3. Isa
ISA
Tommaso drove me home from the art center.
He was a stoic man whom Valentino had personally picked to be my driver and bodyguard. He didn’t talk much. I didn’t talk much either, so we mostly drove in silence.
I looked out the window as the car drove past the familiar scenery that led toward my family's home. My heart felt heavy with every mile we ate up, bringing me closer and closer to the one place I didn’t want to be. But it wasn’t like I had such an exciting life that I had places I needed to be.
I closed my eyes briefly, taking in a deep breath as Tommaso pulled up into the driveway of the huge mansion that sat atop a small hill, looking out toward the city of Las Vegas.
It was the epitome of luxury and sin. The only reason this mansion even existed in the first place was because of all the blood money my father had “worked” for to build.
It wasn’t like Valentino was any better. He was in the life, and there had been talks in our circle that Valentino was even more ruthless than our father ever was. He worked for Massimo as the eyes and ears around Nevada, but at least my older brother had some lines that he wouldn’t cross.
Unlike my father.
I looked up and met Tommaso’s eyes in the rearview mirror and shot him a small smile.
He nodded. We had known each other for the last three years, and while I wouldn’t say we were close, I thought he might have held some small affection for me.
He was older than Valentino by a decade and had been in the life for a long time.
And Valentino obviously trusted him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to me, despite my father’s protest. So, in effect, I trusted him as well.
I got out of the car and headed to the front entrance. Tommaso wouldn’t drive off until I was inside. I shut the front door quietly behind me and was about to head to my room when Maura came out from the entryway leading to the foyer. Something in her eyes gave me pause.
She came closer to me and leaned down, her voice quiet and soft when she spoke. “Go to Valentino’s apartment. See if you can spend the night there.”
I frowned. “Why?”
She shook her head. “Your father is drunk and… entertaining. You don’t want to be here for this.”
He wasn’t even supposed to be home today. Dad was rarely ever home, considering he had been filling his days with just about anything since he was forced into retirement.
I nodded. I didn’t need her to say anything more, and I didn’t ask why he was home.
It didn’t matter because he was home and drunk .
And that was the worst time for me to be around him.
I turned around and walked back out the door, my heart pounding in my chest. Tommaso was already gone by then, but that was fine.
Valentino lived close by, so I could bike to his apartment if I needed to.
And I didn’t need to pack anything, considering I had some of my things at his place.
I grabbed my bike and made the fifteen-minute journey there, pumping my legs as fast as they would go. I knew Dad didn’t notice I had come home, but there was still a part of me that thought he would call me back, so I needed to get away from the house as quickly as possible.
I didn’t think I breathed properly until I was safely inside his apartment. The sky was darkening by then, and I turned on the light, not too keen on sitting alone in the dark, no matter how safe Valentino’s apartment was.
I could feel my stomach growling from hunger. Valentino wasn’t home yet, and I didn’t know when he would be or if he would even come home tonight. It wasn’t like my brother had a consistent schedule.
I sat down on the sofa and took in the view of the apartment. I didn’t know how long I sat there for, but by the time I heard the lock unlatching, the sky had grown completely dark.
My heart pounded fiercely inside my chest from the sudden noise, and I looked over to see my brother opening the door…
And he wasn’t alone.
I blushed when the woman he had his arms around moved, leaned up, and kissed him passionately on the lips.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything to alert them that they weren’t alone, but the words would not come. All I could do was sit there and watch them like a complete weirdo.
It wasn’t that long before Valentino realized he wasn’t alone, but it felt like an eternity by the time he pulled away from the woman and looked at me with surprised eyes.
“Isa?” My brother wasn’t one to blush, but even I could see a tinge of pink on his cheeks. “What are you doing?”
I shook my head and stood up. “I’m sorry. I can go.”
“Who is this bitch?” the woman asked, sneering over at me. I winced at the venom in her voice.
Valentino shot the woman a hard look. “My sister. So watch your tone.”
The woman’s face froze.
I was really making a mess of things, wasn’t I? I didn’t like her tone either, but I was the one intruding, not her.
“I can leave?—”
I stopped talking when Valentino pointed at me and let out a small sigh. “You’re not going anywhere. Sit down.”
“She’s not?” the woman asked.
Valentino turned to her. “She’s not. I’ll call for a car to take you home.”
The woman opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then she shut it. Valentino exhaled and leaned down close to her, saying something in her ear that I didn’t catch. Whatever he said, it took away any argument she might have. She nodded, but she didn’t look happy.
I felt bad as I watched her pull away from Valentino and head out the door. But not before she shot me a dirty look.
I stared down at the floor, taking in the pattern of the rug Valentino had under his coffee table and sofa, jumping a little when the door slammed shut.
Silence followed, and I kept my gaze on the floor.
I should have stayed home. If I had stayed quiet in my room the entire night, Dad wouldn’t have known I was there… right?
Or at the very least, I should have texted Tino and told him I was in his apartment.
Footsteps sounded in front of me before a pair of black boots came into my line of vision. He didn’t say anything. Then a small sigh.
I looked up and met his eyes for the first time. His light-brown eyes were soft in the light, with not a hint of anger in them. Even if he did have our father’s eyes, they never looked like Dad’s, not really.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve texted you first.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes, you should have.”
I grimaced. “Have I ruined things with your… lady friend ?”
I didn’t think that woman was his girlfriend. At least, I didn’t think he was seeing anyone seriously. But the other option was that she was not his girlfriend but someone he invited to his home to?—
I quickly shoved the thought away before it could fully form.
His lips twitched. “Marianna? It wasn’t that serious, anyway.”
He shrugged like it was no big deal, and I felt a small flash of jealousy running through me. Not because my brother had someone over at his apartment, but because of his freedom.
Valentino was afforded more freedom than I would ever have, simply because he had that Y chromosome.
He could choose to bring people home for a one-night stand, and no one would even bat an eye. And even if I didn’t like to think about my brother’s sex life, it wasn’t a secret that Valentino wasn’t a virgin. He probably hadn’t been in a long time, and no one cared.
I felt his hand on my head before he playfully tugged my hair. “Are you okay?”
I shot him a small smile I didn’t feel and nodded. It wasn’t like I could tell him what was going on with me. He wouldn’t understand. “Yes. I can… I can go back home, and you can call Marianna back.”
He shook his head. “Nah. The mood is entirely ruined.”
“Right. Sorry about that,” I said.
He sat down on the sofa beside me. I moved over to make room for him. “So, are we having a slumber party?”
I gave him a grateful smile. This was his way of saying I could stay the night. “Okay. But can you order pizza? I’m hungry.”
He pulled out his phone. “On it.”
My smile widened, and I settled further into the sofa, feeling a weight lifted off my chest now that I knew I didn’t need to go home tonight. I would have to go home, eventually, but that would be a problem for another day.
I let out a small yawn, still feeling sleepy, as I made my way to Valentino’s kitchen the next morning. It was late. Way past the time I usually woke up and got ready for my day, but all the stress from last night must have tired me out.
Valentino was already awake. He probably woke up at the crack of dawn, even if I knew he had gone to bed much later than me. I heard him rummaging through the kitchen early this morning, trying to be quiet for me, before he left, probably to work out at the gym in the building.
I moved around the huge apartment with one eye closed, trying to shake the sleep away.
Why was I so tired?
I thought I had at least eight hours of sleep last night, but there was this heavy exhaustion that was hard to push aside.
Which would explain why I didn’t see the huge figure sitting on one of the barstools by the kitchen island before it was too late.
I let out a frightened shriek and dropped the empty mug I was going to use for my morning coffee. Some shards of glass hit my bare foot, and I winced slightly from the pain.
A curse rang out as Elio stood.
I backed away on instinct. “Don’t move,” he said sharply.
I froze, feeling as if my heart was trying to push its way out of my throat as he walked over to me.
It took everything in me to go against my own survival instincts and not back away.
Logically, I knew Elio wouldn’t hurt me.
And perhaps a part of me didn’t want him close, not because I was scared of him, but because I didn’t know how I would react to him.
It was too late. He stood about half a foot in front of me. I swallowed and tilted my head back to look at him.
He frowned slightly. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
I hesitated but shook my head.