7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gabo Godoy

T he moment I see the picture Bella sent me, I choke on my wine.

"What the fuck?" I ask out loud to no one in particular since Vicente has been on his phone since we arrived this morning. I'm having lunch alone and was about to head to a cabana on the beach and do some people-watching while my brother decides to stop working, but this picture has me out of bounds. Bella is a fucking vision in a dress with a corset on top, her hair cascading down her shoulders. With a huge smile on her face, she stands in front of an old pink Volkswagen Beetle. What is it that has me so attracted to her? I've dated supermodels in the past, even dated a beauty pageant queen at one point. But for some reason, Bella is the most gorgeous woman I've seen in my life.

Instead of reaching out to question her about her choice of car, I call Rocco. I need to know what's going on.

"Rocco, what the fuck is happening?" I ask, and Rocco clears his throat.

"Well, boss, Miss Bianchi decided she wanted an antique car. When I told her we wouldn't take her to a dealership, she threatened to report me to you. So I decided to just bring her in."

I can't help the chuckle that forms in my throat. This woman threatened two huge motherfuckers. She's no taller than five foot six, yet she made these two behemoths do exactly as she wished. I'm enjoying this way too much.

"Okay, that's fine. Let her be, and just be mindful of her space. Try to be unseen," I say, finally relenting to her wishes myself. "But I need you to contact my mechanic and ask him for a whole refurbishing. If it can be done overnight, even better. Tell him to spare no expense. I need that little Volkswagen to be the safest car in all of the European Union."

Maybe not all of her wishes. I still have my heart in a vise with a need to protect her, to the point that I'm becoming obsessed. What the hell?

"You got it, boss." I'm about to end the call when Rocco continues talking. "Oh, I almost forgot. She called one of her brothers, and he's on his way."

"What? Do you know which brother?" I ask, heat rising in my chest.

"No, boss. I didn't hear his name."

"Okay, thank you, Rocco."

I take a sip of my wine as I think this through. If she had called Luca, I'd have already heard about it. He'd be giving me shit the entire flight from Chile to Italy. That means it can only be Gio. Maybe leaving the States for a while would be good for him. Time will tell.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there? I thought by now I'd find you making out with a girl or two by the beach." Vicente pulls me out of my thoughts as he sits beside me, and a waiter brings him the menu.

We're staying at a private villa, and the service is top-notch. I always enjoy coming here. The views are spectacular, and yes, as my brother loves to point out, I've had my fun here.

"Nah, bro. Those days are over. The last thing I want these days is to catch a disease or get someone pregnant."

Vicente laughs at my answer, and I simply smile at him as he orders his lunch.

"So I just got word that Bella bought a cheap car, and Gio is on his way to Bologna."

My brother's laugh dies quickly, and his eyebrows shoot to the sky.

"Oh, shit. Gio…?" Gio rarely ever travels anymore. So yes, it's a big fucking deal that he's going to Bologna.

"I honestly don't understand what's going on with Isa," Vicente continues. "When you said you were hosting her for the summer, I just thought you were going to let her stay in one of your apartments and call it a day. You don't need to babysit her, you know?"

I pass my hand across my face as I heave a frustrated sigh. I know Vicente is right, but for some reason, the moment I saw her at the airport, I decided to claim her as mine.

"I don't know, man. That's what I thought, too. That was the plan, actually, but then Luca called and gave me the guilt trip and…" I don't know how to say this without sounding like a crazy person.

"And then what?" Vicente asks, not missing a beat.

"And then I saw her," I tell him honestly.

"What do you mean ‘and then you saw her'?" Vicente is fucking relentless; he won't let me get away with not spelling it out for him.

"I know I've seen her many times in the past, but the moment I saw her walking off my jet… I don't know. I felt an urge to protect her." I know I'm not making any sense, and it frustrates the hell out of me because I've never been like this before.

"So you decided to leave Bologna to avoid her? Wow, brother. That's a great way to protect her and very on-brand for a thirty-year-old," Vicente states with too much joy in his voice. I glare at him, but it only makes him dissolve into a fit of laughter, and I can't help it; I join him.

"Fuck, man. I'm like a teenager ogling her like I've never been with a woman before," I tell him. He tries to cover his laugh with a cough, so I toss my napkin at him and continue. "Last night, when I came home, she was dancing in the living room. Did you know she used to dance ballet and then transitioned to contemporary dance? And, I kid you not, she almost brought me to tears just by seeing the passion in her every move. It was just beautiful. And then she prepared ni?os envueltos for dinner. I almost melted on the spot."

"She can dance and cook, so what? Don't you have enough money to hire chefs for a restaurant? Oh, wait a minute. That's right. You already own a restaurant, which, by the way, has three Michelin stars," Vicente deadpans, and I want to erase the smirk off his face. I really dislike it when he's so shallow.

"It's not only that, weón . She has a pretty amazing plan. Did you know her goal is to open a gallery? One of the reasons she's in Italy is to scout Chilean and Argentine artists to bring their art back to their home countries. She's just simply amazing, smart, beautiful, strong. She's the whole package."

I take a deep breath and think about all the little things I like about Bella. "She has this bubbly personality that I've never been into before. It reminds me of when I started my architectural firm. Now, I feel like I'm just working because I've created this huge name that I can't escape. I feel like if I try to reinvent myself, the industry will push me down." I take a big gulp of my wine, asking the waiter for a refill.

"You are Gabriel fucking Godoy. You're a hell of a good architect—your eye for intricate designs with a modern flare is what has given you your name. But don't think for a second that's the only thing you can be. You've worked hard for where you are, brother. You are your own boss. If you decide to take on a new venture and it flops, guess what? It's not the end of the world. You can rebuild and recoup the investment. It's not like you're using your entire fortune. Right? So if that's what's holding you back, don't waste more time thinking about the potential outcomes and just do it."

I'm stunned at Vicente's speech. He has always been so stuck in his ways. I wish he'd take his own advice.

"You're right. Thank you for the advice." I look at him sympathetically. "Now, how about you apply it to your own life?"

His face immediately transforms—the walls he usually keeps up to protect himself from the outside world resurface, blocking out even his brother at the mere suggestion of introspection. Damn, I should have waited a little bit longer to tell him that.

"Let's circle back to the issue at hand. What are you going to do with Isabella when you get back? I don't think you're planning to stay here for the next three months." A damn smirk appears on Vicente's face, and the asshole I'm used to is back.

It irritates me to no end that Vicente refers to Bella as an issue. My nostrils flare, and it suddenly hits me: this is what she must feel when all of us men make decisions on her behalf.

Fuck.

"What? What's going on?" Vicente asks, but I don't reply. I need to make things right.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I dial one of my best friends.

"Yes, yes. I'm on my way," Gio says instead of hello, and I chuckle.

"Hey, man. I'm sorry you had to come all the way to Europe. I assure you, your sister is well," I tell him, and I can hear him chuckling on the other end of the line.

"No need to apologize. This conversation I'm hoping to have with Isa is long overdue. Besides, I'm in dire need of a getaway, so it's truly no big deal." I release a big breath, and Gio continues speaking.

"Just so you know, Isa got her trust fund. There's no need for you to babysit her or think that you need to help her pay her way while she's in Bologna. I'll be staying for a couple of days at The Majestic, and Isa will be with me. So you can also tell your security detail to back off."

So much for being understanding. I roll my eyes at Gio's statement, even though he can't see me.

"Look, man. You're a good friend, one of my best friends actually, but you're completely missing the point here. The reason your sister is so damn frustrated is that she's trying to start her life as an adult, fresh out of college, full of dreams and goals, and all we're doing is telling her how to live it. I get it, I'm part of the problem, but to be completely honest, you and Luca are a part of this mess, too."

My rant is met with silence. I know Gio hasn't hung up because, when I look at my phone, I see the call is still connected. He's a very calm and rational man, but the anticipation building from his silence is killing me.

"That's a very good point, and I appreciate you seeing my sister's wants and needs for what they are. The reason why I decided to go see her is because I need her to know that no matter what, I'll always have her back. But I've been treating her like the child she was twelve years ago when I left to the United States. So yeah, I need to go say I'm sorry in person. And I'll let her decide whether or not she wants your security following her all over Bologna. Maybe even embarrassing her at the university."

I wince at Gio's words. I didn't think about how it'd look to have Rocco following her around campus. I sure as shit would have been embarrassed if I had an overwhelming security detail.

"I hope to see you before I have to go back to the States, man. Thanks for the call." The phone disconnects, and Vicente looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to spill the tea.

"What?" I ask, the pure picture of innocence.

"I take it Gio isn't mad because you're being an overprotective host to his sister?"

I chuckle at my brother's comment. "Of course, he's not mad. It's Gio we're talking about."

"Good, now let's go find a girl or two to get your dick wet," Vicente says as he gets up from the table after barely eating his lunch, and I flinch at his crass comment. "What? Are you serious? You brought me to Ibiza, and you're not going to hook up with a girl?" he asks, incredulous.

"Yeah, weón. I'm dead serious. I don't want just any girl. I need to at least try to charm my way into Bella's heart."

"You're fucking crazy. Do you realize if things go south with her, Luca will hand you your balls?"

"And who said I was going to fumble my chance with Bella? I'm Gabriel fucking Godoy, after all."

"That's right, The Gabo Godoy. Let's go. Be my wingman, at least."

"That I can absolutely do."