He smothered a grunt. “Tell me exactly what he said.”
“He bought me this.” I handed Luis the jewelry box. “Told me to wear it Saturday with the silver dress.”
“That’s all he said?”
I nodded.
“This is all a game to him.” His jaw clenched. “He wanted to show us he still holds the power. I’m going to increase security here. Make sure he doesn’t slip through again.”
“Okay,” I murmured, still rooted to the spot.
There was something about Scott’s visit that bothered me, and I was beginning to think nothing would keep him away from me. He knew every trick, every blind spot.
I could handle the dirty mouthed monster who enjoyed making me cringe and cower. But cool, calm, composed Scott was a different beast entirely.
He was changing the rules. Trying to disarm me.
And I was terrified it was working.
Chapter 15
Nicco
“How are you?”
Silence filled the line. It was Saturday, the morning of the party. I wanted to call Arianne and reassure her that everything was going to be okay.
I’d wanted to do it all week.
But I couldn’t find the words. And maybe I was growing paranoid, but she’d been off with me all week.
We still talked and texted. She told me all about her day and I told her about the monotonous routine of mine. But Arianne was distant, a lingering sadness in her voice I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
It was eating me up inside.
Picking on every insecurity I had about our relationship, our future.
She hated Fascini, I didn’t doubt that. My sweet Bambolina talked about him with such disdain I didn’t once question her feelings toward him.
But something had changed.
I couldn’t help wonder if it was the physical distance between us. If what we were asking her to do was too much. Luis kept an eye on her and checked in with me. But it wasn’t enough. After another week apart, with no light at the end of the tunnel, I was beginning to lose faith.
Maybe Arianne was too.
“Amore mio?” I whispered. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t believe it’s today,” she finally replied, easing some of the tightness in my chest. “I lay awake all night wishing things could be different... wishing I was just a normal girl. But my life will never be normal.” Her resigned sigh cut me to the bone. My girl was giving up. She was slipping through my fingers and I didn’t know what the fuck to do about it.
If I went to her...
I couldn’t. My father had given me strict instructions to stay in Boston. He’d given even stricter instructions to Uncle Alonso to make sure I didn’t do anything reckless.
He didn’t trust me where Arianne was concerned, and maybe he was right.
Because as I clutched the phone in my hand, waiting for Arianne’s next words, all I could think about was driving back to Verona County.
“I only want to love you, Bambolina. With all that I am.”
“I know,” she took a shuddering breath. “And I want to be strong, I do. But I can’t help but think tonight will change everything.”
Fuck.
This was killing me.
Arianne had crawled into my soul, entwined herself with my DNA. If she hurt, I hurt. If she bled, I bled. If she cried, my soul wept with her.
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” I asked. “Something you’re not telling me.”
“How do you...?” She stopped herself.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” My body shook violently. If Fascini had hurt... no, Luis would have told me.
“Are you having second thoughts... about us?” I barely choked out the words over the lump in my throat.
“What? No! It isn’t like that. I love you, Nicco. There is no undoing that.”
“So what is it, Bambolina? Tell me, please. You have to tell me.”
Her silence was deafening.
“Arianne, please...”
“Tristan, he’s awake.”
“He is?” Relief flooded me. “That’s good, isn’t it?” I knew Arianne cared for her cousin, and I would never wish to inflict pain on her. So Tristan being awake could only be a good thing.
Yet she didn’t sound pleased about it.
“I saw him at the hospital. Scott was there, he said some things... things about you.”
My muscles locked up. “What things?” I tried to keep my voice even, but I couldn’t disguise the trace of panic.
“I didn’t want to talk about this over the phone, but I need to know... Did you hurt Tristan, Nicco? Before the accident?”