Page 15 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Heir

“What the hell is your problem, man?” I snap.

“I always end up cleaning up your mess,” Nick mutters. He cranes his neck to get a view of my dad outside. “Look, what I said before still stands. If you don’t want him to act, get a better plan.”

“You agree nothing can happen to her,” I remind him.

Nick sighs heavily. “Don’t do anything dumb, Vinny.” My throat is dry as he walks towards the door. As Nick places his hand on the doorknob, he pauses, adding, “He’ll expect some kind of action when he comes back.”

The thought makes my head hurt. “Fine,” I answer.

“It helps it if you have visible bruises—”

I rush to the door and open it. “I already said what I’m not about to do. So why don’t you and my dad head back.”

Nick finally walks out of the door. I slam it shut and lock it. The fantasy between Rosa and me is completely shattered. If I thought I could extend our “playtime” pretending we’re on a getaway, I was so wrong. I run back to the basement to release her and her hands are shaking terribly.

“W-what was that? Who was that?” Rosa whispers.

“My check-up,” I say.

“On me? For what? What’s gonna happen?” she asks, her voice shaking. I don’t have a good answer for her. The sweat on the sides of her face drips down. It’s obvious she has just been crying.

“Get cleaned up and stay in your room,” I order her, quietly.

“And then what?” she asks.

“Then, nothing. You go to your room and stay out of sight,” I snap as I walk back to the stairs. I hear Rosa behind me, softly sniffling.

I don’t have the heart to tell her what’s really bothering me. It’s best she stays in the dark.

CHAPTER 9

Rosa

Nick is his name. The new stranger who is around more than I would like. He has an average face with tan skin and rosacea around his cheeks. Every time I see him, his eyes are intense. He seems the type to have a thousand thoughts on his mind but never say them aloud. Perhaps, a lot like Vinny. Vinny, who I once thought to be a lover, is mute. I find out over stale coffee that they were friends.

“He was about to get jumped by this new gang around the school and I saved his ass,” Nick tells me with a smile. I can’t imagine anyone trying to beat up Vinny. He’s huge. Nick has a slender build with chiseled arms. The black t-shirts he wears reveal soft abs.

“Good thing Vinny has your company,” I reply. Nick’s smile fades slightly.

“Well, he does again. I left,” he says. His eyes are dark like he’s recalling bad memories. It sends a shudder down my spine. “He has you right now, too.”

I stare at the coffee table. “Don’t make jokes.”

“I’m not,” he says. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

Without thinking, I kick Nick rightly under the table. “I’m not here by choice.”

I expect Nick to kick me back but he just stares until it’s too uncomfortable not to look away.

“I’m sorry, Rosa. You’ve had a very unfortunate life it seems,” Nick mutters.

My face gets hot. I take another look around the room. Vinny has been gone for hours now. It makes me uncomfortable because I can’t tell if Vinny’s absence means his job is done. I don’t know this Nick character, and I have no idea what’s up his sleeve.

“Do you love him?” Nick asks suddenly.

My heart thumps in my chest. “He’s been kind.” There’s no way I’m mentioning anything else.

What if Vinny already told him about us hooking up? What if Nick thinks he can join in?

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