Renzo smirks from behind and I jump. Creep.
"What are you doing here again?" I grit out. The way he's looking at me with amusement makes my cheeks burn red.
"I was invited. They said I'm a vip guest." He says on a mouthful of croissants. When Bruno clears his throat, Renzo's chewing slows. "Vip." He repeats and walks away.
My cousin rolls his eyes before seeing my face and frowning. "Whats wrong with you?"
"Nothing why?"
His gaze travels between me and Silas, lips parting to speak before I squeeze his arm and rush away. "You know what I'm here to do right? I'll see you in a while."
"Wait but-"
When I stop next to Silas, he throws back the last of his drink. "Finally, we've got an audience, chatterbox."
My hands move to his chest as I snap into character. It's not my fault the women in here like to keep tabs on who he's talking to. Seriously, they're relentless. I feel like a celebrity, and not a loved one.
"My cousin's here." I remind him quietly, leaning closer. "So I want to know what kind of disaster you're planning today."
"Not planning any disaster."
"How many weapons have you got loaded on you?"
Dry humour lights the backs of his eyes as he slightly tilts and shakes his head. I know I'm crossing a line here, but I reach for his holster right over his crotch and touch his gun before he grabs my waist and pushes me against the staircase railing.
A sharp breath escapes me.
My mouth is wide open, but I quickly close it to lick my lips at the awareness of his hand on my lower back.
It's warm, heavy, and somehow this first real touch on my body eases an ache that slowly started to shatter me.
His fingers move a little against the thin fabric of my dress. "Keep your hands to yourself yeah?"
"Oh." I say breathlessly and furrow my brows. "So it's keep your hands to yourself until Silas wants to break the rules. Got it."
His laugh is loud and sultry. For the first time I truly see his teeth, white and perfectly straight with sharp, vampire like canines.
After a moment he steps closer, front pressing to mine. Face hovering so close, my expression relaxes and eyes remain firm on his.
"The only rules I will keep is yours." His voice is quiet rumble. "And nobody's breaking them until you say so."
"Not even you?"
"Not even me."
The song changes to an upbeat one. Frenzied pulses of the bass just like my body. Beneath the dim blue light above, his eyes sparkle with a promise that feels like a threat.
He never did keep his promises. Why only start when it comes to me?
My palms curl around the metal bars of the staircase railing. Eyes lowering to his lips, I let out a shaky breathe. And then something distracts me.
A man walking past us towards the balcony.
My head spins around to follow him. Leone really doesn't have a clue what we're doing, does he?
"He's going." I sigh. "Why can't you stall him? Aren't you his cousin?"
Silas steps back and looks at the glass double doors. "Our conversations last two seconds. If I gave him more attention than usual he'd be suspicious."
I nod. "Should I go now?"
"Go."
I move from him but he quickly stops me by grabbing my arm. Pulling his jacket off, he drops it around my shoulders and briefly scans his surroundings before pulling out his gun. "And take this." He discreetly tucks it into the inner pocket of the coat.
"No, I won't hurt anyone-"
"If someone were to come for you and I'm not there, you'll use this."
But...
I don't like the power of having a gun in my hands.
I stare at him with reluctance. The last time I held a gun, I tried to kill him but apparently he isn't worried since he just spins me in the direction of the glass balcony doors.
Ok. We're doing this. While I casually walk towards them, I rethink the discussion we had about this last week.
Stay on the balcony. Distract Leone. Simple.
Once Silas finds and steals information on whatever he's looking for, we'll leave.
Standing outside, I rest my hands on the cold railing and listen to the chatter around me. The chilliness is actually refreshing up here, mixed with a little mist from being so high. I can feel my lungs being cleansed from all that smoke inside, God Italians smoke a lot.
Silas has started smoking more often too. Especially leading up to this day and it's weird.
This is the first event I've seen Silas desperate to go to. Apparently the key to what he's looking for is here, and I couldn't be more curious to know what it is that he wants.
Is it an object? A location? A woman?
Stop it Catalina. As I stand there and try to lure Leone in, a group of young women in the corner stare my way, say something and laugh.
"They're shocked." A voice speaks. Leone slowly walks towards the railing. "Silas was a flirt y'know?"
"So he can't settle down?"
A thoughtful expression forms on his face. "Settling down was never in him. Even I can't believe he's....sticking with you."
A quiet sigh leaves my chest. Not for long.
As I think about how clueless everyone is about me and Silas, an echoing siren from below catches my attention. My gaze drifts down the 60 floor as if I can see where it's coming from, but all I see is fog and twinkling lights.
"You were the third fiancé to run to him."
"What happened to the first two?"
Leone places both hands on the railing.
"Number one was fine with me until she saw him. I caught her trying to touch him while he pushed her away. Number two...she was fierce. Only got engaged to me because she thought he was into her."
And me.
I jumped from Leone to Silas within a second.
But I feel nothing about it.
I'm a terrible person right? Well this is the first time I'm accept it, and he probably thinks the same. Judging from the look on his face, this is another confrontation I can't be bothered with.
"Can I ask you something? Why didn't you tell me he's your cousin?"
"I knew you'd heard about him before we met. I didn't want you to associate me with someone so-"
"Bad?" I finish, not even recognising the next words slipping from my mouth. "He's not even that bad."
"You always were naive." He scoffs.
There people go with that word again.
I don't know why they always call me that, I'm not naive.
Or maybe I am.
Frowning, I look at the penthouse windows and wonder if Silas is done yet, but inside looks like chaos.
Why are all the people running around and screaming?
"Did you hear that gunshot?" Leone asks and I shake my head no. The people on the balcony slowly start to panic and empty out like something's on fire.
Leone pulls a gun from his holster and grabs my arm before I pull it from him.
"I can take care of myself." I lie but he tries pushing me towards the door. "No!"
He doesn't stop until I'm inside. I'm desperate to run back to the balcony so I push him away and he steps back, staring at me with conflict in his eyes. "I work for him, if you don't get to that door I'll die."
I cross my arms. "What makes you think he cares about me enough to hurt you?"
"I don't. He doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself." He grabs my arm again, and with the anger of his words his tug becomes rougher and I trip over my heels, smacking my head against a table.
The ground hits me like I fell from the ceiling. I groan and grab my head, though the pain on my butt is worse than anything. Maybe I should have opted for that BBL.
"Shit." Leone mutters and looks at the door before looking back at me. When he sees the elevator closing, he bolts.
"Really?!" I call out, tears pricking my eyes. "¡Cobarde! (Coward!) I am so glad I didn't marry you!"
The doors close, all light from the elevator gone. All the humans drifting away.
My head lays back and I stare at a white, plastered ceiling. A depressing American song loops in the background. Just two red lights on in this big empty penthouse.
I've never felt so...accomplished.
Back in Colombia my father kept such tight security on me, the only thrill I experienced was seeing what mailman came to drop parcels off. I had no life, felt no adrenaline. I was dead.
My eyes close.
The music fades to silence. And darkness snatches me into his warm arms.
———
Sore head.
The dull rumble of an engine.
Smooth, deep words enveloping me deeper into a drowsy, dreamy state. My face snuggles against a hard chest. I must be in heaven, one that smells like musky cologne and fresh nicotine and forests.
Forests.
A bump shakes me awake. My eyes flicker open to see a sharp jawline from below.
Silas runs his fingers through my hair again. "Sì. E assicurati che Rossi riporti la mia fottuta macchina, è un idiota."
When his eyes lower to mine, he shuts his phone and places his other arm behind my neck, supporting it. "You fell."
"Didn't know."
"I told you to stay on the balcony. Do you know how to follow instructions?"
"I did, I just...."
He slowly shakes his head and glances out the window. "You're gonna get yourself killed one day."
"Not. You're always there to save me."