"You're scaring her," Elena says.
Rina's gaze moves to Elena and back to me. "I'm preparing her."
I look at Sofia, and she nods.
"You need to play your game right. Vito is letting you go because he found out about your relationship with Finn. You had nowhere to go, nowhere was safe for you, and you know Finn would protect you," Rina says, and I wonder if Finn would protect me.
"You're a damsel in distress. You need to show them you're harmless. That way, they start to trust you. You need to be a step ahead of Declan and Finn."
Sofia cuts in. "They want the same thing you want from them, intel, and they will try to get it from you, but you have to play it smart."
I nod. If I wasn't scared before, which I was, I'm even more scared now. But I know Rina and Sofia are just trying to offer guidance and support. And I know I have to step up.
I can't show weakness.
"Can't I just forget about all this and run away," I joke, even though a part of me means it.
Rina sighs, searching my eyes before pulling her lips into a sad smile.
"Every one of us in this room has felt this way at some point in our lives, but you can't escape reality," Rina says, and Sofia adds. "You need to face your battle; running isn't an option, sweetie."
I turn to Elena. "No words of encouragement?"
"I suck at giving advice. Just don't get yourself killed, okay?"
I smile. "I won't. I will be back soon," I say it as a prayer.
"You better," Elena says.
The four of us spend the rest of the evening and most of the night packing and preparing me for the Irish. There's no better way to spend what might very well be my last night at the estate.
CHAPTER 2
Gianna
I walkedout of the Rosso estate, leaving behind everything that felt familiar. A cab pulled up just as I reached the gate with my luggage.
The evening breeze tugged at my hair, and I paused, tilting my head up to look at the estate one last time, specifically Vito’s floor, wondering if he was watching me. Wondering what exactly was going through his head as he sent his sister into the enemy’s den.
Last night after Rina, Sofia, and Elena left, Vito had called me to his office. He briefed me on the essentials, everything I needed to know about the Irish. I knew Finn, but not his family. That was a different story.
“With Liam still in the wind and Kieran dead, Declan's running the Irish now. Finn's his right hand. Both dangerous, both smart. Don't underestimate either of them. Don’t mess this up, Gianna.” Those were Vito’s final words to me as I left his office.
Before I left, a few of his men worked on my phone to take out any information the Irish could use against us. Not like I was so involved in my family’s business anyway.
I peeled my eyes away from the estate as the driver helped me with my bag. Closing the door behind me, I took a deep breath, grounding myself for what was to come.
The driver’s door slammed shut, jolting me from my thought. My heart raced as I opened my eyes. “Where to?” the cab driver asked.
I answered with the address to where Finn lived in Hell’s Kitchen, biting my bottom lips as I looked out the window.
What would Finn think when he saw me? I swallowed, thinking of ways to convince him. Convincing him shouldn’t be as tough as convincing Declan, though.
I wondered what our encounter would be like. Finn and I had some sort of bond. Heck, I slept with the man, but I couldn’t believe he used the tender moment we shared that way. Turned out he was just like every man in my life. Selfish and self-centered.
I took out my phone to text Finn. I ran my fingers through my hair as I saw the series of messages he sent me that I never replied to.
I bit my bottom lip, thinking what to text or say. My fingers hovered on the phone and remained like that until the driver said something.
