Page 27 of The Veiling

“Valentino!” she choked, dashing toward me.

“Isabelle! Fuck!” Sprinting across the room, I yanked her into my body and picked her up, pressing my lips to hers, kissing her eagerly. I never wanted to let her go. Tears ran down my cheeks as time stood still and I temporarily forgot my deceased, younger brother was standing behind me with Noah, watching my emotions erupt like a volcano.

Isabelle tugged at the back of my hair, mumbling against my lips. I peeled myself away, standing her on the floor. Reality hit me once again when I saw the bruise under her eye and a bandage on the top of her forehead.

“Fucking Marco,” I muttered, ready to turn around and beat the shit out of him.

Isabelle laid her hands on my chest. “Val—”

Placing her behind me, I glared at the man I never thought I would see again. “You!” I stomped toward him, fisting his collar, backing him against a ceiling-to-floor marble pillar. “Che cazzo?!”

“Valentino!” Isabelle shrieked behind me.

Marco remained calm, holding his hands out. “I didn’t hu—”

“Testa di cazzo!” I drew my fist back, ready to hit him.

“Felipe hurt her!”

“Marco saved me!” Isabelle yelled, tugging on my arm.

“How are you alive?” I respired, backing away and running my fingers through my hair.

“We can worry about that later. Right now, we have a bigger problem.”

“He’s right,” Noah added.

“Noah,” Isabelle smiled, finally hurrying to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

“It’s good to see you safe,” he whispered.

“Good to see you too, but he’s still out there.”

Marco twisted to Noah. “Who the fuck are you?”

Isabelle hooked her hand around Noah’s arm. “This is my cousin and your sister’s boyfriend that I told you about.”

Noah gnawed the inside of his cheek, standing taller and stiffer than usual. The vein in Marco’s forehead swelled and his mouth pursed as he sized Noah up. He opened his mouth to speak, but I flashed a palm. Noah slid his hands in his pockets, staring back at him, silently daring him to utter a word about him and Laura.

Right now, I needed answers. Many answers. Isabelle did not appear to be frightened, and I had to trust whatever was happening. The reality hit me once again. Marco was alive. It should not have shocked me based on how my family did things, but it did.

Crossing my arms, I narrowed my gaze on him. “We need to talk.”

“Come in here and have a seat.”

I held my arm out for Isabelle, who slid into my side as we strolled into the living room and sat on the couch. Noah chose not to get comfortable at all. Instead, he leaned on the bar, enveloping his arms on his chest while examining Marco’s every move.

“There’s so much to tell you.” My brother sighed.

For the next hour, he spilled every detail about what happened in London, recovering, finding Felipe, the masquerade, everything. I did not know how I felt about it all. While I was relieved that he was alive, I was still angry.

“I get it.” Isabelle placed a hand on my knee to stop me from bouncing it. I stood, lifting a hand to my chin. “But do you know the pain you’ve caused our family,” I cleared my throat, muttering, “and me?”

“I know, I’m—”

“Fuck you!” I scoffed. “You always only think about yourself! You’ve always been an asshole and the only time you caredwas in London. You had some magical change of heart for a split second, then faked your own death?! And I’m supposed to just be fine with all that?!”

Isabelle shot up off the sofa, taking my hand in hers. “Valentino, he only had all of us in mind when he did all that stuff. You’re just angry, and you’re projecting your—”

---