“Everything okay?” she asks.
“Yeah.” I force a smile as I hand the phone back to her. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
2
GABRIELA
“Hey,”Abella greets me when I answer the phone. “Are you done with school for the day?”
“Yes.” I step into the elevator, and Julian punches in the code on the panel as the doors slide shut. “I’m just getting back to the penthouse.”
“Perfect.” Something rustles in the background as she moves around. “I’m here already, but I wanted to give you a heads-up. Angelo and his brothers are bringing your things over, and the girls are coming over to help you unpack. Is that okay?”
“Oh yeah, that’s…fine,” I mumble.
I’ll be happy to see the girls, but the mention of Angelo’s brothers triggers a familiar knot of tension in my throat. Logically, I know it’s unlikely I’ll even see Romeo today. He’s probably too busy hacking or murdering someone to help. It’s not like I have that many things to move, and I’m the last person he’d volunteer his time for. If anything, it’ll probably be Rafe, Michele, or Cristian who show up.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few,” Abella says distractedly as the baby fusses in the background. “I have to feed Antonella.”
“Alright.”
I disconnect the call, and the elevator arrives a moment later, opening into the Vitales’ two-story penthouse. Situated in one of Seattle’s most exclusive residential towers, it’s a prime piece of real estate with panoramic views of the city. The open concept seamlessly transitions the primary living area to the dining and kitchen areas. Everything is beautiful and expensive—from the polished marble floors to the high-end oversized furniture.
I’ve spent time here on occasion when we have an event in the city we’ve all gathered for. But last night, as I soaked up the moonlight spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I felt oddly at peace. Unlike my apartment, where you could hear everything at all hours of the night, it was serenely quiet here. Abella showed me my suite, but I opted to curl up on the huge lounge with Beppe instead. We snuggled into my blankets and fell asleep beneath the starry sky.
When I woke up today, I actually felt well-rested, and now I think this sudden change might not be so bad. Abella even showed me an empty room I can use as a studio to work on my senior project. I’ll be able to set up a dedicated sewing station, my dress form, fabric, and all my tools.
Unsurprisingly, Michael didn’t put up a fight when Angelo called him last night to explain the situation. I think he was just relieved he didn’t have to deal with the problem himself.
“Where would you like your bag?” Julian asks.
“I’ll take it to my room, thanks.” I grab it from him, and we part ways as I drift down the hallway to the guest suites.
Mine is at the very end of the hall with two entire walls of floor-to-ceiling glass. It feels a bit like being in an aquarium, but I also love it, and I already know that’s exactly where I want to move the bed.
I set my bag down on the desk and glance around the space I’ll call home until graduation. The furniture in here is muchnicer than what I had in my apartment, so Angelo offered to put mine in storage until I need it again.
The bed alone is massive, and all that fluffy white bedding on top looks like a cloud.
“What do you think, Beppe?” I glance down at him in his tote. “Should we try it out?”
He barks his agreement, so I pull him out and set him free on the bed. I face plant beside him, letting out a contented sigh as I sink into the mass of softness. Beppe does a few zoomies around my head, then pauses to lick-attack my face.
“I know,” I groan. “We’ll go for a walk soon.”
“Talking to yourself again?”
That deep, familiar voice sends my pulse skittering, and my cheeks flush with warmth as I sit up and coax the wild hair from my face.
I wanted to think I was imagining it, but when my gaze collides with those haunting amber eyes, there’s no denying his presence.
All six-foot-three of Romeo Vitale darkens my doorway as he stands there holding a box of my clothes.
The sight of him disorients me, and without meaning to, my eyes sweep over him. Unsurprisingly, he’s still insanely hot, even though I’ve tried repeatedly to convince myself otherwise.
Out of all the Vitale brothers, he’s the least polished on the surface. Having developed his own sense of I-don’t-give-a-fuck style over the years, he prowls around in black clothes and combat boots almost ninety-nine percent of the time. Usually, it’s a combination of black jeans or trousers with a T-shirt, hoodie, or a fitted black dress shirt, which he rolls up at the sleeves. When the occasion calls for it, he’ll wear a suit, but it doesn’t matter what he wears because he always looks like he’s about to burn the world.
He keeps his dark hair cut short, and his eyes are usually shadowed like he’s been up all night, because he probably has. Every visible inch of his skin is inked, all the way up his neck and down to his fingers. He has two full sleeves, and I know from seeing him with his shirt off in the Vitale’s backyard gym that his chest and back are covered, too.
