What am I going to do now? Why is he back?I look around at the room and see a few suitcases and the laptop on the table.Why am I in his room?Oh fuck, Nicholas will kill me.
I start to panic as my vision blurs and I hold onto the chair. Thousands of ideas pass through my mind. Escape from Bonetti's manor is impossible since it's isolated and he's the owner of the entire city. I'd dare to say region. Nothing happens without him approving it.
The knockon the door skirts me back to the present as Viola, the maid and one of my friends, opens it. “Miss, dinner is ready.”
“I won't join them.” I shake my head at her. “Tell them I'm sleeping or whatever.”
She approaches to check on me. “Leila, you know Mr. Bonetti won't accept it. Especially now you're back after so long.”
“Is Nicholas downstairs too?” I ask while trying to get up. The ankle hurts so bad it forces me to sit down right away.
She makes the sign of the cross and shakes her head. “Mr. Nicholas is no longer with us.”
I gasp as I stare at her. I'm not surprised. I mean, he's always been a reckless dickhead and alcohol, drugs, and hisbusiness, as he used to call it, put him in danger more than once. I heard hisfather complained about him and the fact theshadowwouldn't be there to clean his mess.
“Please, Viola, just tell them I don't feel okay and I won't join them,” I murmur as my stomach knots.
When Viola leaves the room, I start to shake.Now that Nicholas is not here anymore, what will happen to me?
CHAPTER 8
CHRIS
Dad is looking at the folders of last year’s income. As much I've tried to show him how easy is to open a fucking report on his laptop, he keeps asking me to print them.
“It's looking good, Christopher. You did good. I like what I see and that everything is flowing as it should.” He closes the folder and meets my gaze. “The man you've become is what I was waiting to see.”
“If that's everything I'll pack my bag and get back…”
“No, your place is here, now.”
“Of course, now that Nicholas is not here anymore,” I fire back. “I'm done being played with.”
“Christopher, mine wasn't a request. Nicholas fucked up and La Sacra Corona has eyes on us.”
I cackle as I shake my head. “Has eyes onyou, and they’ve never approved how you let him destroy everything and everyone.”
He slams his hand on the desk, getting on his feet. “That's enough. You two were…”
“What? There never was two of us, but just him, and now I should clean up his fucking messagain? I took a bullet for himtwo days ago,” that's bullshit; it's a scratch, “and you've never even asked where, let alone how I feel.”
“You're here, which means you're fine.”
I scoff as Viola catches my attention. “Whatever.” I wave my hand and head out of the office.
“Non abbiamo finito!”We're not done, he yells before I close the door.
“Where's Leila?” My voice startles Viola and I curse under my breath. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”
She approaches me and squeezes my hand. “It's good to have you home, Chris. She's not feeling good.” She pauses and looks at me. She says nothing anymore but her silence speaks volume.
“Thank you, Viola.” I jog upstairs as she tries to protest but eventually gives up.
The moment I burst into the room, Leila rushes to the corner and tries to shield with her arms.
“I haven't done anything. I swear I haven't…”
My heart stops beating at her reaction.What in the fucking hell?“Leila, it's me,” I say while walking toward her.
