Page 53 of Did My Heart Love Till Now?

Four more hours of minimal speaking and we arrived at a house which was situated in a wooded area on Lake Placid. My mouth dropped open when I laid my eyes on the multilevel lake house that resembled something out of a movie; a beautiful natural wood and grey stone exterior with sizable windows and an astounding backdrop of the lake hugged tightly by small mountains. The photos did it no justice.

“Oh my God, it's gorgeous!” It was almost impossible to take in the spectacular beauty at once.

He stepped out of the car and walked to my side, opening the door for me. I stumbled out as I was still in awe of the scenery and had cramped legs from the long journey in a sports car. Awestruck, I wondered how on earth my brother could afford this home. It had to be no less than ten million dollars. I turned slow circles, scrutinizing every part of the property.

My gaze settled on Nick who was leaning on the hood of the car, crossing his arms. He reached up and placed a finger next to his eye with a smirk. His eyes darted to the house.

“Sorry, I—” My eyes caught movement on the front porch, and I gasped.

Gavino was standing on the top step, leaning on a pillar with his arms folded over his chest. I almost fainted as I absorbed the fact I was not dreaming. He was donned in a black pinstripe suit with a slate blue tie and matching pocket square. His hair had grown out a bit more and was styled neatly, while his stubble was groomed closely against his face. He took my breath away more than the scenic view when he smirked and raised his eyebrows at me.

I was not sure if Sofia was in shock or scared to move because she was afraid I was not real. I did my best not to ruin the moment by getting visibly angry at her injuries. Instead, I made the first move. She was frozen next to Nick. I hurried down the steps and sauntered to her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I crashed my lips into hers, picking her up off the ground. She threw her arms around my shoulders, locking her fingers together behind my neck. Reluctantly, I set her on the ground and peeled my lips away from hers. I kept an arm around her snuggly and turned my attention to Nick. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Let's get inside.”

He led Sofia and I up the front stairs and inside the impressive two-story, open foyer. Sofia’s eyes trailed over every detail. Nick ran his fingers through his hair and nudged her with his foot.

“I need to speak to Gavino alone. Feel free to go look around while we step in the back where it’s safe and smoke.” His tone was shaky, which made me extremely nervous.

Her gaze met mine. I smiled and nodded in agreement with him as I needed an update privately and as soon as possible. I leaned over, pressing my lips to hers quickly while he stepped over to the front door and locked it. She nodded and offered a faint smile before disappearing around the corner.

Nick and I waltz through a large living area with a modern lake house style though I was in no mental state to pay attention to detail. He opened a door leading out onto a deck and I stepped out first. He followed, closing the door behind us. I took a deep breath, inhaling the unpolluted air.

He took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one then passed the pack and lighter to me. Shockingly, we smoked the same brand, so it was easy to accept. After I lit mine, he nodded toward the thick railing. I balanced them on top and inhaled deeply. The weather was approximately thirty degrees cooler on the lake this time of year and a light breeze caused a chill to come over me. The suit I was wearing was dapper, but it offered little warmth.

“So, what's up?” I inquired with dread in my voice.

He stared out at the lake in silence for a few moments as he breathed in the cigarette. “I want my father to die.”

My eyes widened as I cocked my head. "You what now?"

With his fingers holding the vice between his lips, he mumbled. “I didn't stutter.”

I remained speechless, smoking. The words he spoke were not quite registering with me, yet I heard him loud and clear.

“He did this to me,” he pointed to his healing face, “and he did that to Sofia’s. Then, this morning he threatened to kill me if I didn’t take Sofia away and torture her for info about you, then kill her after.”

“What the fuck?!”

He lifted his hand. “I’m obviously not going to hurt my sister but that's when I realized just how fucked up my father really is.”

“I’m sure mine will want me dead soon too.” I averted my gaze knowing the day would come when I would have to choose between my father and Sofia. My heart had already made the choice. I lifted my gaze to Nick. “So, what are you going to do?”

“I want you and your family to help me kill him.” He arched a brow at me and tossed his cigarette over the balcony.

I folded my arms over my chest, waiting for him to laugh.

“I’m not joking.” He matched my stance, crossing his arms.

I slid my hands in my pockets, smirking. “No offense, but my family will murder you.”

“Okay, so you talk to them.”

“They will not trust you.”

“Then make them, Gavino.”

“Okay, fine.” I shrugged. “I'll talk to Joey tomorrow.”

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