Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
JULIET
Sometimes the best thing you can do is sit with your thoughts, and with everyone out doing what they can, that’s what I’m left with. And what better way to do so than with a good romance novel and soft acoustic music playing, while I sit in the library?
With the messages continuing, I’m forbidden to go anywhere alone.
Only ever with Gino; his orders, of course.
Everyone thinks it’s because of safety and that because we’re dating, we can’t keep our hands off each other.
But dating is just a facade, and my safety is his main priority.
The nickname and the authority I have now are just part of the show.
Well, that’s what I tell myself.
No matter what happened ten years ago, or two years ago, or even a few months ago when he started calling me Bella, it doesn’t feel real.
We’ve always had a good relationship, leaning on and learning from each other, and neither of us wants to ruin that.
But deep down, something always told me we’d get to this point where we didn’t know if we were more than friends.
I’ve never told anyone how I felt the first time I met him, or how the last ten years of pretending our relationship was purely platonic felt like torture when I have been so deeply in love with him.
I remember the moment I realized I was in love with him.
It was sophomore year, when Gino had presented his initial business plan to Mateo and I.
He was so passionate about not being his father and forging his own path, you had to admire it.
Once Mateo and I signed onto the plan, we knew we were all stuck together for life.
And now this all feels like it’s crumbling.
I’ve spent countless hours looking over every piece of data I can get my hands on, and still, nothing has gotten us any closer.
For the time being, the messaging has stopped, probably because they know we have someone on video. But Gino thinks it’s because they got what they wanted, which is me scared. Of course, I’m scared. Terrified, even.
I’m so close to telling Gino to call this whole thing off. I can lay low, but if someone’s targeting me, I want to know why. Gino was right that once it got around that we were dating, the messages would stop, and a lot of them have. But none of us were expecting more than one perpetrator.
I hear a soft knock pulling me from my thoughts.
“Hey,” I hear Gino's voice call from the doorway.
I turn and look at him. “Hey, how was Vanessa's?”
He rocks on his heels and puts his hands in his pockets.
“Uh, it was fine. She was setting up the twins’ nursery.” He pauses, and I can see the pain on his face. “I can’t let those kids be without their father. I don’t want to resort to the methods of my father, but I don’t know what else to do.”
I get up from the couch and walk to him. “I know how much you want to separate yourself from him, but how long are we willing to let this go on? If he’s held captive and tortured long enough, he could die. And that’s worse than us trying.”
“You’re right. What do you think we should do?” he asks.
“I think we do what we can here, asking for help from people we know in Italy. We both know if anyone goes to Italy and is there long enough, they will get caught just like Gabe was. But we don’t want to start killing them because that gives Anthony leverage.
We know this is Lorenzo, but you don’t want Anthony deciding he wants a piece of this.
So far, he’s been in denial and probably will be until we get Mateo back. ” I say.
“What do you think Lorenzo’s endgame is in all this?”
“Who knows, probably money and drugs. He clearly wants his own empire and is using you as the target. If you’re going to ask why you or Mateo are the target. I don’t have an exact answer, but I do have a theory.” I reply.
He looks at me, silently asking me to keep going.
“He thinks we’re easy,” I continue. “Because we’re leaving the mafia world as best we can, he thinks he can take everything from us. But he’s misjudged us. We won’t back down.”
“How do you do that?” He whispers.
“Do what?” I ask.
He’s closer to me now. I can feel the heat from his body.
“Be able to tell me the voice of reason and actually have a plan,” he replies.
“I think it’s from being around impulsive men for the last decade.”
“We’re not impulsive,” he says, sounding offended.
He puts his hands up in mock surrender.
“Okay, fine, maybe a little impulsive,” he admits.
“Uh-huh,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Have you gotten any more messages?” he asks.
“No.”
“So my plan has worked so far.” He looks so smug.
“I don’t know, but it does seem that the person who was trying to be helpful has stopped since you pretty much told the whole city we’re dating,” I reply sarcastically.
Did he actually do that? No, but any opportunity he’s had to say he’s dating me, he has. Any meeting or phone call he’s had, he’s mentioned it.
“What I’m hearing is, I’m right?” he asks.
“Gino,” I groan. “Fine, you were right.”
He smiles at me. “See how easy that was?”
“You’re insufferable,” I respond.
“You love me.” He winks and walks away.
Did he hear my inner thoughts before he walked in here?
Well, if the warmth swirling low in my stomach is anything to go by, it confirms that our situation is becoming all the more real.