Leo was happy I’d kept my end of the deal, and now it was his turn. He was going to be busy with his initiation, and after that he wouldn’t have time to even think about her. I’d make sure of it.
“Thank you, Mr. Bellomo, for everything.” Nicole’s voice cracked as her chin trembled. Her face was never grayer or more broken than now.
“You’ve done everything in your power to protect your sister, and you did the right thing, calling me this morning. You should be proud of yourself. As always.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes blinking away tears she’d never shed in front of people. She was one of the toughest girls I’d ever known. I hated that the first time she was about to crack in public was because of me.
“Andiamo. Let me show you to your rooms,” I prompted.
“One room is enough, Don Bellomo. We don’t wanna take the whole place,” Angel said.
That wasn’t going to work. At all. She had to have a room all by herself. So I could watch and visit and… I was tired of watching her through a screen. It was time I took our private chances to a new level. “Absolutely not. The mansion is big enough for a hundred people to live in. Each of you would have a room of her own with a private bathroom and a dressing room.”
“A dressing room?” Angel squealed, wiping her face, as if she hadn’t been weeping in distress a second ago.
“Certo. I think the rooms closest to the pool would suit you best, vero?”
“OMG, yes,vero.” Angel giggled. I loved the sound of that. I couldn’t wait for her to fill my house with her beautiful laughter every day.
And sweet moans.
I’d killed two birds with one stone with my new plan. Finally, my son was on the right path in the family and away from my girl. My sweet Angel was under my roof, trusting me with her life, where I could show her once and for all she did belong to me.
When I’m done with you, my sweet Angel, you’ll have no name but mine in your little heart, mind and soul.
Then when you know who I am, you’ll learn to forgive me for what I’ve done.
And what I’ll do.
Chapter20
Lina
Awestruck, Nicky wandered around the room Don Sebastiano chose for me on the second floor, where the guest rooms were. He stayed on the top floor. “Can you believe the size of these rooms?”
My gaze traveled to the garden surrounding the indoor pool outside as I stood by the huge stained glass windows. “No.” Like I couldn’t believe any of the things that had been happening to me all my life.
Hands fell on my shoulders, and I flounced like a fish out of water, a yelp escaping me. My eyes landed on Nicky, her hands in the air.
“Hey, it’s me. Just me,” she said.
I nodded, shaking. “Yeah. Sorry. I… can you not do that when I can’t see you, please?”
“Of course.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “You shouldn’t say sorry. I’m the one who should apologize…for everything.”
“Nicky, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. You’ve told me so many times. I should’ve believed you. I should’ve done something about it way earlier. I should’ve protected you before he—”
“There’s nothing you could’ve done.Heattacked me at school for God’s sake. The Bellomo vault like you call it.”
“But if I’d done something earlier, he wouldn’t have.”
“Yes,hewould’ve. Stop torturing yourself.” She didn’t hear the wayhespoke. She didn’t feelhispossessive hands on her body. She didn’t know that nothing would have stoppedhimfrom finding me. Nothing would. Not even Sebastiano himself.
I didn’t agree to come here because the Mafia boss could findhim. Hadn’thebeen coming to his own school for five years, and no one even knew?Hewas hiding in plain sight. No one could findhimifhedidn’t want to be found.
The only reason I was here was to provokehim. The security at school had been doubled now, I no longer lived in the apartmenthecould easily break into or bug, and I was sleeping in the house of the boyhewas jealous of, wherehecouldn’t break in without being shot on sight.
