I slightly stumble backward when he releases me. The brute.

Dad stands beside me, his presence bringing back some safety. “What are you doing here, Lucio?”

Lucio hugs Dad, smiling. “I only came by to see if you’re doing well.”

“I am. You can leave now.”

“You don’t have to kick me out every time your daughter is in the scene.”

“We’ll meet at the inauguration banquet where I will announce Georgie as the Costa heir, Lucio.”

My uncle’s jaw ticks, but he forces a smile. “Of course. Early congratulations, Georgina.”

He hugs me and I stiffen as he murmurs, “Tick. Tock.”

A shiver still goes through my body even after he leaves.

“Are you okay?” Dad caresses my arm.

“I’m fine.”

“He won’t hurt you, Georgie. I didn’t protect your mother, but I’ll protect you from him.”

It dawns on me then, the maliciousness in Lucio’s tone, the spider tattoo. My fear of spiders over the years. When I was a kid, I thought a big bad spider murdered my mom.

It all makes sense now.

I lift m chin as I stare up at Dad. “He...he killed Mom, didn’t he?”

“I have no evidence, but Alessio mentioned it.”

“Alessio?”

“Alessio Vitallio. Jasper.”

“I know who he is, Dad.” I lower my gaze. “I’ve been with him in Sicily.”

“You mean he kidnapped you to Sicily.”

“Yeah.” But I don’t know why my brain finds trouble keeping up with that fact.

Maybe because Sicily became so much more than the place I’d been kept captive. It slowly became...a home.

I miss it; I miss Salli and Francesco and even Angelo and Enzo.

“Can I ask you something?” I face Dad.

“Of course.”

“Jasper says you killed his family. Is that true?”

“I didn’t participate.”

“But it happened?”

“It was a strategic decision made by your grandfather.”

“What’s strategic about killing people?”

He holds my shoulders. “We don’t live in a rainbow world, Georgie. If you want to survive, you need to make tough decisions.”

“Does it have to be this way? Isn’t there legitimate business within the family?”

“It’ll take a long time to get clean.”

“I don’t care. We can do it together.”

He kisses my temple. “We’ll see.”

No, we’ll do it. I’m sure we will.

Maybe then, Jasper can finally forgive Dad for the past.

19

Jasper

When my little Petal comes into the room, she finds me lying on my elbow on her bed.

A smile grazes her lips, it’s discreet, but I can see the happiness behind it and once again, the relief.

She’s relieved to find me here after thinking I’d left her for good.

I was planning to punish her a lot longer, have her look out from the window, leaving the balcony’s door open and basically begging me to come and take her.

Be with her.

However, I’ve come to the realization that I’m actually weak when it comes to my little Petal.

I can’t stay away. That’s equal to breathing non-clean air. The act of breathing is there, but it’s also suffocating your own lungs.

While I spend my days holed in the office with Enzo and Angelo, plotting our next move, all I can think about is night time where I get to watch my little Petal and see her, even from afar.

She forces her face into a neutral expression. “What are you doing here?”

“Whatever the fuck I want.”

A sigh rips from her as she sits on the edge of the bed, it’s close, but not close enough to have me invading her space. She scratches under Mr. Bingly’s chin absentmindedly and he purrs in delight.

Little fucker.

I’m really reconsidering my strikes system against animals.

“Lucio just threatened me,” she says through a sigh. “Do you think he’ll hurt Dad?”

“Given the chance, he won’t only hurt Paolo, but he’ll kill you both and keep your remains in jars.”

She swallows audibly. Good.

Now, she knows the lions’ den she has herself in.

And I’m going to use the chance to glue her to my side one way or another.

I can’t keep sneaking into Paolo’s house. Sooner or later, one of the guards will pick up a pattern and everything will be fucking over.

She peeks at me. “What should I do?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Well, you’re more familiar with this type of life than I am.”

The fact she’s asking for my opinion should flatter me, but it doesn’t. She’s only asking me so she’ll root herself further with her fucking father and family name.

Mr. Bingly purrs loudly again and I push him away. He jumps from the bed but not before scratching me.

“Hey!” she protests, seeming more worried about her cat than me.

“He scratched me.”

“That’s because you chased him away.” She pauses. “So?”

“So what?”

“Are you going to answer me or are you still going to ignore me?”

“I’m not ignoring you.”

“Yeah, right.” She pouts then quickly masks it. “You left that day, Jas.”

“You left first.”

“Why can’t you understand that I need my father?”

“Probably because that same father killed my own father and mother and grandmother and sister for that matter.”

She gulps audibly. “My grandfather is the reason behind that, not my father.”

I scoff. “Are you serious?”

“Why, yes. My father would never do that.”

“You’re too blinded that you can’t even see the truth, Georgina.”

“Or maybe you’re the one who’s refusing to see it.” She folds her arms over her chest.

Silence stays between us for a few seconds. It’s useless to fight her about Paolo’s involvement in my family’s death. She’s seeing him as this larger than life presence who’ll give her a family life she lost as a kid.

“Jas…” She touches my cheek with her fingers and I feel like the fat cat, being caressed by her, being looked at with those soft eyes. “Why can’t you let go?”

“Let go of what? Of the memory of blood, of seeing my mother’s vacant eyes after she protected me with her life?”

“No, of the grudge. It’ll only eat you from the inside out.”

I release a long breath, but I don’t pull away from her touch as her finger strokes my cheek.

For a moment, I feel untouchable, like the world is in the palm of my hands. As long as I have her, then I can be one invincible motherfucker.

I clutch her by the arm and pull her underneath me. She releases an excited yelp before it turns into a moan as I claim her lips.

“Jas…” Her fingers get lost in my hair and she kisses me with abandon, as if like me, she needs that sense of belonging, that sense that we’re it for each other.