Page 15 of Matteo
“No, of course not,” I rasped, remembering all the trouble we’d gotten into together. We were thick as thieves, wreaking havoc on our unsuspecting family. Especially with our expertise to break into any safe andborrowmoney that we never paid back. It was a little activity we’d started as children when Mom married our dad. “And I know today was scary for you?—”
“Do you?” Hannah’s tone was simmering in accusation as she cut me off. “Because you’re not acting like it. You. Are. My. Other. Half. Putting your life in danger is… You just can’t do that to me, okay?”
“I know it was scary for you, Hannah, but today was even more terrifying for Francesca and me,” I stated firmly, even though my throat burned with emotions. I couldn’t bear not to help Francesca in order to save myself. She was younger than us, and while she was strong, she was too naïve, too confident everything would work out in the end. I knew better.
“I love you, sis,” she murmured, her own demons staring at me through the identical eyes we shared.
“I love you too,” I added, softening my voice. “Please try to understand and don’t be mad at me for protecting Francesca. Not when I failed so miserably with Gianna.”
Our sister still had the scars to prove it.
“There was nothing that you could have done.” Her voice cracked. “You have to stop blaming yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Besides, it was my fault. It was my idea to go to that nightclub.” I shot her a look, and she rolled her eyes, but her trembling lips didn’t go unnoticed. My twin was an expert at bottling things up. To the outside world, she was an unfeeling bitch, but the truth was that she was the most sensitive one of our siblings. She just hid it behind thick walls and sarcasm.
“And don’t go around playing the freaking hero,” she muttered.
“You would have done the same.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have. Not even for Matteo.”
She believed herself to be selfish, but she wasn’t. She was impulsive, dramatic, a touch wild, but she would never see someone she cared about getting hurt and stand by doing nothing.
“Better not tell him that,” I murmured, flashing her a tired smile and taking her hand in mine.
She smiled back. “Yes, let’s keep that one between us. I don’t want him to be jealous, not that he has anything on you.” She pecked my cheek. “You and I complete each other. Nobody and nothing can take that away from us.”
“Nobody,” I echoed.
Hannah and I might have our problems, but she was my twin. She was the person I knew the best, and the opposite was true too.
“My babies…” Mom came over to us and lowered to her knees, her face drawn and her eyes shining with tears. Gianna joined us too. “I love you all so much, but you sure know how to give us a scare.” Her voice was strained. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
Hannah shoved her shoulder into mine. “I’m pretty sure she’s talking to you, sis.”
“I’m fine, really,” I repeated automatically, then closed my eyes for a second, chasing away images and the searing emotions that came along with them. I just wanted—needed—alone time to come to terms with everything that had happened today. All the memories it brought back to the surface.
I also couldn’t help but worry about Matteo and Nikola. They were practically family. We all grew up together, close in age, doing stupid stuff. What if the police arrested them because theykilled the gunman? Yes, our families were powerful, and that power reached far and deep, but certain things were impossible to sweep under the rug.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I lifted my eyes to find my dad—the man who had always been there for me—staring at me with his dark eyes that saw and knew too much.
“Luciano and Matteo are on their way back,” he said, and relief slammed through me. “Nikola’s going back to Jean D’Arc.”
“That’s good.” I wetted my lips nervously. “Are he and Nikola in trouble?”
“We’d never allow that to happen,” Dad teased, smiling. “The only time they’ll be in trouble is if they mess with any of my girls.”
I scrunched my nose. “Say that to Nikola and he’ll purposely do it. Probably go after Gianna.”
Gianna made a grimace at my words, but danger clouded Dad’s expression. “He can try, but he won’t live to tell the tale.”
“I’m good with that,” Gianna whispered, ghosts lurking in her eyes. I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently, and her expression instantly lightened. But she couldn’t fool me. She’d perfected her façade, just as Hannah had perfected her own image. That night five years ago had changed us all. Hannah and I took a year off from college, dealing with the consequences of our actions from that night. Gianna delayed entering her undergrad program by a year because Mom and Dad were terrified to let her go.
“You okay?” I mouthed to my baby sister.
She nodded. “Yes, of course. Just a bit shaken up that Daddy will chase away all our prospects.”
