Chapter 11

We had to go on a helicopter. On a damned helicopter.
Honestly, why am I surprised anymore?
And why do rich people insist on so much seclusion? This is the second Italian I’ve seen with their house on an island. Well, in their defense, it’s a summerhouse and not their actual place of residence. And there’s a motor boat that gets them to Rome’s shoreline under ten minutes. Unlike the Bianchi island, this one was large enough to host a small resort-like village towards the back.
“Wait, is that village for us?”
“Yes!” she said excitedly, “It wasn’t completed the last time I came here, but I think they’re done! They might open this up to tourists in the coming summer as a cruise stop.”
Wow, I sighed inside. Being a billionaire must be nice.
We started our descent right as we were over the helipad. There were about five different people to help us off and make sure our dresses were off the ground as we went inside. The interior was absolutely royal. Red carpets, tapestries, large chandeliers, you name it.
But do regular palaces have elevators? I wasn’t sure about the others, but this one did. And it was as big as my guestroom at the Ricci’s. The whole time I walked through the place, I had to force my jaw shut. I was awestruck.
It wasn’t long before I was mingling with people, and it was back to the mental gymnastics of cross-referencing and canceling out potential suitors. Chatter and laughter echoed around the ridiculously large ballroom, bottles popping and cheering would follow every now and then. It felt like I was in a renaissance painting and it was absolutely…
Overwhelming.
I needed to find a balcony before the room collapsed onto me. A balcony far away from here. Bellona would know, seeing she’s been here before. I looked for her in the crowd, but she found me before I found her.
“Lilith, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I forced out, “Just need a breather.”
“Up to the main hall and towards the back. Go upstairs for the balcony or straight ahead for the garden.”
“Thanks.”
And off I went as quickly as my feet could carry me. My heels clicked against the polished marble, louder and clearer as I moved further away from the heart of the party. I ran until there was silence and my heels clicked louder than my futile breaths.
Breathe, I reminded myself.
“Breathe,” came a commanding voice from faraway. I froze in my steps. “There is nothing to be agitated about.”
“How can you be so dismissive of the way you treat me?” another voice demanded. It was coming from around the corner. I frowned at how familiar the voice sounded. Too familiar. Quietly taking off my heels and gripping them in my fist, I slowly moved towards the source of the sound. Up the stairs, and into a small hall with only a singular set of double doors up ahead.
The balcony.
“I don’t think we’re asking for much.” The woman spoke.
Oh gosh… I gasped internally and found a pillar to hide behind right outside the doors, it’s Cristo and his parents!
“I don’t understand why I’m not enough as I am!” Cristo yelled, “Do I need to marry now?”
“We need their family on board with us in the future.” His father, John Caron, said sharply, “Our empire will grow. Your future will be set for generations with this.”
“I’m an established architect, dad.” Cristo snapped, “I earn just fine. I spend just fine. I don’t need a ridiculous amount of wealth to live off of. Nor do I want to head a company that doesn’t align with my interests.”
“How ungrateful…” Selene seethed sharply, and I almost gasped. I had no idea she could sound so…so cold. I always thought they were such loving and gentle people. “It’s all your crazy grandfather’s doing.”
“He was not crazy!”
“Then why must you babble the nonsense you do?” she demanded, “We gave you everything! Do you know how much we gave up for you?”
“I never asked you to!” he yelled.
Smack!
I slapped my hand over my mouth upon watching John hit Cristo across the face. And suddenly, I felt what Cristo felt. Memories of my own selfish and controlling mother came crashing onto me. Helpless, upset, defeated. And unloved.
Cristo was unloved. Just as much as I was, if not more. And I realized that no matter what he did, he would never be enough for his parents.
The silence that followed was unbearable. The air grew thicker and heavier with the weight of Cristo’s sadness. His face was contorted in anger, eyes pulled away from his parents with a tick in his jaw that could break his face at any moment. I’d never seen someone so pained. And I never expected it to be Cristo of all people. He was always so cheerful, playful, and cracking jokes at any given moment.
But now I saw what a broken boy he was. I saw myself in him, and my heart reached out for him in genuine concern.
“We’ll hear from you in a week on this.” Selene said calmly, turning around. I stuffed myself in the crevice between the pillar and the wall, hoping they hadn’t spotted me. They click of their shoes echoed all around the hall as they stepped inside. Without looking back, Selene and John walked down the stairs and disappeared.
I wondered if it was a good idea to step out and expose myself to Cristo, but it seemed like I didn’t need to.
“I know you’re there.” He said softly. I still contemplated moving. “It’s strange. Somehow I can always tell.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude.” I replied quietly, wringing my hands together still hidden behind the pillar, “Are you…do you need me to leave?”
“Yeah, I might need to be alone.” He sighed.
Understandable. I walked out from behind the pillar and moved towards the stairs. A hand clamped onto my wrist before I could step down. I turned to look at Cristo. His eyes were so tired and…hurt. Dull, like a receding storm at sea. And as much as I wanted to hold him for comfort, I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. I wasn’t ready to let him into my past like that.
But I missed the old him so much. It had been so long since I saw him happy.
“I just wanted to apologize for the trouble I cause you.”
“Cristo…”
“No, I really am sorry,” he shook his head, “I see how…how you take the world head on. All on your own and I just keep getting in the way of it. You really don’t need that. I really wished we could’ve been friends, you know? And I just…”
I turned to his properly and put my hand on his to pry it off my wrist. But instead of pushing him away, I held it.
Suddenly, I knew what I wanted to wish for at the fountain.
“I’m sorry for always being so cold to you.” I said, “I’m not apologizing out of pity but…my behavior was uncalled for back then. I wish I’d thanked you properly the night you saved me from Emily.”
“The woman at the restaurant?”
“Yeah, and the other instances.” I nodded, “I just…I think I hated to be reminded that I wasn’t as invincible as I believed myself to be.”
We fell into silence and I let go of his hand. The air between us was stagnant and empty. I had no idea where we were supposed to go from here. He felt it too.
“I guess we still have our own problems to solve before we figure out whatever is happening between us.” He said. I only nodded.
“I’ll see you whenever fate allows us next.”
“Take care.”
With that, I turned and stepped down the stairs as quickly as I could, feeling my heart clench with each step. Why did that sound like some kind of farewell? And why did it hurt so much?
Why was I close to tears?
“Lilith?”
I reached the last step and Rio stood before me, looking concerned.
“Oh, hi.” I forced a smile, “Long time no see.”
“You…wow, um…you look breathtaking.”
“Thank you. You look very nice yourself.”
The feeling of emptiness in my chest only bloomed. Empty conversations in an empty room. My head was empty too.
“Hey…” his voice grew soft, “are you all right? Is everything okay?”
“No.” I admitted immediately. “I’m…I’m very…I don’t know but–”
Rio grabbed my hands and looked at me, worried, “Okay, slow down. You want to get away from here for a bit?”
I was so vulnerable, and for some reason nothing else sounded better than his suggestion. All it took was a nod, and he was pulling me out into the garden where we found a seat overlooking the village where the guests were supposed to stay until the three-day party was over. Night had fallen and the houses were dotted with lamps, twinkling like the stars in the sky. Palm trees towered everywhere, and the smell of the sea was sweet. It was still cold, though.
“Is everything okay?” he asked carefully. I kept my eyes down, unsure of how to start.
“You ever get sick of everything and just want to run away?” I asked him, eyes rising to the horizon, “Like, your feelings, job, life, the people that know you. Change your identity and just disappear?”
He nodded, “Many times. I’ve lost count.”
“But there are so many responsibilities binding you.” I sighed, “Even when you’re your own independent person. It’s like you can never escape. There’s always something to lose.”
“Do you want to get away?” he asked.
“I really wish I could.” I sighed, “I wish to be forgotten. Sometimes, I wish I never existed. It’s like problems are meant to follow you.”
“Sounds like you’ve been fighting for a long time, Lilith.”
I breathed deeply, crossing my arms over my elbows.
“What if I could take you away?” he asked. I looked at him and laughed. In hindsight, I should’ve taken him seriously, but in my defense anyone with common sense would know I wasn’t being serious.
“You’re sweet. When do you want to go?”
“On the third day.” He smiled back mischievously, “Just us against the world. You won’t need to worry about a thing.”
“Sure.” I rolled my eyes, “I’ll pack a bag.”
“It’s settled then.” He announced, getting up on his feet and holding his hand out for a shake, “I’ve made a promise to you Lilith Mendez.”
I raised a brow at him, wondering if he was just this eccentric as a person. But then again, I didn’t know him too well to care. Jokingly, I straightened up and reach out to shake his hand.
Until Cristo caught my wrist and abruptly pulled me away from Rio. I was suddenly behind his tall frame, his back heaving under my palms. My heart thudded against my chest.
“Cristo?” I demanded, “What is wrong with you?”
“Get away from here, Rio.”
“Oh?” Rio laughed, “Come on, Cristo. She isn’t a little girl you need to protect. She’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions.”
“You need to stop going after every woman you set your eyes on.” Cristo shot back sarcastically, “Plus, she’s like four years older than you.”
“You’re twenty-three?” I demanded of Rio, as I pushed Cristo out of the way, “Gosh, now I feel weird.”
“What’s five years, Lilith?” he reasoned, “You weren’t so concerned before.”
“Oh, that’s not the only thing of concern.” Cristo scoffed and turned to me, grabbing my shoulders, “Lilith, don’t listen to him on anything. He’s an idiot. I can’t even explain it.”
“What the…” I looked at him incredulously, my shoulders popping with goosebumps under his touch.
“You’re going to listen to a man without a driver’s license?” Rio cackled.
I raised a brow at Cristo, “You don’t have a driver’s license?”
“How is that even important?” Cristo demanded with wide, dubious eyes.
“I mean…” I coughed lightly, “I don’t know, that is sorta weird.”
“Lilith, mio cara, should I have him sent away? He won’t bother you again.”
I turned to Rio with a suspicious look on my face, “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’ll just show you.” He smirked.
“You lay a hand on me or her,” Cristo warned through gritted teeth, “and I’ll–”
“You’ll what?” he mocked, “Call daddy for help?”
“Jesus.” Cristo winced under his breath, and so did I. I could hear the smack all over again.
“Anyway, I’m tired and have things to do.” Rio said casually with a hand in his pocket, looking at the watch on the other. “Boys?”
Suddenly Cristo was lifted out of my sight as if he was a rag doll. I gasped in shock, seeing someone so tall and strong just picked up and being taken away by two burly men in black inconspicuous clothes.
“Cristo!” I cried out and ran towards him, panic rising in my chest, “HEY! LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW! THIS IS ILLE–MMPH!”
“Quiet.” Rio hissed in my ear. He’d caught me around my arms and I couldn’t move. His other hand was planted firmly on my mouth. My back met his chest, and all I could do was badly hope that this was all a dream. It all had to be a bad dream.
Just what the fuck was going on?
“Cristo gets jealous very easily.” Rio said behind me, dragging me away downwards down a path to the village, “He never makes up his mind about anything! It’s not my fault all the women he likes end up coming my way.”
“Le guh o me!” I demanded.
Honestly, what was with me attracting literal psychopathic men anyway? Maybe I should start keeping count. Hell, maybe I should write about my life!
Sometimes I wished I was a lesbian and find a calm and nice cottage-core relationship the way Aubrey and Jenna did. But then again, I didn’t have the capacity to deal with the dangers their community faced, and I had enough of my problems to deal with as a straight person.
Like being kidnapped!
“You know?” he continued as he pulled me along with difficulty towards the shoreline only a few feet away, “I think girls have a particular type they’re not aware of. They want men that are adventurous, brave, and ready to take the first step.”
My eyes widened as he turned us and I saw a yacht coming into view from the side, just starting to park itself into the pier.
“And I don’t like breaking my promises.” He said, “I wouldn’t even want to delay it!”
I bit his palm and he screamed, his hand flying away from my face, “What is wrong with you, lady? Didn’t you want to get away?”
“NOT LIKE THIS YOU DUMB FUCK!”
“Ah, you’re feisty too.” He chuckled like a maniac and continued to drag me with him, “I like it! You and I are going to see the world, my lovely Lilith. And you will fall in love with me.”
“Can I read your psych eval?” I snapped at him, still struggling out of his grasp.
“When we come back in a few hours, yes.”
“Oh, we’re coming back?”
“Why? Did you think I was kidnapping you?”
I gave him a look of disbelief. He looked back at me, a little unnerved and maybe embarrassed.
“Promise not to run?”
I shook my head. “Fine.”
So, he was just a stupid boy who’d read too many romantic stories to understand how to talk to American girls. I always hated the stories there that romanticized the most dangerous and creepiest things.
“Sorry.” He coughed, “I just like a little drama every now and then.”
“Just get on the damned yacht, Rio.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Honestly, what the fuck? I thought to myself, confused beyond belief. This isn’t what I came for to Italy. But I knew that I had to convince him to let Cristo go. The yacht settled into the water and we finally boarded it. It started moving almost immediately and I watched as the shoreline got further away slowly.
“Rio,” I turned to him with contained annoyance, “now that I am with you, can you please let Cristo go?”
“But he interfered with our romantic climax!”
“ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!” I yelled with balled fists, ready to punch him, “YOU THINK THIS IS A FUCKING MOVIE?!”
“So they’re not true?”
“WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING?!”
He put his hands up in defense, “I apologize. I’ll ask them to let him go right away. I’m sorry.” I only sighed and held my head in my hands. Cristo was right, Rio was an idiot but I didn’t think he was this stupid!
My eyes watched him like a hawk as he pulled his phone out and tapped away to dial someone. He started speaking in rapid Italian, an I regretted not learning some before I came here, or while I was here for the past four weeks. It didn’t take long for him to bark whatever orders he had and put his phone away.
We stood in awkward silence, me glaring at him and he shuffled on his feet, hands in his pockets as he looked around the yacht. He reached out for a wrought iron chair nearby and dragged it over to me, pushing it before me. He gestured to it. I rolled my eyes and sat down on it, arms crossed.
“So,” I started, “who are you, really?”
He sighed in exasperation like he’d given up, “I’m the son of a mafia boss. Won’t tell you who–”
“Pablo Escobar?”
“That was my great uncle.”
“Fuck me.” I whispered in annoyance under my breath.
“We’re the biggest exporter of arms and weapons to black markets around the world.”
I shivered, partly in fear because of what he could do to me.
“And you help your dad with it?”
“Not really.” He shrugged, “My dad thinks I’m too stupid for it. I don’t care, though. I’m going to lead an art mafia!”
Wow, I rolled my eyes. The kid was delusional, too.
“Do you have a gun on you, though?”
“Don’t you think I would’ve pulled one out by now if I did?”
“Point.”
Silence again, with only the whistling of the wind and the sea spray in my hair as we sped across the sea with nothing on the horizon line. Which was a little concerning.
“A-anyway…” he sounded nervous, “I have a confession to make.”
“Shoot.”
“You’re a very pretty woman, Lilith.” He said, “I’m sure you have a lot of men begging for your attention.”
I raised my brow and looked ack at him in disbelief. He was going to confess to me? Like this? After kidnapping me?
“It’s like just talking to you, I feel so understood. It’s so easy to talk to you. And, Honestly, I’m willing to give you whatever you want. It pained me to see you under so much stress. I don’t know much about what you do, but I believe it’s a lot of work and I don’t think as a lady, you must work so much. Or at all, really!”
Great, he was a macho, patriarchal scum, too! Why must I be graced with men who feel so entitled to my existence enough to dictate what I should do with my life.
“Come away with me for a while, Lilith.” He begged, taking my hands in his, “Let me take you away and show you how beautiful life can be with me for just a moment. Let me ease your heart of all your burdens. I want to show you what it is like to be cared for.”
Did he think he was in some old-school film noire? What on Earth was he spewing?
“Rio.” I growled, “I’m not going anywhere with you. I came to Italy for a very important job! I need to be back soon before the Ricci’s sound the alarms and start looking for me. And you’re going to be in so much trouble.”
He stood up solemnly, looking at me seriously with a hint of malice behind his eyes that scared me.
“What if I lied about going back?”
I got back up immediately with my fists balled, ready to punch him.
“You turn this ship back around, Rio,” I warned him with each step, “or so help me. I will plunder that pretty little face of yours.”
“You think I’m pretty?” he smirked.
I yelled in frustration and grabbed the chair, swinging it over my head and running after him. His eyes widened in shock and he ran from me.
“YOU TURN THIS SHIP AROUND OR I KILL YOU AND THE CAPTAIN BOTH!”
“THAT’S ILLEGAL!” He cried out jumping over the tables.
“SO IS KIDNAPPING!”
“I WAS ONLY JOKING!”
“I DON’T TRUST YO–OOF!”
The yacht came to a halt so abrupt that it threw both Rio and I forward on the deck. The fall was particularly horrible for me because the embellishments of the dress pressed inwards and onto my skin. That had got to leave horrible marks behind by the end of the night.
“Wha-what happened?” Rio demanded and he pushed himself up and dusted his clothes, “This was a new Armani suit!”
“Didn’t oil the gears on this thing?” I groaned as I sat up on my knees, dreading the time I would have to spend stuck with this idiotic excuse of a man.
“I’ll go check it out.” He sighed, “You stay here, though!”
“What the hell am I gonna do? Jump in the water.”
“Ha! You’re funny.” He let out a strained laugh as he walked towards a door to disappear inside. Shaking my head, I walked over to the railing, looking out at the empty ocean and hoping for a miracle. The calm rippling of the sea reminded me of the warmth of Cristo’s face, and I worried for him. Hopefully Rio really did ask his men to let him go and–
“Psst, Lilith!”
What the fuck?
I leaned forward to look down from the railings to see where that came from.
“To your right!”
“What are you–”
“Shh!” Cristo hissed. He was on Rio’s jet ski! I wasn’t too concerned with how he managed to get it, I just needed to leave this yacht.
“There’s a ladder here if you can climb down?” he whispered. I walked over until I was directly above him and looked down at the steel bars protruding from the side of the yacht.
“I think I can manage it.” I whispered back and stepped away from the railing to hunch up my dress. I looked behind myself one last time, making sure Rio wasn’t going to appear anytime soon.
I hope I don’t fall, I prayed to whatever deity that was out there to help me, if one even existed. With a deep breath, I pulled up the ridiculously heavy skirt of my dress and threw a half of it over the railing.
“Ah, you’re already in the mood.”
“WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF ESCAPING A KIDNAPPING!” I hissed down at him, but I tried not to laugh. I felt glad, too, that he was trying to be his normal self even in such a dire situation.
“Sorry.”
I pushed the rest of the skirt over the railing until I could swing my leg up comfortably over it. With a good grip on the railing, I brought my other leg over and slowly lowered myself onto the first rung, making sure to feel around with my feet. Once I’d caught onto it, I led my other foot down. Carefully and quietly, I made it to the second rung. I now felt confident in getting down safely.
“Well, Lilith,” I heard Rio’s exasperated sigh, “the captain and I tried our best and–Lilith?”
I watched in horror over the edge of the floorboards as his eyes scanned the deck, slowly turning until they landed on the sliver of my head still visible.
“LILITH!”
“HURRY!” Cristo hissed and I immediately started to climb down. My foot slipped on a run halfway and the worst-case scenario came true.
I was falling.
I’m so sorry, pretty dress. Sorry, Bellona. I’m gonna sink to the bottom and die!
But I never hit the water because Cristo was right under me and I fell straight into his arms. His strong grip held me against him, and I suddenly knew everything would be all right.
“Fucking hell.” he gasped, “Why are women’s dresses made of raw stones? How do you wear this without getting cut?”
“Just go!” I yelled at him, and he revved up the engine and took us off into the night, throwing the sea behind us as we bounced away from the yacht and a screaming man who looked more like a child the further we got away. Watching Rio get smaller and smaller, I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest.
The cold sea breeze nipped at my nose, but I was pressed up against Cristo’s warm chest, holding onto him as he sped us towards the coast of Rome away from the Moretti Island and everyone else. We were still on empty sea, but I could sea Rome’s beautiful glittering shoreline just a few miles away.
Cristo brought us to a slow stop, and I pulled away from him to and check if he was okay. But he took my hands in his one large palm before I could say anything, his other hand coming up to stroke my cheek.
“Are you all right?”
I stared at him in awe as the light of Rome lit up in his eyes, turning them a brilliant silvery gold. His skin glowed as the light bounced off of him, and I wondered if somehow, he was a Roman god disguised as a human. I always forgot how breathtakingly gorgeous he was, and it was nice to be reminded of it every now and then.
Unconsciously, my face fell into his hand softly, nuzzling in his warmth against the cold weather. I didn’t want to cry but I couldn’t help it. The reality of the situation started to sink in as the anger and adrenaline faded away.
I was almost kidnapped!
And once again…Cristo had saved me. And he kept saving me over and over. It scared me, and I didn’t want to let myself think that this was fate’s way of telling me to give love another shot because…look what happened every time a man wanted me.
What if I allow myself to be with Cristo and he turns out to be just as horrible?
It was clear that we still had a long way to go before we could truly trust each other. But I forgot all of those fears as his thumb wiped at a stray tear on my cheek.
“I’m so sorry this happened.” He whispered.
“You apologize like it was your fault.”
“It wasn’t yours either.” His voice and touch was so gentle as he pulled me in, holding me against himself.
Please don’t cry, I pleaded myself, please, please, please. Oh, never mind.
I started to cry. Huge terrified sobs as fat tears rolled down my cheeks. I was horrified and tired and sick of everyone and everything. It was clear that I was never going to get a break from people. What did I do to deserve this? Why must I be put through such terrifying situations?
What was the universe hoping to achieve?
“Should I take you home?” he asked, “I’ll explain everything to everyone. You won’t have to worry.”
“Just take me to the Ricci’s place, please.” I sobbed softly. He rubbed my back gently, giving me a minute to calm down. I wanted to bury my face into his neck. I wanted him to hold me tightly against him with his strong arm. I wanted to feel safe the way I always did when he would hold me.
I just wanted to be around him all the time so nothing bad could happen to me ever again.