One of the men snatched my phone “What are you doing? Give me that phone,” I snapped, the anger in my voice sharp and impossible to ignore. Another guard stepped forward, waving a big detector over my body. The look on his face when it came up clean was anything but pleased, like he wanted me to be caught with something.
“You will get it back. Let’s go,” he said, and I hesitated for a second before trailing behind him.
“Where are we going?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. I glanced back. The other guard was already going through my luggage. I couldn’t blame them, not really. If the situation was reversed, I could imagine Vito doing much worse to Finn if he had walked through the doors of the Rosso estate.
We walked through the estate lobby. It was vast with high ceilings and marble floors. Men in black suits, like the one leading me, stood at near-perfect interval, eyes sharp, earpieces coiled around their ears. This was a familiar sight; the only difference was this wasn’t my home.
None of the men looked at me, not directly, but I still felt assessed, measured, and dismissed. They didn’t smile; they didn’t nod. Their expressions were carved from stone.
My boots made little sounds as I followed the bodyguard past a second checkpoint. Then a third. We reached the elevator, and without a word, he pressed the top button to the penthouse.
The door slid shut, and classical music drifted from the hidden speaker. My heart was pounding too loudly in my chest for the melody to matter.
My stomach twisted. Who exactly was I going to meet? Declan or Finn? I prayed it was the latter. As the elevator doorslid open, we stepped into an empty hallway. I followed the guard down the hall until we reached a door.
The door opened up, and that same sinking feeling crept in, just like the one I had walking into Vito’s office. Only this time it wasn't my brother I was facing, it was a man, who at first glance, bore a striking resemblance to Finn. He sat alone at the far end of a long conference table with a commanding presence, and I swallowed.
The door closed behind me, and the guard disappeared without a word.
“A Rosso in the abode of a Costello. How ironic,” he said. His voice was low and cold, and it sent shivers down my spine. Brown hair, strong facial structure, and piercing blue eyes that dug into my soul.
“Why are you here? I doubt you came all this way here to just stare. I heard you brought a few bags,” he said, leaning back in his chair with a lazy kind of menace that made every hair on my arm rise. He looked like danger itself. This was Declan, the current head of the Costello syndicate.
“I told the guard. I am here to see Finn,” I said, surprising myself at how clear I sounded. He tilted his head, narrowing his gaze at me like he was sizing me up. I have been under the scrutiny of many men, but the way Declan stared at me? It was like a single gesture from him could decide my fate.
“And you know Finn, how?” he asked. It wasn’t curiosity, it was a command.
“I won’t speak until I see Finn,” I said, my voice steady, but my insides screaming.
He scoffed, dragging a hand slowly across his jaw like he was deciding whether I was amusing or annoying. “Is this some kind of joke?” he muttered. “You do realize I won’t hesitate to show Vito how we treat guests like you.”
The threat landed hard. I tried to keep my face straight, but a flicker of panic must have slipped through. He stood and began walking towards me, and for some reason my feet remained glued to the floor, my heart pounding. He was tall, at least six feet, and every inch of his tailored suit looked like it had been stitched with danger in mind. Each step he took made my inside sink with fear. Just as he was about to reach me, the door swung open.
At that moment, I remembered I had to breathe.
“Gianna,” Finn’s voice broke the moment like a gasp of air after drowning. He stormed into the room, breathless, eyes wide. Shock, relief, anger. It all played across his face as if he wasn’t sure I was real
“You know her?” Declan asked, pausing mid-step
Finn didn’t answer right away. He looked between Declan and me before finally locking eyes with me. “What are you doing here?”
I blinked, ready to get my story straight. “Vito found out about our relationship, and he threw me out. I had nowhere to go. He took everything from me, and you’re the only person I could go to,” I said, surprising myself at how convincing I sounded.
Finn was quiet, his green eyes drilling into my soul, expressing things that can’t be put into words.
“I haven’t heard from you in weeks, Gianna,” Finn spoke, his voice reminding me of that night at the chapel.
“What the fuck is going on, Finn?” Declan’s voice broke whatever moment Finn and I were having, returning me to reality. “If you don’t get out of this estate now, I can’t promise you will leave this place in one piece.”
Finn ran his finger through his hair, loosening the tie before turning to Declan. His eyes flashed with anger.
“I will explain everything, Declan. Fucking relax.”
“Alex,” Finn yelled, and the bodyguard from before entered. “Escort her to my waiting room,” He leaned and whispered. “We have a lot to talk about. Don’t go anywhere.” I nodded and glanced at Declan before leaving with the guard, feeling relieved as I stepped out of that office.
Was that it? That couldn’t be it?
Finn believed me. I swallowed, my mind and heart racing.
