her neck, a reminder of my own rebellion. “You didn’t see how they all fell apart. Mom, Dad…” Me.
My voice cracked, unable to find the words.
My sisters wrapped me in an embrace from their respective sides.
“You have to stop blaming yourself,” Gianna murmured in my ear. “I promise you, it’s not your fault. And I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. “I know, but if we hadn’t snuck out?—”
Her hand covered my lips. “Then it would have happened at some other time. They’d been watching and following us for months, sister. It was just a matter of time.”
“But they got to you . You were only fourteen, Gianna.” They should have never had a chance to get their hands on her.
“Arianna’s right,” Hannah grumbled, hiding the tremor in her hands as she wrapped her arms around herself. “That night… I almost ruined our family.”
“No, Hannah,” I shook my head. “I let go of her, and they got her. If I’d held on to her?—”
“Stop it, you two,” Gianna chimed in. Her expression was light, but no mask could hide the ghosts lurking in her eyes. “I’m here. I survived, and I learned to take care of myself.” She kissed me on the cheek, then cupped my face. Her bottom lip trembled, but there was determination in her—strength—that no number of ghosts could hide. “Besides, you came for me.”
My eyes flitted to the consequence of not listening to Dad.
“A lot of good that did,” I murmured.
She sat up, brushing her fingers over the scar. “Did you ever wonder why I refused the plastic surgery?”
I shook my head.
“Because I wanted everyone in this fucked-up mafia world we were born into to know I’ll never go down without a fight.”
“You mean it,” I whispered, seeing my sister as a grown, badass woman for the first time. She usually played the part of an innocent mafia princess, but it occurred to me now that it was all a front. Judging by the strength shining in her eyes, my baby sister might be the strongest one of us all.
“I do,” she declared. “And I won’t allow myself to be held back by anybody .”
“Okay, but you will let us know if you ever need us.” When she didn’t reply, I pinned her with my most stern look. “Promise me, Gianna,” I insisted.
“I promise.” She smiled softly, reverting back to her sweet, bubbly self. “But only if you stop feeling guilty about the kidnapping. Extinguish that shit from your mind and soul. Don’t think we haven’t noticed your nightmares.”
The worst thing about being close with your family: it was almost impossible to keep secrets. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I sat up and brought my knees to my chest.
“I’ll work on it,” I vowed.
Gianna jumped out of bed and padded to her snack cabinet. She opened it, reached for something, and whirled around with a jar in hand.
“Who’s in the mood for Nutella?”
Hannah and I rolled out of bed.
“Nobody sane ever says no to Nutella,” I mused, snatching the stash out of her hands. “I’ll share, but control yourselves, girls.”
“God help a man who ever attempts to steal your Nutella.” Hannah gave an evil laugh. “She’ll be the one to slash the man’s cock and feed it to him.”
Gianna’s body shook and I pinned her with a stare. “Are you laughing?”
“No—” Then she folded over, holding her belly, and burst out laughing. “I’m just picturing a man with a cock stuffed in his Nutella-filled mouth.”
“You two are sick.” Rolling my eyes, I pushed them away. “I love you, but something is seriously wrong with you.”
“Fix us a snack, then, Nutella girl.”
The unintentional nickname had me thinking about Matteo, and I turned to hide my flush. I’d been sharing my Nutella cookies and snacks with him ever since I broke his nose.
Except, nobody knew that.