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My brother's face was carefully composed. “I think she's a twenty-five-year-old woman who got in over her head. And I think this might be for the best.”

“For the best,” I echoed incredulously.

“Yes.” Caspian straightened, slipping back into his role as the head of our household. “Her family was never going to accept this relationship, Gio. We're looking at all-out war with the Italians if this continues. How many lives are you willing to sacrifice for this girl?”

“Don't call her 'this girl,'“ I snapped. “Her name is Larissa.”

Caspian sighed. “Fine. Larissa. The point stands. She's made her choice, and it's the smart one. You need to prepare yourself for what comes next. The Ajellos won't be satisfied with just taking her back—they'll want blood for this insult.”

I shook my head, refusing to believe a word he said as I thought of Larissa. There was something in her voice, her tone, and her choice of words that set off alarms in my head. Beside me, Caspian continued talking, but I wasn’t really listening. His voice became a meaningless drone against the roar in my head because I knew this wasn’t the last time I would talk to or hear from Larissa.

That conversation, whatever it had been, wasn’t by her choosing.

In time, I’d prove it to them all, when I had her back by my side.

Chapter 24 - Larissa

For the past four whole days, I’d barely managed to get out of bed, forcing myself to exit my room only when Gastone was home. My nights were haunted by dreams so dark that I’d wake up crying. In my dreams, we were on Gio’s boat, but they weren’t just punching him. They were ripping out his eyes, cutting off his tongue, killing him in ways that nightmares were made of.

In the mornings, after nights like these, I’d wake up and reach out my hand to find an empty bed. On finding it empty and remiss of his scent, I’d then remember what I’d done, or rather, been forced to have done.

Loneliness was my only constant friend. I’d sit alone, pretending to read, as otherwise Gastone would erupt in fits of rage, reminding me of myfoolishways.

I never said it. But Giowas nota mistake. It had felt like poison on my tongue when I told him he was. I sometimes replayed the conversation in my mind, over and over again, hearing the hurt in his voice.

You’d promised, Larissa.

I had. I’d promised that when the day came for me to return, nothing would change between us. I truly meant it back then, but we had never planned for external forces at play.

For a day or two, I waited for the phone to ring, to hear Gio asking for the truth, reminding me of past promises made. He never called.

Thank god.

Something told me he’d believed every painful word I’d slapped across his heart. It hurt to think he saw my words for the truth. But the alternative of seeing him hurt in his quest to fight for us was worse, so I tried to be grateful for this one silver lining.

He believed me, and that’s why he was safe.

My brother’s threat loomed in my mind at all times. I often found myself lingering in the hallway outside his office for news that he’d attacked Gio.

I never heard a thing, but was living in fear for the day when that ball would drop.

My bedroom felt like a prison cell, but I tried to stay in as much as I could, simply to avoid Gastone’s pompous smirks. He believed he'd won, that I'd chosen family loyalty over the enemy. He didn’t once see that I was slowly dying within.

My room was a place of comfort once, but as I’d sit and cry and cry and cry until the tears became a permanent fixture down my cheeks, I also knew that it was empty of the one person who belonged in it.

“This is for the best, Larissa,” I whispered to myself over and over like a mantra when the pain clawed at my chest and panic filled my senses. “It’s better Gio hates you than dies because of you.”

***

That night, the sound of car doors slamming interrupted my thoughts. I glanced down from my window at the driveway and spotted Carlo and Dino rushing out of a car. My heart lifted for the first time in days. I hadn’t seen my brothers since my return. Although they had hurried back, their flight experienced some engine problems along the way.

I rushed downstairs, my bare feet slapping against the marble floors. By the time I reached the foyer, my brothers were already inside, dropping their overnight bags on the floor.

“There she is!” Carlo's face broke into a warm smile as he spread his arms wide.

I crashed into his embrace. “I didn't know you were coming back today.”

“We wrapped up early in Milan.” He planted a kiss on the top of my head. “Couldn't wait to see our baby sister.”