Unwilling to listen to yet another person telling me I might have made the wrong decision, I hopped to my feet. “I need to talk to Marco. Where’s the basement?”
“Umm, go through that white door, follow the hallway, and find a black door with a lion engraved in it.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“Two guards are at the end of the stairway, and Marco’s in one of the... rooms.”
“Don’t tell me this house has a dungeon too.”
“All of the houses here have the same layout, but the rooms were custom made, so, yeah.”
“Right,” I said dryly, and headed for the door Dylan had indicated. It was impossible to miss the door to the basement because it was black, heavy, and the lion on it had sharp claws. When I pushed it, the door opened with ease, and I descended the poorly lit stairs that creaked under me. The walls looked like old stone. Todd and another guard aimed their guns at me, and I lifted my hands up and smiled.
“It’s just me,” I said, and they lowered their weapons. My gaze traveled up and down the dark brown walls, cobwebs in the corners, and the dirty stone floor. “This place is disgusting.”
“It’s supposed to be for your family’s enemies,” Todd said. “It has to be disgusting.”
“Why are you keeping Marco here? Surely there’s a room somewhere in this house that can be easily monitored.” I wrinkled my nose at the musty smell. “And you’d be more comfortable out there than here in the dark.”
“Sorry. Mrs. Ferrara’s orders were clear.”
I’d have to talk to my mom about this, although that might be pushing my luck. At least Marco hadn’t been left behind.
“Okay, fine. Just open the door.” There was a rusty, dark green door at the end of the hallway, and it looked pretty heavy, with bolts and locks. Todd tucked his gun into the back of his pants and hastened to open it.
“Yell if you need something,” Todd said as I entered a spacious windowless room with dark, cold stone walls and floor. I nodded at Todd, who closed the door behind me. Marco was sitting on the floor in the corner of the room, his wrists and ankles chained to the wall behind him.
“Marco! Oh, God! I’m going to talk to...” He needed a chair, a mattress, or at least a blanket.
“Is he okay?” Marco pushed himself up on his knees, his eyes wide and startled.
“Yeah, Aaron’s going to be fine.”
He whispered something, closed his eyes for a moment, and sat back on his heels, his shoulders slumping in relief.
“I’m sorry about this.” I rubbed my arms as I looked around the room. “I...”
“It doesn’t matter.” The chains rattled as Marco shifted. “Will I be able to see him?”
“Yeah, I think so. My family will be bringing him here as soon as it’s possible to transfer him. I’ll try to convince them to let you see him.” I crouched in front of him and reached for his hand, squeezing lightly.
“Thank you.” Marco’s eyes shone with unshed tears as his gaze met mine.
“I’ll get you out of here. I promise. I just need some time to convince everyone that Aaron and you aren’t our enemies.”
“Good luck with that.” Marco snorted.
I got to my feet, intent on at least making Marco’s stay in here a bit more comfortable. They couldn’t treat him like the vilest prisoner. “I’ll see what I can do.” I offered Marco a small smile and headed to the door.
***
I’d lost count of the days that had passed since we’d arrived here because they had all blended together. Being trapped in this house had felt like torture until my father finally announced he’d bring Aaron here today. I knew how risky it was to move Aaron anywhere because his father was probably looking all over for him, but staying at the facility where the doctor had taken care of him wasn’t a good option either.
Sooner or later, Roberto would narrow down the number of places where a person could be operated upon, so my father didn’t really have a choice. I looked down at my hand and realized I’d been chewing on my fingernails. There was barely anything left of my red nail polish. I hadn’t been patient enough to repaint my nails. Dylan was sitting on the couch right next to me and watching some TV show that I hadn’t bothered trying to follow.
My mom appeared in the doorway, her face slightly pale, the lines around her eyes more visible. Her hair was tied in a loose bun.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Dylan asked before I could, and quickly turned off the TV, his attention now solely on our mother.
“I sent men to investigate how Roberto could’ve found out about your sister and... unfortunately, we have a possible answer.” She took a seat in a black armchair and ran a hand over her face.
“How? How did he find out about me?” I leaned forward, holding my breath.
“The doctor... who was my friend and who was there for me when all of you were born... She was found dead in her apartment and her things were ransacked. The wounds on her body indicate...” My mom’s body shuddered. “...she was tortured. I assume Roberto was curious because we were looking for a girl during that time you were missing, and he figured the doctor would know, because I’m sure one of his spies saw her visit our home during one of my pregnancies, despite all the precautions. I know I should’ve let someone else take care of me when I was pregnant with you, but I just... We didn’t think anyone would find out since we were much more careful and meeting in secret. There weren’t any files for anyone to find, but Tania knew, and now... Now she’s dead. The time of her death... It probably occurred only a few hours before you were attacked.”
“I’m so sorry.” My fingers clenched into fists. Roberto had tortured and killed yet another innocent woman. He needed to pay for that. For all of it.
“We were all aware of the risks.” She looked down at her hands in her lap. “We just didn’t think it would happen like this.”
“We should deal with the Viteris once and for all,” Dylan said.
My mom opened her mouth to say something, but the noise in the foyer drew our attention. Dylan immediately pulled out a gun, and we all got to our feet, just in case we’d been discovered and would need to run for cover. But the person who burst through the door wasn’t an enemy. It was Jason.
“Father’s here!” he yelled and raced back through the door. I rushed after him, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. My father stood in the middle of the foyer, a wide smile on his face. Michael and Tony were pushing a gurney, and as I dashed toward them, my head spun a little.
“Aaron,” I whispered. His eyes were closed, his chest moving up and down lightly under a white blanket. He was wearing a white T-shirt, and his wrists were cuffed to the gurney. There were bruises on his arms.
“What did you do to him?” I snapped, unable to stop myself as I glared at my brothers. Being angry somehow seemed better than falling apart in relief that Aaron was here with me again. I took his hand into mine, gently caressing his fingers.
“Umm, glad to see you too, sister,” Michael said.
“Princess...” My father let go of my mother, who he’d been hugging, and came over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “He had to be restrained for his own safety. He’s fine. Just asleep. We couldn’t let him see where we were taking him.”
“But...” I swallowed hard, still not willing to let go of Aaron’s hand.
“You two take him to that room like we agreed, then return here so we can have a long overdue family meeting,” my father said to Michael and Tony, who nodded. “You’ll see him later,” he said to me, rubbing my back, and I reluctantly let go of Aaron.
“I’m glad to see all of you,” I said to my brothers, and went to give them a brief hug. As they wheeled Aaron away, I let my father take my hand and lead me to the living room. Once we were all seated and Tony and Michael were back, my father got to his feet, adjusting his tie.
“Roberto reached out to us,” he said. “He wants his son back. If we return Aaron to him, he agrees not to go after Octavia and offer
s a one-year truce, which means there would be no attacks between us.”
“Father, you can’t make deals with those assholes. They’ll find a way to trick you and get what they want,” Jason said. “I say we kill Viteri’s son and go after him.”
“No!” I glared at my brother. “You can’t do that!”
“Why not? You know I’m right.” Jason looked around the room for support, but everyone’s faces were guarded. “We would be stupid to send Viteri to his father first and then have them both attack us. If we kill Aaron, we have one less worry. It’s the best option for all of us. Besides, he’s right here with us. We can question him for information about his father and then put a bullet in his brain. Saving his life shouldn’t be a total waste.”
I wanted to get up and yell at Jason, but my father raised his hand and motioned for me to stay seated. “We won’t kill Aaron Viteri while he’s here with us. Despite everything, he saved Octavia’s life by risking his own, and we’re not going to repay him by killing him.”
Jason snorted, crossing his arms. “Unbelievable. A perfect chance, and you’re going to throw it away.”
“So you think he loves her?” Michael scratched his chin.
My father hesitated as his eyes flitted over me. “I believe that, yes, he thinks he loves her. He almost died for her. That doesn’t mean his infatuation won’t fade away eventually. The taste of what is forbidden can be quite alluring.”
“What?” I gaped at him. “How can you even say that in front of me?” I shook my head. “Whether we love each other is none of your business. Any of yours.” My eyes met my father’s. “I know you have a plan about what to do with Aaron, so why don’t you just tell us?”
“You’re right. I do have a plan.” My father extended his hand to my mother, who took it and let him pull her to her feet. “Your mom and I have discussed this and we think it’s best if we send Aaron back to his father.”
“No!” I ground my teeth together. “You can’t do that! We don’t know how much his father knows. Just because he wants Aaron back alive doesn’t mean anything. If he thinks his son betrayed him, he’s going to...” Roberto had gone after my mom’s doctor, but that didn’t mean he had no idea what Aaron had done. Sure, maybe he’d just been following rumors, but what if he had somehow found out the whole truth? I’d almost lost Aaron once, and I wasn’t going to risk losing him again.
“That’s not our concern, I’m afraid,” my father said, his blue eyes softening. “I know how you feel about him, but you’re not looking at the bigger picture. And neither is your brother.” He glanced at Jason, who frowned. “If we don’t send Aaron back alive to his father, we’ll start a war. And I told you already that we don’t have enough forces to defeat the Viteris once and for all. They’re not the only ones who could come for us. We might win against the Viteris, but we’d be left weak and our business would be disrupted. Our family’s safety and well-being is what matters most.”
“Do you really think Roberto will just forget everything once he has Aaron back? Do you think he didn’t figure out I was in his home, right under his nose? He’ll want me dead, no matter what deal you make.” Trusting Roberto with anything would be foolish.
“We thought about that too,” my mom said. “That’s why it would be best if you went somewhere safe for a while. Maybe you can continue college in another country. We’ll come up with a new identity for you. You can change your looks, and live far away from this. Roberto won’t find you. Your father and I... We were selfish. We wanted you to grow up with us and stay here, and we should have made a life for you somewhere else. Roberto will have to honor the deal if he doesn’t want to lose the support of his loyal men and associates. He’ll definitely try to find a loophole or a way to kill you that makes it all seem like an accident, which is why you should leave. At least until this situation with the Viteris is resolved. We’re not ready to go to war yet, but we might be in a few years.”
My mouth fell open as I stared at her with wide eyes. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Your infatuation with Aaron will pass. Trust me. You’ll meet someone else and you’ll get a chance to have a family far away from this mess. That’s the best and safest option, not just for you, but for all of us.” My mom’s face was serious. “If you stay here, your life will be in danger, and Roberto won’t stop until you’re dead. What else can you do? Take Aaron with you and run away? Roberto would never allow it, and then he’d never stop searching and hunting for you. And what if Aaron and you decide you no longer want to be fugitives together? What then? He could turn against you.” She looked around the room. “Does anyone have a better suggestion?” She raised her finger when Jason opened his mouth to speak. “Jason, honey, if it’s something we already heard, you don’t have to repeat it. You heard your father. We’re not killing Aaron.”
Jason clamped his mouth shut. “Fine. Then send him to his father. We’ll kill him later.”
“I agree with you,” Michael said as he looked at our parents. “Octavia should go somewhere safe and try to live a normal life.”
“That already failed once,” I said through my teeth. “What makes you think this time will be any better?”
“We’ll be more careful,” my father said.
“What does that mean? You’ll send me off and never speak to me again?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“We’d find a way to safely contact you,” my mom said, her eyes churning with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “Dylan, Tony? Do you have anything to say?”
“I don’t want Octavia to leave,” Tony said, wringing his fingers. “But I don’t have any ideas either, so...”
Dylan focused on me, his hazel eyes filled with worry. “You should listen to Mom and Dad. That guy’s not worth it. You don’t really know him. And just because he loves you doesn’t mean you should overlook all the bad things he’s done. He’s a cold-blooded killer. What if he changes his mind about you one day and decides you know too much? What if he finds someone else? What if you find someone else and he refuses to let you go?”
I lowered my head into my hands and groaned. “I’m tired of what ifs. I don’t know what will happen! I can’t know.” I lifted my eyes. “But one thing’s for sure. I’m not running. I’m not leaving you here alone to deal with the Viteris, and I definitely don’t want to hand Aaron over to his father.”
“Octavia...” Michael started to say, but I got to my feet and shook my finger at him.
“No. We’re done discussing my life. I appreciate that you want to protect me, but we need a better plan. Roberto can’t get away with what he’s done, and we’re going to stop him. We just need to come up with a good plan. So don’t waste your time thinking how you’re going to ship me off somewhere. Think how you’re going to defeat Roberto.” I glanced at Jason. “Without getting Aaron killed.”
Jason made a face.
“This conversation’s over.” I strode out of the room before anyone could stop me. I needed to talk to Aaron. Maybe he would know what to do.
Chapter 3
Even though we’d been told to stay away from the windows, I leaned against the window of a closed terrace and gazed at the front yard. It was impossible to see through the windows from the outside anyway. The guards were so well hidden I couldn’t see them among the green, well-trimmed bushes and red and blue flowers.
“Honey...” My mom’s voice made me turn around.
“If you’re going to try to persuade me to run to another continent or...”
“No, I just wanted to talk to you and see if you’re okay.” She wrapped her arms around me, and we just stood there unmoving for a moment. When she released me, a smile stretched across her lips. “There’s something I’ve never told you.”
I arched an eyebrow at her.
“Before your father... I was in love with someone else,” she said.
“Ah, no! You’re not using a story to convince me that I’m going to meet someone else and forget about Aaron.” Maybe Aaron and
I weren’t quite sure ourselves what it was that we felt for each other, but I wasn’t about to lose the man who might be the only one I’d ever love just because someone made me think falling in and out of love was super easy. Well, maybe for some people it was, but I didn’t feel like that was the case with me.
“I’m not trying to do that. All I want is for you to have an open mind. I understand Aaron’s your first love and those can be really strong, but later on you might come to realize you were wrong. You should always consider all your options. And what I want to tell you is the truth. I’m not making it up. I just don’t want you to make the same mistake I almost did.”
“What are you talking about?” I blinked in confusion. “Are you really saying you were in love with someone before you met Dad?”
“Sort of.” She toyed with the wedding band on her finger. “You see, when we got married, your Dad and I weren’t in love with each other.”
“What?” I gaped at her like a fish. “What do you mean you weren’t in love...? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Our marriage... It was an arranged marriage between our families. Your father and I knew each other through our families, but we never really... We never considered being together, and I was in love with another. His name was David Rogers, and at that time, I thought he was the most charming and handsome man I’d ever meet. Naturally, when my father told me our family should unite with your father’s to strengthen our business, I opposed it with everything I had. I planned to escape with David and marry him in secret. Everything was ready and we had plans, but... I found out my father had a debt he couldn’t repay, and if I didn’t marry Vincenzo, the collector would kill my father, so I had to change my plans.”
“Wait, what century is this?” I searched her eyes for any clue that she was lying, but there wasn’t anything. Besides, she’d told me the guy’s name. I was sure I could verify her story somehow. My paternal grandfather, Lorenzo, had died before I was born. My father’s mother had left to live in another country and died there a few years ago. My maternal grandmother had died giving birth to my mom, and my grandfather still lived in the countryside. My mom would sometimes visit him and he’d send us letters through various channels when it was safe. “Why didn’t Lorenzo just lend money to your father if they were such good friends?” I still couldn’t quite wrap my mind around what she’d just told me.
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