5. Gia

"Hey Chloe, Miss Rosa is going to be here any second with Layla and Landon. You're going to hang out with them for a little bit," Ryder tells her.

"But Daddy, I can't leave my mermaid. I want to make sure her fish tail grows back."

Mermaid?

Does she think I'm a mermaid?

"Chloe, she needs to rest, okay? It won't be for long and she'll be here when you get back."

"Will you be here when I get back, Mermaid?" she asks as she moves closer to me.

Okay, so she thinks I'm a mermaid. That's adorable.

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Pinky promise," I tell her as I crook my pinky toward her.

She takes it, grins, and throws her arms around my neck in a hug.

"Will your tail grow back when you go back into the water?"

"Yes, but only I can see it when it happens. It's for the safety of all the mermaids that humans can't see."

"Okay," she pouts.

She runs off, shedding her pirate costume as she does. She's running naked through the house as she sets off up the stairs.

"Chloe!" Ryder yells.

Josh and I are both laughing.

"She's fine," Josh says.

"I swear she's not a feral child," Ryder chuckles. "She's not used to having guests."

"You didn't have to run her off, I'm fine now."

"We need to make sure you're really okay," Josh says flatly. "And we need to figure out what happened and what we're dealing with."

"I'm not going to allow my daughter to be in any danger. You were shot. Are they going to come here looking for you?"

"I wasn't shot," she snaps. "I probably got caught on the coral or something."

"I know what a bullet wound looks like," Josh growls at me.

"As do I," Ryder interjects.

I forgot he was in the Army.

I roll my eyes and try to play it off.

"This is a really nice house. I'm sorry I bled all over your couch."

"It can be replaced."

"I can do that for you, just give me the information."

"I can do it myself," he growls.

Fragile ego, much?

Chloe comes back down the stairs fully dressed in a princess costume just as the doorbell rings. Rosa pokes her head in the door and Chloe rushes out to her and they're gone in a flash.

Both men turn around to look at me expectantly.

Well fuck.

Can Chloe come back?

"What the Hell happened?" Ryder asks. "Were you drunk?"

"Yes, I was so obliterated that I went to the ocean fully clothed and thought I'd drown myself," I hiss sarcastically as I roll my eyes. "Have some brains, Soldier."

"What else would cause you to wash up on shore with no memory of how you got there and make up some bullshit story?"

"I told you. I went out on my surfboard early this morning and I must have gotten knocked off. I really don't remember. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's a bullshit story. Clearly, you have your own idea of who I am already."

The two men are glaring at me now.

"Gia, we can't help you if you don't tell us the truth," Ryder hisses.

"Oh, so you know my name now?" I snap. "Lucky me."

Shit, I didn't mean to let my resentment show.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to recenter myself.

"I didn't recognize you."

"Why would you? We haven't seen each other in eight years. I'm sorry if I came off rude a second ago, I'm a little off-kilter waking up in your house."

The room is filled with an uncomfortable tension as I lie on the couch, my head pounding with every heartbeat. Ryder"s presence looms over me like a dark shadow, his eyes betraying a simmering attraction that he struggles to conceal. But despite the undeniable chemistry between us, I can"t bring myself to let down my guard.

"Why are you so angry with me?" Ryder pushes. "What did I do wrong?"

I laugh dismissively and shake my head in disbelief. "Whatever would make you think that I'm angry with you?"

"You're biting my head off constantly."

"The last thing I remember was me out on my surfboard and then I wake up with my brother and his best friend staring at me asking questions that I don't have answers to. Please give me a little grace as I'm not meaning to bite your head off."

Is he going to believe that? I hope so. I didn't mean to be so rude and show my emotions toward him, but damn if I'm not all out of whack right now.

"I apologize, I'll back off."

"Thank you, Mr. Lafferty."

"Say my name."

"I just did."

"Say. My. Name."

I roll my eyes. "This has been fun and all, but I have things to do. Can you take me back to my cottage, Josh?"

Josh and Ryder hover nearby, their voices a constant murmur of concern as they bombard me with questions about what happened. But I refuse to give them the satisfaction of knowing the truth. Instead, I deflect their inquiries with questions of my own, buying myself precious time to think.

"Not until you tell us what happened."

I shrug nonchalantly, feigning ignorance. "Beats me," I reply with a careless shrug. "Last thing I remember; I was out on my board."

Ryder shoots me a skeptical look, his gaze piercing through my carefully constructed facade. "You don"t remember anything else?" he presses, his voice laced with frustration.

I meet his gaze head-on, my own eyes flashing with defiance. "Not a thing," I reply tersely. "Why? What did you find?"

But before he can answer, my attention is drawn to my own state of undress. I sit up abruptly, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as I realize that I"m completely naked.

"Why am I naked?" I demand, my voice tinged with indignation. "And who the Hell undressed me?"

Ryder clears his throat awkwardly, his cheeks coloring slightly as he admits, "I did."

I raise an eyebrow incredulously, my lips curling into a sardonic smile. "Like what you saw?" I quip, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ryder"s jaw clenches with frustration, his eyes narrowing as he struggles to maintain his composure. "That"s not the point, Gia," he replies tersely, his voice tinged with irritation as he looks at my brother uncomfortably. "I had to get your wet clothes off you before you went into shock with hypothermia."

Josh steps in before things can escalate any further, his voice calm but firm as he tries to defuse the tension between us. "Let"s focus on getting you better, Gia," he suggests gently. "We can worry about the rest later."

I shoot Ryder one last withering glance before turning my attention back to Josh, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. But despite my best efforts to push him away, I can"t shake the feeling of attraction that lingers between Ryder and me.

I hate him for ghosting me, but why can't my vajayjay remember that?

The atmosphere in the house is tense, a palpable undercurrent of unease that hangs heavy in the air. I can feel Josh"s eyes on me, his gaze burning into my skin, I refuse to let him see how much his scrutiny affects me.

There's a loud dinging noise and then a buzz coming from a speaker near the wall.

Ryder breaks the silence with a soft curse under his breath, his footsteps echoing through the hallway as he makes his way to the door. I hold my breath, waiting anxiously as I realize someone is down at the front gate wanting entrance.

Did Christoph's henchman realize that I wasn't dead and they're coming back to finish me off?

There"s another muffled buzz, followed by the sound of Ryder pushing a button on the intercom. A voice crackles to life, tinny and distorted through the speaker.

"Hello?" the voice says tentatively. "I"m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could come up and ask you some questions."

Ryder"s brow furrows in confusion. "Who are you? Questions about what?" he asks, his voice guarded.

I freeze, a knot of dread forming in the pit of my stomach. Could it be Bruno and Adolf, coming to finish what they started? Or perhaps someone else, someone who knows the truth about what happened on the beach?

They have a Southern accent, not a German one.

But before I can dwell on the possibilities, the voice in the box speaks again. "Do you know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?"

With a relieved sigh, Ryder shoos the person away, his tone curt and dismissive. "Thanks, but no thanks," he says, his voice tinged with irritation. "We"re not interested."

As the sound of footsteps fades into the distance, I exhale a shaky breath, the tension draining from my body like water from a sieve. But when I glance up, I can see Josh"s eyes boring into mine, his expression unreadable as he watches me with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Ryder, could you do me a favor?" Josh asks, breaking the silence with his soft voice.

"Of course, Josh. What do you need?"

My brother gestures towards me with a meaningful glance. "Could you find Gia some clothes? I don"t think she wants to be walking around in a blanket all day."

"Yeah, of course. I"ll go upstairs and see what I can find."

With that, Ryder disappears up the staircase, leaving me alone with Josh once more. I can feel the weight of his gaze on me, his eyes searching my face for answers that I"m not sure I"m ready to give. But despite the uncertainty that swirls around us, I can"t shake the feeling that the truth is lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered.

"Gia," he begins, his tone serious, "you need to stay away from Ryder."

I raise an eyebrow in surprise, caught off guard by his blunt declaration. "What do you mean?" I ask, my voice tinged with confusion. "I didn't ask to be in his house. Why should I stay away from him?"

He sighs heavily, his gaze fixed on mine with unwavering intensity. "Because I can see the way you look at him," he replies quietly. "And I know he feels the same way about you. But he's off limits. He's too old for you. He"s my best friend, and I won"t let you hurt him."

I bristle at his words, my defenses rising instinctively. "I"m not interested in Ryder," I protest, my voice ringing with defiance. "You"re reading too much into things, Josh."

But he shakes his head, his expression stubborn. "Don"t lie to me, Gia," he says firmly. "I know you two hooked up, and I know Ryder was devastated when you ghosted him."

Why would he say that? Is that what Ryder told him?

What an asshole, how dare he say that I ghosted him when Talia and Josh both said they gave him my phone number.

I freeze at his words. "I didn"t ghost him," I argue weakly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Maybe not intentionally," he concedes, "but you disappeared without a word."

"Is that what he told you? That's not at all how that went down."

"It doesn't matter how it went down."

"You were supposed to have given him my number, remember?"

"I did and you never responded to his messages."

"I never got any messages; besides I'm not interested in Ryder," I lie.

"Good. He's still not over Chloe's mom."

My stomach drops at the thought of those words.

"I'm not looking to be a stepmom so that works out. Okay. Who was she anyway? How long were they together? What was her name?"

"Sofia Romano. They had a whirlwind romance, they barely knew each other two weeks before she got pregnant. Ryder has blamed himself for not being there for her when she needed him. He thinks if he had been in the room he could have saved her. He couldn't have. He's not ready for a relationship or anything."

Romano?

"That's great, I'm not either."

"We both know you"re going to disappear again," he says gently. "And I can"t bear to see Ryder or Chloe get hurt."

I open my mouth to protest. But before I can form the words, Ryder returns with one of his hoodies and a pair of sweatpants for me, his expression warm with concern.

"Here you go, Gia," he says softly, handing me the clothes. "I hope these are okay."

I take them with a grateful smile, the warmth of his gesture touching me in ways I can"t explain. But as I pull the hoodie over my head and slip into the sweatpants, I can"t shake the feeling of safety that envelops me.

Damn it, these smell like him.

The hoodie practically swallows me, which makes sense because he's so muscular and it's like he's hugging me.

Shit, stop that.

"I get that I need to stay here and be monitored but can someone take me back to my house so I can get my phone and laptop, maybe?"

"Yeah," Josh offers. "I'll take you there and then I'll head to my house. I don't think you need to be around the kids in this condition so you can stay here. I promised the kids pizza and ice cream so I should get back there. I can just run to your cottage myself."

"I can take her."

"No, I need to do it," I say quickly. "I didn't leave my stuff out where it can be found easily. It will just be better if I go."

I can't risk them running into Bruno or Adolf if they went back to the cabin looking for me or whatever Allison has told them that I have.

"No, I'll take her. It's fine. it's fine. I'll call Rosa and let her know Chloe is going to stay the night. We'll bring her back in the morning."

"You don't have to do that."

"It's fine. I'm certain Chloe didn't see all the blood and that needs to get cleaned up or covered before she realizes what it is."

I stand up and glance back at the couch. It's covered in blood, all of the cushions are soaked in it.

How am I still alive if I lost that much blood?

I suddenly feel woozy. Josh hurries to my side.

"Are you sure she shouldn't go to a hospital?" Ryder asks worriedly.

"I'm fine."

"I will bring some fluids and some other stuff over tomorrow when we drop Chloe off, just to make sure."

Ryder nods and Josh gestures for me to follow him.

"Which cottage are you in?" Josh asks.

"Four," Ryder interjects.

"Oh, I helped with that one."

I cock an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, I have a few carpentry skills up my sleeve. Rosa is the decorator for all of them."

"She did a great job, mine is very cozy," I say as we walk out the front door and to my brother's truck.

Within minutes, we're back at my cottage.

"Do you need help?"

"Nah, I'm grabbing my phone, laptop, and a change of clothes. It'll take me five minutes."

"Any more than five minutes and I'll come in to check on you."

I roll my eyes and nod. I scurry out of the car, up the steps and inside to see that the cabin has been trashed.

I can assume that Bruno and Adolf came here looking for whatever they wanted to find before they saw me on the beach. When they didn't find the money or whatever then they decided to take matters into their own hands.

I'm grateful that I had hidden my laptop and cell phone before I went on the walk. I always do. You can never be too careful in my line of work.

I grab a change of clothes and then hurry back out the door and climb into my brother's car. As he puts it in reverse and drives back to Ryder's he slows the speed a little and looks over at me.

"Why did you come here?"

"I told you; I wanted a change of scenery. Do you want me to leave? What's gotten into you?"

"Are you running from someone or something?"

"That's ridiculous."

"Are you in trouble like…"

"I'm not our father and I never will be despite how many times I'm accused of such," I hiss.

He pulls back and nods slowly. "If you're in danger because of an ex-boyfriend or something we can protect you. The Chief of Police is a good friend of mine, we went to high school together."

"I'm fine."

As Josh drops me off at Ryder"s house, I'm grateful to be away from my brother's questions. However, I'm about to walk right back into the lion's den with Ryder.

"Do you need anything, Gia?" he asks almost immediately, his brow furrowed with concern. "I can grab you some food or anything else you might need."

I shake my head. "No, I"m good. Thank you," I reply softly.

"Alright, well, I"m going to head downstairs to work out," he says, his tone casual. "But if you need anything, don"t hesitate to ask."

With that, he disappears down the hallway, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Chloe"s mom"s name rings in my ears like a distant echo, a nagging reminder of something I can"t quite place.

I pull out my laptop and begin to research Sofia Romano, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I scour the internet for any information I can find. There"s not much to go on, just a few scattered articles and social media posts, but one hit in particular catches my eye. It's a post made when she passed away, a picture of her.

Why do I know her?

"Romano, Romano," I repeat and then suddenly it clicks.

I start typing away and more hits pop up. One of the first articles is a write-up in People Magazine about their wedding. I go to the images and run Sofia's face through the CIA's facial recognition software on my phone.

My heart pounds in my chest as I read the words on the screen. Isabella Alessandra Romano Carusso, daughter of Don Vincenzo Carusso, head of the notorious Carusso Sicilian Crime Family. The Cosa Nostra. Number one on the CIA"s most wanted list.

She gave him a fake name. She was living a double life. But why?

My breath catches in my throat as the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. Sofia Romano was just an alias, a carefully constructed facade to hide her true identity from the world.

Did she really die of natural causes in that hospital room or was she murdered?

I had done research on the Carusso Family as part of my research paper for my Criminal Justice degree. It's one of their signature kills, their victims inhale an odorless gas put directly over their mouth and nose, it only shows up that the person perished from heart failure and nothing else. I had also followed them for some time as all the Italian Mafia Families intrigue me. I hadn't heard anything about Isabella leaving the Family.

Shit. Do they know that Chloe exists?

What the fuck did I just walk into?