Page 23 of Sins of the Orchid

“I sure am.” He ignored my question, and I shook my head. Santi would only tell me what he wanted to.

He opened the door for me, and I slid into the car. “Put your seatbelt on,” he warned, and I rolled my eyes. He sounded like my dad, treating me like a damn kid.

Unlike his brother, Santi drove extremely expensive cars. I knew nothing about vehicles, but I knew enough to recognize it was one of the rare cars.

“What kind of car is this?” I asked him as he got into his seat.

“1963 Ferrari 250 GTO.”

“Huh, nice.” I had no idea what it meant. The only part I understood was Ferrari. “Can I drive it when I get my license?”

He threw his head back and laughed like he’d just heard the funniest joke ever.

“No, kiddo. You can’t.”

“Why not?” I challenged.

“Because barely a month ago, you crashed a Dodge Viper. Isn't that enough reason?”

Of course, he wouldn’t forget that. Dad and Santi had to bribe quite a few people to ensure the accident wasn’t recorded. My brothers swore I’d lose my license even before I got it. Not much support on that front!

“Well, Adriano said he’ll let me drive his Mustang,” I said, glancing at Santi. He had the most gorgeous profile. Strong and beautiful. I was in full swoon mode.

“Then you can drive his Mustang. You won’t be driving my Ferrari.” I blew a piece of unruly hair out of my face. “If you value your life, you won’t even attempt to drive it.” He paused and flicked a glance my way. “Ever.”

Well, that was one way to shut me down.

I couldn’t help myself and I snickered. “It is just stupid to drive a car like this to a college party.” His hand reached out my way, and he tugged on a piece of my hair.

“Ouch. Stop it.” I slapped his hand away.

“Better watch your mouth, Amore,” he warned, but there wasn’t a threat in his voice. “I love my cars, and nobody is allowed to drive them. Least of all a kid that doesn’t even have a license.”

Begrudgingly, I had to admit it made sense. I shifted my weight, and the car was forgotten as I stared out the window, the blur of the city streets passing us by.

“Amore?”

“Hmmm.”

“Tell me what happened to you and your mother.” His voice was gentle, but the soft command was still clear in it. After all, he was an acting don, so it was part of his DNA.

I wrapped my arms around myself. I hadn’t told a single soul what I’d seen, though now I had a strange urge to spill it all.

“I didn’t even thank you,” I muttered softly instead.

“But you did call me stupid.”

I exhaled a heavy sigh. “That was rude of me. Thank you for being there and saving me.” He nodded but didn’t say another word. “You are most definitely not stupid.”

The corner of his lip curved up, but he didn’t reply.

I swallowed hard before I continued. “The Venezuelan Cartel got us while we were in the Colombian jungle.” I bit hard on my bottom lip, the stinging somehow grounding me. “They…the men captured George and I. Mom tried to save us.”

Santi patiently waited, giving me time to gather my emotions. His eyes were the only thing that flickered dangerously. I gulped, the familiar ache gripping my chest. “T-they tortured her for days. I-in front of me.” I squeezed my hands together, the knuckles turning white. My voice shook, and I couldn’t say another word about it. Not without risking tears. It was too hard, the pain still too raw.

We drove in silence for the next few minutes. It was almost worse since it was too easy to get lost in the bloody images and painful memories.

“Can I put music on?” I asked him, my voice slightly raw with emotions. “I’m not sure if touching your radio is allowed, since driving your cars isn’t.”