25. Arianna
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ARIANNA
H annah and I were sprawled on the bottom bunk. She was scrolling through her apps while I studied positions, motions, and the properties of celestial objects, avoiding the physics textbooks that required my attention.
I convinced myself as long as I wasn’t slacking, I could spend a bit more time with black holes and asteroids.
Anya was with her brother, Amara had gone home to spend time with her family, Gianna and Francesca were nowhere to be found—probably shopping, and Penelope was out with a new guy. She hoped a lunch date would change her luck when it came to boys—something about daylight proving to be safer and whatnot.
“Want to watch True Blood ?” Hannah asked in a bored tone.
“Yeah, why not.” My answer was immediate. We grew up watching TV series with our mom, and our recent favorite was this old vampire show. I loved it, switching my favorite between a certain blond vampire, and dark-haired werewolf. In addition, it was a perfect reason to defer physics for another day.
“Don’t sound too excited,” she teased. She wore a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt that said I’ll call you daddy if you call me baby in bold red letters. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be studying?”
My eyes widened as I studied my sister who’d flopped onto her back and pulled a fleece blanket over her. “Are you trying to be a good influence?”
“ Trying being the keyword,” she muttered, her words muffled.
She reached for the remote and searched through options, pressing play on season two. The automatic shutters blocked all the outside light and Hannah flicked the lights off, leaving us in a dark room with the only light flashing from the TV screen despite it being only noon. Hannah seemed off, like something was bothering her.
“What’s wrong?” I questioned, sneaking under the blanket with her and wrapping my arms around her. “Don’t tell me nothing. I know you too well.”
“I’m not sure.” Her voice was quiet, conflicting. “Do you agree that human traffickers need to be punished?”
I hesitated, unsure where this was going.
“I think so,” I finally responded. “But I don’t like you getting involved.”
She sighed. “I felt like it would make me closer with him, you know. Not sure it’s working though.”
I focused on the TV screen, my chest tightening. I didn’t know what to say, although something had to be said. Gathering the courage and hating myself for being the one to hurt her, I shifted so I could face her.
“Hannah?” I said softly, grabbing her hand.
“Kyran messaged me,” she said suddenly without looking at me, and I frowned in confusion.
“Uncle Kyran?”
“He’s not really our uncle,” she grumbled. We called him uncle—well, Hannah called him hot daddy —but he wasn’t related to us. “But yes, him.”
“Why would he message you?”
She handed me her cell phone.
Kyran: Don’t ever—fucking ever—show up in my club half naked again. In fact, you’re banned from coming altogether.
“Half naked?” I questioned. “And when did you go to his club?”
She shrugged. “I wore a short backless dress, hardly enough to get his panties in a twist.”
“I don’t understand you, Hannah.” I shook my head disapprovingly. “What is with you lately?”
Her gaze flitted to mine. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been acting strange lately. You’re partying harder than before. You’re disappearing without letting anyone know where you’re going or with who.” Another shrug, but there was something lurking in her eyes. Fear. Or was it rebellion? I couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but I knew Hannah well enough to know I wouldn’t get anywhere with her if I pushed her too hard. “What about Matteo?”
“What about him?”
My heart trembled beneath my chest. “Well, how do you feel about him?”
Maybe I could come clean with her and she’d come clean with me.
“Same as always.” Her answer wasn’t much of one at all.
“Which is?” I pushed further. “Head over heels for him? Or just?—”
“Yeah, head over heels,” she repeated flatly.
“But why would you go to Uncle Kyran’s club, then?” I challenged. “That’s not really the behavior of a person head over heels for someone.”
“I don’t know anymore,” she whispered as we lay side by side, lost in our own thoughts. Then she added, “But if Kyran thinks he can keep me away from any establishment, he doesn’t know me at all.”
“There are plenty of other clubs,” I pointed out.
Then a thought occurred to me, and I studied her pensively. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was slightly accelerated, and she was twisting her fingers nervously.
“Oh no,” I murmured.
“Oh no what?”
“Hannah, please tell me…” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Please tell me you didn’t do something inappropriate with Uncle Kyran.”
Her nose scrunched. “He’s not our uncle.”
“Need I remind you that Kyran Callahan is almost twice our age? Not to mention everyone knows his clubs are exclusive because they’ve got some freaky shit going on.”
I could see there would be no reasoning with her. The only hope now was that he would hold strong on his ban. “If you try to sneak into his club again, he’ll just rat you out to Dad,” I warned.
She scoffed, her expression tightening with frustration. “No, he won’t.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
My sister’s sparkling gaze came to me as she sat up. “Because I have him by the balls.”
I sat up. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” she piped up, her expression lightening.
Tell her. Tell her, my head—or was it my heart?—chanted over and over again. “Listen, Hannah. I have to tell you something about me and?—”
“Not now,” she cut me off. She jumped out of bed and stepped into her purple fuzzy slippers, calling out, “Kyran Callahan hasn’t seen the last of me yet,” over her shoulder as she sauntered out of my room.
“Dammit,” I muttered to the empty room.
Later that same day, when the sun was starting its descent, I found Matteo waiting for me in front of the building, leaning against his bike and holding up two helmets.
Matteo in a three-piece suit was hot, but in jeans, a white T-shirt, and boots, he was downright gorgeous. I couldn’t help admiring the tattoo on his chest playing peekaboo as he handed me a helmet.
I took it, inhaling his woodsy scent into my lungs.
“You look nice.” Matteo’s words sent a flush through me and stained my skin crimson from my hairline to my toes. “Ready for our date?”
Smoothing my hand over the flowery dress I wore, I nodded. “Where are you taking me?”
He laughed quietly. “It’s a surprise.”
With our helmets on, he mounted his bike and I followed, wrapping my arms around his waist. The handle of his gun pushed against my stomach and I tensed. I’d grown up around weapons, so it shouldn’t have surprised me.
“You okay?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Yes.” Liar .
Then since he knew me too well, he offered, “I’ll move it.”
I banded my arms tighter around him. “No, don’t.”
Because I knew from experience that in our world, trouble hit when you least expected it.
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he revved his bike and took off.
The late afternoon sun breathed down our backs, but its heat had nothing on Matteo. I felt soft against his hard muscles as I melded my body to his. If he drove us straight to hell, I’d be fine with it.
It wasn’t a long ride, and when we arrived, there was a hot-air balloon waiting in a large field.
“Are we…?” I trailed off, absentmindedly handing him my helmet. “Are we taking a hot-air balloon?”
“Yes.”
I chewed my lip. “I’ve never been on one.”
“Me neither.” He pressed his lips against my ear, his breath scorching against my skin. “From now on, we’ll share many firsts.”
Taking my hand, we made our way to the men waiting for us. Matteo spoke Italian to them. I watched him, fascinated, as I waited for the men to come to an agreement. I tried to piece words together, but my Italian was elementary level at best.
“What’s going on?” I asked when they shook hands and one of the men opened the little hatch of the basket to the hot-air balloon.
“It’ll be just the two of us,” was all he said as we were secured inside.
I shot him a surprised look.
“You know how to maneuver this?” He nodded. “How?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve arranged with the men to keep us safe while airborne.” His dark hazel gaze locked on me, he watched me with amusement sparking in his gaze. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Ari.”
His voice was gravel and silk, a seduction of promises, and my heart fluttered like a butterfly trapped in a jar.
He gave a nod to the men who started unbinding the ropes that kept the balloon together and suddenly we started the ascent. Higher and higher we went, and soon we could see the outline of New York City in the distance.
Matteo’s tall body stood behind me, his heat a comforting blanket, while he busied himself with maneuvering the balloon.
“You know, there’s a meteor shower tonight.” I sighed dreamily. “What a sight it must be from up here.”
“We’ll find out.”
I shot him a surprised look. “We will?”
“Why did you think I picked today of all days for this ride?” he drawled, amused. “We’ll have food, drinks, and some champagne while we wait.”
“Ah, that’s what that basket is over there. You really thought of everything.” I smiled as I gazed down at the stretches of farms, towns, and lakes passing beneath us. I’d never seen anything like it, even from an airplane.
Being out in the open like this felt like flying. Thrilling and exciting, but also terrifying and reckless. Except, I didn’t mind being reckless because I knew Matteo would always keep me safe.
“This is the best date I’ve ever been on,” I said after we’d been in the air for about an hour. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling as if the stars were within my grasp.
Matteo’s lips sucked along my neck, marking every inch of my skin.
“Those dates with other men don’t count.” His rough voice below my ear caused my pulse to sputter. “You and me. We are the only thing that counts.”
I shot him a dry look. “Only because you worked overtime, chasing every boy away and ruining all my dates.”
A sly smile tugged on his lip. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill every one of those boys.”
I should be worried about his possessiveness, but instead, it made me jittery and warm inside. Turning my head to the side, I kissed him, hard and deep, while the stars reached for us and streaks of light burned all around us in the night as they entered Earth’s atmosphere.
It was only the beginning of our life together. Our future.