Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
We left the lobby out a side door that led to the hallway, at the end of which was an exit leading out to the parking lot. After a scan of the area, I gestured for Gabriella to walk ahead of me and stayed close behind until we reached the car.
When we returned to her apartment, she took a shower while I prepared a meal. I was happily watching her eat when my phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket. Rafa’s name was on the screen.
“Sì,” I answered.
“Where are you?” he barked. The question was odd considering he had trackers on Gabriella’s car, keys, phone, and purses. Not that she was aware of them.
“Gabr–bbi’s apartment,” I answered, stumbling over her name.
“Stay there and lock the place down. I’m headed to you now.”
I shot to my feet and stalked across the room where I could speak low enough that Gabriella wouldn’t hear me. “Cosa c’è che non va?”
“Alec, Leo, and Dante will be there shortly as well. I’ll fill you all in when I get there.”
“Fatto,” I agreed.
I hung up and turned around, nearly plowing right into Gabriella. She stumbled, but I caught her arms before she could fall, then I waited until she was steady to let her go.
“Are you okay?”
Gabriella glared up at me, her lips pursed and eyes hot with anger. “What was that about?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
“Was that Rafa?”
“Sì.”
“You wouldn’t be taking the call over here if you weren't trying to hide things from me again,” she argued. “I deserve to know what’s going on when it involves my life.”
“I don’t disagree, sole. But I really don’t know what has happened. He’s on his way and will fill us in when he arrives.”
“Us?”
I told her about the other visitors on the way, and fear crept into her eyes.
“Why is he bringing so many enforcers?”
“Gabriella.” I grasped her chin in one hand and promised, “I will never let anything happen to you. Prometto, sole mio.”
If she noticed my slipup, calling her my sun, she didn’t comment on it.
“Try to eat something,” I encouraged since she’d just sat down to dinner when I got the call from her brother.
Gabriella’s expression made it clear she thought I’d lost my mind.
“Will you ever do as you're told?” I teased.
“I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
I chuckled, and her eyebrows shot up to practically her hair line.
“Did you just laugh?”
“It does happen,” I replied with a smirk.
“Yeah, like once in a freaking blue moon.”
Before I could say anything else, the alarm system beeped, and the front door unlocked. I let go of Gabriella and stalked toward the door, reaching it just as Rafa walked inside.
His eyes were so filled with fury that they were nearly black as they darted around until they landed on his sister. In just a few strides, he’d closed the distance between them and gathered her up in a fierce hug.
“Rafa? What the heck is going on?” she asked, her voice muffled because her face was pressed into his chest.
He looked at me over her head, and I was shocked at the fear pulsing behind the rage. After a second, he loosened his grip and guided Gabriella over to the couch. “Sit,” he told her. “I’ll explain everything in just a minute.”
She’d just taken a seat when Alec, Leo, and Dante stalked into the apartment, the last one slamming the door behind him.
“Tell her,” Rafa said tightly, looking at Leo.
My brother exhaled harshly, scrubbing his hands down his face. “You’re sure you want her to hear all the details?” he questioned, his eyes darting to me briefly. I frowned, wondering why it seemed as though he was directing the question at me. But before I could dissect his meaning, he shifted his attention back to Rafa.
“I promised her I wouldn’t keep this shit from her,” Rafa confirmed. He studied Gabriella for a moment, then nodded firmly. “She can handle it. My sister is stronger than I give her credit for.”
Gabriella gave him a small smile, then she turned her attention to Leo.
“The gallery was hit tonight.”
Gabriella gasped, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. “Was anything taken? Or destroyed?”
Leo winced. “They weren’t after the art, Gabbi. But yeah, there was some damage.”
“Me?” she guessed. “But I left early.”
He nodded. “When they realized you weren’t there, they wanted Gia to tell them where you’d gone.”
“She doesn’t know where I live,” Gabriella whispered, horror taking over her expression. “Is she alive?”
“Barely,” he admitted, shifting his weight uncomfortably.
I understood his awkwardness. We weren’t used to sharing shit like this with the girls. And nobody wanted to be the target of their tears. Even the boss, Nic, who was the meanest, most ruthless, cold-blooded son of a bitch I’d ever met, crumpled in the face of tears from the women in the family.