Page 5 of Loathe Me (Touch of Death 1)
“Would you like to get out?” he asks. He speaks Italian, but his accent is wrong.
The door on the other side of the car opens, and Gabi gets in, attached to her phone once again. “Gio.” She leans forward to kiss the man’s cheek.
“Gabriella,” he says, offering her a slow nod.
My sister always tries to be strong, ironclad, just as my father demands. But as I watch her interact with this man, this stranger, I can see the cracks showing.
The car pulls away, and we wind through the horrendous New York traffic. Vehicles line up and shuffle forward, inch by inch, never really gaining ground. I crane my neck to follow the sleek lines of the buildings that reach endlessly into the sky as though they could touch heaven. They’re so close together, and I imagine if one were to fall, it would be like dominoes until the entire city was flattened. After nearly an hour of crawling down streets, we pull up outside a modern skyscraper. The whole building is a glass blade, erupting from the ground, the mirrored exterior reflecting the image of my sister and I getting out of the car.
Gio gets out, handing off the keys. The Italian straightens the jacket of his tailored suit before fastening the buttons. I don’t miss the outline of a weapon holstered beneath his arm. The way his gaze darts around puts me on edge, and I wonder if I should expect danger here.
We’re guided to an elevator, and he slides a card into a slot in the wall. There are no buttons, just that slot. The tiny screen changes and the numbers rise as we climb, endlessly. When we reach the fortieth floor, there’s a ping, and the doors glide open revealing a penthouse that makes my jaw drop. My family is wealthy, but this…this is another level. Gio walks through the lobby and into a huge kitchen with a breakfast bar in the center. The exterior walls are floor to ceiling glass, with the city stretching out beneath us. A castle in the sky.
We’re led into a living room with a dividing wall that houses a floating fireplace. A giant white leather corner sofa dominates the area, yet it’s still dwarfed by the sheer scale of the penthouse.
“Wait here,” Gio says, before disappearing.
“Where are we?” I ask Gabi.
She simply shakes her head, pacing back and forth in front of the fire. I take a seat and fold my hands in my lap like the good, obedient little sister she wants me to be. Clearly, I’m not worthy of basic information like why the hell we just flew halfway across the world at a moment’s notice. My temper simmers just below the surface, but I keep a lid on it. I don’t know where we are or who we’re here to see. Until I do, I need to remain calm and keep my mouth shut.
Footsteps tap over the marble before Gio rounds the corner with another man behind him. The second the man walks into the room, it’s like he sucks all the air from the colossal space. My father has this kind of presence. When he’s mad, everyone around him can sense it, feel it, and absolutely pays attention. This man has that effect, but it’s a constant. An ominous vibe that reaches out and taints the air ahead of him.
“Nero,” Gabi breathes, and my memory jolts at the name.
Gabi studied in New York for a year. She stayed with one of Daddy’s friends, Viola Santos, and Nero was her son. Gabi was seventeen at the time, and she said she was going to marry him. I glance from my sister to this man and back again. The way she looks at him; it’s as though he hung the moon. Despite the danger that clings to him like a second skin, he’s handsome, beautiful even. Classically tall, dark and handsome with eyes the exact same color as honey. The suit he wears clutches every hard plane of his body perfectly.
“Gabriella,” he greets her, kissing her cheek once. She ducks her head, but I don’t miss her blush.
“This is my sister, Adelina. This is Nero Verdi.”
He turns his attention to me, and I want to retreat under that intense stare. “Adelina. I haven’t seen you since you were a baby.” I find my own face heating, and I feel ridiculous.
I nod. “Nice to meet you…again.”
His lips quirk into the shadow of a smile before he looks away, dismissing me. “Would you like to discuss business, Gabriella?”
“I only came to ask a favour, Nero.”
“Oh?”
“I need you to protect Adelina.”
“What?” I blurt.
Gabi’s pity-filled gaze meets mine and my stomach knots. She looks at Nero once more, emotion washing from her features easily.
“The Bianchi family want her.”
Nero’s eyes narrow, and he thrusts his hands into his pants pockets. “Why?”
