Page 34 of And Twice as Twisted
“Get the fuck over it, Sienna. You can runEnergiafrom anywhere. You just need to be away from each other!” Al released me, shoving me into the wall and knocking me to my knees again. “This fucking obsession, or whatever it is you have for him, needs to end! He’s going to fucking kill you!” Al leaned forward until they were nearly nose to nose. “How dumb do you have to be to see that, Sienna!”
“Al!” Bella gasped, her expression appalled, yet she didn’t offer Sienna any support.
“Seriously, sis,” Marco added, staring daggers at me. “This is ridiculous.”
“Again! How is this my fault?” Sienna’s composure was unraveling as she stared at each of her accusers, one at a time.
“Because he’s gone off the deep end, and you’resupposedto be the smart one out of all of us!”
Her jaw dropped at Marco’s insult. She was waiting forsomeoneto stand up for her. But they’d turned their proverbial backs on her instead. The accusation in her eyes turned to pain as she realized everyone was siding with Lucky. With me. And not her.
“Pick!” Lucky’s rage settled on his sister.
Sienna’s normal complacency when it came to her family and duty was gone and an icy chill filled the hallway. It was frigid, almost painful. Slow and blank, she glared at each of her onlookers before ending on her brother. “As you wish, brother.” She turned to walk into her room. “Or is it my king? Seeing as I’m still in New York… for now.” Glacial. She gently closed the door and the entire hall noticed the turn of the lock.
“Something’s wrong, Lucky.” Bella stared at Sienna’s bedroom door. “She never folds like that.”
“This doesn’t feel good,” Marco muttered before disappearing down the hall.
“It had to be done.” Lucky pulled Bella into his arms.
“She’s lying.” I swallowed the rest of my words, the rough skin of my scar crawling, begging me to tear it open with my nails. “About the phone call.” My hands shook as I replayed each of her lies.
“I’m aware.” Lucky refused to look at me. “Alexei couldn’t trace it either.”
She was the queen of secrets, keeping everyone in the dark. Her cowardice was almost alarming. Sienna refused to appear weak, dismissing our attempts to help. There was an army at her back, threatening decimation, and yet she marched into battle alone.
“Stay the fuck away from her.” Al shouldered past me and stormed down the staircase.
Lucky walked off behind him, commanding his wife to follow suit. But as was true to her nature, Bella was yet anotherAgostino who was too defiant for her own good. And she fought back where she knew she’d win, and her husband handled the rest.
“It’s the funniest thing,” Bella whispered, still staring at the door. “Sienna is the strongest, most intelligent woman I’ve ever met. Except when it comes to you.” Bella craned her neck to look at me.
“You heard yourhusband.” My mouth watered as Sienna’s scent lingered on my skin.
“Can you stay away?” she asked, stepping closer. “Answer me this: who sent you in there?”
How the fuck did I end up in Sienna’s room?
“As I thought, you’re confused.” Bella smiled sadly, wrapping her cold, thin fingers around my wrist. “Neither of you have been particularly healthy in your pursuit of each other. But unlike my husband, I see what’s really happening. Sienna is lashing out, begging someone to be on her side. To receive the same allegiance we all give you. And if we’re not careful, we’re going to lose her… forever.”
“She won’t leave.”
“Isn’t she already gone?” Bella’s question had me turning to look at the door.
“She’s not leaving.” I silently dared Sienna to open it.
Her refusal to listen caused total discord, leaving us to pick up the pieces. I’d attempted to right the wrongs from my past, but as usual, Sienna was one step ahead of us. The Affanad boys’ deaths were supposed to bring me peace, the tranquility my control provided. Well, that wasbeforeI was thrown into the Hudson.
And she took that from me.
“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the wall, ignoring Isabella’s shout of protest and disregarding everyone else, as I sped away from the compound in Al’s Audi. I quickly rolled down thewindows to alleviate the smell of vomit and whiskey. The man was boorish, but this was a whole new level of repulsive, even for him.
My thoughts returned to the object of my contention. Sienna’s face had turned disarmingly blank. Something in her head sizzled to life—a plan I’d guess. And that was far more dangerous than her verbal threats. She was the queen of rash decision-making when she was emotional. The dismissal of her family, the arrangement with Romano, and Gio Moretti always in the background, I was curious… would she snap and turn against us all?
I stood at the window of my office at the docks, lost in the memories of floating in the frigid waters, until my phone rang.
“Sending Al with a present.” Lucky hung up, and a few minutes later, Al walked in with an unconscious body slung over his shoulder.
