Chapter 18
The moment Arturo shut off the engine, I removed his helmet and placed it carefully on the seat before darting towards the garage door.
“That’s it?” He asked, still straddling the bike.
“That’s it.” I repeated but mine wasn’t a question.
“Isabella,” he started, but didn’t continue.
“Goodnight, Arturo,” I ended the conversation there as there wasn’t much else to say. I needed to distance myself until the morning when we would meet again.
I slipped out of the garage into a darkened kitchen, the silence near enough deafening. I eased off my shoes, clutching them in my hand and padded across the kitchen.
I sensed him.
I knew he was there.
“Care to tell me where you’ve been until this hour, Isabella?” Shit.
My father was sat at the kitchen table, in complete and utter darkness ready to scare the absolute shit out of me. I spun on my bare heel as he leaned over and flicked on the light that illuminated the table, it looked like some sort of interrogation set up.
“I asked you a question, Isabella… And you know how much I hate waiting,” he kicked out the chair opposite him, instructing me to sit down.
“I’m just going to bed, Papa, can we talk about this tomorrow?” I asked, backing towards the door.
“Sit down, Isabella.”
I lowered myself into the chair, discarding my shoes onto the floor with a clatter. It was clear he hadn’t gone to bed, he was still fully clothed, his hair falling down onto his forehead and his usual humorous eyes were now dark with anger.
“Papa, I’m?—”
“I don’t want to hear it! Do you have any idea what the fuck you did this evening?” He shouted, not caring about waking the rest of the house.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, all confidence I had in the bar now gone.
“You’re sorry?! You could have fucking killed yourself on that bike! How could you have been so damn careless?!” He slammed his palm on the marble table causing it to shake beneath him.
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking?—”
“No, you weren’t. You need to start thinking, Bella. How can I trust you with everything I built when you act so recklessly?”
“You can trust your daughter, Lorenzo.” Right on cue, Arturo entered the kitchen clutching his leather jacket. Just the sight of him with that serious look on his face kicked my pulse up a gear.
Was he… defending me?
“Oh, so now you wish to lecture me on my family members, Arturo?” My father’s face morphed from anger to rage.
“Not at all, Lorenzo. But when a bird is locked up in a cage it craves freedom.” My father leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers together.
“That’s all tonight was about. I take full responsibility.
I’ve flaunted my ability to go where I please and despite her frustration, Isabella’s done nothing but everything I have asked of her these past weeks.
” I bit my lip. I’d never heard him speak about me this way. It was almost… kind.
“You saying I should fire your ass for what happened this evening, that it?”
“No, but I’ll leave if that’s your decision.
” When my father didn’t reply, Arturo took a step closer and pointed in my direction.
“Fact is, Lorenzo, your daughter idolises you. I have no doubt that she will not only continue to build what you’ve built but she’ll make you proud doing it.
” He turned to face me now, his face impassive.
“And I’ll stand by her side until she no longer needs me. ”
“Well thank you for that unsolicited opinion, Arturo, but this is between my daughter and I.” My father no longer gave Arturo his full attention as he turned back to face me.
“And from now on, you can call me ‘Boss’ or ‘Sir’.” I winced.
Arturo taking the fall for what had happened tonight clearly had torn into my father’s respect for him.
“Understood… Boss.”
“Now you can either stand there and be fucking quiet, or you can fuck off to bed, but I am not done with my daughter just yet.” I finally realised how much I fucked up tonight.
Did I regret it?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
Ever the good soldier, Arturo took my father at his word and stood still, saying nothing while I got reprimanded for my behaviour. Question after question was flung at me.
Where had I been?
Was I trying to give my mother a heart attack?
Did I understand what was at stake with keeping me safe?
And the one he kept circling back to… Why?
“I was curious. I’ve never been permitted to ride a bike before.
I just… Arturo’s right I’ve been feeling stifled.
Aside from training and learning the business I don’t get to do anything fun!
” My father narrowed his eyes at me as my voice went up in pitch.
“I understand I worried you all but Papa I never asked for this job!
You know perfectly well how I feel about it.
I just want to have some sense of normal.
With a sigh, my father stood, walking over the liquor cabinet and fixed himself a large tumbler of whisky. I distractedly noticed he’d grown more grey hairs. When he turned back to face me, his face had a hardness I’d never seen directed at me.
“You think I ever got the choice, huh?” He seethed. I looked down at my hands. “You have had more freedom than both of your brothers put together.”
“Papa! I think we know that’s not tr?—”
“You are a Ricci, and that means you do what is good for the family.” My pulse kicked up at the threat beneath his words.
“What are you saying, Papa?” I whispered.
“Maybe it’s about time your mother and I started discussing marriage arrangements for you. Hell, it worked out for us. Perhaps having a man beside you will help you when you take over.”
“Boss, that's enough!” Arturo’s voice made me wince. Did he have a death wish?
“I thought I told you to keep fucking quiet?!” My father turned to him, his voice like gravel.
“And I have, but with all due respect, sir, I can’t anymore.
” Arturo stalked towards my father until they were toe to toe.
Clearly he didn’t give a flying fuck whether he spoke out of turn or not.
“Isabella may have done something incredibly stupid tonight, but that doesn’t mean she needs some jumped up little prick beside her to know how to run what you've built. She can do it perfectly well all by herself. And I know you know that too, otherwise you wouldn’t have named her as your successor. ”
I thought my father would have thrown something back, but his shoulders sagged a little. It was as if he was admitted defeat. It was a rare sight to see.
“Isabella, I don’t give a shit that you stole his bike, no offence, Arturo,”
“None taken,” he smiled.
“But what angered me is that you slipped out with Tyler without telling anyone or taking security with you! I was worried sick. It’s not worth thinking about what could have happened if you’d lost control of that bike.”
“I’m sorry, Papa. I promise it won't happen again.” I whispered, too scared to look him in the eye and see his disappointment. “Please don’t force me to get married,” I pleaded.
“Isabella, can you look at me, please?”
I couldn’t.
He rounded the table, before crouching on the balls of his feet before me. He took my hands in his as his forearms rested on his thighs.
“Isabella, I would never force you into marriage. Not you or your brothers. Yes, your mother and I had an exceptional story, but I know not all these arrangements turn out as ours did and I would never do that to you.” He squeezed my hand gently as I finally glanced up through my lashes at him.
His eyes were back to the soft, gentle ones I knew. The ones that always made me feel safe no matter what.
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed.
“It’s okay.” He pulled me into his embrace as my tears soaked into his crisp white shirt. “I’m sorry I lost my temper, I shouldn’t have.”
When I glanced over my shoulder at Arturo, I saw the shock on his face. It was usually only within the safety of the walls of our home that my father ever revealed who he really was, and even then it was rare. Besides my mother, me and my brothers, no one ever got to see this side of him.
“Let’s forget this evening, little diamond. Tomorrow is a new day. I just need your word that you won’t do it again.”
“I won’t, from here on out my full focus is to fill your shoes, and I know that will be hard,” I sighed before I continued. “But I can do it, I’ll make you proud.”
“You already do, Bells. But I know if anyone can fill my shoes, it’s you.” He pressed a gentle kiss on my forehead and just like that, everything was forgotten. “Now, go to bed, I need to speak with Arturo.”
That didn’t sound good, and as much as Arturo irritated me, I didn’t want him to get reprimanded by my father for standing up for me. He didn’t deserve that.
“Okay, goodnight, Papa.” I stood up and headed towards the doorway, but once I got there I paused. “Goodnight, Arturo,” I smiled to myself, my back still to him but I knew he knew I smiled for him.
“See you in the morning,” he smiled back.
I heard it.
I felt it.
I knew I shouldn’t but I couldn’t help it. I perched on the top stair to eavesdrop on the conversation they were having. I just needed to know my father wouldn’t be too hard on Arturo.
“You had no right to step in like you did,” my father started, as I heard Arturo let out a deep sigh.
“I realise that but I won’t apol?—”
“But nothing. I hired you to train and protect my daughter, that is all.” The sound of a tumbler dropping onto the table told me my father was now sitting. “And yet, you’ve gone a step beyond that, you’ve shown me she has your unwavering loyalty. Do you respect my daughter?”
“I do. And yes she has my loyalty.”
“She is lucky to have such a loyal man by her side. She’s going to need it.”
“I’m sure I’ll be out on my arse when she no longer needs me,” Arturo laughed, but there was something behind that I couldn’t quite interpret. He almost sounded unsure.