THIN ICE |BOOK I |BWWM|

•ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 15•

I hardly did fun things like this with my ex. Nothing but house work, family dinners, and date nights that used to be fun but eventually just turned into dinner and rough sex—and maybe an occasional day outing.

Even with Andres, we had to be too careful for me to really enjoy myself.

He was always so on guard but I guess it—

My train of thought derailed.

Through the midst of the dense crowd I noticed a well-built, scruffy faced man, with a blonde-streaked man bun. Our pupils locked as the surrounding crowd dissipated into the evening air. The man blinked repeatedly as his forehead wrinkles deepened and I tilted my head multiple angles, hoping it was just the refraction of lights obscuring my view.

"Something in your eye?" Matias' velvet tone pulled me back to the table.

"Oh ah, no. I just—I have to go to the restroom. Be right back." I leaped up and darted for the now gone man.

The breezy night air whipped around my head as I spun in all directions looking for that familiar face. Delighted screams blurred passed my ears as lights from various carnival rides and booths streaked my gaze.

I did one more spin, coming up empty before I started back to the table. As I took my first step, I felt what I knew to be the tip of a gun, jutted between my shoulder blades.

"Scream, I dare you."

The harsh voice, along with its pistol dragged me behind one of the large booths and into the shadows.

I peeked over my shoulder as the blood drained from head, nearly knocking me to the patchy ground.

Gianni.

He threw me into the metal railing dividing the carnival from the parking lot as he kept his pistol pointed at me. His expression metamorphosed numerous times as he stared.

"Is it really you?....Julia?"

I thought about lying, but what would that do? Gianni was their cousin, he knew my face well.

"Y-yeah. It's me."

"I don't understand? How are you-why are-?"

"I can explain. Its-"

"I watched you die that night, Julia." His hand writhed with anger.

"L-Look Gianni, I'll tell you what happened, but please put the gun away."

"Why did you do this? You think we're that stupid? Like we wouldn't figure it out?" He drew back, but restrained himself and lowered the gun a bit.

"No! I had to do this Gianni. It was the only way to save me and the baby." I unsteadily rose to my feet and staggered towards him.

He pulled his gun back up, recentering his aim.

"So you had to die and leave us for Russo?"

"I'm not with him. I-It's complicated."

"Yeah I bet, puttana." Gianni hissed.

That night I was mugged and assaulted, Andres not only got me a gun, but for the following three months, I was enrolled in self-defense classes.

I never planned on using what I learned on family, and it hurt me that Gianni just jumped to conclusions.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and I quickly disarmed him with a maneuver I learned. In one swift move, I whipped the pistol across his face and kneed him in the crotch. As he groaned I hit him again, picking his phone from the dirt and throwing it as far as I could along with his gun.