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“I just wondered, with everything going on and this war between our families, I- I don’t know.”
Gio smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. “No. Don’t worry, I would never let someone like Alessio Barbieri ever get close to you, Elle. I will always protect you from monsters like him until the day I die. I promised papi I would.”
I gave a weak smile and rested my head on his shoulder, mainly to stop him from seeing the expression on my face. “Thank you, Gio. For looking out for me. I know I don’t always like it, but you have kept me safe and I appreciate it.”
“What are big brothers for?” He chuckled, kissing the top of my head. “So… will you stop moping around this place like it’s the end of the world now?”
I hit him in the arm and he laughed. “I’ve not been moping!”
He raised his eyebrow suggestively and I rolled my eyes. “You know I am sending Mamma, Raya and Sani on a mini vacation to France tomorrow? Why don’t you go with them?”
I stood up, pulling my handbag on my shoulder. I had to admit it was tempting to get away from all this drama and try and forget about a certain blue-eyed man, but I couldn’t ruin the plan to give Marco and mamma time together. I would just end up as a constant babysitter and mamma wouldn’t relax around Marco if I was there.
“No. It’s fine. I am going to head into town and do a little shopping. That will cheer me up,” I lied and he gave me a dazzling smile.
“Okay, take one of my cars if you want.”
My eyes lit up at the suggestion. Gio had an insanely extravagant collection of super cars in our glass garage outside of the front of the mansion. Very rarely did he even get to drive them himself and he never let anyone else!
“I should fall out with you more often!” I clapped excitedly as he stood up and we left my bedroom.
“Finn drives though! And an SUV follows,” he ordered, but I was already dashing down the stairs to go pick my pimped-out ride for the day.
Settling on his black Bugatti, Finn was beaming from ear to ear as he climbed into the driver’s seat. I let him have his little moment of glory, but I was driving it home!
“So, where are we headed?” he asked, as the engine roared to life like a seductive purr of a wildcat.
“Into town. I need some retail therapy.”
“Want to talk about it?” he asked softly as we pulled out the black gates of my family estate, the armed guards on duty nodding to us as we left. Another vehicle followed behind with more of my brother’s soldiers.
“Not really,” I replied, gazing out the car window as he zoomed down the quiet residential roads towards the town.
“I take it it has to do with the Aiani Boss? Are you actually going to date him?” Finn asked, his voice curt and strained. I turned to look at him and shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea what I was going to do about that situation. I was just trying to handle one disaster at a time, starting with Panther. “I don’t think he is right for you.”
“Why do you say that? You are the only one who seems to think we wouldn’t be a good match around here.”
He kept his hard gaze on the road and tightened his hands on the steering wheel as he increased our speed. “I just think you deserve more than to settle, Piccola.”
I moved my gaze back out the window. I knew that too. The last thing I wanted to do was settle for a man I didn’t love. But it seemed every time I tried to take control of my own love life; it ended in a bigger catastrophe than the last. A phone buzzed in my bag and with a pounding heart, I sneaked a look at Flora’s messages.
I’m not willing to let you go yet, Princess. Meet me. Tonight. 7pm at Hotel Soleri in Venice. I’ll be at the bar waiting. Let’s talk.
I closed my bag and bit my bottom lip. I knew there was a chance a man like him would not take ‘no’ for an answer and a tiny piece of my heart was ecstatic that he hadn’t just accepted my message and let that be the end of it. The butterflies in my stomach were proof that he was a dangerous man to me. Not because he was my enemy, but because even knowing that I was still tempted by him.
“Pull over the car,” I ordered suddenly as we travelled over the Ponte della Vittoria bridge.
“What? Why?” Finn asked in surprise.
“Just pull over! Here!”
He swerved to the side of the road and I already had the door open, climbing out and racing to the stone wall. I grabbed Flora’s phone out of the bag. Without a second thought, I dropped it into the river below, panting heavily and shoving down the emotions that drastic action evoked. He was gone. It was done. No more.
“What the hell are you doing?” Finn raced up next to me, looking at me like I had lost my mind.
“I felt car sick. I just needed some air,” I said quietly, still staring at the frolicking surface of the water where the phone disappeared into the abyss.
“Cristo, Elle! I thought you were about to jump,” he chuckled, running his hand through his dark brown hair.
