by Tia Wylder
“But who confronted you?” I persisted. “Who let you escape?”
Gianna took a deep, shuddering breath. “When I came to, there was a woman in the room,” she said. She swallowed nervously. “She told me that no one was going to hurt me, she just wanted me to agree to abandon Los Angeles and go home.”
“But this is your home,” I countered. “Here. With me. Working on Heaven Cove and becoming a famous actress.”
Gianna nodded. “I know,” she replied. “That’s what I said, too. I told her that I wasn’t interested, and she tried to threaten me.” Gianna’s tears were falling faster now, and she buried her face in her hands as she began to sob. “She told me that she’d ruin my life – make up some fake tabloid story so I’d lose my role on the show, and bribe you with money so you’d leave me.”
My anger nearly spilled over as I listened to Gianna’s horrifying tale. I took her in my arms and crushed her to my body, ignoring the wave of pain that crested over my leg.
“No,” I said fiercely. “I’d never leave you, Gianna. Not for anything in the world. And I think you know that.”
Gianna nodded miserably. “I do,” she said softly. There was blood on her lip from where she’d been biting it so hard. “I just couldn’t believe someone would be angry enough to do something like that to me. When did I ever hurt anyone?”
I sighed. “And you think they’re looking for you now, these…these assholes,” I growled through clenched teeth. “You think they’ve come here, that they’ve found you. Gianna, I won’t let anyone hurt you – I swear to god!”
Gianna was trembling in my arms, and she extricated herself, shivering as she looked into my eyes. “It’s funny,” she said softly. “I’m not so much afraid of the men as I’m afraid of that woman.” Gianna shivered. “The look in her eyes, it was like something I’d never seen before. She was ruthless, Barns. I couldn’t believe that. She said she was just doing her job, but…”
Gianna’s words struck my heart with a new note of fear.
“What do you mean, exactly?”
Gianna frowned. “It’s hard to say,” she said. “But I could tell there was something…off about her, like she enjoyed being so cruel. Does that make sense?” She shivered again and wrapped her arms around her body. “I’ve never even heard of a female private investigator before, no wonder…if they’re all like her!”
“What was her name?” I asked slowly, fearing the worst.
“Jessica,” Gianna answered immediately. “She was small – smaller than me – and blonde, like some kind of corporate CEO.”
My jaw dropped.
“What?” Gianna asked warily. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “Because I hired a private investigator named Jessica Norris to find the men who were stalking you after the accident,” I said. “And now I feel entirely responsible for the whole thing.”
Gianna went white in the face. “What?” She demanded. Her jaw dropped open, and she shook her head. “I can’t believe you!” She said in a loud, angry voice. “Barnes, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you do that? Why wouldn’t you just go to the police?”
“I tried,” I said miserably. “I know you don’t believe me, but I tried. They told me it was impossible – by the time the paramedics got to the site of the wreck, there was no sign of you or any other passenger in the car. I couldn’t even get them to listen to me – it would have been useless to call the cops!”
“But…but you worked with the same bitch who was holding me hostage!” Gianna shrieked.
There was real anger and hurt in her eyes now. “I can’t believe you would do that!”
“Gianna, I didn’t know,” I said fiercely. “She was recommended by a friend as the best investigator in the city – how the fuck was I supposed to know that she was responsible for hurting you, too?”
Gianna glared at me. “Really,” she said, tossing her long hair over one shoulder. “Then why didn’t she say anything to me about it? If she was working for you—“
“She was obviously working for someone else,” I said hotly. The exasperation I felt was obvious in my voice, and I felt guilty, but more than that, I just felt exhausted. I was so tired of things coming between my life with Gianna that I had no idea what to do next.
Gianna opened her mouth to speak, then clamped her lips together. “I just don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “I feel so confused.”
The knocking sounded again at my front door – now, it was louder and more persistent.
“I have to get that,” I said pointedly. “Or else they’re going to stand out there all day.”
Gianna pressed her lips together into a thin line. I knew she wasn’t happy with me, but I also knew that she’d come around. After all, she was home safe now – what could possibly go wrong?
With a shuddering sigh, I maneuvered myself through the living room on crutches. It wasn’t easy – every time my cast touched the ground, I felt agony flare inside my broken leg.
“You know,” I called over my shoulder, looking at Gianna as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. “It’s probably not even for you. I bet the hospital sent a bunch of cops to drag me back into bed,” I added humorously. “They didn’t want me leaving in my condition!”
But when I opened the door, I blinked. There were a couple of well-groomed, middle-aged people standing there who looked vaguely familiar. When they saw me, the man narrowed his eyes.
“It’s okay,” I yelled to Gianna. “It’s just Mormons or something, don’t worry!”
“Of course,” Gianna snapped under her breath as she joined me. “They’re so—“
When she saw the couple standing in the doorway, she gasped.
“Mom?” Gianna asked in disbelief. “Dad? What are you doing here?”
“Let us inside, Gianna,” the woman said. She clucked her tongue and turned to the man I presumed to be her husband. “And Carter, isn’t this a surprise!”
The man – Carter – chuckled under his breath. “Why, yes, it is,” he replied. “I have to admit that I’m rather stunned.”
I couldn’t place it, but both the man and the woman were familiar to me. It was like I’d met them before – albeit, a very long time ago.
“What are you doing here?” Gianna asked in a wary tone. She was standing defensively with her hands in front of her as if the couple was about to attack her.
The woman tossed her head in a no-nonsense kind of way. “I heard from Jessica that she completely failed,” she said. “And while I am disappointed that you conducted yourself in such a way, I have to admit that I’m surprised by your strength. I never would have guessed my daughter capable of something like that.”
Carter chuckled. “Anne, you’ve always know Gianna was a bit of a spitfire,” he said. Then, to my surprise, he turned to me. “And how are you? It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other. What was the last time? The Henderson wedding, when you were a teenager?”
“What is he talking about?” Gianna asked, turning to me and narrowing her eyes. “Barnes, what the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t know,” I said helplessly. Turning to Gianna’s parents, I stood straight and tall. “I don’t know what you’re doing here,” I said. “But I’m not letting you in my house – and I’m certainly not letting you threaten or intimidate my wife. If you try anything further or try to drag her back to Boston with you, I’ll call the police.”
The silence was so pure you could’ve heard a pin drop on the floor.
“I’m sorry,” Carter said, clearing his throat and stepping into the foyer, uninvited. “This is your wife?” The shock and surprise in his voice were clear. “You married my daughter?”
“We love each other, Dad,” Gianna said defiantly. “So, there’s no way I’m coming back home with you. And you can’t make me.” She squared her shoulders, looking brave and strong. “I married for love – not convenience, and not to make you ha
ppy!”
“My, this is a surprise,” Anne said. She stepped forward, fanning herself with her hand. “I had no idea!”
Carter laughed again. I began to wonder if the old man wasn’t losing his mind – that would certainly explain his actions when it came to raising Gianna and her younger sister.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” I said tersely. “And considering this is my house, I think I have every right to know.”
Anne smiled. She followed her husband inside and set her designer handbag on my foyer table. “Do you have any wine?” She turned to me. “I feel like everyone would benefit tremendously from having a drink right now.”
I turned to Gianna and took her shoulder. “Do you know what’s going on?” I whispered loudly in her ear. “What are you parents doing here?”
Gianna looked just as confused and lost as I did. “I have no clue,” she said. She shook her head and swallowed. “But I don’t like it,” she added. “They’ve never been this nice to me.”
“Come with me,” I said, taking her elbow. “We’ll talk in the kitchen.”
Gianna followed me into the kitchen as I took a bottle of pinot grigio from the fridge and uncorked it. I poured four generous glasses and turned to my wife.
“Why could they be here, except to try convincing me to return home,” Gianna whispered. “And I’m not going! They would have to drag me tooth and nail out the door, and I’d fight and scream and kick the whole way.”
Despite my anxiety over the odd situation at hand, I couldn’t help smirking at the image. I pushed Gianna’s hair out of her face, then leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I know,” I said, kissing her cheek. “My little wildcat.”
Gianna sighed, obviously not finding humor in the situation. “Yeah, well,” she muttered. “I spent far too long trying to get away from them. I guess the only thing I can do now is listening to what they have to say, then ask them to leave. Forever,” she added. There was a hard glint of malice in her eyes. “Because nothing they could do would make me leave you.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me with surprising passion. “I love you, Barnes,” she whispered.
“And I always will.”
Pulling away from Gianna was incredibly hard, but I managed to free myself from her grip and put the wine glasses on a tray before handing it to Gianna.
“So,” I said, winking at Gianna. “Should we go listen to what your batshit crazy parents have to say?”
Gianna flushed. “I think that’s our only choice,” she replied softly. “After you.”
And with a deep breath, I led Gianna back to the living room where Anne and Carter awaited us like appointed sentinels.
Chapter 15
Gianna
“Here,” I said, unceremoniously handing my mother and father a glass of wine each. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
My mom looked at my dad with her eyebrow raised. “Oh, Gianna, the particulars don’t matter,” she replied, waving her hand in the air. The rings on her fingers glittered under the bright light of the chandelier. “We’re just happy to see you!”
“Bullshit,” I said, shaking my head. “If you were happy to see me, you wouldn’t have hired that bitch of a private investigator to kidnap me and tie me up in a hotel room!”
Mom looked shocked, but Dad took a sip of his wine and leaned against the back of the couch.
“Gianna, don’t exaggerate,” Dad said. He narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure it wasn’t nearly that bad.”
I glared at him. “It was,” I affirmed. “It was really awful. We were in a car crash, and when I woke up, I could barely feel my hands! And my feet were tied, too,” I added, glaring at my parents. “And you’re trying to tell me this is nothing to worry about?”
Mom frowned. “Well, honey, I didn’t tell them to hurt you,” she said. She looked troubled.
“But she’s not hurt, is she?” My father interjected. “She looks just fine to me.”
“Well, now I do,” I shot back angrily. “But you should’ve seen me! That bitch was threatening to ruin my life unless I went back to Boston to live with you and marry that old asshole!”
To my surprise, my father laughed. “Well, that’s completely unnecessary now.”
I blinked. “Why?” I asked unsteadily. “What changed? I can’t imagine you had a change of heart,” I added bitterly. “You never cared about me anyway, I was just a stupid pawn for you!”
“Gianna, that’s out of line,” my father thundered. “I did everything for you and Diane! It’s not my fault if you’re too stupid or too selfish to see it!”
“Fuck you,” I muttered under my breath.
My mother got to her feet, glaring at me and then turning to my father. “Carter, this is out of line,” she said. “Gianna is an adult, and she’s fulfilled exactly what you wanted for her. Sure, it didn’t happen on our terms…but I don’t think that’s a reason to be upset.”
“What?” I blinked. “What are you even talking about? I didn’t do what you wanted,” I clarified. “I ran away and met someone I actually love!”
Dad smirked at me. “Yes,” he said. “I can see that.”
Throughout the conversation, Barnes had been noticeably silent. I thought his leg was bothering him and I reached out to hold his hand. But when I looked up at his face, I saw that he was obviously troubled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked Barnes. “Are you okay?”
My parents were silent as they watched us.
“Gianna,” my father said slowly. “The trick is up. You can be honest with us now – but cut the bullshit, okay? No more of your self-pity.”
I frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
My father frowned. “You’ve married Barnaby,” he said. “So, although we would prefer it if you returned to Boston and quit your rather sordid life of acting…well, I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Barnaby will take good care of you.”
I blinked. “I don’t understand,” I said slowly. “What are you talking about? This is Barnes – Barnes Harrington, he’s a director and a writer for the soap opera.”
My father chuckled indulgently as if I were a little kid waiting for his praise. “Right,” he said. “Barnes, tell me – why did you lie to my daughter?”
“Come on, tell the truth,” I said, turning to Barnes. “Tell him you have no idea what he’s talking about! I mean, you don’t, do you?”
Silence hung heavily in the air, and my heart slowed to a dull stop in my chest. For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything but the blood pounding in my ears.
“Barnes, tell him,” I said again, taking Barnes’s hand and squeezing it. “Tell him you don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Barnes took a deep breath and shifted, wincing slightly as his injured leg moved on the couch. “Gianna, I—“
“Gianna, he lied to you about his name,” my father said in an infuriatingly even voice. “His real name is Barnaby, and he’s the son of a dear friend of mine. Of course, we’d always hoped that the two of you would marry. That’s why your mother and I were so insistent on it!”
“It’s true,” Barnes said after a long silence.
“What?” My jaw dropped. “How…how could you? How could you lie to me like that?” Tears sprang to my eyes, and I blinked them back, desperate not to cry in front of my parents. “How could you, Barnes?”
“I’ve always hated my name,” Barnes said. “And I’ve gone by Barnes since I was a little kid – that didn’t feel like lying!”
“But you knew,” I insisted hotly, leaping up from the couch and spilling my wine on the carpet.
“You knew!”
“I didn’t,” Barnes shot back hotly. “I had no idea you were Anne and Carter’s daughter – I can barely even remember meeting them for Christ’s sake! I haven’t seen them since I was a teenager!”
I felt stunned and shocked and hurt. It was like someone had reached inside my chest and ripped my heart out –
the pain was so intense that I could hardly stand it.
“Barnes…” I trailed off as the tears finally began to fall down my cheeks. “Why? Why would you do this to me?”
Barnes’s face was contorted into a mask of pain and grief. “I didn’t know,” he said quietly. “I swear if I had known…”
I couldn’t believe it – I’d done the very thing that I’d sworn against. Suddenly, I hated myself. I was no better than the spoiled, silly little Gianna DiFaba who had run away from Boston with naïve hopes of becoming a famous actress. I was such an idiot: I thought that I’d moved past my own shortcomings and into my own. But instead, I’d only followed the path that my parents had narrowly set for me since the very day I’d been born.