Page 26 of Hidden Empire

I pat his hand. “You’re sweet.”

“He’s serious,” Armani retorts.

“Seriously dramatic,” I counter. “I’m a big girl; I don’t need anyone killed for me for calling me names. If I cared about the things that have been said about me, I could have killed them myself.”

Matteo sighs. “I wish you did.”

“Well, we can’t all be murderers, can we?”

He cracks up at that and ruffles my hair. “Sure we can, we’re Morettis.”

I roll my eyes but chuckle. Matteo’s humor is playful and teasing most of the time, but it’s almost a bit bleak as well. He’s too honest to care about what anyone thinks of it, and that’s what I love most about him. That, and his unique disposition.

When I’m sure that Lorna is out of sight, I stand up and inform my brothers that I need to pee. Armani is quick to get up with me, but I shake my head at him.

“You already showed me where the closest one is, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to be the girl who lets her brother guard her in the bathroom.”

Armani shakes his head. “You shouldn’t go alone.”

I groan, blowing out a breath. “I love you, but you’re a little paranoid, brother.”

He cocks a brow and folds his arms over his chest. “You hardly know where you’re going, and no one here really knows you. Do you want to run into Lorna again? Alone?”

“She went the other way and would literally need to pass you guys again to come after me,” I point out. “Come on, Armani. I’ll be fine, don’t embarrass me more than necessary, please.”

His eyes darken, and his teeth grind. “Fine, you have five minutes.”

I hold in a groan. “It’ll take me several minutes just to walk there, and what if there’s a line I have to wait in?”

“Oh well,” he chimes.

Smiling tightly, I reach out and pat the side of his face. “How about after ten minutes, if I’m not back, you can come looking for me?”

He’s considering it when Remo claps him on the back. “Just let her go. No one is going to touch her, they’ve seen her with us. The rumor mill might not have hit everyone yet, but it’s pretty fucking clear she’s protected.”

“See,” I say, giving Remo a grateful smile. “No one is going to risk messing with me. I’ve practically got Moretti written on my forehead.”

“Now there’s an idea,” Armani mutters bitterly.

If he tries to write anything on my forehead, I’m telling Dad.

“Okay,” he relents eventually. “Keep your eyes open, Jade, I mean it. Be conscious of where you’re going and how to get back here. I won’t hesitate to come get you if you take too long. You know what’s more embarrassing than being walked to the bathroom by your brother? Having him yelling your name on a loop until he finds you.”

Arguable, but I’m not in any position to continue bickering. My bladder is starting to hurt.

“Thank you,” I tell him, excited to have won this little battle.

I can feel Armani watching me like a hawk until he loses sight of me. It seems like most people are in their reserved rooms because I don’t pass by more than a few men and women on the way. Some of them don’t even look at me, which is sort of cool. There are people on this ship who care very little about some new girl, contrary to what my brothers seem to think. Everyone knows our family, but there are people who simply don’t care or need to care about us.

I’m willing to admit that I struggle a little trying to find my way to the bathroom, but when I do, I’m happy to find it’s a private and clean one. After doing my business and washing my hands, I take a long look in the mirror and smile at what I see. No dark circles plaguing my eyes, no sunken in cheeks from lack of nutrition, healthy hair that shines, and white teeth that have never looked better.

I used to imagine what looking as good as I feel would be like, and it’s better than my brain could ever assume. Becoming a Moretti saved me in more ways than one.

Straightening out my uniform, I’m reminded to thank Armani again. Having my skirts and blouses for the semester tailored has made all of the difference. I don’t love the style the school has chosen for its uniforms, but it could be way worse. Silver paired with a green so dark that it’s nearly black, isn’t the worst color combination in the world.

Leaving the bathroom before I stay too long and prompt a full-blown search party for myself, I check both hallways before exiting the room. Unfortunately, each side of the hall is like a mirror of itself.

They’re so similar, and now I’m debating with myself about which side I entered the bathroom from. Picking the way that feels the most right, I take a few big strides before it begins to feel wrong again.

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