Chapter 5 #2
“Dad said he’d confirmed Markos was dead…
” I said it only loud enough for King and Henry to hear.
Both of whom watched me silently. We had to figure out how our dad knew, and what intel he had that we might be able to use, but more than that, we needed to figure out where Markos was if he wasn’t dead.
I entered the manor, and the habitual silence felt suffocating. I wondered if Kingston felt this when he walked inside, or if it was just me.
It was ironic that the tables had turned so violently, and now we were stuck in some sick version of purgatory where we paid for the sins we committed.
Each time I felt a memory surface of running through these halls as children, or when I thought I heard her laugh, sorrow would threaten to drown me.
I bypassed the wing closest to where Kyle and his family resided and headed straight for the Eastern side of the manor, where my family was.
“Gio!” Scotty called somewhere behind me, but I ignored him.
“Giovanni!” He tried again, but I wouldn’t be giving that fucker a single moment of my time. Now that Presley wasn’t here, I owed him jack shit.
I was closing in on the front door to our section when Scotty spoke up again, but this time his words stopped me in my tracks.
“She called me this morning.”
I slowly turned around, clenching my jaw.
The halls were dimly lit by bronze sconces and a few lamps, but this section near our home was still cast in enough shadow that it made Presley’s great uncle look every inch the villain he’d always been to me and King.
Scotty wore a black turtleneck with a pair of black slacks.
He had gun holsters over his chest, and his dog, Reaper, trotted next to him with his ears alert.
Scotty stepped closer. “It’s normal for her to call once a week or so. She checks in, always lets me know if there’s anything I need to be informed of.”
Fire ignited in my blood, boiling me from the inside out to hear that she was communicating with him, and not me.
“She never has anything to report other than that she’s happy and Adrian treats her well.” Scotty continued to advance closer.
My chin dipped to my chest because I didn’t want Scotty, of all people, to see the defeat in my eyes. I felt like he’d ordered Reaper to attack me, my heart somewhere torn on the ground.
“Except this morning…” Scotty paused, then came to a stop a few feet away from me.
My eyes lifted, latching onto his, trying to decipher what that meant.
“This morning, she said the ocean was beautiful, but the sky was dark.”
Reaper’s nose nudged at my hand, silently demanding to be acknowledged. As much as Scotty disliked it, his dogs were both soldiers and pets, and they’d been around my brother and me long enough that they were fond of us.
My voice was soft as I inquired, “What does that mean?”
“That means,” Scotty started and then snapped his fingers, ordering Reaper back to his side, “something triggered her there enough that she’s on alert.
She’ll be playing double agent until whatever it was that triggered her has either come to a head or stopped.
That might mean she’s in danger, or might need back up, either way, I know to be on high alert. ”
I heard two more dogs making their way down the hall, their nails clicking along the marble. “Why tell me?”
Scotty smirked, and it was the same gesture he made whenever he witnessed Presley best us in the training ring, or when she’d show us up on her precision with the blade or gun.
He was proud of her, but so were King and I.
We never cared that she beat us; in fact, we preferred that she did.
Scotty was the only person who got a sick satisfaction at seeing his little protégé beat us.
“Just wanted to see if you still cared if she lived or died. You and your brother talked a big game about taking sides against us, but you’d still do anything for her, wouldn’t you?”
I didn’t respond.
He already knew, and there was no use in making myself look like an idiot.
His laugh trailed down my spine and curled inside my gut, making me want to punch him.
“Which means I can still use you as I see fit. If I asked you to go there right now and pull her out of Adrian’s arms, you’d do it, wouldn’t you?”
My lip curled back as I stepped closer. “Not because you asked me, you motherfucker. I would do anything to protect her! Let’s just be clear, it’s not because you asked me to. I’d let you die if I could.”
He stood toe to toe with me now. “You’re never going to be the fire in her life, Giovanni. It’ll never be you. You’re a safety net. Stars she once looked at and thought were mesmerizing, but mark my words, she’ll choose your brother.”
“What’s going on here?” The door opened behind me right as my fists curled, and I stepped closer to Scotty. I wanted to hit him.
I wanted to kill him.
My mother’s voice, however, was soft, and it reeled me back with a sharp tug.
I’d never do any of that in front of her.
I stepped away from Scotty and left him standing there in the hall, while the anger in my soul surged like a thunderhead and buried all the hope I’d somehow gathered when my brother promised to relinquish his hold on her.
“Gio, are you okay, honey?” My mother slid her hand over my back and rubbed soothingly.
She’d done that gesture ten thousand times since I was a little kid, but for whatever reason, now it just hurt.
“I need to talk to Dad.”
My mother’s blue eyes narrowed on me, but she nodded. “He’s in the study.”
Walking through our living room, and beyond the stairs, toward the kitchen, I found my father tucked away in a small office.
My entire life, the room had been bloated with books, packed along each shelf, and even a few piles had littered the floor.
Green vines of plants stretched along the glass windows, and a beautiful view of the back property stretched for miles, all green grass and tall trees.
Now, it was bare. All the books packed away; the green vines had withered and died. Even the view outside his window was bleak. Still, he sat at his empty desk with his laptop open.
“Dad.”
His amber eyes lifted and softened as soon as he saw me.
“What’s wrong?”
I glanced around the room. “You’re already packing?”
His chin dipped as he slid away from the desk and stood. “We need a fresh start.”
“Kingston and I are staying, we told you that,” I argued as that anger surfaced and threatened to explode.
My dad didn’t take the bait; he merely sighed. “I understand that, but this place is too big for us anyway. It’s time we start looking out for our own family.”
“This is our family,” I argued, “You raised us to—”
He waved his hand in the air. “I know how I raised you, and I’m telling you it was wrong. My sister, her husband, and kids, that’s our focus. My mom and step dad. My family. Your family. That’s what’s important.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Kyle has nearly died because of his loyalty to you, several times over if my memory serves.”
Dad stepped closer. “Kyle has nearly died because of his own actions. He chose to involve Scotty in this, who brought in the Adessos. I’m cutting ties. We’re out.”
The silence between us stretched as I watched him slowly move back to his chair. I wanted to scream a million other things at him, but none of it would matter. All that mattered was ensuring Presley was safe.
“What proof do you have that Markos is dead?”
His head snapped up, his thick brows curving into a line against his forehead. “What do you mean?”
I tugged at the hair tie around my wrist, lightly snapping it against my skin.
“I mean. We went to his home, and nothing was there. No sign of struggle or forced entry. No blood. Nothing except some pictures...”
I watched carefully as my father’s eyes tapered and his mouth twitched. Did he know about the stalking or the pictures? Why wasn’t he letting us get close to this?
“Markos Mariano was a twisted and very dangerous man. I told you he’s dead, please trust me on this.”
Seeing that my father wasn’t going to budge only infuriated me more.
“Why won’t you help us? If we can find Markos, then we can try and extract information regarding Adrian. We can help protect Presley.”
My father suddenly stood and leaned over the desk. “You need to decide which side you’re on, Son. One second you’re against her, the next you’re with her. She doesn’t need any more allies. She needs space. We can give that to her by leaving.”
“I love her, Dad. I’m in love with her. Help me protect her!” I screamed as all the built-up rage came tumbling out.
My father’s face didn’t shift, or change even the slightest bit, until he scoffed and his head shook.
“And you’re just going to share this love you have for one woman with your twin?”
“Kingston said he’s over her.” The lump in my throat was difficult to swallow past, especially as laughter spilled out of my father.
“You believe that, do you?”
He rounded the desk once more and stood in front of me.
“Do you know that Kingston used to sleep outside of Presley’s window?
He’d forget that he’d done it because he’d wander up on the roof to make sure she got to sleep okay, but I would go up there and bring him back to his bed.
But he’d just run back up there first thing in the morning to check on her, regardless of the weather or the temperature.
He used to throw away his homework if he discovered that she was still doing hers, just so he had the excuse to sit and do his homework next to her.
He used to name his plants in the garden, and each one of them was Presley.
Your brother has loved Presley long before he even understood it was love. ”
That gutting feeling returned. Being hollowed out, forgotten. My mouth didn’t seem to work as the sentiment from Scotty and now my father slammed into me. I wasn’t sure if my dad noticed or not, but his words were more effective than blades in cutting me down to the bone.
I took a step back and then another, slowly gathering my resolve.
“Where is Markos?”
My father’s features only changed marginally, but he still didn’t relent. “I’ve been doing this longer than you, Gio. Markos is a dead end. Drop it and move on.”
I wouldn’t be doing either, but for the sake of my sanity, I did leave his office and slammed his door in the process.