When we got back from the club, Dario sent me to bed. Sent. Because when I tried to talk to him, he glared at me, so I did as I was told. Now, I'm dressed and ready for the wedding, but Dario is nowhere to be seen. He wasn't here when I woke, either. Walking down, I see Lorenzo, and he smiles at me. "Have you seen him?" "Out the back." He points, and I walk in the direction. Getting outside, I see him sitting on a chair. Walking over, I sit opposite him. "Dario." "Not today." Standing, he walks in, I didn't think about telling him. It was like ten years ago. Walking in, I see him sitting with his brothers and dad. I stand waiting, but he ignores me. Sighing, I walk through and go to the other side of the house. I see Iz first. Walking over, I smile at her. "Thought you were going with Dario?" She sits and looks at me. "That would involve conversation, so I have no idea what is happening right now." I know I should've told him, but it just seemed like a waste of time. I didn't t
My head hurts when I wake. I was overthinking everything last night, and my mind wouldn't switch off, which means now my head is killing me. I pick up my phone and glance at it, but there's still nothing. I was convinced he would at least message to ask if I was fucking okay. Apparently not, though. Showering, I consider the way forward. I can't keep avoiding him, and he can't keep avoiding talking to me. Even if he is really damn good at it. The knocking has me wrap the towel around my body. Walking through, I pull the door open, expecting to see Dario, but it isn't. "Evaline. Can I come in?" Nodding, I step out of the way, watching ass Taylor walks in. I watch as he takes a seat on the sofa. "Why are you here?" I stand and look at him. "To ask about Dale, why else?" He turns and looks at me. "I need to know if you knew?" Walking in, I sit, pulling the towel tighter. "Knew what?" Did I know what? "About his side deals? The ones that had him running?" My head shakes. "Come on
My body doesn't move as he sets up the camera in the corner of the room. I can't let this happen, but he's at the door that I need to get out of the room. Standing, I walk to the bathroom, and his hand grips me. "Can I not use the toilet?" His head shakes. "Like you can be trusted." "Like I can do anything. I'm naked in a fucking towel, Taylor!" "Fine, but don't lock the door." I watch as he grabs his phone. "If you take too long, I'm coming in." Sighing, I nod and walk into the bathroom. Closing the door I rush to the window. Opening it slowly and quietly, I peer down, I can do it. I think. It's on the second floor. I'm sure I can do it. Walking to the toilet, I flush it, then turn on the tap. Rushing back to the window, I swing my leg out of it. I'm fucking crazy, I'm naked, but there is no damn way I am agreeing. There is a small ledge. I move and dangle out of the window. My toes just touching the ledge. Now what? There is a portico below me. It's about 5ft away. Surely I c
I'm angry at her for not telling me. So I don't want to speak, as I will just shout at her for not telling me. Then there is the fact it's my fault. She did it all to save me. Someone who isn't worthy of fucking saving. I want to cuddle Evaline, but I can't because, at the same time, I don't feel like I deserve her. She deserves someone like Matteo, not me. What do I have to give her anyway? I look at her as she sits quietly. I'm not ignoring her to be cruel, but to keep her away from me as I know I will hurt her. She shouldn't want me, she shouldn't have given up her life to save me, and that pisses me off. I thought I was getting over the fact she gave up her life for me. Then, hearing him and knowing Dale had essentially for months forced her to carry drugs and have other men touch her made it worse. Part of me wants to shake her so damn hard for being so fucking stupid. She lost more of her life than I would have if I had gotten caught. Does she not realise that? What she gave
I look around myself, confused. I don't know where I am. My eyes glance down, and I see the blood covering me. My mind fights to remember anything, but there's nothing. Leaning forward, I take in the body on the floor. I don't recognise him. Taking out my phone, I see it's switched off. Turning it on, I see the messages and calls come through. Help me I hit send on the message, knowing they would find me now that my phone was on. It's late, and I can't remember anything. I look through the guy's pockets but find nothing to tell me who he is. He's a cop, that's clear. I can tell by his clothes. God, what have I done? "Dario." Jumping up, I look at Marco. "I'm sorry, I can't remember." I know he will be mad at having to clean up my mess. I watch them walk over. "We've been searching hours for you." "I didn't know, I don't know." I don't understand. I feel like I'm missing hours of my life. "Forget about him. What do you remember? The last thing Dario, think back. Really try to r
I wake with Dario's large body wrapped around mine. My hand strokes down his arm to his hand. I glance at the rings on his fingers and the tattoos. There are new ones I didn't know of. Then again, I rarely saw him, so how would I know of all his new tattoos? I still remember the first day that I saw him. We were in school together. He seemed so damn lost constantly. Nothing happened, though. Sure, Dario made advances, but I pushed him away. We rarely saw each other until my sixteenth birthday, and I was shocked to find him there. The crazy fucker brought me a gift. "You're smiling, little rabbit." I look at him and nod. "Just remembering my sixteenth birthday." He chuckles and nods. "My brothers thought I had lost the plot. My dad beat me, claiming I needed sense knocking into me." He laughs. I watch his hand turn over, and right there in his palm is the rabbit with my name. "They were right Dario," I smirk at him. "No, they were wrong. I hadn't lost the plot. I just knew what I
I watch as she walks in and sits next to me. I don't say or do anything. I just sit quietly and eat. A moment later, her hand moves and grips mine under the table. She gives me a slight smile before leaning into my ear. "Sorry for pushing you out again. I didn't do it because I blame you, Dario; I blame myself." "No!" She has nothing to be guilty of. "Hey." We turn to Marco. "You lot leave." He glances around, and I watch everyone leave. "What are you doing, Marco?" He smiles at my words. "You all need to stop blaming yourself. Rocco was involved, so regardless of whether you lost the baby or not, Evaline, something would have happened. He made sure that guy made a move. He filmed it all. So even if that didn't happen, Rocco would have set him up for a different fall." "I shouldn't have let him sort it." That was a mistake. "Why not? At that point, he was on our side, Dario. You were meant to trust him, so don't feel guilty for it. What happened with the baby was awful, but it
I find myself with Lucia, but it feels like I am here with her while they talk about things. Something is happening or has been hidden, and I won't let Dario pretend like it doesn't matter. Half an hour later, he walks out and grins at me. He knows something. I watch him walk over and sit next to me. "So?" I look at him, waiting. "So, we're going out later." He winks at me, and I laugh. "You know I didn't mean that, Dario. What was said?" He sighs, and I watch Lucia walk away. "Dario, you can't keep secrets from me, not when it's about me!" "It's not about you, though." He grins at me. "Really? It has nothing to do with me, Dale, or Taylor?" "Dale and Taylor, yes, you...no." I groan. "So it is about me, what?" I sit waiting. "Dario, just tell me!" "Fine. This Mad Hatter guy is an assassin, hard to find or trace. If he knows, then things are complicated. Regardless of what we're doing, you will have two Capos and some guards with you." Wait. I stare at Dario. "I don't want p
I'm so fucking happy. This is the best Christmas ever. She's pregnant, Alex is officially ours, and she's marrying me! Tonight! I left her for a bit. Her dad is here, so they are talking everything out. I wanted to be there but knew she needed space to do it herself. I look across the chairs and other things. She wanted to come outside, but we banned her. She can't see this, not until later. "It's looking good." Lorenzo smiles at me. "Have you considered this, Dario?" Marco looks at me. "She said yes! She said she would marry me." She said yes. "I know, but I mean the whole surprise wedding; she said yes, but that doesn't mean now." "Yes, it does!" She wouldn't say yes if she weren't ready now. She's ready. She will say yes. She will love this. "Okay, calm down, you're too high." Marco chuckles, but I can't. I feel amazing right now. "How is it going with her dad?" Matteo looks at me. "No idea. I gave her space." I'm giving her space. "Matteo, he's staying at your house toni
I walked out of the room feeling sickened. Not so much that he had slept with my mother, more he slept with me purely because I looked like her. Like in his mind, I was her. I need to check on Alex. Walking into his room he's sat up on the bed looking at the book. "Read it?" He holds out the book, and I laugh. "Move over." I climb onto the bed, and he cuddles into me as I read it to him. Today is Christmas. I didn't realise, but Lucia had the baby on Christmas day! It's nearly three. I read to him, watching as he fell asleep. Slowly, my eyes slip closed. I wake feeling someone wrap their arms around me. Glancing behind me, I see Dario. I open my mouth to talk, and he shakes his head. "No. Leave it, little rabbit. Let's just sleep for a couple of hours." He holds onto me, and I fall asleep, with him and Alex cuddling me. I need to get answers later. I wake up in bed alone. Neither Alex nor Dario are here. Climbing from the bed, I go to our room and begin to get ready. "Little ra
So far, this guy hasn't been forthcoming. It's Christmas, and we're wasting time on him. Sure, we could just forget him and go to bed for as few hours as possible before getting up, but he's a risk. Alice came to get the baby, and Lucia is currently resting. So this needs sorting now. He's not someone who can be trusted alone, even with soldiers. "I never would have hurt her." I look up, confused. "Evaline, my plan was never to touch her or harm her. Weirdly, she is just like her mother. She's amazing." "How did you meet her mum?" I want to get her answers. "I had just taken down a target and was ready to leave when I saw her. I was twenty-eight, and she was thirty-nine. She was so different. She was so amazing I just went over and said hi, which is how it began. At that point, Evaline was born." "Did you see Evaline?" "No!" His head shakes. "I never did; we had been sleeping together for years. She wouldn't let me see Evaline. She spoke of her. He found out about the affair and
I look at Marco. He's heard nothing. "It's Christmas. Maybe just leave it until after today?" Lorenzo looks at me. "I can't do much, Lorenzo." I can't do anything without information that we don't have. "This is your first official Christmas with Evaline, don't fuck it up." Our dad looks at me, and I know he's right. The gunshot has us all jump up and rush out. I watch as a window smashes and smoke begins to flood the hall. "Get the women and kids!" Marco screams, rushing upstairs; I grab Luciano, Lorenzo grabs Alice, and I see soldiers follow Marco up to Lucia and Evaline. Carrying Luciano down, I sit him in the safe room. Rushing up, I see someone carrying Alex. "Put it on." I see something throw a mask at me. Placing it on, I rush up and see Evaline fighting to get to Alex's room. "Alex is downstairs, little rabbit, go." I watch as she disappears. Rushing through, I get to our room and see him. Throwing myself at him, someone grabs me and stops, and I watch them grab him. "D
I wake hearing a bang, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. I reach out to Dario, but he isn't there. The sound of gunshots has my body jump up and out of bed. Rushing, I get the gown and wrap it around my body as the windows in the room smash, and smoke begins to fill the room. I rush for the door and hear something. Turning, I look behind me and see someone jump through the window. Running out the door, I get grabbed. Screaming, I go to hit him. "Evaline, go with him!" Marco? I feel them pull me, but I try to get to Alex. I need to get Alex. Screaming, I fight against him. "Alex is downstairs, little rabbit, go." I don't get a chance to respond. I'm just pulled further away. As we reach downstairs, I'm thrown into a room and the door locks. "Evaline, thank god you're okay!" Lucia rushes and hugs me. I look around, Alice, Lucia, Alex, and Luciano are in here, and I believe it's James. I'm not sure which soldier it is. "What is happening?" I look around us. This room has no windo
Dario's arms stay around me as we dance. He started out fine, but in the past week, he's been slowly drowning and getting lost in his mind. I know he's constantly overthinking what is happening. Everything I try fails. Sex works while we're having sex, and then he's back in his head. It's taking so much effort to keep him here and with us. The last thing we need is for something to happen and for him to slip away in his mind and not wait for answers. So, I need to keep his mind off Mad Hatter or Tim, as they haven't been able to find anything. Marco even tried to send a message out for my dad in the hope he would reply and give us something, but it's been silent. I lean up and kiss his lips. "We haven't spoken about how many kids you want." I smile, and he looks at me so damn confused. "Babies, Dario, how many do you want?" "I just want you." My eyes roll. "You have me. We have Alex. I want to know about us making babies. How many?" He seems to be considering it. "I would be hap
It's too quiet, and I don't like quiet, not in this way. Quiet in my head, fine, but this feels wrong. He's gone quiet. He's stopped sending messages out. He's ignoring us. He's planning, he's planning something, what is he planning? I pace the room. Today is Matteo's engagement party. Tomorrow is Christmas. It's too fucking quiet. Quietly, quietly, not a sound. I'm listening and listening. "Dario!" I turn, and Marco is staring at me. "You're singing." He holds out his hands. "We were waiting for you!" "I..." Something is wrong. Quietly, quietly, not a sound. I'm listening and listening. "Dario!" I glance at him. "Get out of your head, focus." I can't focus. It's too quiet. "Okay, tell me what is in your head. You keep singing quietly, quietly, so speak." "It's too quiet." It's too quiet. "Right, and I agree it is. It's unusual. He's gone quiet; he's not responding, but stay out of your head. It's been half an hour. How long have you been standing here pacing and singing in yo
I sit with Dario. His brothers and his dad are facing me. "You slept with him, just say." Marco laughs. "I did, but that isn't it. That time, I never returned; about a year into it, Dale had bought a holiday home. He sent me to it alone and told me not to leave as it wasn't safe. I stayed there for maybe six months. A few weeks after I got there, the guy showed up. He basically moved in with me." I see Carlos' mouth drop open. "He never stayed in one place!" "He stayed with me. Dale would send maybe one message a week saying I wasn't safe and to stay hidden. If I tried messaging him, it wouldn't go through. I told him I couldn't keep calling him Mad Hatter, so he said to call him Tim for now. That wasn't his name, I don't think. He confided in me, told me about his childhood and things, and I know I should have said, but I saw him as a friend." Which was stupid. "And now you don't? Why?" Marco looks at me, waiting. "Because now I realise he was trying to get information from me.
Dario pushes me to sit in a seat and faces me. He's looking at me like I'm about to blow everything up. I feel like I am. I didn't tell him everything, not because I didn't want him to know, but because I had no idea how or if he would handle this. Then, I just figured out things while he was getting Alex in bed. "Little rabbit, please." He looks at me, almost begging. "I didn't tell you everything. I stayed at a small holiday home without Dale for about six months. I have no idea where he went. Tim, or Mad Hatter as we know him, stayed with me." "You knew his fucking name!" "No! I told him I felt awkward calling him Mad Hatter, so he said to call him Tim, which could be his name for now. His name isn't Tim. It's just a name he said to call him, so I didn't have to call him Mad Hatter." "You don't know for sure, little rabbit, why the fuck did you live with him for six months!" "Dale was gone. I don't know where or why. He was just gone. Tim isn't a bad guy, or I thought. Dale h