Page 24 of Useless Love

Heading home, I almost didn’t call Christopher and tell him to kill the guy who grabbed my woman’s ass. Almost. Then I remembered that mother fucker, gliding his hand over my fiancée’s butt when all I got was a saintly hug. I’m going to enjoy seeing the light go out in that fucker’s eyes.

Arianna

I’m hanging out in my bedroom bored out of my mind.

After Luca died, I thought about giving school another chance. I did it for a few days, but I can’t stomach it. Now I’m just enrolled but barely attend classes. But, I don’t want to completely waste Father’s money, so I pay some friends to help. One signs me in and answers the attendance roll call. A few others complete and submit my classwork. I just can’t stomach school because it feels utterly useless. Why get a degree I can’t ever use? Security follows me almost everywhere; there is no way I can work in anyone's office.

Life overall is so boring with me just waiting around for the big showdown with Carmine. I’ve tried distracting myself with a few men over the past month. I love fucking, but even my love for dick can take a back seat.

I want revenge for Luca’s death; I want it now. He was the only one that understood me. Luca was one year older than me and Gaia. While everyone loved her vulnerable innocence, it used to drive him crazy how weak she was.

“When are you going to learn to help yourself?” he always teased her. Never in a cruel way, but he didn’t think it was cute that Gaia was useless in a world like ours.

Since I got the hang of shooting a gun early, I was his favorite sister. He often said, “Gaia, you need to be more like Arianna. She understands what it means to be born a Bencivenga.”

It felt fucking good to be special to someone, especially to somebody in this damn house. No one else here has ever seen me; only Luca.

Now, with Luca gone, I’m all alone. That’s why Gaudino must die. He took away the one person in this world who put me on a pedestal.

I’m glad my sister is still doing her job. Despite Gaia’s anger at realizing I tricked her, she has still been courting Jr. Gaudino. Earlier, I saw her getting dressed for a basketball game.

“Wear something sexy,” I told her when she came out in jeans and a top. “Put on a tight dress and heels. You look like you’re catching a movie with your nerdy study group.” My sister is so clueless.

She only gave me a look. “If what I’m wearing doesn’t please you, feel free to hang out with your fiancée yourself.”

I rolled my eyes. She had me there; no way in hell do I want to “hang out” with that asshole.

But at least she said something to me. Gaia has barely spoken to me in a month. Is she still that pissed that I lied? She needs to understand this is all for the greater good. In fact, she’ll thank me once I kill Carmine. I’ll remind her how he played a part in our brother’s deaths and she’ll be on my side again. Twins need to stick together.

But whatever. I’m giving her time for now. I just wish the rest of our family also wasn’t so bitchy with me lately. Mother snaps every time I even breathe in her presence, and Nico, Victoria, and Father keep whining about their worries of Gaia getting hurt.

Soon enough, I’ll make them all see: I’m doing this for our family. This is the only way we’ll get peace and revenge. Carmine is the last Gaudino heir, so when he’s gone, the family is finished. His mother is too old to have any more babies, and Sal will be too heartbroken over Carmine’s death to even try to salvage his crumbling empire.

I grin to myself. I just have to wait a little longer. In a few short months, Carmine will agree to set a wedding date, and I can swoop in .

Then my entire family will thank me.

CHAPTER 8 — ST MARY

Gaia

This game with Carmine is starting to confuse me. As the last heir to his organization, he needs peace more than we do. But he hasn’t agreed to set a date for the wedding. Is he still so uncertain about me? I just need to get this done so Arianna can switch with me. Father was right because I’m not handling this well. I’m not sure how to truly handle a man like Carmine.

After the basketball game a month ago, Carmine and I have been talking daily because he keeps calling or texting. I’ve actually been enjoying it, but I still feel tense and guarded with him. I have to be careful not to say something to make him realize I’m not Arianna, and Arianna keeps telling me not to trust him—to be careful not to reveal any family secrets. I’m always so nervous about this situation, so I wish the wedding would just get here.

Two nights ago, I finally got the courage to ask Carmine over the phone about the wedding date. He said, “I have suspicions that my old man wants to see me dead. Any plan he is a part of, I have to scrutinize. I just need more time, princess.”

I wasn’t expecting that, and my stomach bottomed out. “What? Your father? Why would he want that?”

“Father or not,” he said, his voice a thick rumble through the phone, “he isn’t someone I can trust.”

Realizing there was so much I didn’t know, I kept silent. But the dread in the pit of my stomach continued to grow.

This morning, as I’m trying to concentrate on some homework, I’m feeling too unsettled about that call with Carmine. His father really wants to kill him?

When he texts me with, Morning. Working now but maybe we can talk this afternoon, later I take the initiative for the first time and give Carmine a call.

“What’s wrong?” Carmine asks as soon as he answers.

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