Twisted City: (Twisted City Book 1)

by Rebekah Vasick

  “To Twisted City?”

  I nod.

  “Eva, I don’t know what to say,” he whispers.

  I shrug. “There’s not a lot anyone could say. Alice cleaned me up and I’m healed, though I have a hideous scar now.”

  I grimace thinking of the ugly blemish, but one corner of his mouth curves.

  “Scars don’t bother me,” he says.

  Warmth stains my cheeks as I imagine Angelo seeing me naked. I turn my face away.

  “Can we talk about something else?” I ask.

  “Sure.”

  I tuck a loose lock of hair behind my ear and look at him. “When's your birthday?”

  He caresses his chin with his fingertips. “Why do you want to know?”

  I rest my elbow on the back of the sofa and park my cheek against my fist. “So I can wish you a happy birthday, of course.”

  A smile slinks along his lips. “February third.”

  “Oh, so I have two months to prepare. What would you like?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Not even a song?”

  He inhales deeply and gazes past me, pondering his response.

  “How about an entire evening with you?” he asks, focusing back to me.

  “Don't you get that every night I'm here?”

  “No, I mean you come in, but not for work. You just spend the whole evening with me,” he clarifies.

  His fingertips caress the side of my face, leaving behind a warm trail of tingles.

  Once again, I become lost within his eyes, but manage to form a single word. “Okay,” I whisper.

  He shifts in his seat and runs a hand through his hair. “I, uh…I have a favor to ask of you.”

  “Okay.”

  “There’s a get-together at Don Bellini’s place and I need two singers to come with me. Lily’s coming and I’d like you to be there as well.”

  I seal my lips. The Don’s home? As in a house filled with mafia?

  “Hey, don’t look so worried,” he says.

  “You do know what you’re asking me, right?” I whisper.

  “I’ll be there to protect you.”

  Ice slithers down my spine. “When you say it like that, it’s like you’re expecting something to happen.”

  He chuckles and slips one arm around my shoulders, closing the gap between us.

  He nuzzles into my hair. “I promise you, whenever you’re with me, nothing bad will ever happen to you,” he murmurs.

  I turn my head to face him and our noses kiss. Our eyes lock and the hummingbird beats her wings as my entire body awakens to him.

  Oh, how I want him.

  Crinkles form in the corners of his eyes as he chuckles. He runs the tip of his nose down the length of mine and I gasp. The warmth of his lips rests on my cheek a moment before he leans back.

  I sit with my lips slightly apart. Even though I know it’s wrong, my yearning for him intensifies and yet, I remain unfulfilled.

  He gathers his papers together.

  “Lily will be here soon,” he explains. “And then we’ll be on our way.”

  Even though he’s not looking at me, I nod.

  Why did he kiss me? He kissed my forehead the last time I was here as well. Is this a friendship thing? An Italian thing? I know Italians are generally more physically affectionate than Americans.

  I rise from the sofa and adorn my jacket. My hands comfort one another in front of me and I glance around the room for nothing in particular.

  “Is everything okay?” he asks.

  I snap my head towards him.

  “Yes,” I say, forcing my lips to curve. “I’m fine.”

  He narrows his eyes. “You sure?”

  No, Angelo. I’m getting whiplash with this holding pattern we’re in. I don’t understand it. I thought you liked me. But if you like me so much, why are you dating Alice?

  “Yeah. I’m sure,” I lie.

  “Hi, guys,” Lily greets us.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Angelo says with a smile. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

  “Any time.”

  She sashays towards us and slips her jacket off her shoulders, revealing her simple black dress.

  “Keep it on, love. We’re leaving once I get this in the office.”

  “Oh,” she says, securing her jacket back on her shoulders.

  I wait for him to disappear from our view before turning towards Lily.

  “Hey, Lily,” I say.

  “You’re coming too?” she asks.

  “Yes, though I only found out a few minutes ago.”

  She giggles. “Yeah, that’s typical for Angelo. He’s been stressing for a while if he should ask you or not.” Her eyes widen and she slaps a hand over her mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

  I furrow my brow. “What? Why?”

  She tucks her hair behind her ears and whispers. “Okay, look, you can’t repeat this. Angelo has a soft spot for you.”

  A kaleidoscope of butterflies invades my stomach, and a smile emerges on my lips. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I mean, you’re sweet and innocent. You’re not like the usual girls he meets. To say you intrigue him would be an understatement. But honestly, It’s nice seeing him so happy.”

  I chew on my lip, wanting to hear more, but afraid to ask.

  “Are you girls ready?” he calls from behind me.

  I turn to find him standing with his hands in his pockets.

  “Yep,” Lily says. “Let’s do this.”

  We drive up to a set of wrought-iron gates. They open before Angelo can stop the car. I lean forward to gaze out the windscreen, as we drive along the expansive driveway. The gravel crunches under the tires. We approach a large white stone fountain in the center of the bowed driveway (what is it with Italians and fountains?) and park behind a silver Cadillac. In front of us is a beige one-story mansion, bedecked with arch windows.

  Angelo opens my door and offers a hand. The smoothness of his skin connects with mine, sending electricity up my arm, and I gaze up into his ocean-blue eyes. One corner of his mouth hitches up as he draws me out of the car, leaving only a slither of air between us.

  The hummingbird flutters around her cage as he leans closer. The tip of his nose glides along my cheek. My eyes flutter closed as I tilt my head.

  The warmth of his breath flows down my neck. “You ready for this?” he whispers.

  My fingertips tiptoe along the length of his lapel and come to rest on his shoulder. “You’ll protect me, right?”

  “Always.”

  “Excuse me,” Lily calls. “Can I get out now?”

  Heat stains my cheeks and I step out of the way.

  Angelo chuckles as he offers a hand to Lily. “Sorry, love,” he says.

  She glances at me and raises her eyebrows briefly.

  I’m sure I resemble a glowing beacon right now.

  After Angelo closes the door, he hides his hands in his trouser pockets and leads the way.

  Lily hooks her arm in mine, and I lower my gaze and watch my feet as we walk.

  We turn a corner, through a large archway, and stop. I look up to see we’re standing before a dark wood door with a stained-glass window. A fresh flurry of butterflies infiltrate my stomach and I cling tighter to Lily.

  “Everything okay?” she asks.

  “Yeah, just nervous.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t leave your side.”

  Angelo raps his knuckles on the window and hides his hand in his pocket once again.

  The silhouette of a woman appears in the window before she opens the door.

  A wide curve spreads across her lips. “Angelo,” she says as she embraces him, giving him three kisses on his cheeks.

  They continue conversing in Italian.

  She flicks out her thick, raven hair and rests a delicate hand on his bicep. As she leans close, she flutters her lashes seductively and whispers something in his ear. Angelo seems to enjoy her affections.

  Flames ignite within
my stomach and I want to turn away instead of enduring such torment. I clench my jaw and ball my hands into fists.

  “Don’t worry,” Lily whispers. “I’m sure he does this to appease her.”

  I turn towards Lily. Her soft, hazel eyes flicker towards the pair before locking back onto me.

  “What do you mean?” I whisper back.

  “This is Rosalia, the Don’s wife. She flirts with everyone and I’m sure Angelo only plays along to keep her happy.” She rolls her eyes.

  “And who is this?” Rosalia says, gaining both mine and Lily’s attention.

  “My new girl,” Angelo explains, though he keeps his focus on Rosalia.

  The wide smile she wore for Angelo fades as she looks me up and down.

  “Hmm, you’re pretty,” she says, and continues talking to Angelo in Italian.

  I turn to Lily. What was that about? I mouth.

  Lily shrugs.

  “Come on, girls,” Angelo instructs, leading us inside.

  Rosalia stands to the side, allowing us entrance. I notice her hourglass figure under her short, black, silk dress.

  I offer a smile, but she continues to glare at me with pure hatred. What did I do to inspire such an intense reaction? I haven’t even said a word to her.

  I remain close to Lily as we follow Angelo down the bright corridor and into a sitting room packed with guests. The loud chatter, mingled with laughter, saturates my ears. I clench my jaw and tighten my grip on Lily.

  All the men in the room wear expensive suits, while the women look like supermodels. I glance down at my dress. Even though Angelo bought it for me, I feel cheap in comparison.

  I lean close to Lily. “Are they all members of the…” I whisper. I’m not comfortable saying “mafia” out loud.

  She nods.

  “Hey, Angelo,” a young man cries. He embraces Angelo and claps him on the back before speaking in Italian.

  I glance sideways at Lily and see she’s ogling him. I can’t blame her, though; he is handsome (but not as handsome as Angelo).

  “And who’s this beauty?” the new man asks, gaining my attention.

  His dark eyes admire my attire before returning to mine. He arches one eyebrow while the corners of his mouth hitch up. His alluring gazes makes me feel I’m standing here naked. I tug my jacket closed and avert my eyes.

  “This is Eva,” Angelo introduces me.

  “Are you single, Eva?” the man prods.

  My eyes pivot back to him while my mouth hangs agape. He did not just ask me that!

  Angelo says something in Italian and the man readjusts his posture. The alluring look disperses.

  “Ignore Giuseppe,” Angelo tells me. “He forgets his manners sometimes.”

  A large older man offers me a hand.

  “Hello, Eva,” he says in a deep, gruff voice. “If any of the boys give you trouble, let me know.”

  I accept his hand, expecting him to shake it. To my surprise, he raises it to his lips and leaves a kiss behind.

  Heat rises to my cheeks, and he chuckles.

  “You remind me of my wife, Megan. Pure innocence.” He winks.

  I offer a smile in response and wait for him to turn away before looking at Lily for answers. “That’s Vinnie,” she explains. “He’s like the father of the group.”

  “What did he mean by pure innocence?”

  She leans closer. “He means you’re not the type to sleep around. Half the women here are mistresses to half the men here.”

  I arch one eyebrow.

  “Yeah. Honestly, this is why I wouldn’t date any of the guys here. I’d wonder who they’re sleeping with all the time.” Her gaze drifts towards Giuseppe. “Though to be fair, I feel safe around them all. If it wasn’t for the infidelity, they’d make a great boyfriend.”

  Could this be why Angelo’s always flirting with me while dating Alice? Maybe it’s considered acceptable within the mafia.

  “Ah, Angelo,” says a booming voice I recognize. Don Bellini embraces Angelo. “You brought your new girl?” He looks at me and smiles, though I find nothing sincere about it. “What will you girls be singing for me today?”

  “Whatever you like, Don Bellini,” Lily says.

  His chuckle rumbles. “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “Come on, Eva. Let’s get ready.” She hooks my arm and leads me out of the room and into a study.

  The walls are painted in maroon, while light brown carpet lines the floor. In the center of the room is a mahogany desk with two armchairs in front and a burgundy, leather chair on the other side. Tall bookcases line one wall filled with books and a bust of Don Bellini.

  Someone thinks highly of himself.

  The smell of cigars lingers in the air, while his menacing aura saturates the room.

  “Take a seat,” Lily tells me, falling into an armchair.

  My hands find comfort in one another as I glance around the room. “Are you sure he doesn’t mind us being in here?”

  She shrugs. “What he doesn’t know won’t kill him. Now sit.”

  “Well, that’s comforting,” I giggle.

  She giggles too. “I’m kidding. He’s fine with it.”

  “So, what are we singing?” I ask while sitting in the armchair.

  “Don Bellini will have a list for us somewhere. We’ll hide back here for now until he’s ready for us.”

  I hug my elbows. “I wasn’t expecting all these people.”

  “Are you nervous?”

  I nod.

  “You don’t seem nervous when you sing.”

  “Well, there’s a bright light hiding the crowd. I pretend I’m not singing for anyone. Can’t do that here.”

  She giggles. “True. Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you.”

  We jump at the sound of a woman screaming.

  I twist towards the door. “You heard that, right?”

  Before Lily can answer, other women scream. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of gunfire.

  My heart hammers in my chest and I slap my hands over my mouth. The warmth of Lily’s hands grips my wrists as she pulls me from the chair, tugging me towards the door.

  “Lily, what are you doing?” I shriek.

  “Look around, Eva. There’s nowhere to hide in here.”

  I glance around the room. The desk is large enough for us to hide under, but the open back would leave us exposed.

  “Where do we go?” I ask in a terrified whisper.

  She cracks the door open to peer outside.

  “Stay quiet and stay close to me,” she whispers.

  This is insane, heading towards the gunfire. My teeth chatter along with my ragged breaths.

  “Someone’s coming!” she cries, slamming the door closed.

  She turns to face me; her eyes widen and her limbs quiver. My mouth hangs agape and my bottom lip quivers. I hug my elbows, hoping it will tame the shivers. A fresh coat of tears obscures my vision.

  “What do we do? Where do we hide?” I whisper.

  She penetrates her frightened gaze on me as a tear slithers down her cheek. “I don’t know,” she sniffles quietly.

  Footsteps hammer down the hallway, along with more gunfire.

  I slap my hand over my mouth to contain the escaping whimper. My terrified gaze fixates on the door. Lily grabs my wrist, tugging me back until we hit the wall, where we cling to one another.

  The door handle twists, and I bury my face into Lily’s shoulder.

  This is it. This is how our life will end.

  “Girls,” says the voice I love. “You’re safe.” He sighs in obvious relief.

  I snap my head up and run towards him, crushing myself against him as I wrap my arms around his neck as he tightens one arm around my waist.

  He nuzzles into my hair. “Are you okay, angel?” he asks.

  I nod, though he knows I’m lying. I can’t hide the quiver in my limbs or the shudders of my breath.

  The heat of Lily’s body presses against my side.

>   “What’s going on?” she whimpers.

  “I’m getting you out of here,” he tells us, clearly avoiding the question.

  As we step back from him, I lower my gaze and notice the gun in his hand. Invisible bands tighten around my chest and anchor me in position. I gasp, though I’m unsure why I wouldn’t expect him to be holding it. Maybe part of me wished this was all a twisted joke and seeing his gun has made this nightmare real.

  Angelo clutches my hand. “Come on,” he says, pulling me from the room.

  The bands remain, making it difficult to breathe and I have to beg my reluctant feet to move.

  Lily clings to my wrist, resting her body against my back. The sound of her shuddered breaths mingles with mine.

  A man appears before us and aims his gun.

  I open my mouth to scream but it lodges in my throat.

  Gunfire shatters through the air and the man falls dead before us.

  I stand there frozen, my mouth agape, my body numb with fear. My eyes fixate on the blood pooling around the man's chest, soaking into the cream carpet. The room spins and my body sways.

  “Did you kill him?” I say, quiet enough for me to question if I said it or thought it.

  “It was him or us,” Angelo says matter-of-factly, continuing onward.

  I trip over the dead body and stumble forward, whimpering.

  Angelo catches me, drawing me into his embrace.

  “Eva, look at me,” he says, forcibly.

  I obey, yet I can’t focus on him. He seems distant, even with an inch of air between us. A tender hand cups my face, bringing it closer to his.

  Anguish dwells within his eyes. “You’ve got to hold it together a little longer, just until we get out of here.”

  “I’ve got her,” Lily tells him.

  He gazes at me a moment longer before resting his lips against my forehead and releasing me, then continues leading us forward.

  He stops us at the end of the hallway. “Wait here,” he whispers and sneaks forward, peering around the corner.

  He aims his gun and fires.

  I let out a panicked squeal and twist around to embrace Lily, who tightens her arms around me and whimpers.

  Angelo’s hand rests on my shoulder.

  “Come on, girls,” he says, running his fingertips down my arm until he cradles my hand within his.

  Everything seems in slow motion as I turn to face him. My spirit seems to leave my body and watch as we continue our journey. I focus on the body on the ground as I drift past and slam into Angelo’s back when he pauses. My gaze flutters ahead of us, and it takes a long moment to comprehend what I’m looking at.