Chapter 16

After a shower to chill my shaky nerves, I find my way to the kitchen in search of Maddox. Hopefully, he’s had time to cool off himself and is ready to talk. I’ve had time to think, and I’m not sure what he’s so angry about. Ian, Geovani, might have been lying through his teeth, but he was kind to me and took care of me when I was scared. He never did anything that frightened me or made me worry for my safety. The complete opposite, in fact.

I fetch a red apple from the fruit bowl and take a stroll around the living quarters, glancing around at my luxurious surroundings. My father’s house was lavish, but this is on another level. The interior design effortlessly combines modern sophistication with classic Italian charm through luxurious furnishings and ornate woodwork. I wonder how much blood you need on your hands to afford such a place, but I guess daddy’s money would help. The gourmet kitchen has high-end appliances, marble countertops, and custom dark wood cabinetry. With plenty of space for cooking, the island also offers a cozy breakfast nook for enjoying morning coffee .

At the heart is a spacious living area with plush velvet sofas and oversized armchairs, inviting relaxation by a roaring fireplace set in a hand-carved marble mantel. I wonder if the boys all hang out here together, though I can’t see it. I make my way over to the bifold glass doors; they blend indoor and outdoor spaces, leading to a terrace with dining areas, pool, and gardens. I don’t miss the ten-foot-high concrete wall that surrounds the lovely outdoor space, the only sign of high security out there.

While the place is lovely, it doesn’t provide the comforting warmth of a true home. It suits its current occupants perfectly. I wonder where they are. It’s early morning, and despite the late hour I made it to bed, I couldn’t sleep or stay cooped up in that room a second longer. Yesterday got out of control, and I need to get my head back in the game. I’m still no closer to the truth of what is going on with these guys. All I know is the name Moretti is important. But I kind of knew that because of the casino Alessandro’s papa owns.

I’ve never been there myself, but my papa used to indulge in nights out at Sinners’ Paradise with the men he worked with on occasion. Marco described it as an opulent den of vice, where the rules are mere suggestions and temptations lurk in every shadow. Something tells me the boys’ club is just another offshoot of that kind of entertainment.

I go in search of the boys, wandering down a long corridor at the opposite side of the house. I follow the sound of their voices, peering in the half-closed door. Each guy keeps telling me he’s just trying to protect me and I’m safer within these walls than on the outside, so maybe I need to change my plan. Killing them is no longer an option. Neither is escaping. But staying and marrying Alessandro isn’t topping my to-do list either.

Maddox leans against some sort of boxing ring, while Ricky and Alessandro take turns at sparring. The boys have a home gym. This must be where Maddox trains for his fights, the ones he and Ricky were discussing at dinner the other night.

Ricky switches out for Maddox, sweat dripping down his ink-covered back, making him look like a tasty treat I would like to get my mouth on. I wonder why Ricky wouldn’t let me touch him last night. His body is hot as sin, and what he can do with his mouth… Oh a tingle runs through me at the thought.

“We need to tell her. She deserves to know.” My ears prickle at Maddox’s words. Is he talking about me?

“Not yet. It’s too dangerous,” Alessandro grunts, taking a shot in Maddox’s direction. His voice is deathly serious. “She’s not ready.”

“Yet I feel you were about to last night right when we walked in on you two at the club,” Maddox snips back, taking a quick jab that knocks Alessandro off balance.

“That was before.” Alessandro stares him down angrily.

“It’s dangerous if we don’t tell her. She thinks we’re the enemy. She nearly got away from me last night. Then what?”

“We’re doing this to protect her, Maddox. You know that,” Ricky says, backing up Alessandro, and irritation crawls under my skin. We shared something last night, but in the cold light of day, he’s still under Alessandro’s thumb. Maddox surprises me. He’s the only one with the guts to stick up for me, and he despises me. Or so I thought. But after what happened this morning, I’m not sure how true that is.

Maddox stops moving, staring at the two of them, a sadness washing over him. It’s a side of him I haven’t seen before. “You didn’t see her last night. She had a nightmare, something about Marco…” His words hang heavy in the air between them.

The mention of my brother’s name sends a shiver down my spine, a sharp pang of dread twisting in my chest. He lied to me and told me he didn’t hear what I said, but I should have known he wouldn’t tell me the truth. I suck in a deep breath, my nightmare from last night playing again. I kept seeing my brother’s face the day before he was killed. He was worried about something, I knew he was, but he brushed it off. Made me feel like it was all in my head. Now I know better. He was hiding secrets from me as well.

The floorboard creaks under my bare feet, and I wince. So much for sneaking around, hoping to overhear something that might just get me out of this place.

Their attention turns to me.

Alessandro jumps the ring and is out the door in an instant, his brow furrowing angrily. “What are you doing up here?” he demands, looking guilty as fuck but also deadly with his hands wrapped and chest bare, muscles bulging.

Ricky and Maddox follow him out of the room. Their eyes meet mine, and I get momentarily distracted, with them all so close and so half naked. They resemble finely crafted marble statues—each one meticulously sculpted, with perspiration glistening over their bare ink-covered torsos. Except for Alessandro, he’s ink-free. Sexy fuckers, the three of them. But they chill me to the core with their irritated glares.

I back up until I hit the wall behind me. Ricky’s gaze softens something inside me, and I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. Last night I had hoped he would stay after I fell asleep in his arms, but he had slipped away into the night. I woke up to find myself dressed in a T-shirt and panties. The thought made me smile; he strangely likes to take care of me. It would be endearing if he wasn’t a psycho.

Then there’s Maddox, with his striking looks that do nothing to mask the danger lurking beneath the surface. He is a clusterfuck of confusing, cruel and hard, yet he was there to comfort me when I needed it. And it was him trying to stick up for me this morning against Alex.

But it’s Alessandro who commands my attention now, his expression growing darker by the second.

“W…what do you need to tell me?” I stutter out innocently, even though the storm brewing inside me threatens to burst forth at any moment. I hate secrets, and these three have done nothing but keep me in the dark for days. It’s time I know what’s really going on here.

Alessandro’s nostrils flare, and Ricky steps forward. “How much did you hear?” he demands, his voice tight with tension.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning and drop the bullshit, Ricky?” I snap, frustration boiling inside me. “You don’t need to protect me. I can handle myself. I spent six months doing it before I stupidly followed you lot back here.” I roll my eyes at my foolishness as much as anything. “What you need to do is be honest with me. I feel like I’m going crazy here. I deserve answers. Why am I here? Who the hell are you all working for? Why am I in danger? If you’re not the ones who want me dead, then who is?” I fire off the questions, each word dripping with rage and confusion. Angry tears prickle at my eyes, and I bite the inside of my mouth to stop them from falling.

Alessandro reaches softly for my face.

My eyes flick to Ricky, silently pleading with him to tell me what the hell is going on. Why did Maddox lose his shit this morning? And why do I get the impression I’m somehow the center of a mafia war I know nothing about?

“I think it’s time you told us exactly what you’ve been up to for the last six months, princess.” Alessandro runs his hand down my arm, lacing his fingers with mine, navigating me away from the home gym.

As we walk away, I hear Ricky mutter a few words to Maddox that sound like “ I don’t like this . We didn’t get enough time with her .” But his words are hushed, and I’m not sure if that’s correct. Either way, I know they’re talking about me, and I don’t like it. If they want to talk about things that affect me, why keep me in the dark?