Correct answer is C, my beast supplies. (Told you it was smart.)
She shakes her head. “I’m fine.”
“Excellent. Can we get moving now? The plane needs to clear the runway. We’re not the only people who use our airport.”
She moves toward the exit, and I rush past her so I can open the door for her. I keep my hand on the door, wondering if she’ll duck under my arm. There’s something disturbing about the way I feel when she’s near me. Like I want to keep her near me all the time. She’s not my pet.
But she could be. A bunny?
The governess doesn’t move from her spot next to Leo, and my nephew stands next to her, his chin quivering. The pair of them are a stark reminder of why I keep my family small and why only family members are allowed into our spaces. No boyfriends for Val. No girlfriends for me. Leo gets attached, Val gets attached, and then, when people leave us, I’m left to pick up everyone’s broken pieces along with my own.
“Leo, go take a nap with your aunt.”
“She’s not here,” the governess says.
I frown. “She’s probably already in bed. He’ll sneak into her room.”
The governess shakes her head. “Val left the house.”
“Why didn’t… Where did she go?” How could my sister leave my nephew when she knows I’m departing for a trip? It makes no sense. I ignore the hundreds of notifications and dial my sister, who doesn’t pick up.
Can’t ignore the notifications anymore. I move through them and see that most of them are missed calls from my pilot. She wouldn’t. No way. I call the copilot. No answer.
The airport’s ground service answers me on the third ring.
“Good afternoon, Jakomo. Is my plane ready?”
“Just taking off, sir.”
For fuck’s sake, Valerina! God damn it.
I slam the door, then open it and slam it again. If I grind my teeth any harder, I’ll break my jaw. Lake’s looking at me wide-eyed, but not innocent. Not innocent!
Val talked her into stalling me so she could take my damn plane. My pilots don’t fly unless I authorize the flight, and since I authorized it before they knew who was boarding, Valerina just walked up and they took off. Not that they could have refused her, but the plane wouldn’t have been ready unless I ordered it.
“Mr. Angelini?” Jakomo prompts.
“Yes, I’m still here.” I clear my throat. “Was she alone?”
“I believe so.”
“How many suitcases did your guys load?”
“One.”
I snort. “Thank you.” I hang up.
My sister packs five suitcases for a weekend in Paris. If she packed one, she fled in haste, which means she planned her exit in haste, likely within the last hour. If I had to guess, it was after Val interrogated the governess about why I fired her. Once the opportunity to leave the house presented itself, she took it. I have to give it to my sister for outsmarting me more than once.
I open my mouth to confront Lake, but think better of it because my nephew is watching me. I have to behave and keep that beast caged. Which means I can’t interrogate Lake about my sister because that’ll upset my nephew. She’s grown on him.
Damn it! Damn her and Val! “Fuck,” I bite out.
“Fuck,” he repeats.
And there you have it. This is why I keep my house in order. I want to be unbothered. Undisturbed. Unfuckwithable. But people won’t let me be.
“It’s okay, Uncle. We’re still here.” Leo hugs my leg and rests his head on my hip.
