“I have a bad feeling about you staying here, Lina. I feel like I’m gonna…lose you one way or another.”
“What? Why? Did something happen you didn’t tell me about?”
“What else do you need to happen? Leo is fixated on you. He’s a Mafia prince, a made man who’s gonna have soldiers of his own,” she whispered. “What if he decides to defy his dad some more and kidnap you or worse?”
I came to a halt. “Worse? What could be worse than that?”
“His father,” she continued whispering. “What do you think a man like him would do to stop his defiant prince from running away with a girl he doesn’t approve of?”
My heart sank to a deep hollow in my stomach. “No. No, he said he’d protect me. He can’t…” Could he do this to me? Could he kill me?
“Look, I know he likes you, and I don’t mean to scare you. But I’m scared, Lina. No matter how much he cares about us, he cares about his son and his work more.”
The bodyguards at the office door waved for us to move quicker. I dragged my feet toward them, trying hard not to cry, and walked inside.
I chanced a glance at Tino. He was sitting on the couch, not behind his desk, crossing his legs, frowning, dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept at all.
The guards snapped the doors shut, and I flinched. There was no one here but us. And his gun.
“Before you start, I’d like to say that we want to go back home,” Nicky suddenly said.
“Just like that? You think you can come and go whenever you like? Waste my time and resources and then just go? What about the fucking stalker? You don’t give a shit about your sister’s safety anymore?”
“I care about my sister more than I care about anything in this world. That’s why I want out of here, Mr. Bellomo. I’ve protected her my whole life. I will find a way to protect her from—”
“Silenzio!” He jolted to his feet. “Both of you are under my protection until we find the prick. No one is leaving here until I say so.”
“Oh my God, you’re really gonna kill me,” I whimpered.
“What?” He leaned forward, his hands on his hips, his gun peeking out. “Che cazzo dici?”
“You want to get me out of Leo’s way so he’d marry the girl you chose for him. If Leo won’t stop chasing me, it’s the only way.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, and then he cocked a brow at Nicky. “You filled her head with this shit, vero?”
“Mr. Bellomo—”
“You’re lucky I like you, Nicole.” He blew out a breath. “Is that what you think La Famiglia is all about? Killing little girls to get them out of the way? Girls I swore to protect?”
“My sister is all I have. Your son is all you have. You can’t blame me for—”
“This family is about honor!” he roared, and we both jumped. He was so scary I wanted to run away from him, into him. I wanted to hide in his arms, as if he was the only one that could protect me from himself.
How could I feel that way?
“Get out, Nicole. I want to talk to Angelina alone.”
“But I—”
“One more word and my men will escort you back to your condo…alone. I can easily protect you from there.”
My jaw fell. I couldn’t live without my sister.Please stop talking, Nicky.
Nicky stared at him, her eyes hard, not an ounce of fear in them, only fury. My superhero wasn’t afraid of the Mafia wolf. “I stay where my sister stays…Tino.”
“Then take my advice.” He waved at the door.
Nicky lifted her chin and flipped her hair as she marched out, proud as always.
