Gianna “You look so pretty,” Lily said from her seat on my bed in the guest room at the Vitiello mansion in the Hamptons. At least it wasn’t the same room I’d had the last time. I had to hold back a shudder thinking about that day and all the blood I had seen.
I stared at my reflection. Mother had chosen the dress for me because I had refused to go shopping with her for my engagement party. It was a surprisingly pretty dress that didn’t make me look like a tramp. I was still shivering remembering the slutty dress they had chosen for Aria when she got engaged to Luca.
My dress was dark green, my favorite color. I was surprised that my mother knew so much about me, or maybe Lily had secretly helped me. The skirt was flared and came down to my knees. Definitely modest. Maybe Dad thought I was bad enough already and didn’t need a slutty dress to emphasize it further.
“I don’t know why they bother,” I said. “They know I don’t want to celebrate my engagement to Matteo. I don’t want to marry him.”
“It’s tradition.”
Lily was nervously twisting her hands in her lap.
Putting my feelings aside, I walked over to her and sat down . She didn’t even look up but her lower lip trembled.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She shook her head slightly. “I know it’s silly, but I’m a little scared.”
“Of Luca, Matteo and Romero?”
“I’m sorry.”
I hugged her with my arm. “Why are you apologizing? It’s perfectly natural for you to be afraid of them after what you saw in September.”
She shuddered. “I can’t get it out of my head. I dream about it almost every night.”
Two months have passed since that day, and almost every night she would wake me up with her screams before crawling into my bed. “They would never hurt you, Lily. We are girls, they will always want to protect us from harm. It was ridiculous that I was singing their praises, but I would have done anything to calm Lily down.
“I know.” She took a deep breath. “I hope I don’t freak out like last time. Dad would be so angry if I made a scene.”
I kissed her on the cheek. “You won’t. I’ll be by your side. And Aria will be there, too. Everything will be fine.”
Someone knocked on the door but before I could answer, Fabi peeped in, her eyes darting from me to Lily. “Are you having a girl talk?”
“Yes,” Lily said at the same time I said, “No.”
Fabi squinted and slipped into the room. He looked too cute in his tuxedo. “My father sent me to tell you that everyone is waiting.” He straightened his shoulders, lifting his small chin a little higher. Fabi had just turned ten a few days ago, and in a few years he would have already begun his journey of initiation. I was glad that I would probably not have the chance to see my sweet, good-natured brother become a murderer.
“Are you ready?” I asked Lily, who nodded quickly but her eyes told a different story. I understood her all too well.
Fabi tugged at his collar, which looked tight even from a distance. “Lily should come with me, so you can go in alone.”
Lily stiffened beside me. She had clung to me when we had set foot in the villa that morning. I didn’t know why Luca and Matteo had insisted on celebrating in New York, and worse, in the very place where Lily had seen Romero and Matteo torture a Russian, but by then it was too late. So far we had managed to avoid them all. I hadn’t even seen Aria yet.
“NO. I don’t care what Dad wants. Lily and I are going down together.
Fabi bit her lip. “Dad will be mad.”
I stood up, dragging Lily with me. “He’ll get over it.” He would not make a scene in front of New York. He would wait with his punishment until we were back in Chicago. Lily, Fabi and I walked down the stairs together, and Lily’s grip on my hand grew stronger with each step we took. As we passed the front door, her eyes moved to the back, where the basement entrance was located. She shivered. Voices came from the living room and we walked toward the door, clicking our shoes on the marble floor; a floor that two months earlier had been slippery with blood. I tried to forget what I had seen that day. I needed to focus on today if I didn’t want things to end badly.
It was not a big party, but the most important members of the New York Familia and the Outfit had been invited. I was determined to be on my best behavior today. I didn’t want my father to think I was thinking about how to escape and increase the number of my bodyguards.
The moment we entered the living room, I knew I could say goodbye to that plan. Lily made a small sound from the back of her throat as her nails sank into my palm.
Dad was talking to Dante Cavallaro, Luca and Matteo, while the other men, besides Aria, my mother and Matteo’s stepmother, Nina Vitiello, stood around them.
My father’s eyes narrowed immediately when he saw me with Lily. Fabi quickly rushed toward him and Dad frowned at him, probably lecturing Fabi under his breath. Matteo’s gaze caught me with its intensity. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt.
“Gianna,” Dad said in a strained voice. ” We’ve been waiting for you.”
Everyone expected me to go to my father so I could turn myself in to Matteo, and I would have if Lily had not begun to tremble beside me at the sight of Matteo, Romero, and Luca.
Her eyes darted toward me. There was a shadow of fear on her face. I did not want my father, much less anyone else, to know that she was terrified. Father would be furious. Maybe he would even beat her, and Lily really didn’t need another bad experience. She had already struggled enough over the past few months.
She was frozen beside me.
“Gianna, stop this nonsense and come over here,” Dad growled.
Aria came toward me. “What’s wrong?”
Lily and I exchanged a look. So far we hadn’t said anything to Aria, but it would be hard to explain Lily’s strange behavior.
“Long story,” I said. “Can you take Lily’s hand?”
But Dad had had enough. He walked over to me and grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip before dragging me toward Matthew. “I’ve had enough of your insolence.” I almost stumbled back on my heels.
Matteo pulled me to him forcing Dad to release me. The expression on Matteo’s face looked remarkably like the one he had had when the Russian had kicked me. For the moment I was happy to escape Dad’s wrath and did not break away from Matteo. Aria was hugging Lily at her side and both were whispering softly. I hoped Aria could calm our sister down. I hated seeing Lily so distressed.
“I know what you did there,” Matteo whispered in my ear after slipping my engagement ring on.
“And what would that be?”
“You helped your sister.”
I slipped out of his arm. “I wouldn’t have had to help her if she wasn’t terrified of you.” Matthew didn’t look sorry. Perhaps he was incapable of guilt. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Stay away from her,” I hissed, but he seemed to find my threatening tone amusing, and I huffed. My voice rose. I no longer cared if others would hear. “And while you’re at it , stay away from me too. I don’t want anything to do with your messed-up world.”
Unfortunately, Dad heard me, and probably everyone else in the room, and although Matteo didn’t seem to take my outburst to heart, his frown promised retribution. I had a feeling Matteo would stop him if I asked for his help, but I didn’t want to be beholden to Matteo. I would rather endure Father’s beatings.