Chapter 1
Giovanni
I’m standing here on the edge of the dance floor with my best friend, Val, his younger brother, Romeo, and our other best bud, Lorenzo, and I can’t help but watch Bella in the distance. Bella is Val and Romeo’s younger sister and the girl I’ve been in love with for years and can never have.
She’s at the dessert table with her best friend – Jules - picking up one of her favorite desserts, a chocolate éclair. Then she drops it as Jules grabs her arm excitedly and drags her off to the dance floor with the other girls to dance and sing.
They make us laugh, yes we are laughing at them, but not the way you think. We’re laughing at how young, innocent, carefree, and happy they are in this fucked up world they’re growing up in.
Bella’s so happy, and in her element with them it makes my heart flutter. My desire to see her happy, safe and protected in this life she’s growing up in, it’s my life’s ambition. It’s also a reminder of how bad my heart aches to have her on a daily basis and always will till the day I die.
I won’t have her in my life much longer, one more week here and I will never see her again.
She may only be almost 13 years old, but she is wise beyond her years. She’s an old soul with the biggest heart of any girl I have ever known. She’s also the smartest and most beautiful girl in my life. I know in years to come her beauty will only enhance, and she’ll be a sight to be seen. She’s defiantly going to break a lot of men’s hearts, mine is already broken because I know I will never have her in my arms where she was born to be. As bad as I want her as mine, I’ve accepted that I never will have her.
Her father – Mr. C. for business and Uncle Dom for family time - and brothers would never allow me or any of the guys to be with her, and I’m good with that. Especially, Antonio, even if her grandfather wants them together, it will never happen.
Out of respect for her family, I keep my feelings buried, buried deep inside me. I watch her from afar and admire her heart and beauty.
That’s why I have to leave; I can’t watch her grow up into a beautiful woman, live her life and then one day find her way into another man’s arms.
I’ve known since the day she was born, that God sent her here to be mine and to taunt me with the knowledge that I will never have her.
I’ve accepted that fact through the years and know I’m not destined to have my one true love, my soulmate by my side, in my arms, and bearing my children.
We are what some would call star-crossed lovers, doomed to be alone and miserable for the rest of my life.
I can love her from afar and set her free. My heart and soul will forever belong to her.
Once the song is over, baby Gigi runs out to Bella and the girls to dance. She may only be three, but she is for sure Bella’s clone, her mini-me. Gigi looks like her older sister did at that age.
Gigi always wants to be Bella, follows her around all the time and mimics Bella.
I’ve got to give Bella credit, though, she’s defiantly not a spoiled brat, and takes her baby sister in stride. She never shoos her away or ignores her. She has taken her under her wing and loves her, everyone can see it, even though I’m sure she can be annoying like most little kids.
This is one of the things I love most about Bella.
The guys and I separate heading back to our seats with our parents. As I sit, I see Anton grab Bella’s wrist and drag her off to the other side of the dance floor. My blood begins to boil as I clench my jaw hating the way that bastard has his paws on my Bella.
By the look on her face, she feels the same way I do. She hates him, but she doesn’t want to start any trouble. She’s not weak, and the girl knows how to hold her own and fight her own battles when needed.
But why isn’t she stopping him? Why is she letting him drag her away from her friends and allowing him to manhandle her?
Fuck, that asshat knows how to push my buttons. The only reason he wants her is because he wants to be part of the head family. He forgets that Val is the next in line to take over the organization. Mr. C. has been grooming Val since he was a young boy for that position.
I watch them dance the whole song and watch how uncomfortable she is with him touching her. He bends down to say something in her ear, and she tenses up. When he’s done, I swear I see him kiss her cheek and I become more agitated sitting here.
When the song finally ends, she tries to wiggle her way out of his grip, but he latches onto her tighter.
I observe them talking to see how she handles herself until she freezes and yells, ‘No!’
He’s becoming more aggressive with her by the second. I can’t stop myself from jumping up from my seat and running over to help her. I will not allow him to treat her this way. She deserves respect and with me around still, she will receive it.
I make my way straight to Bella and see the other girls running off to their families and taking Gigi to Aunt Amelia.
I grab her free hand pulling her out of his hold. He tightens his grip on her wrist causing her to wince from the pain he’s causing her. I wrap my arm around her waist drawing her little body closer to me and keep my own firm grip holding her back from him.
“Let her go, man! What do you think you’re doing?” I yell at him to get him to release his hold on her.
My heart is beating frantically from the heat of her body against mine.
“Mind your own business, you fuckin’ trader. I’ll handle her,” Anton growls trying to drag her away from me. I gather her small body closer to mine gripping around her waist. She attempts to come with me even with Anton’s hold on her increasing. Anton growls at me, and I’ve about had enough of his shit now.
He’s not going to handle her, the only person here that needs handling is him.
“Walk the fuck away, man, before I beat your fuckin’ traitorous ass. Izzy is going with me, she will be mine, and you can’t stop any of it because you’re leaving her, us. She’s mine, and she’ll never be yours asshole.”
Bella begins to shake in my arms from Anton’s tone. She’s afraid of him, I can feel it in her trembling body against me.
“The fuck she will. Bella will never be yours, asshole, ever. And the only one getting their ass beat tonight is you! Take your fuckin’ hands off her now!” I yell venomously ready to attach his sorry ass right here on the dance floor in front of everyone.
Now the music stops playing, and everyone is quiet as they watch the scene with three of us play out.
Before Anton can respond to my threat Mr. C. – her father - and Val – her oldest brother - comes barreling over to us to check out the situation. Both have pissed off faces, I can see how furious Mr. C. is, and I know Anton is in for a world of shit after this little stunt.
“What the hell is going on here? Antonio takes your hand from my daughter. Now!” Mr. C. says with venom in his tone.
Then Mr. C. turns to look at me for some honest answers. “What is the meaning of this, Giovanni?”
Anton finally releases Bella’s wrist, and she falls into me for support from her weak, shaky legs. I continue to hold her up against my chest with my arms wrapped around her waist to comfort her.
“Mr. C., Sir, I was watching them from my table, and Bella clearly didn’t want to dance with Anton, but she did anyway not to cause any problems,” I say. “When I saw him dragging her off the dance floor, and she was trying to stop him, even yelled ‘No!’ He wouldn’t listen, and I could see she was scared, so I stepped in to stop him,” Bella turns and buries her face in my chest to hide her tears that are soaking my shirt.
Bella’s not a crier, as a matter of fact in all these years I don’t think I’ve seen her cry more than a couple of times. She the strongest girl I’ve ever known, so this only proves how much Anton freaked her out.
“Princess, is this true,” Mr. C. asks her in a soft calming tone. She doesn’t answer him with words, she just trembles in my arms. Then she turns her head just a little to see her father and nods her head confirming what I’ve said. He nods back at her with soft eyes before they turn dark and hard as he turns to Val. “Take Antonio home. Now!” Then he turns to Anton. “I will speak to you when I’ve had time to cool down.” Mr. C. turns back to me and is watching us before he turns back to Anton. “One more thing before you leave, young man. If I ever catch you manhandling my daughter again, it will be the last thing you ever do! Now, get out of my sight!” He is furious with Antonio, and by the look on Val’s face, he’s not far behind. Val drags Antonio by his collar until he shakes Val off and marches out of the room. Val is going to beat the shit out of him tonight I can see it in his murderous eyes.
Val makes eye contact with me and gives me a look I know well as he escorts Anton off the dance floor and to drag his sorry ass home. The look says, he will make him pay for the way he just treated his baby sister and also make sure Anton never bothers Bella again, or he will kill him.
Mr. C. eyes soften again as he turns back to Bella and me. “Giovanni, take my Princess out for some fresh air so she can calm down,” he says in a low tone. It is an order, not a request. “Yes, Sir.” I take Bella by the hand and lead her out the back to the lake. We don't say a word to one another on our walk. Once we get to the edge of the lake, she lets go of my hand and falls to the ground crying quietly. Bring her knees up to her chest, bowing her head to hide her face from me.
Sitting on the grass rocking her tiny body back and forth and I don’t know what to do to fix this for her. She’s killing me over here, I want to take her in my arms and take all this pain away. Her hurting hurts me like a sword through my dark heart.
She looks beautiful, like an angel in the moonlight. She’s wearing a spaghetti-strapped white sequence designer dress, that is now on the dewy grass. Her long wavy black hair drapes over her face hiding her from my view. Against my better judgment not able to take it any longer, I drop down to the ground and wrap my arms around her slender shoulders leaning her head onto my chest. She is sideways in-between my legs as I hold on to her sideways while I rub her back with one hand to calm her. She turns her head and cry in my chest again leaving more wet marks on my white dress shirt. I could care less if she destroys it. All I can manage to do, though is hold her close to me and soothe her the only way I know how to make this situation better for her.
We stay like this for a few minutes until she calms down. “Thank you for saving me from him. He gets so possessive sometimes it scares me. I don’t know why he likes me and bothers me,” she whispers sweetly wiping her mesmerizing honey colored eyes free of her fallen tears. I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear off my face. She has no clue how gorgeous she is, even at this young age. Her face alone does things to me that I can’t always explain.
“Princess, you’re beautiful, that’s why he likes you. But he shouldn’t treat you the way he does, no man should ever treat a lady like that,” I say shaking my head and looking away from her at the lake to clear my murderous thought towards Anton.
We both know it’s more than Anton liking her. Mainly it’s his obsession to be part of the head family. The only way that could possibly happen is if he were to marry Bella one day like her grandfather promised him. But she is not even 13 years old, he shouldn’t be touching her the way he did.
“Has Antonio ever hurt you before?” I have to ask, even though I’m afraid to hear her answer.
“He’s never touched me like he did tonight. He only talks to me nasty like he owns me or something,” she whispers leaner her heads back on my shoulder and looking out over the lake not making eye-contact with me.
I breathe a sigh of relief at her answer. I’m glad he’s never touched her like he did tonight, but I don’t like that he’s talked nastily to her. No man should speak to a respectable girl that way. So help me God, Val better serve him a new ass or I will.
“Well, I don’t think he’ll be speaking to you again after tonight. Val was furious with him when he walked away, he couldn’t get Anton out of here fast enough. He’s in for a fuckin’ ass beating of his life from Val and probably your father tomorrow. I wish I could be there to help them,” I say the last part low and with venom in my tone.
She turns her head to look in my eyes, and I’m sure she can see the fury behind them. I continue to stare at the water, and I feel her eyes still watching me.
For a few minutes, time is suspended. I get my rage under control then turns to look in her eyes. We stare into each other's eyes, and it feels weird almost familiar to look into her amber eyes this way. Having her in my arms feels the same with an electric spark igniting between us.
There’s a certain level of comfort and peace in me having her in my grasp like this. The connection we share is beyond what I have ever known and ever will. The love I feel for her is beyond me, beyond us, beyond this universe, and I know leaving is the right thing to do even if it ends up killing me in the end. For her, I will do anything, even destroy myself, and this is where I have to start.
Then I do the stupidest thing ever because she has my mind, heart, and body all twisted up.
“Have you ever been kissed by a boy, Princess?” I ask before I can honestly think my words through. I know I shouldn’t venture down this road with her, but I need to know before I leave her for good. It will infuriate me if her luscious lips have touched another boy's, even though I have no right to be. What the hell is wrong with me?
She shakes her head no, and by the look in her eyes, I can tell she’s embarrassed by her answer and shocked I asked.
Before I have a chance to second-guess myself, my lips are on her beautiful soft young lips in a sweet tender kiss.
I couldn’t help myself. I’ll regret this in the morning, but I had to have one taste. One small kiss will have to last me a lifetime. I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. Her lips will be the last ones to ever touch mine, I vow.
One of my hands travels up her back stopping in her hair. My other is on her lower back pulling her closer me.
I don’t deepen our kiss, I just needed my lips to touch hers once, for a brief second. I pull back breaking our moment before I cross an even bigger line.
We’re both breathless as we sit there for a few more minutes frozen staring into each other's eyes connecting our souls one last time. After tonight I will keep my distance till I leave.
As we sit catching our breaths, we hear Romeo yelling for her name causing her to jump in my arms. I stand up and help her to her feet as Romeo comes barreling down towards us.
“Hey, dad told me to come find you two. He’s sending Bella home for the night with Gigi. You ready, Princess?” Romeo asks with a smirk on his face.
She nods, we say goodnight and she thanks me again before being ushered off by her brother to their limo.
At that moment I drop to the ground and break inside, even more than before. My heart is in a million pieces and will never be whole again. My soul and heart have become black holes.
One thing is for damn sure, though I will make it my lives mission to make sure she is happy, and Anton stays the fuck away from her. I’ll have Val will help me make this possible.