I have to drag Brandon into the living room, as Marco requested since they're not on talking terms anymore.
Last night they had an argument.
I remember hearing Marco screaming something about Brandon needing to suck it up and move on, I have no idea what from, but Brandon didn't like it and shouted something about Cataleya never picking him over Rio.
And that hit home.
Even Rio looked a bit wide-eyed when Brandon said that.
They fought it out, with words and fists. We had to tear them apart.
And by we, I mean Kai and I. Because Rio didn't even bother.
He was too busy staring at his fucking phone.
'What do you want?' Brandon asks as he takes a seat on the couch, glaring at his brother. 'Shut it. Rio wanted to talk.'
Rio?
I barely noticed him in the corner of the room and almost jump up when he slowly turns to us. He's wearing a fancy black suit, his hair neatly combed back, as if he's on his way to a meeting or something.
A meeting he didn't tell me about.
'What's going on?' Brandon asks, moving to the edge of his seat. Even Kai is sitting on the other side of the couch, waiting for someone to explain what's going on.
'You three are going back to Italy while Marco and I continue our search.' What? Kai nods, smiling to himself a little, and Brandon looks a little stunned. 'No.'
Everyone looks at me as I keep my eyes on Rio, but he doesn't freaking bother. Of course not.
'North-' 'You said you'd let me help. So I'll help. What help will I be when I'm all the way in Italy and-' Rio finally looks at me and the words that were ready to flow out like a storm, suddenly disappear.
'She's right though, how will we be able to help when we're in Italy?' Brandon asks from beside me. Marco rolls his eyes and looks at Rio, waiting for him to respond, but he's too busy with his phone again.
As if he's waiting for a text or call.
'Things are going downhill with the shipments, someone is messing with us and it's coming from the inside. We need you to sort that out while we handle this situation.' Marco says, informing us since Rio won't.
'First of all, I don't care about your shipments, second, I'm here to get Leya back, and third, I'm not going to Italy.' Rio rolls his eyes, before looking at Brandon, finally giving us some of his attention.
'Cosa sta succedendo?' He asks, making me roll my eyes. Their talking in Italian. On fucking purpose. 'Un traditore.' Rio answers as he starts pacing around the room, 'I need you to find them and kill them before things get out of hand.'
'We will.' Brandon answers, sighing deeply before he looks at me. 'I'm not going back to Italy.'
'Yes you are, Marco and I have to talk to my aunt so we won't have time to look after you.' To look after me? 'I don't need you to look after me, I can take care of myself.' Rio's eyes turn to me again and he simply grins. 'Oh, we've all seen that.'
I just know he's talking about the fight with my aunt. That asshole...
'Wait, you two are going to Santo?' Brandon asks them, moving back a little. Rio nods and looks at Marco, who's keeping his eyes on me on purpose.
Not because he wants to know what else I have to say, but because he doesn't want to look at Brandon. Or Rio for some reason.
'Your flight will leave in an hour, from Jacksonville, and we will go to Miami and take a plane there.' Brandon nods and looks at me, placing his hand on mine. 'I guess we should pack our stuff then.'
'I'm not going to Italy.' I repeat, turning back to Rio and Marco. 'Neveah, I get that you want to help. But we need to move quickly.' Marco says, trying to calm me down before Rio explodes.
He can explode for all I care, he told me that I would be involved in finding Cataleya, so I am not going back to Italy.
'North, do not make this about you.' About me? How could this possibly be about me? 'This isn't about me, this is about getting Cataleya back.'
Marco sighs deeply, a little over it already, but Rio turns back to his phone again. 'We have to leave in a few minutes.' Rio says, ignoring what I just said.
'You need me.' Rio scoffs and looks at me again. 'Why could we possibly need you?'
'When you find Leya, I'll be the one she would want to talk to.' I get up from my spot and look at Marco, 'Not you, because you work for him,' I say before I turn to Rio, 'And not you because she hates you.'
He opens his mouth, ready to explode on me, but Kai chuckles, making all of us turn to him. 'If you even find her alive and well.'
That motherfucker... I lunge at him, casting all my anger at the fists I throw his way and make sure to hit his fucking face.
He tries to push me off of him, but I'm too angry for his soft pushes to work, and continue hitting him.
The rage Rio told me about, the rage I didn't know I had if it wasn't for him. I let it all out on Kai, hearing some bones creak because of my fists.
A set of strong arms wrap around my waist and before I know it, I'm lifted into the air, off of Kai.
Who's breathing heavily as he tries to crawl away from me.
Marco is the one holding me, keeping me close to his chest, while Rio looks at Kai with clear anger in his eyes.
'I should've let her kill you for that, but I want to do that myself when we get her back.' Kai can't even react, he's bleeding. There's a tear in his lip and his nose is bleeding, he'll probably get a few bruises tomorrow, but he deserves it for saying stuff like that.
'And you.' Rio steps towards us and stops right in front of me, looking down on me in his mighty suit, 'Stop getting on my nerves, because I truly don't think I can handle you for another second.'
'You said you'd let me help.' He looks at his phone, before looking back at me. 'You have five minutes to pack your shit and get in the car. If you act up like this again, I'll drop you in the middle of the fucking street. Don't get in my way and for once just do as you're told.' Wait... Does this- 'Our flight leaves in a few, I suggest you hurry.' He sneers, walking to the front door.
He's letting me come with them...
Marco lets go of me and rolls his eyes playfully. 'Go pack your bags, we're going to Santo Domingo.'
I run to my bedroom, throwing the first bag I see on the bed, before turning to the closet.
Brandon did buy me a bunch of summer clothes, which I hope will be good enough for the weather there.
'Are you crazy?' Brandon asks as he walks into the room and takes a seat on my bed. 'Maybe, I just want to help.' 'I get that, but you just- be careful, okay?'
I stop throwing a bunch of clothes on the bed and turn to Brandon. 'I will. Everything will be fine. We'll get her back and then we-' 'Watch out for them.' Them?
'What do you mean?' I ask not understanding who them is. 'Rio and Marco are... different when they're with Camilla.' Different? 'Different how?'
'Heartless and cruel and fake and... Just evil.' 'They already are.' I say as I continue to throw some clothes into the bag. 'Neveah, they might have to do stuff they don't want to in order to get what we need.'
'Which is?' I don't even know why we're going to Santo Domingo, but I do know that going to Italy wouldn't get us any further in our search for Leya. 'We need more men. The only way we'll be able to get more men is by getting some from Camila, or more her husband, Pablo.' He quickly explains, helping me pack the last stuff.
I nod and take in all the information, wondering what happened between them. Why did she move all the way to the Dominican Republic? Are they even on talking terms? Why ask them for help and not others?
'Ask Marco, he might tell you more about it. But now we have to go.' Brandon packs his own bag and quickly runs back into the hall. I follow him outside and see two cars.
One is empty, but Kai is already heading towards it, and the other one is occupied by Marco and Rio. 'Be careful and don't trust anyone unless they tell you to.'
I nod and quickly hug Brandon, before running towards the car and hopping in. Rio's behind the wheel and instantly starts driving.
The entire drive to Miami goes by in silence, but when we finally arrive, they seem eager to jump out. As if they're trying to get as far away from me as possible.
Keep up. I follow them into the plane that's already stationed and ready for departure, and take a seat in one of the creme-colored couches.
Marco sits across from me and glances at Rio, before turning to me. 'How are you feeling?' He asks. I can hear a little concern in his voice and wonder if this was the right decision.
It is. I need to be there when they get Cataleya.
'Yes, why shouldn't I be?' He shrugs, glances at Rio again, before turning back to me and moving to the edge of his seat.
'Kai said some scary things, I just wanted to check if you were okay.' Kai...
I truly wonder why Rio stopped me, because he almost killed Kai himself. I guess Kai does have a purpose after all. One I don't know about yet.
Kai certainly said some scary stuff, but I don't think anything of what he said is true. Leya can't be dead. I won't allow myself to dwell on that though, because I'll go insane if I do.
'I'm fine. He was just getting on my nerves.' I mumble, looking at my hands. I hit him. Pretty good if I must say so myself. And I didn't realize my knuckles were all red until now.
'I didn't want to stop you, but Rio thought you were going to kill him so he made me.' Marco whispers, probably so that Rio won't hear. Rio wanted me to stop?
I didn't even hear anyone talk when I was lunging Kai, let alone hear Rio's orders to make me stop.
'I hope Celine doesn't forgive him.' I admit it because I can tell he feels the same. 'I think she will.' Rio murmurs from the other side of the plane. He slowly heads back to us and hands Marco a laptop.
I have no clue where he got it from, but Marco jumps to his feet and rushes to the back before taking a seat there.
'She's not going to be able to raise that kid on her own.' Rio continues as he takes a seat across from me. 'She won't be on her own.'
'She will. Because as soon as this is over, she will leave again. She hates me too much.' I shake my head and lean back, feeling the engine start.
We slowly start to move and I watch as Rio looks out of the tiny window on his right. 'She might hate you, but she's not alone. She has another family, you know.'
'They don't like her. Her parents aren't very proud of the way she turned out,' working for someone like you... 'And they won't help her either.'
'Then you will. You owe her at least that much.' He looks directly at me as we fly into the sky, leaving Miami behind. 'I owe her nothing, North.' He says as we glide in the right direction.
'I feel like you do since you almost got her killed and all.' The words hit a nerve and the anger inside him rises again. 'North-''What if Kai's right?' I have to get it off my chest. I have to let him convince me that she's still alive.
That Hunter would never kill her.
'He might be.' He sighs, leaning back in his chair. My heart starts racing and I wish I kept my mouth shut.
She's not dead. She can't be dead. How is he so calm about this?
'I fixed the car, everything is set to go.' Marco says, jumping onto a chair next to Rio.
'Good. Now we just have to convince Camilla to help us.' Rio groans, rolling his eyes at the thought of it. 'I bet that might take a while?' Marco nods at my question and sighs deeply, 'Let's just say that we're not the closest companions after... What happened.'
So something happened. They dislike each other because something happened.
'We have a few rules you have to follow, North.' I sit up straight and wait for either of them to continue. 'Number one, don't trust any of them.' Rio says, stopping so that Marco can explain: 'They're really sneaky and will try to break you in every way possible.' Oh damn...
'That does not mean you shouldn't feel them out though, they might tell you something that might come in handy for us. Just don't tell them anything about our motive for all of this.' I nod and wait for rule number two to come, but they both look at me as if I'm crazy.
'What?' I ask.
'They don't know we're doing this to get Leya back, so don't even mention her.'
'I won't. What else?'
'Number two, do not anger or annoy them.' Rio says, going silent again so that Marco can explain. 'They're pretty spoiled, so if you anger or annoy them, their dad will know. He won't like it.'
'The children?' 'Camila's sons. Manuel, Benjamin, Rico, Julio, and Dante. They're about your age.' Rio says, looking out the window again, 'They're also a real pain in my ass, just like you.' Great.
'What else?' I ask, trying to ignore Rio's comment. 'Number three, do not dig where you're not supposed to.'
'If you're not allowed into the meetings, don't try to force yourself a way in. We'll tell you all you need to know afterward.' We. Marco said we as if Rio wants to tell me all about their meetings.
'Number four, do not speak unless you're spoken to.' Marco nods and looks at me again. 'Do not ignore them either, they will throw a whole fit about it.'
'Number five, don't annoy me. You can annoy Marco all you want, but I will lock you in a room if you get on my nerves.' Rio sneers, not needing Marco to explain that one. 'And six, you two are going to have to be a lot nicer to each other.'
Rio points at me and Marco, before grinning to himself. 'Why?' I ask, not understanding why I should be nicer to Marco. I'm already nice enough. I think.
'Because for the next couple of hours, you two will be fake dating.' What?!
Marco mutters something under his breath and turns the other way. 'You're kidding right?' I ask in all seriousness.
I wish he was, but by the look on his face, he's not. He's serious. Dead serious.
'Why do- No, because that's not necessary.' 'It actually is.' Marco groans, turning back to me. What?
'They won't allow outsiders in. If you're not dating one of my men or are one of us, they won't let you in.' He explains. 'But I am, I have the tattoo, right?'
'They have never heard of you before. If I have to explain all the shit that leads up to this point, with Valentina and you, they will know of our circumstances. We are trying to avoid that.' Rio says, slowly pouring himself a drink.
'Then you come up with a lie.' I insist. I truly don't want to have to act that I'm with Marco. 'We have to form a front, not a story of lies. They'll see through it and we can't have that.'
Rio sighs as he gulps down his drink and turns back to me. 'I'm not asking you to fuck him while we're there, just act as if you two are in love and convince them you won't snitch.'
'Fine.' A few seconds holding Marco's hand won't hurt. A few fake "I love you"'s won't hurt. A few fake smiles, laughs, giggles... Kisses? No. No kisses. 'We have to share a room? Right?'
'They'll probably put us in the empty house, that way we have our own little space. We'll be allowed to split the rooms if needed. But our rooms have to be close, just in case.' Marco mumbles, awkwardly smiling at me.
He doesn't want this at all, but is willing to do it for us to make them believe this lie. For what exactly?
'Why are we doing this again?' I ask after some time. I tried to keep it in, I really did. But I just can't.
'We need more men, they have more men.' Rio says, grabbing his phone again. He moves past Marco and walks towards the back, quickly lifting his phone to his ear.
'I know you don't want to act like you're my girlfriend, but we have to put up a good show for them to believe it.' I turn to Marco and frown a little.
'It's not something I have been dreaming about, but if it's a must, I don't see why not.' I would much rather be doing this with him, than Rio.
And I think the same goes for him.
'I won't take it too far.' He mumbles. 'Just do what you have to in order to convince them.'
'I'll try. Get some rest. All of this is a lot to handle. Especially after everything that happened to you and everything that's coming up.' After everything that happened.
He might be talking about Hunter's torture or about the fight with my aunt, maybe even about my outrage on Kai, but I just know he's talking about the baby.
The reminder comes crashing like a wave and I slump down into my chair, fighting the tears that are forming in my eyes.
I know he didn't do it on purpose, but I really want to hit him for doing it.
For the rest of the flight, neither of them talk to me.
When we finally make it to the ground, there is indeed a car waiting for us. It's a black car, and I am thrilled that the inside of the car is cold since it's burning hot outside.
'Remember the rules and don't break them.' I nod and keep my eyes on the window to my left, trying to enjoy the scenery instead of panicking.
For some reason, these two are scaring me.
It's as if I should be crying in a corner instead of stepping right into the middle of all of this. But crying in the corner won't help me. It won't help get Leya back.
And Rio's plans, burning every harbor down and shooting all of Hutner's men, won't help. It will only get us into deeper shit and maybe even result in Leya's death.
I think that's the only reason he didn't do it. Because he knows there's a chance Hunter will kill Leya if he does.
And that thought terrifies him just as much as it does me.
It doesn't take long for us to drive past huge gates, they have the same vibe as the Curzio estate in Barletta.
And when the car comes to a stop and we get out, I realize the entire place is almost an exact replica of Barletta. Just a lot closer to each other and different designs.
These houses are made out of beige stone, with red roof tiles and lots of wood pillars. Three houses, a big one in the middle, a smaller one on the right, and an even smaller one on the left. But all of them are bigger than anything I could ever own.
'How nice of you to visit us again,' I turn around, to face a woman standing on top of the steps leading to the house in the middle. 'Rafael Curzio.'
Behind her is a lineup of people, they all look like her. Brown hair, some curly, some straight, some wavy, and brown eyes. All except a girl.
And a man with dark skin, darker than his children's. Pablo.
'Camilla. Thank you for having us.' Rio says, trying to sound as friendly as possible. The lady, Camilla, smiles at him and slowly walks down the steps, looking at Marco and then me. 'Who is she?'
Act. I grab Marco's hand, noticing that he was about to do it as well, and look at him. 'My girlfriend.'
Her eyes widen and I can see the girl behind her flinch for a second. She looks at Marco, before running off, her father calling her back. But she ignores him.
'Why wasn't I informed of any of this?' I get why they warned me. This woman is terrifying, radiating power in every word coming out of her mouth.
But so is Rio.
'It wasn't planned. Marco just couldn't leave her alone.' Marco pulls me closer and loosely wraps his arm around my waist, smiling at me.
I smile back, trying not to cringe at it, and look at the people behind her.
Boys. They're all boys, barely twenty, and they look spoiled as hell. Just the looks on their faces. And their clothes. And the way they stand there.
All except one. Who seems to take me all in. His eyes roam over me, from Marco's hand on my waist, to my eyes, even my fucking feet, before looking at his mother.
'Finally stuck to one girl, Barsetti?' She asks, smirking a little. Marco laughs and pulls me even closer, almost as if to use me as some kind of shield. 'She's just special.' Damn.
'What's your name dear?' Rule four. Speak when spoken to. 'Neveah North, I am so sorry for coming by so suddenly.' 'It's okay dear, as long as you associate with one of them, you're allowed to come by whenever you want.' She says, smiling at me.
'Come,' She holds out her hand and waits for me to come closer, 'I would love to show you around before we have lunch together.'
I'm sweating my ass off, maybe because of the weather, maybe because of the stares, waiting for me to step forward, maybe because I have no clue if this is a trap or not.
But Marco's gentle nudge forward is exactly what I needed. I step forward and reach for her hand, slowly holding onto it as I smile at her. 'Meet my sons.' She turns around and points at the oldest.
The one that was staring at me. 'My oldest son, Dante.' He looks me up and down again, before smiling at me.
I focus on his face and his curly hair that seems just washed for some reason.
'Benjamin.' A boy a little shorter than his brother, but with the exact same eyes as him. 'Rico and Julio.' Twins. Identical twins with dark eyes and wavy hair. 'Manuel.' The last of her sons. He doesn't seem pleased at all and rolls his eyes, making his mother sneer something at him.
'Mariana ran inside, but that's it. And this,' She pulls me towards the other guy. Her husband. 'This is Pablo.'
His eyes are cold. Stone fucking cold as he looks at me before smiling at his wife. 'Welcome to the Rosario Grounds.'
I can barely thank them for having me, as she pulls me inside the house.
I just know that she got inspired by Barletta because everything is basically the same. Only more occupied. They do have a big family.
After she's done giving me a tour, she tells Dante to take me to the other house. He doesn't want to, but ends up bringing me anyways.
I follow him silently as he walks to the smaller house on the left, and leaves as soon as he opens the door.
I walk inside and feel the cold air surround me, almost gasping for air as if I couldn't breathe before.
'Did they ask any questions?' Rio asks as he steps into the hall. He's talking softly, almost whispering. As if someone's in the house. 'No. Just a tour.' He nods and walks back into the living room, where Marco is talking to the girl from before.
Mariana.
'I remember when you visited last time and you almost drowned Brandon in the pool.' She says, laughing a little. Her hand is on Marco's thigh and I wonder if he even notices.
'Marco.' He looks at me and jumps up. 'Hello Neveah, how was the tour?' He asks as he walks over to me, wrapping his arms around me and smiling a little. 'Good, this place is beautiful.'
I don't have to lie about that.
'Mariana, we will see you at lunch.' Marco says softly, keeping his eyes on me. The girl gets up and walks out through a back door, leaving me alone with Marco standing very close to me.
'She's gone.' He stays another second, before stepping back. 'What did they say to you?' 'Nothing. Just a tour and then they told me to wait until lunch or something.'
Rio jumps onto a couch, and it's just now that I realize he's wearing something else.
Shorts. He's wearing shorts.
I don't think I've ever seen him wear something casual like this before. And it's weird to see him in something so casual now.
'What is it?' He asks since I'm staring at him like a crazy person. 'Nothing.' I shake my head and turn to Marco, 'Why was her hand on your lap?'
Rio sighs while Marco chuckles and jumps on the couch as well. He's also wearing shorts and a simple white shirt on top, but I've seen him in clothes like this before.
'Getting jealous Neveah?' I roll my eyes and shake my head as I head to the single chair across the room. 'You wish. I just don't want to annoy her, don't want to break one of your rules.'
'Smart move, they used to be a thing.' Rio says, looking at me quickly. Oh. Even though the AC is on, I'm sweating like shit. 'Go change into something else before we have to go to that lunch.'
'Which room is mine?' I ask as I get up again. 'The one with your bags in it.' He sneers, before mumbling something to Marco.
I want to sneer something at him, but I'm too hot to think about that right now. These clothes are not meant for this type of weather. I'm wearing a freaking sweater with long jeans.
I'm basically burning myself alive.
So I run up the stairs and go through all the rooms, there's exactly three, to find mine on the other side of the hall.
My bags are already placed on the bed and I look for something light to wear. Maybe a dress? But wouldn't that be too much?
It's the only short thing I have. And it's not too fancy. So I decide to go for it.
I quickly jump in the shower and change into a mint green dress that falls just above my knees and has short sleeves and a deep cut at my chest, but not too deep.
Brandon is the best. Because I actually like this dress a lot.
I quickly make my way back down the stairs and walk back into the living room.
'We should head over there, we can't keep them waiting.' Marco says as he climbs off the couch. 'First, we have to talk.'
He slowly sits back down and I walk back to the chair I sat in earlier.
'I noticed Dante is interested in you.' Rio says, looking at me. 'He was staring, yes, but I wouldn't call it interest.' 'See if he's willing to do anything. Maybe get some info out of him without being too obvious.' What?
'What about the fact that I'm supposed to be dating Marco?' He shrugs and leans back. 'They won't mind. Dante definitely won't. So you have to be discreet about it.'
'I'll see if I can pry something out of Mariana without drawing too much attention.' Marco says. Rio nods and looks at me. 'Act jealous for a while, but then move onto Dante. Got it?'
I don't like the idea of having to flirt with Dante, especially if I'm supposed to be with Marco, but I'll do it if it helps us get closer to getting Leya back.
There's nothing wrong with some harmless flirting. Right?
'Same rules, just don't move so stiff.' Rio says as he climbs up and heads to the hall. Marco looks at me and waits for me to get up before we both walk after him towards the other house.
We make our way to the dining room, noticing that everyone is already waiting for us.
Three empty seats, one next to Mariana, and two next to Dante.
Rio heads to the one furthest away from Dante and looks at Marco, who walks over to the seat next to Mariana, leaving the spot next to Dante for me.
As if they know what we're up to.
'I hope you like it here.' Camilla chimes, raising a glass of champagne and waiting for the others to join. We cling our glasses together and take a sip before everyone starts talking, all while eating some of the food on the table.
'So you and Marco huh?' Dante asks, so softly that I'm basically the only one who can hear him. 'Yes. Me and Marco.'
'Interesting.' He smirks and I raise a brow. 'Why is that?' I ask, looking at him as I eat a single grape. 'It just is.'
'It has to have a reason.' He nods and takes another sip of his champagne. 'You don't seem like the type to go with someone like him.' 'And what is that supposed to mean?'
He shrugs and glances around the room. As if to see if people are watching, but no one is. 'You seem more like... I don't know.'
'No tell me, I need to know now.' I say, turning to him entirely. I see Manuel looking at me for a second and smile, trying to hide the fact that I'm pushing his brother a little. 'I feel like Leon always talked about someone like you. At least the last time I spoke with him.' Leon... Tiago...
The Tiago I know? 'Rafael's cousin, right?' He nods and takes another bite, before looking at me. 'Where is he?' Shit.
'I have no idea, they really just pulled me out of my house and told me to come with them.' I chime, making him laugh. 'Typical Rafael.' Yes... Very...
'So tell us, Neveah,' I look at the end of the table and realize that everyone is looking at me. 'How do you like it so far?' I swallow my bite and smile. 'This place is gorgeous, I can't wait to enjoy it a bit more.'
'Excuse me.' Marco gets up from his chair and walks back into the hall, making me frown a little. 'Go after him in five minutes.' Rio whispers into my ear, before looking at his aunt.
'What is wrong with him?' She asks, looking at us. 'He's a bit sick, but he should be fine.' She nods and continues talking to one of her sons.
'So tell me, Rafael. When will you get a girlfriend like Marco?' Julio asks, grinning a little. It might as well be Rico for all I care. 'Yes, I'm curious too. I want to have a wedding again.' Mariana chimes, moving to the edge of her seat.
I turn to Rafael and see the panic on his face.
Marriage. A topic he seemingly doesn't like to talk about.
But I can't help but grin. He hates every single second of this.
And at the same time, I wonder if he's going to marry Leya when we get her back. Because if he is thinking about proposing, he has to come up with the best way to do it. She deserves that and nothing less.
If she even wants to marry him after all that happened.
'Not yet, I'm still young.' He tries, but they're not buying it. 'You're almost thirty and have no children, you have to hurry.' I can tell that he wants to sneer something at his uncle, but he keeps himself contained and simply chuckles.
He pinches my leg and inclines his head towards the hall, but not too obvious for anyone else to look at him strangely. I get the hint and look at my plate. 'I'll go see where Marco is, excuse me.'
I get out of my chair and head towards the hall, looking around like a maniac.
'Marco?' I whisper, trying to find him in this huge place. Just as I'm about to turn another corner, I'm pressed against the wall, a hand on my mouth, and come face to face with him.
Marco places his index finger on his mouth and takes a deep breath.
He looks around the corner and lowers his hand, making me gasp for air. 'What the fuck was that?' I ask, trying to keep my voice down as much as possible.
This house is big, but it's also very echoey.
'Take this.' He hands me a flash drive and looks around the corner again. 'What is it?' 'It has files we might need, hide it somewhere.'
'Where do you want me to-' He shoves me against the wall again, stepping close. Way too close.
I hold my breath as I hear footsteps coming our way and quickly put the flash drive into my bra. He chuckles softly and presses his arms on either side of my face.
'Mess up my hair.' What? 'Mess up my hair, Neveah.' He says as footsteps seem to get closer. 'What- why?' 'Just-' He steps back a little, undoing the perfect bun it was just in and dragging his hands through it.
'Make them think we were doing something here.' Oh... I wrinkle his shirt a little and mess up my own hair a little before he turns me around and presses me against the wall, pressing his chest against my back. 'I'm sorry.' He breathes into my neck, slowly placing his hand on my waist.
My body freezes and for a second I want to panic, just a second before I realize why he's doing this. It's an act.
It's not real. He's not Adrian. He's just acting. It's Marco. Marco Barsetti.
My friend.
But I can't breathe. I can't act. 'Marco.' He lets go of me and leans away a little, before gently rubbing my arm. Not in a sensual way but in an apologetic one.
'I'm sorry.' He repeats, meaning every word of it. I nod and lean against the cold wall, trying to calm down before I start crying.
The footsteps still echo through the hall, getting closer and closer. 'Pull my dress down a little.' I whisper, trying to hold onto something, anything. 'Are you sure?' 'Just a little.' He nods and gently pulls my dress off my shoulder, just a little, before gasping for air.
'What is-' He presses his lips against my left shoulder, making me break completely. Adrian did that too... Right on the... Stop...
I can't say the words, but the footsteps get closer and closer. Close enough for me to see faint figures behind us, behind Marco, who's still kissing my shoulder.
'Very Marco of you, Barsetti.' Benjamin says, licking his lips. Marco suddenly stops, as if he didn't want us to get caught, and pulls my dress back up.
I feel like I'm about to faint, cry, scream, throw up, break, or all of the above.
But most of all, I feel disgusted. Not because of Marco kissing my shoulder, but because I imagined it was Adrian kissing my shoulder.
I barely register anything else, until we get outside and the sky turns dark orange. 'Are you okay?' Marco asks, nudging me towards our house.
All I can do is shake my head as I take a seat on the couch. 'I'm sorry, I didn't-' 'It's fine. I just need to-' What do I need? 'I won't let it go that far again, I'm so sorry.'
I hate that I can't even tell him that this isn't his fault. Because if I do, I'll have to explain. And I can't do that right now.
I have no clue why though.
Because I had no trouble telling Celine. I told her. I told someone. So why can't I say it again? Why can't I explain to him that my panic isn't his fault?
'I should've-' 'Marco, it's fine. I'm fine.' He looks into my eyes and shakes his head, but I grab his hand and nod. 'It's fine. I just panicked a little, because I didn't expect it, but I'm fine.'
'Did they do that to you?' He asks as he kneels down in front of me. 'What?' 'The S, it's burned into your skin. Did they do that to you?'
Tears prick and I don't even try to hide them. 'Yes.'
'I had to cover it up, I'm so sorry.' He says, continuing to mumble apologies as I pull him in for a hug. It seems like we could both use it.
'Marco.' I didn't realize Rio was standing in the frame of the door until now. 'We have a meeting.'
Marco slowly lets go of me and looks at Rio, before looking at me. 'Do you need me to stay here?' 'That can't happen. You know they like you, if we want this to go through, you have to be there.'
I nod and smile at Marco, silently thanking him for suggesting he would stay. 'I'm fine. Go. Get us those men so we can get Leya back.'
He nods and stands up straight, slowly walking back to the hall. Rio lingers around and looks at me for a second, not saying a word, before walking out the door as well.
I can hear him talking to someone that's not Marco, and hear the door close after a few seconds.
Manuel, the youngest son, steps into the hall and smiles at me. 'You seem like you could use some company.' He chimes friendly.
If only there wasn't a rule where I couldn't trust them.
But there is.
I can't trust them.
None of them.
'Do you want to hang out with us in the bunker?' He asks, moving closer to me. 'Bunker?' He nods and sits on the edge of the couch, smiling at me. 'If not, I would get very annoyed. I bet Dante would too.'
Rule number two. Don't anger or annoy them. Basically, keep them entertained...
'Sure. Just give me a second.' If I'm going to do this, I have to wear something else.
He nods and watches me as I run into the hall, up the stairs, and head to my room to change into something else.
I quickly jump into some leggings and a loose shirt, before tying my hair back up into a ponytail, and looking at myself in the mirror.
My eyes look fine. Not like I've just been crying, which I'm proud of, but I still feel disgusting.
I quickly take out the flash drive and put it in my bag, just in case, and head back down the stairs, where Manuel is already waiting in the hall.
'So where is this bunker of yours?' He opens the door and allows me to step out first, before hooking his arm around mine. 'Follow me.'
Please don't kill me...
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A/N: Poor Marco... He felt really bad after what he did...
So i wanna make something clear! If you don't like the story, don't read it. I know I'm not a professional author, I do this for my own fun too, so if you don't like it, go do something else.
Also, sorry if I don't post trigger warnings at every chapter, but if you read the first chapters on BOTH books, you know there will be triggering scenes...
Anyways, sorry if I'm coming off as a bitch, but I just needed to get it off my chest!
I hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you think in the comments! And don't forget to vote!
Have a blessed day and I hope to see you in the next chapter!