by L A Cotton
“I can’t go back…” Silent tears flowed down my cheeks as I clutched the stiff, white sheet.
Zander would know I was missing by now. He would know I had run.
“You don’t have to; you can come back with us.”
“With you… or Enzo?” My voice trembled. What the hell was happening here?
“You can stay with Enzo and Nora, or—”
“Nora?”
“His girlfriend. My best friend. You’d like her.” Arianne smiled and it was nothing but warm and reassuring.
Despite the strange circumstances in which we were meeting, I liked her. There was just something about her—something comforting.
“Or,” she added. “You can stay with me and Nicco.”
“Is that your boyfriend?”
“My husband.”
“You seem kind of young to be married,” I said, clapping a hand over my mouth at my outburst.
Arianne smiled again. “When you know, you know.”
That sounded nice.
“We have a place in Romany Square if you wanted to stay with us, until we can figure out your next steps.”
Next steps, right, because I needed those. Because I had nowhere to go. Again.
“You’ll get to meet Nicco soon. He’s outside talking to Enzo and Matteo.”
Nicco… Enzo… Matteo.
Why did those names ring a bell?
No.
No!
Everything slammed into me at once.
“What’s your husband’s surname?” I asked, hoping to God I was wrong.
Arianne let out a steady breath and then said the one little word that changed everything.
“Marchetti.”
My savior was a Marchetti.
Both of them.
Well, Matteo wasn’t a Marchetti by name, but he was by blood.
If I would’ve had any idea who Enzo was the day he came to my apartment to check on me, I would never have stored his number in my cell.
Marchetti.
The constant thorn in Zander’s side.
I didn’t like to listen to backstage gossip or conjecture, but there was no escaping the whispers about the Marchetti crime family.
I should have realized who Enzo was, but I’d been too fragile to pay any attention, assuming he was one of Zander’s friends—and he had many—trying to score brownie points.
But a Marchetti.
Jesus.
I might as well have crossed enemy lines because if Zander found out Enzo was helping me—Enzo and his family—he wouldn’t only be pissed; he’d see it as a declaration of war.
“Caitlin?” Arianne frowned. “You’ve gone as white as a ghost.”
“I’m fine.” I forced a smile, swallowing back a fresh wave of tears. “Just a little tired.”
“You’ll be safe with us,” she said, reaching for my hand. “I promise.”
I didn’t have it in me to tell her that it wasn’t me I was worried about. That if they took me back to Verona County and Zander found out, it would be them who needed to worry.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” I blurted out.
I had nowhere to go. No money, no belongings, nothing. But it wasn’t the first time I’d found myself homeless and penniless.
“What?”
“I don’t want to be a burden,” I said. “I can—”
“But Enzo said you told him you can’t go back. Where will you go if you don’t come with us?”
“I can call a friend, maybe. She can get some of my stuff and I can get—”
“Don’t you have any family you can call?”
“No.” It came out harsher than intended.
“We can protect you, Caitlin.”
“Cait. You can call me Cait.”
She nodded. “If you don’t want to stay with me and Nicco or Enzo, I might have another idea. Nicco’s family owns some cabins, secluded, off the beaten track. You’d have your own space out there, no one would bother you. It would give you a chance to figure things out.”
It sounded too good to be true, but it also sounded safe. And I needed that right now.
“That actually sounds perfect.” I hesitated. “But I don’t understand why you’d do this for me… I’m no one.”
“Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes.” She smiled. “Besides, you’re not no one, Cait. Not to Matteo.”
Oh God, she went there.
She actually went there.
I’d done a good job up until now, pretending that he wasn’t out there, in the hall somewhere. He hadn’t tried to see me again. But now Arianne had mentioned him, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
He’d looked so shocked, so confused, but it quickly turned to anger. I think it was the agony in his expression that had made me tell Enzo to make Matteo leave.
I didn’t want him to see me like this. Not now. Not ever.
“He told you about me?”
“Actually, Enzo filled us in. Matteo is still… trying to process everything.”
“It was one night, a long time ago,” I whispered, barely able to look her in the eye.
“For you maybe, but for him, I’m not so sure. You know, he told Nicco about you once.”
“He did?” My heart fluttered at her words.
Silly, foolish heart.
But I could still remember how nice he’d been to me that night.
Matteo had made a lasting impression—even if I’d known it could never be anything more than one night.
One perfect storm.
“What other options do you have?” Arianne said softly. “You said it yourself, you have no family. You can’t go back to Providence, and—”
“Okay,” I snapped, embarrassed at her accurate assessment of my situation. “Okay.”
“So you’ll come back with us?”
I nodded. “I’ll come. On one condition,” I added.
“I’m listening.”
“I don’t want Matteo anywhere near me.”
I rode with Nicco and Arianne. True to her word, she had kept Matteo away from me—I didn’t see so much as a glance of him as we left the hospital.
It was strange. I felt the bitter sting of disappointment at his absence, even though I’d made my position perfectly clear.
What happened between us was history.
Ancient history as far as I was concerned.
It was one night and then we’d gone our separate ways. If I would’ve known who he was that night, it never would have happened.
So it was a moot point.
He was a Marchetti. And I was… no one.
“How are you holding up?” Arianne asked from upfront of Nicco’s sleek, black Range Rover.
“I’m okay, thanks. A little sore but the pain meds help.”
The doctor had wanted me to stay in the hospital for another night, but I didn’t want that.
I needed to put as much distance between me and Zander as possible, and Arianne was right—they could help me do that.
Shaun had left me with a small amount of cash, since I didn’t have my purse with me. Not that I could use my bank cards anymore. Things like that were traceable.
But it was something.
Pain rippled through me. It wasn’t only physical, it was emotional. Heart wrenching, soul deep agony. The kind that didn’t just disappear with a hot bath and a mug of hot chocolate.
What Zander had done to me…
A shudder tore through me and Arianne glanced back at me.
“Okay?”
I nodded, breathing through my mouth.
I didn’t know these people, not really. Yet, they’d offered me nothing but understanding and compassion. That had to be worth something.
Didn’t it?
“So we’ll take you back to our place and let you get cleaned up, and then tomorrow, Nicco and I will drive you out to the cabin.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay there? I don’t want to intrude.”
“It’s yours f
or as long as you want it,” Nicco said, his eyes catching mine in the rearview mirror.
Niccolò Marchetti was something else. The way he looked at his wife was the kind of adoration documented in the great love stories throughout history. I couldn’t deny the stab of jealousy I’d felt when she’d introduced me to him and he’d pulled her straight into his arms, as if she belonged there.
I’d spent my entire childhood wanting that—wanting one person to love me and me alone. Of course, those dreams were quickly replaced with enough nightmares to warn me off men forever.
Until him.
I immediately shut down those thoughts. What Matteo and I had shared last summer was one night of spontaneous passion. It was impulsive and a little bit reckless and for the first time in a long time, I had thrown caution to the wind and trusted a guy to take care of me.
He hadn’t disappointed me, at all. But it wasn’t real life, and I was under no illusions that the stranger from Verona County would sweep me off my feet and fight my monsters for me.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it. I just need a few days to make a plan and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“Take as much time as you need, Cait. Truly.”
Gosh, Arianne was too nice. It had been almost impossible to tell her no earlier.
“You’re from Providence?” she asked, making small talk.
“I… no.” I touched a hand to my face, prodding the tenderness around my cheekbone. “I was born and raised in Rochester, New York.”
“You’re a long way from home,” Nicco added.
“I travelled around a lot when I was younger.” The lies came easily. “Decided to settle in Providence.”
“How old are you exactly?” His eyes met mine again.
“I turn twenty-one in a couple of months.” I stared out of the tinted window, watching the world roll by. I knew there was another SUV following us, but nobody said anything about it, so I played along.
Nicco and Arianne were kind of a big deal in Rhode Island. From the bit of backstage gossip I could remember, he was heir to the Marchetti empire, and Arianne was heir to Capizola Holdings.
Their union had been all anyone had talked about for weeks. People thought it was a power play, aligning two of the most influential families in the state. But they hadn’t witnessed Nicco and Arianne together. It had only taken a second for me to see it was the real deal and not some business arrangement.
“We’re almost here,” Nicco said. He’d been quiet since our introduction. Polite, but quiet, nonetheless. I couldn’t help but wonder what he really thought about all of this.
If the rumors were true, he was set to become boss of the Marchetti family one day, so he had to know that taking me to Verona County was a risky move.
My stomach churned and I pressed a hand against it, willing my nerves to calm down. At least here, I was safe for the immediate future. I could go to the cabin, heal, and figure out my next move.
I would be okay.
Because while life had given up on me a long time ago, I refused to stop fighting.
The SUV came to a stop outside a quiet apartment block.
Nicco leaned in, kissing Arianne’s head. “I’ll be inside.”
“Okay.”
He didn’t spare me a second glance as he climbed out, slamming the door behind him. It reverberated through me, making me flinch.
“Don’t mind Nicco,” Arianne said. “He’s just—”
“Pissed that I’m here.” I sunk into the soft leather seat. God, what was I thinking coming here?
“No. No, Cait,” Arianne sighed. “That isn’t it at all. He has personal experience with…” Her expression softened. “It’s not my story to tell. But know that Nicco’s issue isn’t with you, it’s with… the situation.”
“If Zander finds out I’m here—”
“He won’t. You’re safe here, I promise.” She smiled. “Why don’t we go inside and get you settled? You must be tired.”
I wanted to argue—to make her see that Zander wouldn’t just give up. He was obsessed with me. Obsessed with the idea of me.
He wouldn’t just let me go.
But everything hurt. My face. My muscles and bones. My soul.
I ached in ways I never thought possible, even more than any recital or performance where I’d spent hours twisting and contorting my body into gravity-defying positions.
“Yeah, okay.”
Arianne got out of the car and opened the back door, helping me out. I winced, biting back the groan of pain bubbling in my throat.
“The guest room has its own bathroom, so you can take a bath or shower, whatever you want.”
“Sleep sounds good.”
“Then sleep it is.” She smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
Their building was fancy. Gold accents and a bellboy outside who opened the door for us.
“Mrs. Marchetti,” he greeted Arianne.
“Lowell, this is Ca—”
“Cadence,” I blurted.
“Cadence is going to be staying with us for the night.” Arianne didn’t miss a beat.
“Very good. Enjoy the rest of your day.” His brows knitted slightly, but he didn’t comment on the state of my face.
I let out a shaky breath and Arianne grabbed my hand. “It’s okay.”
“I-I didn’t mean to… it’s a habit.”
“It’s okay. Come on, we can take the elevator.”
Arianne didn’t push. Didn’t ask questions or demand answers. She let the silence settle between us. And I was grateful.
So damn grateful.
By the time we reached her apartment, I was ready to crash. She noticed, holding her arm through mine and taking some of my weight.
“Nicco,” she called through the open door. He appeared, brows furrowed as he took us in.
“She’s crashing.”
My head began to swim, thick and sludgy, as I gripped onto Arianne. “I don’t feel so good,” I murmured, my legs going out from under me.
“Nicco,” she yelled.
And I went down, just as strong arms caught me.
Chapter 6
Matteo
“You can’t be here,” Nicco said, stepping into the hall and pulling the door to his apartment closed.
“Seriously, Nic?” I balked. “He did that. DiMarco fucking—”
“I know, okay. I know.” He blew out an exasperated breath. “You think I don’t want to drive down there and make that asshole pay? I do. But we have to be smart, and right now, Caitlin needs us.”
“You.” I scoffed. “She needs you.”
She wouldn’t even let me get near enough to talk to her.
It stung.
More than that, it fucking hurt.
“She agreed to stay at the cabin,” he said. “Maybe once she has some time to figure things out, she’ll come around.”
My lips pursed. I wouldn’t bet on it.
For some reason, she was shutting me out—the same way she’d shut me out all those months ago when she’d refused to give me her number after our amazing night together.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Matt…”
“I get it. She’s hurt and she has every right to be wary of me, especially after—”
I couldn’t say the words; it made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I don’t know how but Enzo had managed to sweet talk one of the nurses into giving him a rundown of Cait’s injuries. It wasn’t good.
He’d raped her.
DiMarco had beaten and raped her and left her barely conscious.
“But shit, Nic, I never thought I’d see her again… and she’s here, and I… forget it.” Defeat crashed into me. All the times I’d imagined seeing her again, I’d never wanted it to be like this. But we couldn’t turn back time.
“I should go,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
“That’s probably a good idea. Maybe go down to Hard Knocks and work it off.”
“Yeah.
”
“I smoothed things over with Uncle Michele,” Nicco said. “He thinks Enzo had to rush back here because Nora’s sick. He’s going to send a couple guys to go see DiMarco. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be anywhere near him right now. Not until we get to the bottom of what really happened.”
“You lied…”
“Until we get to the bottom of things, we need to keep her off the radar.”
“I think it’s pretty obvious what happened. The guy’s a fucking woman beater and he—”
“Matt…” His jaw clenched.
Nicco didn’t like this. He didn’t like lying to my father or the Family. But if anyone hated this kind of thing more than me, it was Nicco.
“If DiMarco finds out we have her—”
“Don’t. I’ll handle it. For now, we keep this between us. We’ll take her out to the cabin tomorrow. She’ll be safe there until we can figure out what to do about DiMarco.”
“Thank you,” I dipped my head, forcing myself to take a breath. Nicco wasn’t the enemy here.
“Matt,” Nicco pinned me with a hard look, glancing down the hall. He and Ari had the penthouse suite, so access was only via the elevator, but I understood his wariness. You never knew who was around, listening to things they shouldn’t be listening to.
One of his security guys gave us a sharp nod.
“Yeah, okay.” I relented. “I’m going.”
Nicco grabbed my shoulder before I could walk away. “We’ll deal with DiMarco, you have my word. But we have to do it the right way.”
The way that didn’t have any backlash for the Family.
“Okay. Just do me a favor, yeah?”
“Anything.”
“Text me later and let me know how she is.” I pulled out of his hold and started down the hall.
“She’s really under your skin, isn’t she?” he called, and I glanced over my shoulder nodding.
He had no idea.
“If this is Nicco’s attempt at babysitting me, you’re excused,” I mumbled to Enzo and Nora as they joined me at my booth in L’Anello’s.
“Brooding suits you.” Enzo smirked, and I flipped him off.