Page 50 of Rosetti Family New York
That hits home. I want to deny it, to say I’m free with them, so much safer than here, but then I remember Leonardo’s rules. And how much trouble I get into if I try to do something as simple as a shopping trip. And how I had to beg to come and visit my own sister.
Juliet crosses her arms, wraps them tight around herself, then unwinds. She’s pacing and trying to be brave. “I can’t go. Not yet.”
“You can’t stay.”
“I’ll be fine.”
I hate how much I can see myself in her eyes. “It’s too dangerous to stay, Juliet. Who knows what he’ll do to you? Who he’ll sell you off to? And he’s taken your phone now? He’s out of control. Listen, you don’t have to come to the Rosettis if you don’t want, you don’t owe them anything. But they have money and power. Connections. They can help you disappear, if that’s what you want. They promised me.”
“Who promised you?”
“Leonardo. And he is a man who keeps his promises.”
She bites her lip, hesitating like she always does. “Just one more day. I need to pack some things.”
“You don’t need anything. We can buy you clothes, shoes, whatever you need.”
She gives me a stern look. “Not everything can be bought, Eleanor. You should know that. I need to grab my photos and seashells and other personal things, because once I leave this place, I’m never coming back.”
I know the look she’s giving me. She’s done her best to soften her resolve, to seem gentle and sweet, but I see it for what it is. Her decision is made. She’s always been braver than I give her credit for. I give in and watch the tension leave her face. I want to wrap her up and steal her away, but I don’t. Not yet. “I’ll be back in the morning. We’ll leave then.”
She brightens. I can see she wants the extra time. She needs to feel like she has a choice in all this. “Love you.”
I pull her in close. “Love you more, little sis.”
She lets me go, and I feel colder for it. I hate the thought of leaving her, but I know I won’t change her mind. Not this time. I should be proud. She’s stronger than I ever let her be, but the thought of losing her pulls me in two.
I fish my cell phone out of my pocket and hand it to her. “If anything changes, let me know. Call me on Leonardo's number.”
She nods, eyes bright. Her resolve seems solid, but I worry. I don’t trust the situation. I don’t trust father. I don’t trust a universe that’s let us both end up in cages. She’s so small and she’s so determined and I’m not sure which worries me more.
“Eleanor?”
“Yeah?”
“Tell me the truth this time. Do you… like him?”
I stare, blindsided by the question. Of course she would ask—the girl who sees everything. I pause a moment too long, because my sister reads me as easily as she did when we were children.
“He’s a Rosetti, Juliet.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I freeze. It’s on the tip of my tongue to admit that I like him, but that can’t be true. What am I doing? The ground shifts under me, opening up. My sister, the insightful dreamer, the gentle artist who sees more than I can admit to, cuts me down with one question.
I think of Leonardo outside, loud and furious and ready for anything. The way he always is. He should be a stranger, but he’s not. I feel like I’ve known him forever, like he’s known me. He’s impulsive and unfiltered, and I swore I couldn’t stand him, but something is shifting inside me, and I’m scared of what it means. I don’t know how to put it into words, so I don’t try. I let Juliet believe what she believes. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Wait for me.”
I pull away, past the wide hallways and out through the guard house.
The guards watch me, but I’m already halfway down the drive before one of them shouts. It won’t be long before they reach father and tell him everything. I pick up my pace and almost crash into a man in a suit when he jumps in my way. He stares me down, then pulls a phone from his pocket and starts dialing.
I’m gone before he gets an answer.
I slow as I reach the road, expecting Leonardo to come tearing up the drive with the guards in tow. He doesn’t. But the SUV is still there. He’s still there. He’s waiting, and I’m out of time.
He jumps out when he sees me and pulls open the door.
“You took too fucking long,” he says.
