Page 31 of Stay Little Fighter

I shouldn’t be out tonight, shouldn’t have even entertained the idea of leaving my bedroom, but when your whole life is monitored and there’s little opportunity to deviate from the plan that was set for you, acts of rebellion are the only way to spread your wings, even just for a little while.

Despite being a senior, I’ve never been to a high school party. I wouldn’t consider my parents as strict, because they’ve always given me every chance to make decisions for myself where they could, but they’re right when they say it’s not safe, because not only am I the daughter of Salvatore Lombardi’s most trusted soldier, I’m for all intents and purposes his daughter-in-law, and that makes me a target.

I tug the bottom of my dress down as I step onto the back lawn. The garage is off the main house, but I’ll raise too many questions if I go that way, so I’ve opted to take the long way around.

The balmy Florida night wraps around me as I glance up at the sky. We’re far enough away from the heart of Miami that the stars aren’t diluted by light, and if I’m honest, that’s one of the best parts of living on the Lombardi property.

Right alongside living in the same house as my boyfriend, who is going to be all kinds of pissed off when he finds out I snuck out without telling him.

I’ve never kept a secret from Ronan before, but when we were invited out tonight and he immediately said we were busy when he knew I’d be sitting home by myself, that streak of rebellion stuck its head out, and I knew this is something I had to do.

I don’t want to graduate high school and be the only person who never went to a party, and this is a rare night where one falls at the same time as my boyfriend, father, and most of the guards are on a job.

Some would say the stars are aligning.

I snicker to myself as I round the back of the house and come to a stop when I spot Salvatore in the garage with a man on his knees before him.

He has a gun clutched in his hands, but it’s only when the moon peeks out from behind a cloud that I notice the blood soaking the concrete beneath them.

Fuck.

After weeks of avoiding being anywhere near the man that rules the family with an iron fist, I’ve accidentally stumbled upon something I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t be seeing.

I bite down on the inside of my cheek and take a step back.

This was a bad idea.

I should have done as I said I was going to and spent the night with a face mask and a reality television show.

Glancing over my shoulder, a sigh of relief lets loose when I realize I’m just a few steps from being concealed by the house.

If I can just make it around the corner, I can get back to my bedroom without anyone ever realizing I was ever out here.

A gunshot slices through the quiet night, and a small gasp escapes my throat, pulling the attention of the most terrifying man I’ve ever met.

His eyes meet mine, and I watch as a cruel smirk tugs at his lips.

I haven’t seen a genuine smile on the man’s face since I was a child, but he’s far from being happy to see me.

He strides toward me with a confidence one can only gain from always being the most important man in the room, and no matter how loud my mind screams at me to run, I’m rooted in place in stupid high-heeled boots I thought were adorable before I left the safety of my bedroom.

Now they’re a liability because even if I had a chance to run, I wouldn’t make it very far in these things.

“What are you doing out here, Chloe?” he asks on his approach.

“I was going to a party,” I reply honestly. Lying is pointless when I’m dressed in a dress this short with a face full of makeup and my hair curled around my face the way I only do for special events.

The humidity in Florida makes keeping your hair the way you want it difficult, and I rarely have the time or patience.

His head tilts as he drags his eyes over my body. I force myself to remain perfectly still even when my arms itch to cover myself.

I’m never wearing anything this revealing again.

I’m never leaving my room again after the sun goes down.

You know what, maybe I won’t leave by myself ever again.

“It’s rather stupid for a girl like you to be out all by herself,” he muses. “Anything could happen to you, and your parents would think you were just like every other silly high school girl that snuck out and got herself kidnapped.”