Greta watched as Harry's car's tracker left Port City. She had been keeping an eye on him since she found out he had left Queenstown to do something stupid. He nor Griffin had known she had placed the tracker a while ago. With everything that had been going on, she wanted to be able to trace them if something happened. She had been at her computer all morning, watching the blinking red light, occasionally hacking into Port City's CCTV to watch it.
With a stretch, she exited off the screen. In its place was now a code running through her program that had been running for a few weeks. It was trying to track her mother.
Isabella Bianchi had fallen off the radar when Greta and her brother, Angelo, had fled their house. Greta had first tracked her whereabouts to one of her regular hideouts at an escort house, but had lost that trail a while ago.
It worried her that she didn't know where she was. Her mother was... well, deranged was probably too light a word. And Greta knew that she had it out for her. At this point, she figured her mother was planning Greta's untimely death.
She shivered, not liking that image. If only she could figure out where she was, then she could talk to Harry and get his advice.
Although, he would probably suggest he just go ahead and take care of her, but Greta knew Isabella was her responsibility.
But would she be able to kill her own mother?
Greta had no illusions that her mother was a bad person and an even worse parent, but Greta, herself, wasn't like Harry or Ivy or Ren or Saskie. She wasn't an heir. Not a true one, at least. Killing a living person wasn't her thing. Would she be able to live with herself after doing it? Part of her thought she might fumble the bag and get herself killed before pulling the theoretical trigger herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted with a knock on the door, the handle turning right after. Dev entered, nodding his head at her when they locked eyes. His gait was comfortable, confident. Something Greta wished she was desperately.
"Hey," Dev greeted her, pulling up a chair to her setup and sitting down. They had worked together so often that this was just expected. Before him, Greta never would have dreamed of sharing her work with anyone. It was her little secret. But then she needed to use it to get in with Harry and he sent her Dev. "You still spying on them?"
She looked at him dryly, and corrected, "I'm looking over them, not spying on them."
"Do they know about that untraceable bug, yet?" He smirked.
With a frown, she admitted, "No."
"Hate to break it to you, babe, but that means you're spying."
She rolled her eyes, "Are you going to tell them?"
He contemplated, "Don't see the point. I kind of like knowing you pulled something like that off."
"Oh?"
"It's pretty hot."
"You're ridiculous."
Dev shrugged, "Maybe a little. So, what are you looking at here?"
Greta straightened, clicking off her code. "Nothing."
He raised an eyebrow, frowning at her. "You're being weird."
"No, I'm not."
"You can't lie to me, darling." Dev leaned in, getting close to her face.
Greta's eyes widened an she subconsciously moved back, only to be tricked when Dev fingered her keyboard and brought back her code search.
"Hey!"
He waved her off, bumping her slightly out of the way, her chair wheeling away so he was directly in front of her main monitor. Greta grabbed the desk and pulled her chair closer, but Dev was already deep into her stuff.
"Interesting."
Greta sighed, "Fine, I'm looking for my mother."
Dev looked over at her, his eyes more serious than before. "Any luck?"
"No," she let out a frustrated huff, "she's totally disappeared, which means she's not on a bender anymore and probably planning out cruel ways to kill me."
A storm crossed his dark eyes. "Not gonna happen. She's not getting near you."
"Dev, you know what needs to happen."
"Yeah, and you've got your new big brother to deal with that now."
"It's my responsibility." Greta frowned, "We both know that."
"Why?" He argued, "Why do you have to be the one to do it? You didn't choose to be like them."
"You say that like you aren't Harry's right-hand-man."
"That's because Griffin is his right hand."
"Fine, then left-hand-man."
Dev turned towards her, placing his hand on the back of her chair to mirror him. "Look, I joined Harry because I wanted things to change here. I was tired of hearing that people were dying because of stupid shit like crossing invisible borders that they didn't belong in. He wanted to unite the families and end the pointless feuds."
A flash of pain flitted through his expression, one that Greta hadn't seen on him. Dev was a master at keeping up appearances. On the outside, it would seem like nothing had ever bothered him. He had an easy smile and a strut that everything went his way. The only time she had seen him let that down was when they were working.
And the time they first met and she showed him the bruising after her mother had pushed her down the stairs.
"You're not telling me something, Dev." Greta said.
Dev pulled back, a flicker of surprise on his face. "What?"
"What happened?" She asked, reaching forward and taking his hand. He kept it limp in hers.
He forced out a fake, breathy laugh, saying, "Nothing. Don't even know what you're talking about."
"Dev."
He swallowed.
"You can trust me." She said softy, squeezing his hand. Finally, she felt his fingers curl around hers.
"My parents." He stopped short. This was the most uncomfortable she had ever seen him, and she waited patiently for him to continue. "They were out one night when I was sixteen. I was probably out partying or some shit. They were downtown shopping for Christmas. The tree lighting ceremony had just happened and there were a ton of people around. They just happened to be passing by an alleyway as a gun fired."
Greta felt her heart sink.
"The police labeled it as a gang violence related accident." He blew out a breath. "It was all by chance that I lost my parents that night, because they were walking by at the exact same time two members of rivals gangs were fighting."
"Did you ever find out who?"
He shook his head, "No, and I don't want to know which family was involved. It doesn't really matter in the end. It's not like my family was innocent in Queenstown. We have played our part in working the system and allying ourselves with certain families."
"You didn't want revenge?" Greta asked him. It was unlike anyone she knew to not want to know who did it and get them back. That was the Bianchi way, at least.
"What good would it do?" He questioned honestly. "Create an endless loop of revenge? No, I wanted the senseless dying to end."
"And Harry was that to you?"
Dev stared down at their joined hands, his thumb rubbing soft circles on her skin. "It took a long time. Harry and I were somewhat friendly in school. Well, as friendly as he can be. He knew I was good with computers and in college he approached me with an idea. I didn't believe him entirely, so I said no. Then, I moved to London for a few years. When I came back, I ran into him. One thing leads to another and... here we are."
"You must have believed he could pull it off."
At that, he laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess I did. Anyone who knows Harry knows he gets what he wants." He paused, threading their fingers together. Greta felt her heart skip a beat. "Queenstown will always be what it is. But now, the families that run this city won't be fighting themselves. They're joined together to protect the city as a whole."
"I think it's better now too." Greta agreed. "I'm sorry about your parents, Dev."
"Yeah," he sighed, "it's been a long time, though."
"Doesn't matter." She pressed. Then, Greta asked, "Will you tell me about them?"
Dev stared at her for a long moment. She froze in place. The look in his eye was different than before, but she couldn't place what exactly it was.
"Come to dinner with me." He said out of nowhere.
"What?" She blinked.
"Tonight." He said, "We can talk about my parents, you, me... everything."
"At dinner?"
"Yeah, how about Carbone?" He suggested, "I can get us in at seven."
Her eyes went wide. "Carbone? But that's like really nice."
"I know." He smiled. "We'll get to dress up and just enjoy ourselves after the shit show we've been dealing with these last few months."
"But I don't own anything nice enough." She stuttered.
"An excuse to shop."
"I don't know how to shop."
He raised an eyebrow.
Greta felt her face get hot. "I also don't really have any money right now."
Dev frowned, "Isn't Harry taking care of you two?"
"Yes, but," she blew out an annoyed breath, "I don't like using it. It's not like I earned it or anything."
"What are you talking about, Greta?" Dev said, "You didn't earn it? You've been working for him for months now. He's not just giving you money because he thinks you need help or you're his sister. It's a paycheck."
Greta paused. That had been exactly what she thought he was doing. She figured it was guilt or some sense of responsibility Harry felt towards her and Angelo to give them a steady stream of money. He was already playing for their living situation, so it had felt like an easy connection for Greta to make.
"Oh."
"So," he smirked, tugging her chair a little closer, "go out and buy yourself a nice dress and I'll pick you up a little before seven, okay?"
"Um, yeah, okay." Greta stumbled out.
A few minutes later, Dev was gone, leaving Greta wondering what the hell had just happened.
†††
"Why did you ask me to go, again?" Angelo asked, holding the door open for Greta as they entered a large department store.
"Because I need help." Greta frowned at the racks of clothing around her.
"Yeah, but when I thought you said help, it meant actual help." He said. "Not shopping for your date."
She turned on him, "It's not a date."
He gave her a look.
"It's not!" She insisted. "He just wanted to talk."
"Over the most expensive steak in the city?"
Greta pointed at him, struggling to come up with something to say, but nothing came out. Instead, she turned back around and stormed into the heart of the store. Dutifully, her brother followed. They stumbled into the right section and began looking, but Greta honestly didn't know where to start.
Carbone was nice. Really nice. Would trousers be acceptable? Probably a dress would be better, but Greta still felt a little awkward in dresses. There were long dresses, but would that be too formal? All the cocktail dresses were so short, though. How in the hell was she supposed to sit in them without flashing the entire restaurant. Then there was the shoes situation. Ugh, she really didn't want to think about that yet.
"I thought you said this wasn't a date?" Angelo's voice interrupted her panicked inner thoughts.
"What?" She looked at him, "It's not."
"Then why are you so worried about what you're wearing?"
Greta didn't answer, making Angelo huff out a laugh. "Face it, Greta. It's a date and you like him. About time, really. The guy's been making googly-eyes at you for months."
"No he hasn't!" She cried out. An older woman with a minx coat gave her look and Greta's face went hot.
"Oh, come on, Greta." Her brother rolled his eyes, "You can't be that blind."
"I can't talk to you about this." She muttered, focusing back on the too expensive dresses.
She heard a snort from behind her, but ignored it. They sifted through outfits for an hour, not finding a single thing she liked. Honestly, Greta didn't think she would find anything here she liked. None of this was her style - if she could even say she had a style. Any formalwear she had donned before had been chosen by her mother and was the farthest thing from comfortable.
She was just about to give up when she heard her name. Turning, she spotted Ivy's cousin and their friend - the one that was dating the Hayashi heir.
"Oh, hi." Greta waved awkwardly.
Astrid smiled warmly, her hand rested on her stomach. Greta knew she was pregnant, but she wasn't showing yet.
"What are you two doing here?" Willow asked, holding a shopping bag by the crook of her arm.
"Um..." Greta looked between the two gorgeous woman.
Angelo leaned against a rack, his arms folded, and answered for her, "She's shopping for a date, but we're both hopeless with fashion. Would you mind helping?"
Greta glared at him, but Willow smiled broadly. "Of course! I'll use any excuse to shop, and besides, Greta's in the family now."
Her eyes went wide, but Willow had whispered the last part. No one was supposed to know, but she suspected Willow and Astrid to be in the inner circle when it came to Harry and Ivy.
"No need to worry, Bianchi." Willow grinned conspiratorially, "You're secret's safe with us."
Angelo looked at Greta and a silent conversation passed between them. Finally, Greta said, "Okay, I'll see you at home. Be safe."
"Heard." Angelo waved two fingers at the girls. "Have fun."
"Shoppings not really your thing?" Astrid asked.
"No, I have no clue how to do it."
"Well, it's a good thing you ran into us." Willow took her arm in hers and walked her away from the section she had been looking in. "Now, tell us about this date."
"It's not a date." She rushed out, "It's just a... friend thing."
Willow and Astrid exchanged an amused glance. "Okay, a friend thing. Who is this friend of yours?"
Greta cleared her throat. "Dev."
Willow and Astrid stopped in their tracks. Astrid gave her a look. "Dev Patel?"
She nodded.
"Interesting." Willow strung out the word.
"But it's not a date."
"Of course." She said, "May I ask what you are doing?"
"He said he'd get a table at Carbone for us tonight."
"Tonight?" Astrid smiled, "You really put this off, didn't you?"
"Well, I didn't know I would be going anywhere until he asked earlier today."
"I'm sorry, what?" Willow stopped again. "He asked you today? For reservation tonight? At Carbone?"
"Um, yes?" Greta answered hesitantly. "Is that weird?"
"Normally, reservations for Carbone are booked out three months in advance." Astrid told her.
Greta frowned, "Will we not get one then?"
"No," Willow said, "it means Dev will be pulling some strings and calling in some favors to get you in tonight."
"It means that this is important to him." Astrid finished for her friend.
"Oh."
"So, for your not date, what were thinking? What do you like? What are you comfortable in?" Willow went straight in to the questions, but took one look at my wide eyes and nodded. Then, she looked around, waving over an employee.
"Yes, Ms. Malone?" The young man asked.
"Will you please find Sonja for me? We need a personal shopper for my friend here." Willow instructed, "Tell her it's of the upmost importance."
The employee nodded and rushed off. Greta cleared her throat, "I don't know if that's necessary-"
"Greta, my sweet innocent," Willow interrupted, "this is incredibly necessary. We're going to teach you how to properly shop for yourself. And enjoy it." She grinned at Greta, then led her to a private sitting room.
An older woman found them, smiling and greeting Willow with cheek kisses. Astrid sent Greta an amused look a lot like the one she had shared with Willow earlier. Greta smiled back. Was this what it felt like to have girlfriends?
"How may I help you, Ms. Malone?" Sonja asked professionally in a thick Parisian accent.
"My friend here." Willow gestured to Greta. "She needs help. A new look for tonight. Formal, but not gala formal. She's open to trying anything, but I want a diverse selection. I trust your judgement to pick some pieces out."
Sonja lookedd Greta up and down, literally walking in a circle around her as she took her in. Greta froze, awkwardly holding her arms out like that would help in some way. Sonja tapped her chin, and said, "I've got everything I need. I'll send over some Dom Perignon for you ."
"Thank you."
Then she was off without another word.
"Doesn't she need my sizes?" Greta asked.
Willow waved her off. "Let Sonja work her magic. We're gonna find you something hot, sexy, but, most importantly, comfortably you."
†††
Willow had been true to her word. Greta looked in the mirror in her bedroom and saw a different woman, yet somehow still felt like her. She had spent two hours trying on what felt like everything in the store. Sonja had brought her a little bit of everything to try on too. Dresses that were too tight to sit down or that had no support in the boob area, and dresses that were far too formal and more appropriate for a black tie wedding. A lot of the pant and trouser outfits were a comfortable, but didn't feel "nice" enough for Carbone.
Greta had been incredibly grateful for both Willow and Astrid. They were thoughtful with their criticisms while also building up her confidence. The pair had said so many nice things about her figure and stature. Willow also coached her on how to wear something, the confidence behind feeling hot.
Confidence had always been something she struggled with. Never in her life had she been called beautiful or even pretty. Her mother had made it her mission to bring her down and it only got worse the older she got. In Isabella Bianchi's eyes, she was competing with her daughter every day.
But Willow and Astrid had made her feel beautiful. They had showed Greta her color palette, how to go braless in a revealing top, and even how to walk in heels. She wobbled slightly as she stepped back, still getting used to the new shoes. Thank god they had let her choose a thicker heel and not the stilettos that Willow had walked around in so effortlessly. Greta would have to ask her how she did that.
The gold accent on the heel stood out in the all black outfit. She had gone with a satin jumpsuit. The wide legs looked elegantly drape on her longer legs. She was cinched at the waist, creating a curvier figure than she really had. The top was her favorite, yet most nerve-wracking. It was a backless halter that held the fabric over her breasts, showing off a deep-v nearly down to her belly button.
It was the most exposed she'd ever been, but somehow didn't feel over-exposed. She felt good, sophisticated with her thin gold-framed glasses and shoulder-lengthen hair lightly curled. Willow had called up her hair and makeup stylist and asked to fit Greta in, which she had, and now Greta was all done up. Her makeup was simple, but emphasized her features in a way that she didn't realize could happen.
All in all, today had been a win. She felt good, confident, and ready for tonight. Even though it wasn't a date.
There was a knock on her door, freezing her in place. Hell, she wasn't ready. Sure, physically she was ready, but her heart was moving to fast and her palms her sweating. Was she getting a cold? She swore she felt a cough coming on.
Her eyes trails her body in the mirror and she remembered Willow's words when she first tried this on and thought she couldn't pull this look off.
"Are you always so easy to pull yourself down? You've done nothing but criticize your looks and abilities today. They're just clothes, Greta. You are the main attraction. Fashion serves you not the other way around. Now, stop repeated all that insecure bullshit in your head and really look at yourself. See yourself like the world sees you, not that bitch inside you tearing you down sees you."
Greta had been so surprised that Willow could read her like that. No one had ever bothered to really look at her in the first place. Maybe she was too used to being invisible.
Another knock on the door sounded through her apartment. With a sigh, she turned and walked down the hall. Her heels clicked on the wood floors, the sound making her feel sexy, more confident.
When she opened the door, she found Dev standing there, fixing the cuffs of his shirt. He looked up, deep brown eyes widening when they saw her.
Greta's heart beat uncontrollably in her chest.
"You look stunning, darling." He said, voice more husky than normal.
She held her head high, and said, "I do, thank you."
He smiled that devilish grin that melted panties across Queenstown. But Greta could see a spark in his eyes as he looked her up and down, lingering on her bare neck. It sent a surge of confidence through her that held back nerves. She turned, grabbing her coat and clutch, then returned to him.
Dev stood in the same place, his eyes still wandering over her body. She smirked to herself, placing her hand on his chest and pushing lightly, so he would back up and allow her to turn and close her door. While she locked it, she could feel the heat from his body as he stood close.
Turning around, she sucked in a sharp breath as they were inches apart. With her heels, Greta was nearly as tall as Dev. She was already a taller woman, feeling like a monster throughout her childhood when a boy her age would stand next to her, but Dev made her feel normal... feminine.
"You all set?" He asked, placing his hand on her lower back as they walked down the hall.
She nodded, "Were you able to get a reservation for tonight? I know the restaurant is usually booked months in advance."
"I pulled a few strings for us." He said, pressing the button for the elevator.
She thought of what Willow and Astrid had said earlier. Shit, was this a date?
Her panic immediately fled when the elevator doors opened revealing her brother. Except this wasn't how she had left him earlier today. Angelo was soaking wet, his shirt torn on the side, forearm all scraped up with dried blood.
"What the-"
Angelo looked up. "Hey, sis."
"What happened?" Dev asked, looking him over.
"Some asshole lost control on the road and jumped the curb." He said annoyed, "I had to jump to avoid the collision and ended up flipping over into the fountain near the library."
"You got hit by a car?" Greta nearly shouted.
"No, I almost got hit by a car." He said casually. "I'm alright. I just really need a hot shower and some antiseptic."
"Well, c'mon-" Greta started, reaching for him, but he stepped back.
"I'm fine, Greta." He said, "Go enjoy your night. I promise I'm good. Just freezing cold, and these are just some scrapes from the fall. I've had worse."
And the truth was, he had. Angelo had been subjected to a lot from their mother. She would often complain about him being weak and worthless, then pay some retired fighter to come and try and teach him how to fight, but that had mainly ended up with him getting his ass kicked and a ton of injuries.
"Are you sure?" Greta asked.
"Yeah, we can postpone." Dev added, and Greta felt a surge of warmth in her chest.
"Yeah, go on." He nodded at them, "Have some fun for once, Greta. You deserve it."
She smiled at her little brother. "I would hug you, but I don't want to get all wet."
With a grin, he stepped out of the elevator, holding the doors open for them to step into. They said goodbye and continued on their way. Dev's hand reached down and took hers, squeezing it. "You okay?"
She breathed out, "Yeah, I just hate seeing him hurt."
"I get it." He said, "Are you sure you want to go out."
Greta stared up at him, his warm brown eyes welcoming to her. "Yeah, I really do."
"Good." He smiled.
"Good." She repeated back.
His husky laugh sent a tantalizing shiver down her naked spine. Fuck, she was in trouble tonight.
†††
As they sat down at their table, Greta looked around. Carbone really was incredible. Just the ambiance alone was enough to earn its reputation. Their little table for two was off to the side and felt like its own private area. There was a bottle of red wine set on it, a sommelier coming over to them immediately to open and decanter it to "let it breathe".
When he left, it was just the two of them. Dev seemed a little jittery, avoiding looking at her in the eyes.
"You're being weird." She said point blank.
That caught him off guard. "No, I'm not."
She raised her brows at him.
He cleared his throat.
Greta bit her lip, debating on what to say.
His eyes glanced down at her mouth.
"Are you nervous?"
Brown eyes flicked back up. "What?"
She felt a little self-conscious, but she repeated, "Are you nervous?"
Dev breathed out a laugh. "Am I that obvious?"
"There's nothing to be nervous about, Dev." Greta said, "It's just me."
"Exactly."
She swore she stopped breathing for a minute after that.
"You okay?" This time it was Dev's turn to call her out.
"Is this a date?" She blurted out, her eyes widening in disbelief. Did she really just ask that?
"I'm hoping so."
"You're hoping so?"
"Yes." Dev grinned, "Very much so."
"But why?" She asked.
Thick brows scrunched together in confusion. "What?"
Greta shook her head. "You could have so many women, Dev. I could literally point out several of them within twenty feet of us right now."
Dev leaned in, his face growing serious. "If I wanted other women, Greta, I would be on a date with them. But I don't. Not since you."
"Me?" She breathed out.
He smiled softly, tilting his head. "Yes, you."
"So this is a date." She swallowed nervously.
"Only if you're comfortable with that." He said.
Slowly, she nodded, "I am."
"Good." A sly look crossed his face. "Because you've been driving me mad since you showed me that brain of yours is as smart as you are beautiful."
"Oh." Her face heated.
"Honestly, I can't believe you're surprised." Dev admitted, "It's not like I've been subtle."
"Well, I just thought you were being you." She defended herself. "I thought you flirted with anything that had a heartbeat."
He shrugged, "Fair assessment." He smile waned slightly, "But this isn't just a passing interest, darling. You've captured me in a way I didn't think was possible, and I want to explore that with you. Hopefully, together?"
Her heart skipped a beat, and this time she knew exactly why.