Chapter 4
H e left. I begged him to stay. Well, I didn’t really beg. But I asked him not to leave and he did. What the hell is wrong with him?
“Can I kill him now?” Enzo asks when Papa follows Connor out of the room.
I glare at my brother. “No.”
“Okay, jeez. Settle down. He’ll be back, Aurora.” Enzo wraps me in his arms.
“How do you know that?”
“Because he loves you. And trust me, you’re not easy to love. So he’ll be back.”
“I hate you,” I grumble against my brother’s chest.
“Yeah, I hate you too, sis.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll be right outside. Just yell the safe word and I’ll be back,” Enzo whispers into my ear before pulling away.
My eyes draw down in confusion. “Huh?”
I turn and see Connor. He didn’t leave. My heart smiles. He’s still here.
Connor steps into the room and shuts the door. Neither of us says a word. We stand a foot apart, staring at each other. I don’t want to say something that will make him walk out again.
Not being able to handle the silence any longer, I spin around and climb on to the bed. Lay my head on the pillow and wait. I don’t want to ask him for what I need. I don’t want the rejection, so I don’t ask for anything.
Eventually Connor’s body fills the spot next to me. His eyes bore into mine, and I see the mix of emotions swarming inside them. “I know,” I tell him.
“You know what?” he asks.
“That I messed up. That I’m crazy. That I should probably be medicated or put in a straitjacket or something. I know ,” I reply.
Connor’s brows pressed together in the middle. “I’d never let anyone put you in a fucking straitjacket or medicate you, Aurora. You’re not crazy. I’m sorry I ever made you think you were,” he says. “I was angry and took it out on you.”
“I deserved it.” After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, I add, “Do you regret meeting me?”
“No.” He’s quick to answer, his words so assured.
“I’m starting to think this whole star-crossed lovers thing is harder than they make it look in the movies.” I smile.
“Romeo and Juliet died. How does that look easy?” Connor asks.
“Death isn’t always bad,” I tell him. “I’m not scared of dying. I’m scared of having to live without you.”
Connor takes a deep breath. “I know the feeling.” His hand reaches towards my face, the backs of his fingers brushing the hair off my cheeks. “I love you, Aurora. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that I do. I just don’t know how to forgive you.”
“Then don’t.” I lift a shoulder. “You don’t need to forgive me. I can live with the guilt as long as I get to keep you.”
“You have any idea where your father wants to send you?” Connor says, changing the subject.
“No, but if you’re coming with me, I don’t care where it is,” I admit.
“How much longer until that door gets busted down?” he asks me.
“I give it two minutes. Why?” I tell him.
“Because I’m dying to do this.” His face lowers, his lips brush against mine, and a groan leaves his throat. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.”
I smile against his mouth. “Don’t leave me again.”
“I won’t.”
I wish those words gave me the peace of mind I need. They don’t. I want to believe that Connor’ll never leave me again. I just don’t believe I won’t give him another reason to.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“Yeah, the whole kidnapping thing kind of gave that away, babe.” He chuckles.
“I panicked. It wasn’t my finest moment.” I scowl at him. “But it worked, so I’d do it again.”
“I got shot,” Connor says.
“Because you ran in front of a bullet,” I remind him.
“Better me than you.” He shrugs.
“I don’t agree.” I shake my head. “If you die, I die anyway.”
“Ditto.” Connor leans in. And as if on cue, the door swings open.
“Fucking hell. Pops, can I kill him yet?” my brother yells out.
“Shut it.” I climb off the bed. Connor slowly follows me. He has to be in pain. Why didn’t I think of that? “You need pain pills,” I tell him.
“Trying to drug me again so soon?” He smirks.
“Here. Put these on and never let me find you in bed with my sister again.” Enzo shoves a pile of clean clothes into Connor’s chest.
“Seriously?” I shove my brother back.
“What?” He gives me that innocent look.
“One day you’re going to fall for some poor girl, and guess who they’re going to be stuck with as a sister-in-law? Me. And we both know I’ll stop at no lengths to torture her.” I smirk, imagining how much fun I can have with whatever girl is dumb enough to fall for my brother.
“It’s funny you think I’d let myself fall for anyone, sis.” Enzo taps a finger on my nose, and I swat his hand away. “Hurry up. Jet’s waiting.”
“Where are we going?”
“Not us. You two.” Enzo points at Connor and me. “You’re going to Australia. You can be Lorenzo’s problem for a while.”
“She’s not a problem,” Connor states. Both my and my brother’s eyes land on him. “What? You’re not anyone’s problem, Aurora.”
I smile, nudging Enzo’s side with an elbow. “See? He’s perfect,” I whisper loud enough for Connor to hear me.
“Or dense,” my brother mutters.
“Nah, he’s smarter than Dante.” Connor really is a genius. He’s just more subtle about it than my cousin.
“No one is smarter than Dante.” Enzo snickers.
“Connor is.”
The whole time Enzo and I are going back and forth, Connor just stares at us with a puzzled look on his face.
“We should go.” I take hold of his hand.
“Pops is going to cut that arm off.” Enzo smiles as we walk past him.
“No, he’s not.” But when we reach the hallway, I drop Connor’s hand on the off chance my Papa isn’t as on board with letting me keep my boyfriend as I think he is.
“I’ve never been more relieved to be an only child,” Connor whispers.
“And he’s the better one of the two…” I sigh. The realization that we’re heading to Melbourne sinks in. At least here I have Papa to rein in Enzo. I’ve got no one in Australia to do that. Well, no one other than my sister-in-law. She’ll help me.
Papa leads us into the garage. Connor and I climb into the back of the SUV while my father and Enzo get in the front.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t be taking you if I didn’t,” Papa replies.
“What jet are we taking?”
“Your Zio Mikhail organized something for you. Can’t use the Valentino jets. They’re being tracked,” my father tells me.
“And Zio Mikhail’s aren’t?” I counter.
“The jet belongs to an associate not connected to the family,” Papa says.
Okay then, guess we’re not going to know who actually owns it.
I still have my go bag, but my father hands me two passports. “These are your new identities. You’re siblings, so act like it,” he says with a smile.
“Siblings?” My face scrunches up in disgust. “Really, Papa?”
“It was believable. You’re too young to be traveling as… anything else,” he tells me. “The jet will stop in London to refuel. You’re not to deboard for any reason. When it lands in Melbourne, your brother will be waiting on the tarmac for you.”
“Can you tell him he’s not allowed to kill Connor?”
“I’ve told your brother it’s in your best interest—and his—that the kid lives… for now,” Papa says.
That will have to be good enough. I know if they give him a chance, my family will come to love Connor.
Okay, love might be a bit strong, but they will come to like him at least.
“You need to lie low, Aurora. No trouble.” My dad’s voice is more firm when he says this.
“It’s not like I cause trouble on purpose, Papa,” I tell him.
I see Connor smirk. He doesn’t make a sound, though. Smart man. My brother, though? He doesn’t know how to keep his thoughts to himself.
“You might not cause it on purpose but you sure do have a knack for finding it, Aurora.” Enzo’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “Maybe I should go with you.”
“You can’t. We need to keep up the act that we don’t know where she is,” Papa says. “If you go missing too, they’ll know we’re hiding something.”
They are Connor’s family. His parents. I can see his discomfort. Sense it. Reaching over the seat, I take his hand in mine and squeeze.