Page 12 of Matteo
Hannah’s dare had been simple: get into a club in West Virginia, outside the realm of Dad’s criminal empire.
I gripped Gianna’s hand in mine, a part of me wishing we’d left her at home. Not because I didn’t want her with us, but because at fourteen, she was way too young to be here. She had an innocence to her that I wanted to preserve for as long as possible. Anyway, I’d bet my life that we wouldn’t be let in.
It was a twenty-one-and-up club. My twin and I hadn’t even achieved that milestone, never mind Gianna.
Yet, whatever Hannah confidently handed the bouncer while shamelessly flirting got all three of us in without a hiccup.
Noise and chatter loomed as we were shoved around. The club brimmed with energy, music, and crowds that didn’t care about personal space.
Hannah walked in front of us, pushing through the throngs of people.
“I don’t know about this,” Gianna said in a high-pitched tone, her long dark hair spilling down her back.
“Yeah, we should leave,” I yelled.
But my sister’s attention was fixated across the room. I followed her unwavering gaze but couldn’t see anything beyond a sea of messy-looking people.
“Hannah,” I repeated, yanking on her ponytail and finally getting her attention. “We should leave. I don’t think there’s a sober person in this club.”
“We look like prostitutes,” Gianna added, which immediately earned her a round of glares. “What? Hannah sayswhores. I went for a cleaner term.”
I shook my head, glaring at my twin. “Stop teaching her that kind of stuff.”
“She might as well learn it now. No sense in babying her when she hasn’t been a baby for a long time.”
I rolled my eyes. “Nobody is saying she’s a baby, you idiot.”
“Yeah, I’m not a baby.”
“See, Gianna wants to stay. She’s old enough to decide.”
“Those words never left her mouth,” I scoffed, leveling Hannah with a disappointed look. “She shouldn’t be in this club, and neither should we.”
My twin pulled me into a hug, and despite being mad, I returned it.
“We’re leaving, Hannah. Now,” I said in my most stern voice.
“Okay, okay. This place stinks anyhow.”
I smiled and pulled away, sliding my attention away from her to our sister, only… she wasn’t there.
For a moment, I froze, but then I started whipping my head back and forth, looking around.
“Gianna,” I cried, but my voice was drowned out by the drumming music. “Gianna!”
Hannah and I shoved through the masses, calling out our sister’s name. The panic grew with each unanswered call, clawing at my throat.
I ushered Hannah out, the terror on her face mirroring what I felt inside.
“Call Dad,” I breathed, on the verge of hyperventilating. The longer we waited, the harder it would be to find our sister, and we’d already wasted enough time.
“But—”
“Just fucking call Dad,” I screamed, cursing myself for leaving my cell phone behind.
“We’ll be grounded forever.”
“I don’t give a shit,” I yelled, panic swallowing me. “Call. Him. Now.”
