04

NATALIA

I wake up with a hangover from hell.

Rays of sunlight from the window somehow manage to pierce through my eyelids, burning my eyes. Groaning, I reach blindly for a pillow on the bed and cover my face with it. My peace only lasts for three seconds before the pillow is snatched out of my hands.

Ugh.

“Up you go.” At the sound of the voice, my headache worsens. “Why are you still in bed by this time?”

“I’m sleeping. Go away,” I mutter, patting the bed blindly in my search for another pillow. I find none. “Oh, for fucks sake!”

“You will watch your language with me, child,” she scolds and her tone has me grumbling under my breath.

Guilia’s weathered face is the first sight that greets me when I pop my eyelids open. She’s wearing a scowl, which only brings the numerous lines on her face into stark focus, and her expression is so severe and scary, it actually makes me sit up in bed.

A glass with dark yellow liquid appears in front of my face. “Here. Drink.”

I take it out of her hands, peering at it through bleary eyes. “What’s in it?”

“Camomilla tea,” she clips like my question annoys her. “It will make you feel better.”

With a nod, I hold my breath and take a sip. It doesn’t taste bad. Actually doesn’t smell bad either.

“All of it,” Guilia urges with a snap of her fingers. Rolling my eyes at her tone, I toss the glass back before handing the empty thing back to her. She takes it with a disappointed frown. “Why did you sneak out yesterday? Leonardo has been livid.”

Shit.

After returning last night, I’d gone straight to bed, so shit-faced I hadn’t even bothered taking my dress off. I’d slipped off my heel and called it a night, dress and jewelry still on.

I hadn’t seen either of my brothers, but maybe that was because I’d sneaked in through the back entrance. Or maybe they weren’t home at the time.

Only Paolo, my assigned bodyguard had seen me. He’d been sporting a bruised eye and torn lip, both of which I instantly knew were my fault. The look he’d given me was one so murderous even in my wasted state, it had terrified me enough to make me swallow nervously and cower away from his hulking build.

Now that I’m sober and can think properly about the consequences of my actions, I don’t feel so good.

Guilt eats at my insides for allowing Paolo pay for my rebelliousness and the thought of facing my brother’s wrath makes my stomach churn with unease.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I whisper.

Shooting off the bed, I barely make it to my toilet seat in time, heaving into the bowl. Guilia murmurs soothing words in my ear as she gathers my hair back from my face, helping me flush the toilet.

When she’s sure I’m not at risk of throwing up again, Guila turns to leave with the glass in hand. “I’ll leave you to freshen up while I go make breakfast, bella mia.”

Hearing her use her preferred enderament for me makes me feel marginally better. I can deal with everyone’s anger and disappointment, but not Guilia. Never her.

Guilia has been my nanny since I was a child. Well, she was our nanny, but I’ve always shared a special bond with her. She treats me like the child she never had and to be fair, she’s been more of a mom to me than my own mother was.

After showering, brushing my teeth and running my brush through my hair, I snag my phone from my bedside and join Guilia in the kitchen.

My home screen is filled with message notifications. There are tons from Bianca and Neomi. Lots of Bianca’s texts don’t make sense, so I assume she probably drunk texted me. That isn’t what piques my attention, however.

At the bottom of the screen is a text from Reese, the private investigator I hired four months ago.

The text is short and straight to the point; I found her.

I freeze.

She found her?

My heart races inside my chest and I have to read the message over and over again to make sure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me.

“Here.” An oblivious Guilia pushes a steaming plate over to me, wiping her hands on a kitchen napkin.

I shake my head without looking up from my phone. “I’m not hungry.” My appetite has disappeared along with the fog clouding my brain. All I can think is finally!

After four months of looking, she’s been found.

“You need to eat to maintain that beautiful figure, bella mia,” Guilia says, propping her hands on her hips. “With how little you eat these days, it won’t take long before you go thin. I warn you now, I will not be blamed  when you start looking like a…” She trails off when she notices my expression, drawing closer to the island. “What is it?”

I swallow past a dry throat, shaking my head. “They found her.”

Guilia doesn’t have to ask who I’m talking about. She already does.

Fear flickers across her face and her knuckles go white. “You said you would stop looking. You promised me.”

My stomach drops at the heartbroken look on her face. “I--” My eyes dart away as I think of a lie. “I forgot to tell the P.I to stop.”

She shakes her head. “I will not allow you do this. This is madness, Natalia.”

Reaching across the island top, I take her cold, wrinkled hand in mine and squeeze. “I know you’re worried but I’m going to be fine. I promise.”

Then I hightail it out of the kitchen before she can guilt trip me into making her another promise I don’t intend to keep. Running up the stairs in search of my brother, I skid to a halt in front of his office door and knock.  

When I get no response, I make the sign of the cross and turn the door knob. I find him sitting at his desk, his eyes on his laptop. He doesn’t spare me a glance, confirmation that he heard me knocking but chose to ignore me because, yeah, Leonardo is an asshole like that.

I clear my throat. Audibly. He still doesn’t look up.

Shit.

“Hey, Leo.” It takes great effort to keep my voice steady. “Sorry to disturb you in the middle of work but I’ve got a huge favor to ask.” I’m wringing my hands like a child and I fucking hate it.

Silence.

I shift from one foot to the other uncomfortably, waiting for him to acknowledge me.

His voice is lethally cool when he finally speaks, pinning me in place with his piercing hazel eyes. “Care to tell me where the fuck you snuck out to last night?”

“I went to the club with my friends,” I say quietly, my eyes fixed on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for not telling you about it before I left but I knew you’d say no.”

“I wouldn’t have said no, I’d have told you to take some fucking security with you,” he barks, just like I’d expected. “You risk your life, you tamper with our deal with the Bratva. Don’t pull stupid shit like that again, got it?”

Biting back the words climbing up my throat that I know will undoubtedly get me in more trouble, I nod.

Of course that’s the only thing he cares about. The deal with the Bratva. He doesn’t give a fuck about me or what I want.

Tears sting the back of my eyes but I don’t let them fall because he’d kick me out of his office otherwise. Leonardo hates tears even worse than he hates people.

“Understood,” I mutter before he returns his eyes to his laptop screen. Slowly, they shift back to my frame. “The fuck are you still standing there for?”

The hostility emanating off him makes me want to abort mission, but I will probably never forgive myself if I do, so I push my shoulders back and meet his gaze. “About the wedding, I was gonna ask if you could extend it a bit. Maybe by a month.”

His brows climb high on his head. “Why?”

Shrugging, I pick invisible lint off my top. “I just need some more time.”

I can feel him studying me even though I’m not looking at him. The sound of my heartbeat rivals the sound of the huge clock on the wall.

Tick, tock.

Tick, tock.

Ten seconds bleed into twenty, and a minute, into two.

“If I’m going to do that for you, then you’re going to do something for me in return,” Leonardo decides after what feels like forver.

My eyes jump to his in surprise. I didn’t expect him to consider it, but here he is--with a catch.

“Is it going to be something nefarious?” I mean, knowing my brother, it probably is. “I need to know before I agree.”

But he merely cocks his head, leaning back in his chair. He looks like the cat that caught the canary, and something cold slithers down my spine. “Do we have a deal, Natalia?”

I shouldn’t even consider what he’s propositioning, but I want this too badly to just walk away.

Defeated, I hang my head, knowing deep in my gut that I’m about to make a huge mistake. “What do you want me to do?"