Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Carlotta coughed somewhere behind me, then screeched again.
Through blurry vision, I saw Nevio and Massimo dive into the pool. Shortly after, Nevio was by my side and dunked my brother with a devious grin.
Massimo helped Carlotta, but his intervention looked less fun. He grabbed Giulio by the throat and shoved him away. “Be careful. Carlotta has a heart condition.”
Giulio rubbed his throat and poked out his tongue at his cousin, then dashed off and began to splash Alessio, who’d remained on the lounge chair.
Davide followed suit, leaving me with Nevio. “All good?” he asked, then his eyes dipped lower. I glanced down and flushed. A tiny sliver of my nipple peeked out. I quickly tugged my top back into place. Something on Nevio’s face made me feel hot and not from embarrassment.
“I’m fine, really. I won’t have a cardiac arrest from a bit of water play,” Carlotta said, looking embarrassed. Massimo seemed to disagree, judging by the stern look on his face.
“Young love must be sweet,” Nevio muttered.
“Yeah,” I agreed. Our eyes met, and the heat in my cheeks intensified. Nevio searched my eyes, and I couldn’t look away. I had no hope that he couldn’t see my stupid crush on my face.
Alessio flung himself into the water with an ass bomb, dousing Davide and Giulio.
Water splashed Nevio and me in the faces too.
“Water battle!” Nevio shouted.
Before I knew what was going on, Nevio hoisted me onto his shoulders, and my thighs hugged his neck. Stunned, I stared down at his black crown.
“You should wait this out,” Massimo told Carlotta who grudgingly moved to the edge and lifted herself out of the pool. I sent her an apologetic smile, but she only gave me a thumbs-up.
“I want to fight her!” Davide shouted.
I sent him a dark look. He’d been annoying as hell recently. Mom said he was going through hormonal changes, but so what? So have I for the past few years, and I was never this annoying.
“Kick his ass, okay? I count on you,” Nevio said, peering up at me, his white teeth on display in a challenging grin. My heart picked up, and I grinned in turn. “Oh, I will.”
Davide climbed on Alessio’s shoulders while Massimo played referee.
“No hair tugging,” Massimo said sternly to my brother, who would definitely try that move. “Alessio, Nevio, you can kick and punch each other. No off-limit areas.”
“Finally, some good news,” Nevio said.
Alessio pointed his fingers like guns at him. “You better watch your balls.”
Massimo let out a whistle, and the battle was on.
Eventually, I was out of breath, and we settled on a draw after Davide and I had both landed in water about two dozen times. I sank down beside Carlotta, who handed me a towel. My chest heaved with every breath I took.
Nevio sent me another grin from the pool. “Good job, Rory.”
I smiled back and nodded.
“Now look at me,” Carlotta muttered, and I did. She smiled. “See, you can act normal around Nevio. This is a good start.”
“It was fun.” Then I sobered. “I’m sorry you had to sit on the sidelines.”
“Don’t be. I’m used to it by now. Diego is even worse than Massimo.”
“Massimo is really concerned about your health,” I said teasingly, looking over at him. He was chatting with Nevio and Alessio in the pool. My eyes halted on Nevio who ran his fingers through his wet hair before he hoisted himself out of the pool, biceps flexing, his trademark grin on his face. It wasn’t one that made you want to smile because you realized that something was lurking behind it.
Carlotta jabbed her elbow into my side. I quickly dragged my eyes away from him. I wasn’t sure why I had such a hard time ignoring Nevio. The magnetic pull he had on me was sometimes terrifying.
My sixteenth birthday was right around the corner, but Mom cradled me to her side as if I were a little child, and I didn’t protest. This felt like the last moments of our lives. Fear clogged my throat, and my heart pounded wildly in my chest. Mom kissed my temple, her arms around my body tightening even more as wheels squealed before us and a metallic crash sounded. Through the windshield, I saw the car with Remo and Nino and their families smashed against a shipping container.
I cringed, and Mom’s hold on me became painful.
We were in an industrial harbor area of New York, I wasn’t sure where exactly. During my few visits in New York over the years, I’d never really gotten the hang of the city’s outlay. We jolted against our belts when Dad hit the brakes.
“Heads down,” he shouted before he ducked out of the car with his gun drawn. Gunshots rang out, and another crash sounded.
“Get out of the car,” Adamo said as he exited and held the door open for us. His wife Dinara, who had been sitting beside me, got out first, pulling the gun she was carrying. I was glad they had decided to leave their young son Roman with his grandfather for this trip. That way at least he was safe.