Dad tips my chin up, studying my eyes. “You know you can always talk to me, right?”
“I know, Dad.” My features soften as I stare at Alesso’s handsome face. Mom definitely won the husband lottery. One of the happiest days of my life was the day Mom married my stepdad. I already loved him so much by then, and I count my blessings every day that he came into our lives. He is my father in every way that counts, and I rarely give my bio dad a secondthought. He was a monster, and I’m glad he died. He deserved it for the things he did to Mom. “I love you,” I add as a sudden rush of emotion swirls in my veins. “I’m so happy you’re my dad.”
His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat. “Thank you for bringing so much joy to my life, Elisa.” He kisses my brow. “I love you more than I can say.” He presses a second soft kiss to my brow before letting me go. “We better hurry, or the chopper will take off without us.” He grabs his briefcase in one hand and me in the other, and then we make our way to the roof to meet Uncle Ben and Uncle Leo for the helicopter trip home.
Once on board, I close my eyes and rest my head against the window, letting the three men talk business through the intercommunication headsets. I turn music on and try to empty my mind of all thoughts of Caleb, but it’s futile. I wish I could find a way to scrub my brain with bleach and erase every memory and thought of him because I am sick of feeling like this.
“Elisa!” Mom rushes out the door toward me with the biggest smile on her face, and I lose control over my tenuous emotions. My lip starts wobbling, and my vision blurs as moisture gathers in my eyes. Her face dissolves with concern as she notices my expression, and by the time she’s reached me, I’ve dumped my weekend bag on the ground and silent tears are streaming down my face that I’m powerless to stop.
Chapter Seven
Elisa
Mom and Dad exchange a worrying look as I collapse against Mom and quietly sob. “I hadn’t started dinner yet,” Mom tells him over my shoulder. “Let’s order pizza.”
“I’ll call it in.” Dad kisses Mom on the lips before pressing a tender kiss on the top of my head. “Whatever it is, know we are here for you.” They talk in hushed tones for a bit while I try to pull myself together. Gravel crunches underfoot as Dad walks off into the house.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” Mom asks, easing back and holding my arms so she can look at me. “Or we could talk over a glass of wine in the sunroom?”
“Wine sounds good,” I say, pulling a tissue from my jeans pocket and dabbing at my eyes. “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to break down like that.”
“Better out than in.” She smiles lovingly at me, brushing strands of hair off my brow. My brown hair is the same color as Mom’s, and we share the reddish tints running through it. Although she is only a few years away from fifty, there isn’t a gray hair on Mom’s head or a single wrinkle on her beautifulface. I hope I grow older as gracefully as she is. “Is this something to do with Caleb?”
I nod because I never lie to Mom, and she knows most everything anyway.
“Oh, Elisa.” She kisses my cheek and squeezes my hand. “I hate to see you hurting so much.”
“It’s my own fault.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. Your feelings are natural, and it’s not like you can flip a switch and turn them off.”
“Wouldn’t that be a handy trick?”
Her features soften as she gives me another hug. Warmth surges through my icy veins, and I’m so glad I came home. Mom always makes things better, and I really need her tonight. Shea offered to come to my apartment, but I turned her down because my place is with my family. A weekend at home, surrounded by their love, will go a long way toward gluing back the new cracks in my heart.
She circles her arm around my shoulders and leads me toward the house. Glancing around, I notice my bag is gone. Dad must have taken it inside. “I know everything seems insurmountable right now, but you will heal, and you will move forward with your life. At some point, you will look back and see it differently. During my worst days with Alfredo, clinging to the hope of a brighter future was all that kept me going. Hope, you, and Romeo.”
We step inside the house, and I’m instantly bathed in warmth and the scent of lavender and lilies. Mom loves lilies, and Dad buys them every week for her. Auntie Sierra sells aromatherapy oils at her clinic, and Mom is always burning different oils on the various diffusers she has around the house.
“And then you had Dad.”
Her face instantly lights up as we walk toward the kitchen, where the sound of chatter filters into the hallway. “Alesso savedme in all the ways I needed saving. His love lifted me up when I struggled to stand by myself, and when I had healed, he gave me the freedom to soar.” She sweeps her finger across my cheek. “Someday, you will have a love like that.”
I bite my tongue to smother my negative retort. No point in raining on Mom’s parade. She is a true believer in love because she found it after years of enduring sheer hell. I wish I had even a tenth of my mother’s inner strength. Compared to what she went through, my heartbreak is nothing but the whimsical yearnings of a foolish girl who still hasn’t grown up.
I tell myself this all the time since I discovered Caleb slept with Gwyneth and her despicable friends, but I have yet to drill the point home.
“Lisa!” Aria barrels toward me as we enter the kitchen, throwing her arms around me with gusto.
“Hey, cupcake. Missed you.” I crouch down to her level and hug her properly.
“I missed you more,” she says. “It’s boring being at home all the time. I can’t even see my friends,” she pouts.
“It’s important to keep you safe.” I tell her something she’s already been told a lot, but when you’re eight it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact your father is a powerful man with dangerous enemies who wouldn’t think twice about hurting you to get to him.
“And it won’t be forever,” Mom adds, messing the top of her hair. It’s darker than Mom’s but lighter than Alesso’s. “I’ll talk to Daddy and see if we can arrange a playdate for next week.”
I doubt Dad will agree. Not while the big Italian boss is in the wind. All the kids are still being homeschooled because the threat is far from over, and the memory of Rowan’s attempted assassination is still way too fresh in everyone’s mind. There is no point in taking risks.
