Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I fucked up. I should have known not to shove Zoe in a car and send her home with people she doesn't fucking know. Of course, she's going to freak out in that situation. I wasn't thinking. I was only acting, hyperfocused on getting her somewhere safe and going after the fucking assholes who seem to have a hard-on for shooting up whatever room she's in.

When I heard the fear in her voice, though, my only thought was getting to her. I should have gotten into that car with her.

As I walk through the house, I can hear them in the kitchen. "Marcel is pretty." Zoe says in a strange whispery voice. "I like him."

I smile at her words as I follow the sound. It takes me two fucking seconds of looking at her and her bloodshot eyes to know why she's sitting here with a look of wonder and peace on her face. Fucking Vin.

"What the fuck?" I ask.

"Marcel. It's you." Zoe jumps off the table she appears to have climbed on top of and runs towards me. My arms wrap around her as her hands roam all over my face. "I was worried about you," she says.

"You were? You don't need to worry about me, babe." I lean forward and kiss her forehead.

"Mmm, I do. Because I like you and that means I have to worry," she tells me. "Oh, cake! Did you bring cake?" Zoe looks up at me with hope twinkling in her eyes.

I turn to my younger brother. "I'm going to kill you," I growl at him. "You got her fucking stoned?"

"Shhh. Don't be mad at him. He's my friend," Zoe says.

"Vin is your friend? Since when?" I ask her.

"Since always." Zoe presses her fingers to the crease between my eyebrows. "You shouldn't frown so much. You'll get wrinkles."

"Zoe, you're stoned." I sigh.

"Is that why I feel so good? Mmm, I should have tried this years ago. You should try it too. Vin, share with your brother. He needs to relax," Zoe says.

"Yeah, I'm fresh out, Z." Vin smirks at me.

"Z?" I question.

"She's gonna be my sister. I get to give her nicknames. Anyway, I've got shit to do. Try not to get shot," Vin calls out before pivoting on his heel and making a quick escape.

"What's going on?" Daisy's voice comes from behind me a few seconds after Vin leaves.

When we walked back into the club, it hit me that Daisy was in there. I felt like shit I didn't think of her sooner. But, in all honesty, I didn't think of anyone but Zoe in that moment. I turned to Gio in a panic and he said that she'd left when Zoe and I went down to the dance floor.

"Hey, I'm so glad you're here." Eloise tugs Daisy into a tight hug.

"What's going on?" Daisy repeats.

"Nothing, come on. Help me make dinner." Eloise takes Daisy's arm and drags her farther into the kitchen.

Daisy was always a happy girl. She used to have a brightness to her. But ever since Gabe got locked up, it's like that light has just been turned off. "Did you see him today?" she asks me.

"I did," I tell her while taking hold of Zoe's hands. To stop them from roaming all over my body.

"Is she okay?" Daisy looks at Zoe, then back to me again.

"Oh, I'm better than okay," Zoe says.

"Vin got her stoned," I grunt.

Eloise and Daisy share a laugh, which has Zoe laughing as well. Am I the only one who doesn't think it's fucking funny that my girlfriend is as high as a kite right now?

"Gio's on his way back, El. You two gonna be okay if I take her up to bed?"

"We're fine," El says. When I don't move, she adds, "Promise."

"Okay, I'll be upstairs if you need anything," I tell them. "Come on." I take Zoe's hand and lead her out of the kitchen.

"Wait," she says while digging her feet into the ground. "What about the cake?" she asks with such seriousness it's hard for me not to smile.

"I'll bring some up to your room for you," El tells her.

"Oh, awesome. Thank you." Zoe grins.

When I finally get her back to my room, I shut the door and lock it. I don't need anyone barging in. "Zoe, you feeling okay?" I ask as I watch her eyes flick around the room, not really focusing on anything.

"Uh-huh. I'm so good, Marcel. Did you know you're really pretty?" she tells me.

"Pretty?"

"Mhmm. So pretty. Too pretty for me."

"Definitely not too pretty for you, babe."

"I think you're too good for me. Or too bad. I don't know which. But I know I'm not good enough for you, Marcel. I can't be the kind of woman you need." Zoe sits on the edge of the bed.

I walk over and kneel in front of her. "Zoe, you are exactly the kind of woman I need. You are everything I need and want." I take her hands in mine.

Zoe shakes her head. "I'm not okay, Marcel. This is hard. I want to be good for you because I really like you and I don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me, ever. I'm hard to get rid of." I smile at her. "Zoe, this is love, not war. You don't need to be anything but yourself with me because you are enough. You don't need to be anything other than you."

"Love?"

"Yes, love."

"Vin thinks you're in love with me." She gives me a sad smile. "I told him you're not."

"You're wrong," I correct her. "I am very much in love with you, Zoe Petrov. So much so that your last name is going to have to change real soon."

"But my name's already changed. To Petrov," she says, sounding confused.

"Zoe, it's going to change to De Bellis when we're married."

"We're getting married?"

"One day we are. I love you, Zoe, and I'm not letting you go."

Zoe blinks as she tries to focus on my face. "I love you too," she says. "So much." Her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Do you think Eloise is really coming with the cake?"

I laugh. "You really want that cake, huh?"

Zoe nods her head eagerly. "So much," she says.

"Okay, I'll go get it. Hop into bed. I'll be right back with your cake." I pull the blankets down and wait for her to shift her body higher onto the mattress before covering her up. Then I lean forward and gently kiss her lips. "I love you so fucking much," I tell her.

"I love you too. Please don't break my heart, Marcel," she whispers.

"I will protect it with my life, Zoe. I'll keep your heart safe, always," I say and then walk out of the room.

When I reach the bottom of the stairs, Ivan is there arguing with Santo. Not a good scenario for either of them.

"What's going on?" I ask. Both of them turn and stare at me.

"Where is she?" Ivan grunts.

"Sleeping," I tell him.

"I need to see her," he says.

"Yeah, that's not happening. She's fucking asleep," I reiterate. "In bed."

"Boss's orders."

"I don't give a fuck what your boss wants. She's asleep and no one is fucking creeping around her when she is." I already have my phone out of my pocket and am dialling as I'm telling him this.

Mikhail answers his phone. "De Bellis, where's my daughter?"

"She's fine. She's asleep."

"Then why the fuck are you calling me? Shouldn't you be out there looking for the fucking assholes who keep shooting at you?"

"Your boy here thinks he needs to go creep on Zoe while she's asleep. You better tell him otherwise, because I will put a bullet between his eyes before they ever see her in a fucking bed," I hiss down the line.

"First of all, she's not asleep. She's in the hallway upstairs right now."

"How do you know that?" I look back up the stairs. There's no way he can know that. Is there?

"Doesn't matter how. This is the second time she's been out with you and had bullets flying at her, Marcello. There won't be a third."

"They're not after me," I say before sucking in a lungful of air. What I have to say isn't going to go over well.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's her. They're after her," I tell him.

"Why the fuck would anyone be after Zoe?"

"Good question, but the stupid cunt I shot tonight was pointing the end of his barrel at Zoe, not me," I say. "Tell your boy he's not walking into a fucking bedroom to look at my girlfriend." I hang up the call and pocket my phone.

A second later, Ivan's phone is ringing and he's glaring at me as he answers it.

"Santo, follow me." I start back up the stairs.

"You just going to leave this Russian prick here in our house?" Santo growls.

"Yes," I grunt. "Leave him. He's here for Zoe."

"I don't care if he's here for the fucking Pope. Fucker shouldn't be here at all, Marcello," Santo says, catching me halfway up the stairs.

"I need you to check on El. I think she's putting on a brave face, but tonight shook her," I tell him.

"Okay, but you gotta get the Russian out of the house," he throws out over a shoulder as he stomps back down the stairs again.

I find Zoe roaming around the hallway, staring at old pictures on the walls. I look up at the cameras. That fucker has hacked into our security system. I make a mental note to make a major upgrade first thing in the morning. "Zoe, babe, I thought you were in bed."

"Your family has really good genes, you know. There are no ugly ones. Like at all," she says.

"Really? Maybe you need glasses, babe. My brothers are all butt ugly. You got the best-looking one in the bunch. Trust me." I wink at her.

"Oh, I did. I know that, but they're not ugly." She frowns. "Maybe that's the curse, you know? Someone wanted good-looking children, so they made a deal with the devil."

"That's not the curse," I tell her.

"Mikhail thinks I'm cursed," she says.

"What?"

"There was a bird at my window. It means death or something in Russia. It's nonsense of course," she explains while waving a dismissive hand.

"He said a bird at your window means death?"

"The bird tapping at the window is a warning, of death coming. I think he's had one too many vodka shots, if you know what I mean."

"Probably. Come on, let's go to bed. It's late." I take her hand in mine, overcome by this sudden need to hold her tight and not let go.