Page 23 of Bittersweet Endings
OCTAVIA AGOSTINO
My sister couldn’t stop staring while Apollo was shooting me confused looks. My dress was tight and short, my hair down and wild. I was free, and it was intoxicating.
Shrugging her off, I motioned towards the dance floor, and she nodded. Apollo was close and so were Al and Rocco. I swayed to the music, closing off my mind and trying to enjoy myself. My muscles ached as we danced to one song after another.
A hard body pressed against my back, swaying with me. “Now I see what all the fuss is about.”
The shots throttling my system slowed down my understanding. I spun to face him. The man was a stranger. But as his eyes devoured my body, I felt sick under his glare. My phone started to ring, and for whatever reason, I placed it to my ear as I continued to stare at the man in front of me.
Carmine was shouting in my ear as Rocco called out, “Ragetti!”
I turned towards him, but didn’t see who he was talking about. The stranger chuckled. “You’re here?” I knew he wasn’t. But part of me hoped…
That hopewas quickly dispelled when the asshole gripped my arm. I raised a hand to hit him, but he caught it. His hold tight and painful. A silent threat as he tugged me towards his face.
“Agostino trash. We’re going to enjoy breaking you… to break the little prince.” His breath was putrid.
“Get the fuck off me.” I tried to twist away, but he yanked me closer. My back to his chest as he whispered in my ear.
“Calm down, calm down. Wouldn’t want your sister hurt, would you?”
I looked up. I hadn’t even realized he’d managed to separate us. “Sienna!” I screamed, raising my hand to point at the figure lurking behind her. JP. “Lucky! Apollo!”
They were on the outskirts of the dance floor but the moment they heard me, they started shoving people out of the way. Rocco was almost to us, but the look JP gave sent chills down my spine. He was right behind her, but all Sienna was focused on was getting to me.
And then it clicked into place. I was not fucking weak. I stabbed the scariest man I knew and lived to talk about it. I wasn’t going down so easily anymore.
I reached under my skirt and pulled the knife from my thigh strap. Then, handle tilted, I jabbed it behind me three times before he let me go. I quickly turned, wedged my fingers into his throat, and shoved him to the ground.
JP was right at Sienna’s back. My brothers and Apollo were too far, fighting to get to her while Rocco was closing in on us. But he didn’t see JP.
“Fuck. You,”I mouthed, and he smiled. But I moved fasterthan he thought. My knife flew across the dance floor, gliding between dancers. His shock was short-lived as the blade landed in his shoulder.
I could hear his shout over the music and watched as Sienna turned in shock. She moved fast, punching her fist into his wound. He stumbled backwards. Men surrounded her, but I was already there. JP slank away as I tried grabbing for him.
“He’s going to kill you for this!” I screamed, shuddering at his unhinged smile. “Get her out of here, Apollo!”
“Let’s go.” Rocco and moresoldatossurrounded me and we stormed out of the club.
Once everyone was settled inside the car, I finally felt like I could breathe again. All the blocks came crumbling around me, as I was reminded how much my family couldn’t protect me.
I reached for my phone and saw Carmine’s name flash across the screen. “Octavia, I?—”
“He almost got me,” I whispered. “Because of you. Because you let me go.”
“Octavia, listen?—”
I hung up, not interested in his bullshit, and answered my brother’s call as he beeped through.
“Did you know? Tell me now, Octavia. Did you fuckin’ know he was in the city?” he demanded, and the smallest tear dripped down my face.
“You honestly think if I did, I would’ve put my sister at risk?” My heart broke all over again. “No, Lucky. I didn’t. Oh, and don’t worry… I’m safe. Goodbye.”
The moment I ended the call, it started ringing again. Over and over, a different name popping up on my screen. The only one I was tempted to answer was the Californian god I wanted in my bed.
I shut my phone off as Rocco escorted me home and lockedme down. Where I stayed for days, unable to talk to anyone or even look at myself in the mirror. Because one question played on repeat in my head:
Would you have told them that Carmine was in the city?
