I hadn’t wanted to come back.
Narrowing my eyes, I met his glare with one of my own.
“I didn’t ask to come here. I was shot, I could have died.”
“But you didn’t. It was a flesh wound.”
“That is not the point. Jesus, Gio, what happened to you? You’re my brother. And the brother I knew and loved wouldn’t be here saying this shit.”
“The sister I once loved wouldn’t be here with the man responsible for everything bad happening in our lives,” he countered.
“Here with him?” I screeched. “You’re the one who forced me here. Do you know what he does to me? How he treats me?” I hated the fact that my voice shook because I wanted to be strong right now.
My brother didn’t say a word.
I sighed, and my wound panged. Or maybe it was my heart. He didn’t care, that was the bottom line.
Gio knew how Matteo was treating me, and he just didn’t care.
There was only one thing he cared about, and that was revenge. Which wouldn’t bring our parents back from the dead.
Nothing could do that.
They were gone.
“I want to go home, Gio,” I whispered. “Not here. This isn’t my home. I want to go home.”
“Then you know what you have to do.” There was absolutely no emotion in his voice. It was just cold. I opened my mouth to speak, and he got there first.
“Use your brain, Sophia,” he snapped. “Do you think I am strong enough to get you back from him? If you want to be free of Matteo, then you know what you have to do.” His eyes glittered with malice.
“I can’t do it, Gio.”
He stood. “You really don’t have a choice.” Coming around the table, he brushed his lips on my cheek. “But don’t take too long about getting it done. I would hate for there to be nothing left at home for you to go back to.”
I sobbed, the wet agonizing sound louder than the elevator doors closing as he left me alone with my misery.
Curling myself up into a ball, I cried. Letting all of my pain and anger out. There was no way out of this. My brother had threatened to kill my daughter. I couldn’t deny it any longer. He had given me a clear ultimatum.
Either I killed Matteo or he killed Lily.
“I don’t want to talk to you again, Gio. Leave me the fuck alone,” I screamed when the elevator again whooshed open.
God, I hated that it opened straight into our apartment. I wanted space and peace and quiet and just a few hours where the damn thing didn’t open and spew more bad news in my direction.
“His visit went well then?” Matteo’s voice called out.
I scrambled upward, wrapping myself in the throw like it was a shield and would keep me safe.
“It’s you, I thought…” My voice was thick with tears.
Taking one look at me, Matteo’s face turned hard. “What the fuck did he do to you?”
Mutely, I shook my head, but I couldn’t help the next sob that tore its way out of my lips. Crossing the floor, he fell onto the sofa next to me and gathered me into his arms.
“What did he do, Sophia?”
I melted against him, wrapping my arms around him so he could hold me like a baby. It was exactly what I needed, but at the same time, it made me feel worse.
