CHAPTER 43 - ARIANNA
CHAPTER
Arianna
THINKING MY PRESENCE is distracting Maria and making her self-conscious, I offer to leave, but her reaction shows she doesn’t want to be alone with my husband.
Her awe, along with what borders on terror for Red, despite him having been nothing but charming and laid-back in her presence, is clear, so I remain where I am. But in a way I wish I hadn’t because it’s obvious my sister is not coping with this.
I give Red a small smile as he painstakingly repeats the steps he’s already outlined umpteen times on this one thing alone. By the flash of despair he sends in return, his patience is wearing thin.
For the past couple of hours he’s gone through the basics of shooting, protection and keeping feelings hidden - over and over, time and time again, but Maria is no closer to grasping any of it.
And that loads further worry on both me and Red.
“Oh, I’m such an idiot!” Maria sobs, her big blue eyes glossy with tears. “I’m hopeless. I don’t understand it. I don’t want to understand it!” She throws the pistol to one side like a stroppy child. “I don’t like it. I don’t like any of it!”
Red’s hand clenches, his jaw tight. How he hasn’t lost his temper yet, I don’t know.
“Let’s have a five-minute break,” I say brightly, sending Red a look to take a break from my trying sister himself.
Walking across to where she perches on a chair, her shoulders sagging and her head bowed in defeat, I feel like slapping her, but it’s not her fault.
Maria is so sweet and unassuming - so different from me.
I place my arm around her slight shoulders and hand her a bottle of water. “Here, have a drink.”
Maria looks up and manages a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“Look, I know this is scary and alien to you, but you must be ready for the possibility of facing certain situations.”
“I shouldn’t have to face any kind of situation like.
.. like this!” Maria whines. “A couple of days ago I was due to get married at the weekend to a man I’ve been promised to all my life, yet now.
.. now I’m stuck in a nightmare surrounded by people who.
.. who...” She glances at Red and then looks away.
“I’ll be back shortly,” Red mutters coldly. “I need to touch base with the casino.”
Nodding, I watch his long legs disappear up the cellar steps, annoyance with my sister pushing the boundaries of my self-control. “You could act a little grateful!” I snap. “Big sacrifices have been made to ensure your safety, yet you act like it’s the precise opposite.”
I thought for a second then that I saw a flash of resentment on Maria’s face, but as she bursts into tears, I realize it’s a figment of my frustration because she doesn’t have a resentful bone in her body.
“I’m sorry,” she sobs. “I don’t mean to act ungrateful. I’m truly grateful for what you’re doing, honestly I am. For what you’re both doing. It’s just this... this has been such a shock. What’s been said about Matteo and... Luca... I...”
“It’s okay, I understand, really I do.” I envelop Maria in a hug. “I know it’s difficult.”
I expected this to be difficult. The situation is so far out of Maria’s orbit that to her, it’s like being in a different universe. Even more reason for me to ensure she doesn’t live through what I did.
As her sobs subside, I release my sister to discover her staring at me with a pained expression. “What? What is it?”
Maria’s bottom lip quivers. “You’ve changed.”
I frown. “Changed?”
“You... you never used to be like this, Arianna. Like... like hardened and cold... As if...” she trails off.
I smile, but I doubt it reaches my eyes. “This is how I am now.”
I know I’ve changed. I’ve changed in so many ways in the last few weeks, I barely recognize myself. I now have powers I always possessed, but that were latent. And I’m glad about that because otherwise I’d be in a very different position.
“Oh, my God!” Maria suddenly shrieks, clutching my arm. “What is that?”
The footsteps on the floor above are impossible to ignore. All the previous times I had no choice but to remain alert; listening and waiting for signs and signals around me, I can tell that one pair of those footsteps belongs to Red. But there are more. Other people are in this house.
I tense, my senses ringing high alert.